Recent News

Republican ‘Super PACs’ Turn to TV Ads for High-Stakes Primaries

The cavalry arrived too late for Gov. Scott Walker, but other candidates struggling in the shadow of Donald J. Trump hope their own backup – in the form of “super PACs” flush with money for television commercials – will soon be riding to their rescue.

The polls get most of the attention, but they’re not the most important part of the early stages of a presidential campaign. The better guide to who’s really winning is known as the “invisible primary,” in which candidates compete for support from their fellow politicians, from party leaders and from donors.

GOP insiders: Jindal and Pataki quit next

Bobby Jindal and George Pataki are the next two quitters in the Republican field.

That’s the assessment of Republicans in the POLITICO Caucus, our weekly bipartisan survey of the top activists, operatives and strategists in Iowa and New Hampshire.

A couple of articles this morning look at some of the unusual elements of the 2016 Republican presidential campaign. In the Washington Examiner, James Antle suggests the race is breaking new ground:

Republican White House race moves into uncharted territory

Something unprecedented is going to happen in the Republican presidential race next year. That’s not a prediction of a specific outcome, but a statement of fact about the options available.

The modern Republican primary process has never produced a nominee like Donald Trump, ... Read More >>

The first two casualties of the 2016 presidential campaign were predictable. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker began with high expectations, especially Walker.

Whatever else it is, the Republican presidential contest has become a full employment act for reporters and analysts. With the largest (though gradually shrinking) field of any major party in U.S. history and a Republican electorate that appears mad as hell and isn’t going to take it anymore,

Governors can’t get no respect in 2016

This was supposed to be the election where there was no question about who would lead the 2016 Republican ticket — a governor, drawn from the deep pool of current and former state executives coveting the Oval Office.