National Republicans
The Politics of Principle
Michael Barone of Fox News made an astute point about Obama at this week’s John Locke luncheon. He said Obama is a very different president from Bill Clinton: Clinton was “unencumbered by principle,” while Obama is an “ideologue.” Now, “ideologue” is a loaded word. You could also say “principled.” You could apply the…
Read MoreThe Main Attraction
Today’s N&O story by Jay Price and Mandy Locke captured a telling vignette from the competing political rallies by the “Spending Revolt” bus tour and Organizing For America: Both featured videos of President Obama. It reminded me of a conversation I had with a thoughtful Republican. He opined that the anger driving this year’s…
Read MoreThe Same Old Republican Pledge
For the fourth consecutive decade, Republicans are “pledging” to cut taxes and cut spending. Ronald Reagan made the pledge in the 1980s. Newt Gingrich made it in the 1990s. George Bush made it in the 2000s. And now it’s back in the 2010 “Pledge to America.” Jon Stewart did a masterful job of…
Read MoreThe Obama Voters
In 2004, George Bush beat John Kerry by 51-47 percent in the popular vote. Four years later, President Obama beat John McCain 50-49 among the same voters. A significant swing, but not huge. What gave Obama a landslide victory was the surge of new voters. Among people voting in 2008 for the first…
Read MoreJimmy Superior
Jimmy Carter’s latest gaffe – that his post-Presidency was “superior” to other ex-Presidents – struck me as deeply revealing. Carter’s work since leaving office 30 years ago has been both admirable and annoying – just like the man and his Presidency. If you weren’t there, it’s hard to realize what Carter meant when…
Read MoreThe Republican Divide
In retrospect, the Republican primary for the 13th Congressional District – Bernie Reeves versus Bill Randall – was a microcosm of what’s happening in the Republican Party nationally. It’s the Golfers versus the Grizzlies, the Country Clubbers versus the churchgoers, the K Street crowd versus the cul-de-sac crowd, the Establishment versus the pitchfork-carriers, the…
Read MoreSarah and John
Vanity Fair magazine has a scathing profile of Sarah Palin that sounds eerily familiar. Below are some of the articleâs characterizations of Palin. I ask you: What other well-known political figure does this sound like? âErratic behavior and a pattern of lyingâ¦â âSarah Palinâs connection with her audience is complete.â …
Read MoreStorming the Castle
The Republican Party is seeing exactly the same thing in its primaries this year that the Democratic Party saw in its presidential primaries in 2008. An inexperienced, untested and nearly unknown upstart challenges a pillar of the party’s political establishment. Propelled by the enthusiasm of inspired new voters, the upstart upends the odds-on favorite in…
Read MoreSeptember Surprises
The 9/11 rallies and replays this weekend were a reminder of how X Factors can scramble our lives – and politics. Nine years and three days ago, George Bush was working hard to be the No Child Left Behind president. After 9/11, he became obsessed with his oedipal need to both avenge and…
Read MoreIt’s the Obama, Stupid
For a long time, I thought the main driver in this election was the rotten economy. But the 2010 election instead may be all about the colossus who stands astride American politics today – for better and for worse: Barack Obama. That thought occurred to me when I read this from Tom Jensen…
Read More