“Moving forward, however, we will no longer spend resources campaigning in primaries in states that have not yet voted. Doing so with any hope of success would take many tens of millions of dollars we simply do not have. I encourage all supporters of Liberty to make sure you get to the polls and make your voices heard, particularly in the local, state, and Congressional elections, where so many defenders of Freedom are fighting and need your support.”
"I feel like the inspector in ‘Casablanca,’ who is shocked to find out that there’s gambling in this establishment. National security is always a political football in presidential elections, and when the facts are against you, and when it’s playing against your party, you complain that the other side is politicizing national security."
— Jeremy Mayer, professor of public policy at George Mason University — Obama Doubles Down on Touting Osama Bin Laden Death
In Fehrnstrom’s defense, he was right. This is what candidates in both parties do—whether it’s softening a position on an issue or professing sudden love for someone you slammed as a primary foe, but who now is offering you his or her endorsement. It’s not that Fehrnstrom was wrong. He just shouldn’t have said it out loud. All candidates shake the proverbial Etch A Sketch, but Romney has a particular problem explaining why he has changed his views on such fundamental issues as abortion and gay rights.
They can’t stop talking about social issues, even as contraception is a fact of life for 99 percent of American women and a majority of Americans support gay rights, including a plurality in the NBC News poll who back gay marriage. The Republicans are too driven by the talk radio universe of Rush Limbaugh and a primary in which only the base of the base is turning out because their candidates aren’t generating any excitement.
A recent poll released by the Pew Research Center, shows Obama improving his standing with independent voters in a head-to-head match-up against top GOP contender Mitt Romney. Just a month ago, only 40 percent of registered independent voters nationwide preferred Obama to the former Massachusetts governor, but now that number sits at 51 percent.
"the most wide-open, the most fluid, the most topsy-turvy."
— Ralph Reed, founder and chairman of the Faith & Freedom Coalition on this year’s GOP race at CPAC 2012 - ‘Topsy-Turvy’ GOP Race Heads to CPAC
Does the Rick Perry ‘War on Religion’ Ad Go Too Far?
Gay rights activists, and even some religious leaders, are denouncing the spot. Even Perry campaign pollster Tony Fabrizio, who has previously worked with Log Cabin Republicans to promote gay rights among the GOP, called the ad “nuts” in an E-mail to its creator Nelson Warfield.
Republican presidential candidates Perry and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas speak during a debate at Oakland University in Auburn Hills, Mich. More in our photo gallery of 2012 GOP candidates.
"I just wanted to give you a heads up. I don’t have anything to hide."
— Herman Cain Says Woman Will Accuse Him of Having an Affair, denies all allegations.
Christie’s Out. Now Who for GOP Fiscal Conservatives, Romney?
As unlikely as a Christie run seemed, it ignited intense interest from a certain class of Republicans. Reportedly, industrialist David Koch, one of the intellectual and financial godfathers of the Tea Party movement, was among those pushing for a Christie run. Christie’s high-profile battles with the state’s public employee unions, and his full-throated and passionate case that entitlements are strangling the futures of New Jersey and America, made him look like the perfect candidate for the segment of the GOP concerned mainly with deficits and the size of government. While, on paper, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, another northeastern moderate, seems a logical choice for Christie backers to turn to, there are many reasons why they might look elsewhere—or sit out for the time being.
Donald Trump … frontrunner? That was the news out of yesterday’s CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey. Fully 19 percent of Republicans identified The Donald as their number one choice as party standard-bearer in the quest to evict Barack Obama from the White House. An equal number supported former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, while former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (12 percent), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (11 percent), and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (11 percent), rounded out the Republican top five.
The 2012 graduate school rankings have been released. Find out which graduate schools are on the rise.
Keeping with tradition, the festivities wrapped up with a presidential straw poll. For the second straight year, Texas GOP Rep. Ron Paul won, earning 30 percent of the vote. Romney came in second with 23 percent; no other candidate cleared single digits. Political insiders say that the CPAC poll used to be a good presidential bellwether, but it’s not so much anymore, given the concentration of Paul fans.
Daniels was “boring,” Barbour’s southern accent was “a turnoff,” and Santorum was “yesterday’s news.” Romney went down next, labeled “another Obama.” Next was Thune, though the Iowans say he has potential. Christie, who doesn’t want to run, went next.
The Iowans then argued for their favorites, like Pawlenty, whose “blue collar conservatism” and victories in Democratic-dominated Minnesota were a hit. When he was next to go, some of his supporters vowed that he’d make the cut down the road.
That left four: Huckabee, Gingrich, Palin, and Bachmann, who then bested Palin because Bachmann was “less polarizing.” But because Bachmann was seen by the group as the least presidential of the remaining three, she was dumped, followed by Huckabee, making Gingrich the surprise winner.
