Maybe it’s just me, but I tend to think this observation might resonate with voters: John McCain could be denied coverage under John McCain’s healthcare plan. It’s a point Elizabeth Edwards drove home very well over the weekend. Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of former Democratic presidential contender John Edwards, said she and John McCain have […]
With nothing else on, everyone watches the Superdelegates Channel
The Pennsylvania primary is three weeks from tomorrow, and the polls out of the state are still pretty one-sided. So, what are campaign watchers to do during the lull? Watch the superdelegates. Slowly but steadily, a string of Democratic Party figures is taking Barack Obama’s side in the presidential nominating race and raising the pressure […]
Clinton’s unpaid bills — do they matter?
Like her poll numbers, Hillary Clinton’s campaign finances have seen some ups and downs. The campaign looked to be in good shape in December, but then struggled a few months ago, prompting Clinton to make a $5 million loan to herself. After the media highlighted the campaign’s troubles, Clinton donors rallied and seemingly put the […]
Monday’s campaign round-up
Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * In the latest Gallup Poll Daily, Barack Obama has his largest lead to date over Hillary Clinton, 53% to 42%. John McCain, meanwhile, continues to lead both Dems by similar margins in […]
The worst cabinet secretary you’ve never heard of bows out
As a rule, having the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development resign in the midst of a national mortgage crisis seems like an unwelcome development. But in the case of Alphonso Jackson, who resigned this morning in the midst of multiple scandals and a criminal investigation, the Bush administration is probably better off with a […]
The lessons of a ‘defining moment’
On Friday, in the midst of a Maliki-led offensive against in Basra, President Bush described the eruption of violence across the country as a “defining moment in the history of a free Iraq.” It was, at the time, an odd way to put it. But let’s say, hypothetically, that the president has some sense of […]
Lieberman’s Zell Miller transition just about complete
That Joe Lieberman endorsed John McCain didn’t surprise me. That Lieberman would appear alongside McCain on the campaign trail, over and over again, barely raised an eyebrow. There are rumors that Lieberman is entertaining a prominent role at the Republican National Convention in September, which seems consistent with his character. But Lieberman’s appearance on “This […]
Would Clinton consider The Huckabee Option?
That Hillary Clinton intends to stay in the presidential race for the next five months is no longer in doubt; the question now becomes what kind of race she’ll run between now and August. On “Meet the Press” yesterday, David Brooks raised an interesting comparison. “I think she should slow down the campaign, run what […]
When the GOP’s ideology runs into GOP’s political interests
The Republican response to the mortgage crisis has been, shall we say, a bit of a joke. John McCain has led the way for the party with a plan that is both ineffective and surprisingly callous. The real core of his speech was his argument against government action to help dig distressed homeowners — or […]
The RNC gets a little touchy
On Friday, John McCain’s campaign unveiled its first general-election TV ad — the one that uses the word “American” one too many times — and the Democratic National Committee did what was expected: it responded by criticizing John McCain. It’s what national parties do. It wasn’t even an especially hard-hitting criticism. The DNC statement quoted […]