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For decades the maxim regarding the presidential nominating process has been that there are three tickets out of Iowa, meaning the top three candidates have done well enough to be considered viable contenders for the later contests. It’s a bit more complicated than that, of course – Arizona Sen. John McCain finished fourth in 2008 after not campaigning in the caucuses but still won the nomination – but it is true that candidates need to at least meet if not ... Read More >>

Jeb Bush’s fundraising juggernaut has run out of steam, Ben Carson’s money machine has cranked down, and Chris Christie and Rand Paul have just a little more than $1 million in each of their campaign bank accounts.

Donald Trump has overtaken Ted Cruz in the final days before Iowa’s caucuses, with the fate of the race closely tied to the size of Monday evening’s turnout, especially among evangelical voters and those attending for the first time, a Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register Iowa Poll shows.

Last night’s GOP debate featured seven candidates on the main stage and one noticeable absence. While partisans of each candidate are ready to explain why their man won, there seems to be a consensus that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush did the best; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio did very well too; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz had a rough night but did OK; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul made the most of their opportunity and likely ... Read More >>

After being bumped from the main debates in early January due to low polling numbers, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul took full advantage of his primetime slot at Thursday night’s Republican debate.

With Donald J. Trump absent from the debate stage, critics had a chance to focus on the rest of the Republican field. While the verdicts varied, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas was seen as starting strong but fading late, while Senator Marco Rubio of Florida had his moments but grew testy at times when faced with tough questions. Some thought Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, had one of his most energetic performances, while the retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson barely registered.

With Donald Trump a few miles away at his own event, the remaining seven candidates took advantage of the extra oxygen to audition to be the Republican’s general-election stalwart and commander-in-chief. In a vigorous but relatively newsless debate, there was no discernable sign that the fundamentals of the race changed. But as candidates took advantage of the shifted dynamic, Iowans got a valuable sense of the field and a sharper look at their choices.