Almost immediately after Amendment 1 constitutionally banned same-sex marriage in North Carolina, a horde of liberal commentators—with pitchforks and torches in hand—took to the blogosphere to vent frustration. Hoping to exact revenge on the Tar Heel State for enacting such a discriminatory amendment, many are demanding that Democrats jettison plans to host the 2012 party convention in Charlotte. Gay Marriage … Read more
Many observers are claiming that Mitt Romney’s recent string of victories, and his mounting delegate count, signal the GOP primary is set to wrap up sooner than Santorum, Paul, and Gingrich have promised. Permeating the public mindset and the media coverage of the election is the idea that a drawn-out primary will hurt Romney and … Read more
1,144. This number represents the number of delegates that one of the four remaining Republican nominees will need to reach to avoid a brokered convention. In the news lately, we have heard a lot about this scenario, where Republican delegates would fight to the death to sway voters from one candidate to the other. However, … Read more
Rick Santorum’s February surge underscores what many have been saying all along: Republican voters are unwilling to accept Mitt Romney as their nominee. While Romney has considerable political experience and remains the strongest threat to President Obama this fall, he has failed to charm the base. Romney’s image is at the core of this problem: … Read more
Four years ago, the GOP primary race was effectively over at this stage of the campaign. In 2012, it’s not even half way there. In 2008, Senator John McCain swept the 21 Super Tuesday states, winning most of the delegates and effectively locking down the nomination. This year, the biggest date in the primary calendar … Read more
Let’s take this scenario: A highly successful politician from a well-known political family decides to run for president, starting to unofficially prepare for a run years and years in advance. Confident about their chances, they assume the title of presumptive nominee far before the primaries begin. But they can’t make the sell. Seen as polarizing, … Read more
A key question Republicans have been asking this primary season has been, “Which candidate has the best chance of defeating Barack Obama in the general election?” So far, Republicans seem to be settling on Mitt Romney as the most electable in this sense. But what exactly does “electable” mean? For Republicans, electable seems to mean harmless, moderate, … Read more
The four Republican primary candidates are learning the hard way something that every orange-juice-drinking, airboat-riding, sun-bathing, Sunshine State resident has known for a long time: Florida is one big state. All 50 of Florida’s delegates, now “at-large” due to RNC sanctions, are up for grabs to today’s number one vote getter, but Florida’s political landscape … Read more
With the fourth contest in the 2012 Republican primary season just days away, the race in Florida has become increasingly heated. As evident from recent debates, tensions run high and attacks abound. The Florida primary may very well be the most significant election in the nomination process, providing the champion the momentum necessary to … Read more
The radio waves are heavy with the sound of presidential attack advertisements, and nobody seems able to escape unscathed. Over the past few weeks, President Obama has faced a whole wave of criticism calling his presidency failed and his leadership ineffectual. Others have attacked Newt Gingrich as unreliable, undisciplined, an embarrassment, and “chaos.” Ron Paul … Read more