Blog: TAPPED

I think Jamelle’s post below perfectly captures the flavor of last night’s GOP debate, in which what was generally a contest to see who could be more wingnutty was occasionally interrupted by a candidate put on the defensive because they had done or said something reasonable. I’m not surprised, given this, that one challenge Michele […]

Last week I detailed Rick Perry’s extensive history with Grover Norquist and how their ideologies have aligned during his terms as Texas governor. I’d e-mailed Norquist a number of questions, but didn’t hear back until this past weekend and only received a response to a few of my inquiries. Norquist says he will remain “studiously […]

When it comes to Republican presidential debates, we’re reaching a point where the behavior of the audience overshadows the rhetoric of the candidates. At last week’s debate in California, for example, audience members cheered when Texas Governor Rick Perry defended his frequent use of the death penalty. It’s hard to believe, but that paled in […]

I don’t mean to mock, but here’s what George W. Bush told HBO, according to Gawker, about his most nervous moment as president. Turns out it was when he threw out the first ball at a Yankee game after 9/11: The adrenaline was coursing through my veins, and the ball felt like a shotput. And […]

Today, still 14 months out from the Republican National Convention, some journalists remain wary of thinking the race could be over so soon despite Rick Perry’s impressive polling. Amy Gardner at the Washington Post wrote yesterday that “Republicans are still shopping for a presidential nominee” and Ken Rudin argued on his NPR blog that the […]

A decade ago, political scientists Lawrence Jacobs and Robert Shapiro wrote an excellent book called Politicians Don’t Pander, in which they argued convincingly that the popular image of politicians slavishly following public opinion to determine where they should change their positions was bunk. That, however, was before Mitt Romney emerged on the scene. Yes, Mitt […]

If I were tasked with crafting the Republican Party’s legislative strategy in the wake of President Obama’s jobs speech, here’s what I would suggest: Instead of mindless opposition to the president’s proposal, craft a small-bore plan and pass it as the American Jobs Act. When this neutered bill fails to produce the benefits promised by […]

Throughout his failed campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, Tim Pawlenty positioned himself as the anti-Mitt Romney. In campaign ads and speeches, Pawlenty defined his campaign in opposition to Romney’s: Where Romney was once pro-choice, Pawlenty was always against abortion; where Romney pioneered the individual mandate for his Massachusetts, Pawlenty always stood against universal health […]

Seth Masket points out one more reason to be worried about the 2012 election: It seems fair to say that the economy will not be roaring again any time soon, meaning that Obama will at best win by a squeaker. If it dips back into recession, he’s toast. Most likely, it will end up just […]

Last night, closing his assertive speech on the American Jobs Act, President Obama made a promise. “This plan is the right thing to do right now, and you should pass it,” he said to the joint session of Congress, “And I intend to take that message to every corner of this country.” This morning, Obama […]