Race For The GOP Nomination All About Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, And A Panicking GOP

With less than a week to go before voting starts, Donald Trump continues to dominate the GOP race, with Ted Cruz the only candidate even close to looking like a viable challenger.

Rick Perry Endorses Ted Cruz

Rick Perry is endorsing Ted Cruz for President, leading to the question of why Ted Cruz thinks an endorsement from Rick Perry has any value whatsoever.

National Review Takes On Donald Trump, But It’s Most Likely Too Little, Too Late

The flagship of the American right is leading the charge against Donald Trump, but it’s not likely to work.

Sarah Palin Endorses Donald Trump

Sarah Palin is back, and she’s endorsing Donald Trump for the Republican nomination for President.

Greg Abbott, Anti-Federalist

Governor Abbott may claim he seeks to restore the constitutional order, but in fact his proposals have a lot in common with those who opposed the documents ratification in the first place.

No, the US is not on the Verge of a Multi-Party System

We will have a two party system for the foreseeable future.

The Quixotic Quest for the Radical Center

Americans don’t trust their government or each other. There’s no reason to hope it’ll get better.

Republicans Say They Want A “Conservative” Presidential Nominee

In a new Gallup poll, Republicans say they want a “conservative” as their Presidential nominee, but they may regret what happens if they get the kind of hard-right conservative they seem to be thinking of.

Trump Surges Ahead Again In Post-Debate Polling

The first post-debate polls of the GOP race have more good news for Donald Trump.

Final Spending Bill Sails Through Congress, Giving Speaker Ryan Another Legislative Win

The final spending bill for the 2016 Fiscal Year sailed through Congress today, marking the end of a very successful first two months in office for Speaker Paul Ryan

Rubio Campaign’s Early State Strategy, Or Lack Thereof, Is Confusing Many Republicans

Marco Rubio has been getting a lot of love lately from both conservatives and so-called ‘establishment’ Republicans, but his seemingly meager ground game in early states is raising doubts about his campaign.

Heading Into Next Debate, It’s Still Trump On Top With Cruz And Rubio Fighting For Second Place

A pair of new national polls shows a new trend in the GOP race heading into the final debate of 2015.

Trump and Fascism

Should Donald Trump be classified as a fascist?

Trump Continues To Control The Race For The GOP Nomination

Notwithstanding the hopes of many Republicans, Donald Trump continues to be the person to beat in the race for the party’s 2016 Presidential nomination.

New Poll Appears To Show Majority GOP Support For Trump’s ‘Ban Muslims’ Immigration Plan

A new poll appears to show that a majority of Republicans support Donald Trump’s plan to bar Muslims from immigrating to the United States.

Trump And Cruz Look To Be Headed For A Showdown In Iowa

Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have mostly avoided attacking each other, but if the polls are any indication that detente may be about to come to an end in the Hawkeye State.

Yes, It Is Appropriate To Think Of Donald Trump As a Fascist And Demagogue

Given his rhetoric, it’s fairly clear that Donald Trump is drawing from a poisonous political well. So there’s no point in failing to acknowledge reality.

Yes, Trump is the Frontrunner, but…

Polls are quite useful in the right circumstances, but knowledge, complexity, and timing all have to be taken into account in determining what they are telling us.

It’s Thanksgiving, So Of Course People Want You To Start Political Fights With Your Relatives

Happy Thanksgiving! Don’t forget to start a political fight with your family!

Economic Growth Was Slightly Better Over The Summer Than Initially Reported

The economy performed a little better than previously reported over the summer. It’s not great, but it’s probably enough to convince the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates next month.

New Iowa Poll Seems To Set Up Inevitable Showdown Between Donald Trump And Ted Cruz

Another poll shows Ted Cruz rising and Ben Carson falls in the Hawkeye State. The only question is who attacks who first, Donald Trump or Ted Cruz?

The 2016 GOP Race And The Battle To Define What ‘Conservative’ Means

Much more so than in the past, the race for the Republican Presidential race has become a battle to define what it means to be a ‘conservative.’ Especially on issues like immigration and national security, one side seems to be winning the battle.

Americans Continue To Hate Congress, Will Still Re-Elect That Same Congress

A new Gallup poll shows public approval of Congress once again approaching historic lows, but it means far less than anyone thinks.

Republicans And The Legacy Of George W. Bush

Republicans haven’t really moved beyond the legacy of George W. Bush’s failed Administration as much as they’d like to think, but it doesn’t seem to be hurting them very much.

Trump And Carson Lead, Bush Sinking, Christie In Debate Trouble In Latest GOP Polls

Fluctuations continue, but the Republican Presidential field appears to be sorting itself out as we near the beginning of a new phase of the campaign.

Republicans Win Big In Kentucky, Setting Up A Big Fight Over Obamacare

Republican Matt Bevin picked up what comes as a surprise win to many observers, and that sets up a big fight over what had been a PPACA program that the White House has touted.

Has Marco Rubio’s Breakout Moment Arrived?

Marco Rubio’s performance in this week’s debate is once again leading to speculation about whether is about to have a breakout moment.

CNBC Debate Had Fewer Viewers Than Any Debate So Far, Which Is Good For CNBC

While it did draw 14 million viewers, last night’s CNBC debate had the smallest audience of any Presidential debate so far. That was probably a good thing for CNBC considering how bad the debate was.

Paul Ryan Easily Elected Speaker Of The House

With only a handful of opposition, Paul Ryan was easily elected the 62nd Speaker of the House.

After Opposing Procedure Under Which It Was Negotiated, Paul Ryan Will Support Budget Deal

Yesterday, Paul Ryan spoke out against the procedure under which the new budget deal was negotiated. Today, he announced that he’ll vote for it anyway.

Governing is Not Win-Lose

Compromise is simply necessary for the country to function.

Paul Ryan Blasts Budget Deal Process, But He’s Likely Very Pleased It Happened

Paul Ryan is blasting the process that led to the new budget deal between the GOP and the White House, but one suspects he’s secretly quite pleased with the fact that it makes his job-to-be a lot easier.

Tea Party Support At All-Time Low, Even Among Republicans And Conservatives

A new poll shows that the Tea Party movement is more unpopular than it has ever been before, even among Republicans and conservatives.

Department Of Justice Finds No Basis For Criminal Charges In I.R.S. Scrutiny Of Tea Party Groups

The Department of Justice has informed Congress that its investigation has found no basis for criminal charges arising out of the targeting of conservative organizations by IRS officials evaluating applications for tax-exempt status.

Signs Of Trouble For Jeb Bush

Once the Republican frontrunner, Jeb Bush is now floundering and dealing with donors worried that they may be backing the wrong horse.

Ben Carson Passes Donald Trump In New Iowa Polls

Two new Iowa polls show Ben Carson passing Donald Trump in the Hawkeye State, but that’s not necessarily good news for Republicans.

With Last Obstacles To Becoming Speaker Clear, Paul Ryan Is “All In”

With the voting now seemingly a mere formality, the question becomes what kind of Speaker of the House Paul Ryan will become.

Paul Ryan Now Has A Clear Path To Become Speaker Of The House

With the top conservative caucus in Congress acquiescing to his candidacy, Paul Ryan is largely certain to become the next Speaker of the House.

Republicans May End Up Being Stuck With Trump Whether They Like It Or Not

Whether they like it or not, it’s becoming quite apparent that Republicans may have to get used to the idea that Donald Trump really could be their nominee next year.

Paul Ryan Willing To Be Speaker, If All His Conditions Are Met

Paul Ryan has never really wanted to be Speaker Of The House, but he’s take the job if House Republicans meet the conditions he’s set out.

Conservative Groups Opposing Paul Ryan For Speaker Before He Even Announces

Paul Ryan has yet to say if he will run for Speaker of the House, but that hasn’t stopped the opposition on the hard right from forming already.

Ben Carson, Political Ignoramus

While a brilliant and accomplished man, he’s absolutely clueless about politics and world affairs.

Ben Carson Isn’t Alone In Having Utterly Silly Ideas About The Debt Ceiling

Yes, Ben Carson’s comments about the debt ceiling are silly, but it’s the fact that a lot of Republicans agree with him that’s dangerous.

House Conservatives Fail To Unite Behind A Candidate For Speaker

With just a day to go before House Republicans pick their candidate for Speaker, conservatives don’t seem to be able to unify behind a candidate.

Marco Rubio, The Next GOP Rising Star?

Quietly, Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been moving close to the front f the race for the Republican Presidential nomination.

Congress Avoids A Shutdown, But It’s Likely To Come Back In December

Congress will get a temporary funding bill passed in time to avoid a shutdown on Thursday, but it may just be delaying the inevitable.

Have we Seen Peak Trump?

Trump remains in the lead, but he has been steadily falling over the month of September. (And this triggers, as these things do, musings about institutions and our party system).

John Boehner’s Parting Words For His Critics Are Spot-On

John Boehner let loose on the “false prophets” on the right yesterday, and he’s absolutely right.

House Speaker John Boehner To Resign

Big news out of Washington, D.C.