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Mitt Romney

Do Debates Tell Us Anything?

PaulJun 14, 2011

Televised debates are on one hand the best opportunity most citizens have to get an extended, longer-than-a-soundbite view of presidential candidates, and on the other hand impossibly trivial and inane. For instance, in last night's debate in New Hampshire, Tim Pawlenty looked anxious and tentative, while Michele Bachmann was confident and crisp. Does that mean Bachmann would be a better president that Pawlenty? Hardly. So I'm reluctant to make too much of anything that happens in a debate. But it's worth highlighting one set of comments, which started with Herman Cain bumbling through an explanation of his prior position that Muslims ought to take special loyalty oaths to serve in the government.

Romneymentum

PaulJun 13, 2011

It's heartening to see that folks are coming around to my argument that Michele Bachmann is going to be a formidable force in the Republican primaries, coming as it does at the same time that Mitt Romney is moving from "the closest thing there is to a front-runner" to "the front-runner." A new Gallup poll has him at 24 percent, well above non-candidate Sarah Palin at 16 percent and joke candidate Herman Cain at 9 percent.

The Message

Jamelle BouieJun 13, 2011

In its theatrical value, Mitt Romney's latest campaign video pales in comparison to Tim Pawlenty's high-octane Michael Bay rip-offs. Nevertheless, "Bumps in the Road" is far more effective as an attack on the Obama administration

Jack Donaghy...er...Alec Baldwin for Mayor?

Sarah LaskowJun 08, 2011

A real, live political consequence of Anthony Weiner's personal problems is that Alec Baldwin may run for the New York mayoralty. (Weiner had been considered a front-runner, and now…not so much.)

Baldwin's qualifications for office are essentially the same as Mitt Romney's were, when he ran for governor of Massachusetts, or Michael Bloomberg's when he ran for mayor: I'm interested in politics, and I was successful at something else.

Checking Out the Ladies

PaulJun 08, 2011

My column yesterday was about how Michele Bachmann could turn out to be a surprisingly formidable candidate, and one of the points I made was that reporters can't seem to write about her candidacy without talking about her and Sarah Palin as a matched set. But only because of their shared opposition to quantitative easing by the Fed -- not because they're both ladies. It's in the same way that every article about Mitt Romney talks about how he and Jon Huntsman are interchangeable, and one can only take votes from the other. Oh wait...

Good Mitt v. Bad Mitt

PaulJun 06, 2011

After being ridiculed for the last four years for changing his positions whenever a Republican primary voter looks at him funny, Mitt Romney dips his toe into the cool, clear waters of reality:

Give Mitt the Business

PaulJun 03, 2011

romneyfrown.jpg

Should Iowa and New Hampshire Give Someone Else a Turn?

Jamelle BouieJun 01, 2011

carter2009linea-1x16.jpgAs presidential election years approach, it's not unusual to hear reservations about the primary schedule, and in particular, the huge influence of Iowa and New Hampshire. For example, here is _The New York Times_' **David Leonhardt** with [reservations](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/01/business/economy/01leonhardt.html?_r=1...) about the democratic bona fides of our presidential nomination process:

Pawlenty Nomination Watch

Jamelle BouieMay 24, 2011

**Charlie Cook** is [bullish](http://rdd.me/ktnjxnay) on former Minnesota Governor **Tim Pawlenty**'s chances for the Republican presidential nomination:

Tim Pawlenty on the Other Hand...

Jamelle BouieMay 23, 2011

Is definitely running for president, as evidenced by his latest campaign video:

A few thoughts. If the "time for truth" slogan is any indication, Pawlenty is clearly positioning himself as the anti-Mitt Romney candidate and trying to capitalize on conservative discomfort with Romney's willingness to "flip-flop" from previously held positions.

Daniels Declines

Jamelle BouieMay 23, 2011

Mitch Daniels, current Indiana governor and former budget director for George W. Bush, is not running for president:

Over the last year and a half, a large and diverse group of people have suggested to me an idea that I never otherwise would have considered, that I run for President. I’ve asked for time to think it over carefully, but these good people have been very patient and I owe them an answer.

Waiting for the Republican White Knight

PaulMay 18, 2011

The prevailing assumption about the 2012 GOP primary now seems to be that the race could well come down to a contest between an unelectable wingnut (e.g. Michele Bachmann) and an uninspiring loser-to-be (e.g. Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty). So there is a thirst for another candidate to enter the race and save the party from itself. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is on the top of the list, but some are pining for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, or Texas Gov. Rick Perry. But here's my question: When has this ever happened?

The 2012 Candidate for all Sides of Republicanism

Patrick CaldwellMay 13, 2011

He may not place very high in the polls and comes across as one of the blandest candidates in the field, but my hunch is that former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty should be viewed as the favorite to secure the Republican nomination next year.

Today at the Prospect

tappededitorMay 13, 2011
  • Jamelle Bouie explains that faced with his previous support for universal health care in Massachusetts, the GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney doubles down..
  • Courtney E. Martin tells us why gender parity is still so elusive in the art world.

Is Jon Hunstman Running for 2012, or 2016?

Patrick CaldwellMay 12, 2011

I'm siding with the Prospect's Jamelle Bouie over Paul Waldman on Jon Hunstman's decision to enter the 2012 presidential field. Between his moderate record and Republican primary voters' sharp rightward swing since the Tea Party came along, there doesn't seem to be a viable path for Huntsman to win the GOP nomination.

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