Friday Talking Points [195] -- SOTU Review
[ Posted Friday, January 27th, 2012 – 17:27 UTC ]
Well, that was an eventful week in politics, wasn't it?
Archive of Articles in the "News" Category
Friday Talking Points [194] -- Out Of Touch
[ Posted Friday, January 20th, 2012 – 17:31 UTC ]
OK, to be completely honest, we just felt like beating up on some Republicans today.
Economic Optimism?
[ Posted Thursday, January 19th, 2012 – 17:19 UTC ]
It's still early days to even know if the economy is truly about to enter a strong recovery or not. A few data points on a graph do not always a trend line make, to put it another way. But from what I have personally seen in previous recessions, there always seems to be a real "tipping point" where American businesses collectively decide that things are going to be better soon -- and then they start hiring people and fulfilling their own prophecy. This could indeed be such a turning point.
Not-Romney Race Killing Not-Romney's Chances
[ Posted Wednesday, January 18th, 2012 – 17:42 UTC ]
If either Gingrich or Santorum (or even Perry) had managed to cement their status as the alpha "not-Romney" in the race at this point, they might have had a chance in that fabled "two-man race" (or, more properly, "two-man-plus-Ron-Paul race"). Adding Gingrich and Santorum's support in South Carolina easily shows that Romney could have been defeated here, if the field had narrowed. Florida would even be in play, likely.
Friday Talking Points [193] -- Run It Up The Flagpole
[ Posted Friday, January 13th, 2012 – 16:50 UTC ]
Not a whole lot has been happening in Washington, due to Congress being out on one of their countless month-long vacations. Not a whole lot of Democrats have been in the news, either, since the Republican primary season is sucking all the oxygen out of the political arena right now.
Happy Birthday, Common Sense
[ Posted Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 – 18:09 UTC ]
Two hundred and thirty-six years ago this week, a pamphlet was published in Philadelphia. There is some disagreement among historians over the exact date (variously given as January 9th or 10th), and the pamphlet's title page itself only lists the year, 1776. Whatever the actual date, though, Thomas Paine's Common Sense hit the American consciousness like a bombshell -- one which would reverberate for years to come.
Old-School Editorializing
[ Posted Tuesday, January 10th, 2012 – 18:55 UTC ]
What struck me about New Hampshire's contest, being in the midst of historical research into such things, was the old-school nature of the Union Leader, a very conservative New Hampshire newspaper. It struck a lot of the media as interesting as well, but I didn't see anyone else commenting on such historical context.
Friday Talking Points [192] -- Obama Picking His Fights
[ Posted Friday, January 6th, 2012 – 15:56 UTC ]
I have to say, while the Republicans have been having their three-ring primary circus, President Obama has been looking better and better. Both in comparison to the Republican field (of nightmares, so to speak), and also because Obama's been making progress on his own.
Obama Poll Watch -- December, 2011
[ Posted Wednesday, January 4th, 2012 – 16:07 UTC ]
President Obama had a pretty good month last month in the job approval polls, bettering his standing in both approval and disapproval by roughly three-fourths of percentage point. This may not sound like that big a deal, but it was the second straight month of solid gains for the president in both categories.
Romney Inevitable?
[ Posted Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 – 21:48 UTC ]
I thought I'd wait to write today until the Iowa results were in, because I haven't done one of these "snap judgment" sorts of things for a while. As I begin, roughly 85 percent of the votes have been reported.