Pete Spiliakos

1. I don’t know how to write a book, but if I were to write a book on the 2012 primary season, it would argue something like this: Critics of the Republican “base” considered Republicans to be invincibly ignorant, easily manipulated  yokels and many of the candidates for the . . . . Continue Reading »

One of the things I like to keep in mind is Ross Douthat’s observation that “There are multiple rights and lefts, and multiple middles as well.” One thing sort of irked about the observations that Romney had gone to the center in his debate with Obama. There was some truth to that . . . . Continue Reading »

So I just finished watching the first 65 minutes or so of the debate, and here are my thoughts, 1. This was the character Romney should have been playing all along - Romney at his best is a less affable and empathic (but more personally decent) Bill Clinton. A big part of Clinton’s appeal is . . . . Continue Reading »

And I doubt that I’m even watching the debate tonight.  I have to be up in the morning. 1.  Read this Reihan Salam piece.  Find the sophisticated jab at Obama’s bitter clinger comment.  Just deadly in so many ways. 2.  I keep reading and hearing about how hard . . . . Continue Reading »

1. The polls still show a slight Obama edge. Some of the media outlet polls show a smaller Obama edge than the ones that came out last week, but the Rasmussen tracking poll has gone from a tie to a three point Obama lead. The result is that the RCP polling average has gone from a peak Obama lead of . . . . Continue Reading »

It is still close enough that Romney could win.  The Romney team hasn’t given up yet.  We’ll know when the Romney team has given up.  It will be when anonymous Romney staffers start leaking to liberal-leaning news outlets that Romney is losing because of the Tea . . . . Continue Reading »

I basically agree with Ramesh Ponnuru. I think Romney is behind. I don’t think that Gallup and Fox News have joined the vast media conspiracy to demoralize Republican voters and I don’t think that they misplaced their calendars and still think it is 2008. But I don’t think Romney . . . . Continue Reading »

I’m not sure we are seeing all the sources of resentment against the fabled 47% who don’t pay income taxes. Romney was caught affecting to despise and write off this 47% who, according to Romney: a) Don’t pay income taxes. b) Are going to vote for Obama. c) Are dependent and think . . . . Continue Reading »

I found the map referenced in Peter Lawler’s below post to be striking. I went over to Real Clear Politics to look at how Romney’s polling against Obama compared with John McCain’s polling against Obama.  According to Real Clear’s average of head-to-head . . . . Continue Reading »

1. The administration’s gyrations on the murder of Libyan ambassador Stevens are disgusting. There was a well coordinated terrorist attack on American interests and personnel. There seems to have been a series of intelligence failures that left our ambassador exposed. That is bad enough, but . . . . Continue Reading »