Outside the Beltway

The race for Virginia Governor turned out to be much closer than many predicted, but that should not be a surprise.

87.18% of the caucus is elected from safe to very safe districts and, therefore, the only real fear that they might have for their jobs would be at the primary stage.

Polls in Virginia don’t open for another 48 hours or so, but the end result has become fairly apparent when you look at the polls.

Charlie Crist, and his tan, want the Governor’s Mansion back.

Looking at Chris Christie as he interacts with voters in New Jersey offers a glimpse of just how he could succeed in a 2016 GOP nomination fight.

A majority of Americans now disapprove of President Obama’s performance and a whopping 70 percent think the country is moving in the wrong direction.

The Clown Wars Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

With debate season over, it’s looking less and less likely that Virginia Republicans will be able to hold back the Democrats on November 5th.

The prospect of Congressional action on immigration before the midterms just got a whole lot less likely.

Several conservative groups have jumped on the bandwagon of what appears to be a controversial Mississippi politician.

Chris Christie’s decision to take a tactical retreat on the issue of same-sex marriage raises some interesting questions for 2016.

Will the GOP learn the right lessons from the just-concluded showdown? That remains to be seen.

The shutdown debacle seems destined to lead to a battle between the Tea Party and the more business oriented elements of the GOP

Ted Cruz isn’t ruling out a reprise of his foolish, quixotic, crusade.

John Boehner’s position as Speaker of the House seems quite secure.

Ted Cruz’s definition of “the American people” needs some refining.

Nearly two-thirds of House Republicans voted for default. They lost.

The GOP’s shutdown was about as pointless as a show about waiting for a table in a Chinese restaurant.

A plan finally starting to come together?

Much like the Tea Party, David Frum wants to make the GOP tent smaller.

The deal emerging out of the talks between Senator Reid and Senator McConnell is about what you’d expect, but it’s probably the best we can expect right now.

As long as we’re tacking on unrelated measures in order to secure a deal to end the government shutdown-debt ceiling standoff, why not some related measures?

The presence of politicians like Sarah Palin at yesterday’s “Million Veteran March” was not appreciated by the people who organized the protest.

Cory Booker has not been quite as dominant in the New Jersey Special Election as many expected, but he’s still a virtual lock to win on Wednesday.

Conservatives gathered on the National Mall today to protest the closure of memorials, but their message seems really intended for Republicans in Congress to not back down.

Talks between the two Senate leaders haven’t exactly gone so well.

A little noticed rule change in the House is arguably one of the main reasons we’re in a government shutdown crisis.

One Virginia Republican suggests that defaulting on our bonds wouldn’t be that big of a deal.

The GOP’s approval numbers have fallen like a stone, but it’s unclear whether this will matter in 2014.

There seems to be at least some hope for a temporary deal in Washington to end the shutdown and raise the debt ceiling, but don’t count your chickens just yet.

Being Speaker of the House has become much more of a difficult job than it used to be.

Recent anti-corruption measures have contributed to making American government worse.

They’re back…….

63% are angry at Republicans, 57% are angry at Democrats, and 53% are angry at President Obama.

One cannot support the shutdown tactic and then be outraged that part of the government is shutdown.

To borrow a phrase from Stephen Colbert, if you want to understand how Congress works, you better know a District.

Ted Cruz wants his fellow Republicans to follow him down the rabbit hole again.

The Republican candidate for Governor of Virginia wants a quick end to the Government Shutdown.

Not raising the debt ceiling will create a true constitutional/legal crisis.

Democrats in the House will attempt to use an obscure House procedure to force an end to the government shutdown. It’s success is by no means guaranteed.

The first poll taken after the shutdown began has little good news for the Republican Party.