2012 presidental race

13 Stories

Bill Clinton Credits Obama for Speech Help

He may have slipped up a bit in Florida, though

(Newser) - Bill Clinton's speech last week may have been the high point for the Democratic National Convention, but the ex-president is happy to share the credit with the current one, reports Politico . Clinton said he showed his speech to Obama the morning of his presentation, and made changes regarding Medicare...

Obama Pulls Ahead

 Obama 
 Pulls Ahead 
Latest Polls
Sep 9, 2012 7:37 AM CDT

Obama Pulls Ahead

Obama gains momentum in swing states, makes tough road for Romney

(Newser) - President Obama's DNC acceptance speech may have inspired more yawns than fervor , but the latest polls are showing him a clear advantage, especially in several key swing states, reports Politico . Republican officials admit that their in-house tracking polls show Obama with a high-single-digits lead in crucial battleground state Ohio....

Where Have All Our Grand Dreams Gone?
 Where Have All Our 
 Grand Dreams Gone? 
THOMAS FRIEDMAN
Sep 2, 2012 10:01 AM CDT

Where Have All Our Grand Dreams Gone?

GOP, Dems mired in tiny ideas. Where's our modern race to the moon?

(Newser) - After three days of listening to speeches at the Republican National Convention, Thomas Friedman grew tired of listening to endless propounding about "American exceptionalism," he writes in his latest column in the New York Times . Fifty years after President Kennedy launched America on a great journey to the...

Not Much Post-Convention Bounce for Mitt
 Not Much 
 Post-Convention 
 Bounce for Mitt 
Nate Silver
Sep 2, 2012 6:03 AM CDT

Not Much Post-Convention Bounce for Mitt

Poll changes mostly just 'noise,' says Nate Silver

(Newser) - Just days after the end of the Republican National Convention, it looks like Mitt Romney's "bounce" is pretty modest, writes Nate Silver for the New York Times . Rasmussen's poll produced the best result, giving Romney a five-point swing and a three-percentage-point lead now. Ipsos now has Romney...

Romney Was Wrong to Ignore Troops, War
Romney Was Wrong
to Ignore Troops, War
Bill Kristol
Sep 1, 2012 1:00 AM CDT

Romney Was Wrong to Ignore Troops, War

Bill Kristol says candidate made mistake skipping the soldiers

(Newser) - Despite having 68,000 Americans serving in Afghanistan, Mitt Romney made no mention about the war in his acceptance speech Thursday evening, earning him a harsh rebuke from conservative Bill Kristol in the Weekly Standard . "Leave aside the question of the political wisdom of Romney's silence, and the...

Reporter Goes Inside Karl Rove's Elite Fundraiser

He talks strategy, jokes about murdering Todd Akin

(Newser) - In a rare look behind the super-PAC curtain, BusinessWeek 's Sheelah Kolhatkar was able to crash an American Crossroads breakfast yesterday, featuring Karl Rove speaking frankly to the 70 top donors who fund the leading political action committee. Rove said the key to the election was persuading undecided voters...

Gen-Xers React to Own Paul Ryan: Eh, This Bites

First Gen-Xer on presidential ticket inspires, well, angst

(Newser) - At 42-years-old—and a fan of grunge music, Coen brothers movies, and microbrews—Paul Ryan is the first Gen-X candidate to appear on a presidential ticket. But unlike the pride Baby Boomers felt for sax-playing Bill Clinton, Ryan is generating some very Gen-X angst, irony, and diffidence, reports the New ...

In Appeal to Working Class, Romney's Tone Sharpens

Campaign thinks it not enough to criticize Obama's economics

(Newser) - Still narrowly trailing President Obama, Mitt Romney is hardening his message in an attempt to nail down the white working-class vote, reports the New York Times . Now concluding that it is not enough to campaign on Obama's economic failings, Romney and his advisers are trying to add edgy overtones...

Globe to Biden: Apologize for 'Chains' Comment

Biden may not be the worst, but he still crossed line

(Newser) - Even in an election season marked by rhetorical excess and incivility, Joe Biden needs to apologize for his infamous " put y'all back in chains " comment last week, writes the Boston Globe in an editorial. "In the fight for civility and substance over pointless hyperbole, Biden may...

Ryan Pick Drives Big Bucks to Romney Campaign

$3.5M donated online in first 24 hours after announcement

(Newser) - Thanks for Paul Ryan's enthusiastic fan base among fiscal conservatives, Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is enjoying an energetic resurgence, with crowds noticeably larger and louder, reports the Wall Street Journal . Perhaps just as importantly, that enthusiasm is also bringing in money, with $3.5 million pouring in from...

Ryan Zinged on Foreign Policy Inexperience

Ryan defenders say he is same as Obama in 2008

(Newser) - Paul Ryan may be a budget expert and domestic policy wonk, but a huge responsibility of the executive branch is foreign policy, and critics are already landing punches on Ryan's meager resume on international issues, reports Reuters . "I think his (Ryan's) experience as a vice presidential candidate...

WSJ: My, What a Smart Pick
 WSJ: My, What a Smart Pick 
OPINION
Aug 12, 2012 9:52 AM CDT

WSJ: My, What a Smart Pick

Journal calls Ryan pick 'serious'; Krugman says 'dishonest'

(Newser) - Last week, the Wall Street Journal called on Mitt Romney to pick Paul Ryan for his vice presidential runningmate. Now who's crowing about the pick? Why, the Wall Street Journal . The Journal isn't taking credit for the pick, but its editors do view it as a sign of...

Spotlight Shifts to 'Ladylike' Janna Ryan

Oklahoma native, Ryan was tax lawyer before moving to Wisconsin

(Newser) - Janna Little was a high-powered DC tax attorney with a low profile when she married a bachelor considered one of Washington's most eligible in 2000 and moved to his native Wisconsin to raise a family. But that relative anonymity went up in smoke yesterday as she stood beside husband...

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