Pete Spiliakos

I prefer not to overreact to jobs reports, but today’s unemployment and job creation news has Obama looking weaker than ever.  This would be a good time for a Republican who has shown the ability to win over Democratic-leaning voters, take on the spending interests, and produce a . . . . Continue Reading »

Jonathan Last argues that Romney is in huge trouble because he is a mediocre-to-lousy campaigner with no real support base and no real principles.  I think Last very slightly overstates his case.  Romney’s campaign for the governorship in 2002 was pretty good.  On, the other . . . . Continue Reading »

Some thoughts,  a) I’m trying to figure out how Romney beats an uncrippled Perry straight up.  So far, I’ve got nothing.  b) I’m not so worried about Congress actually passing cuts that are too harsh (I would oppose such cuts, I just don’t seem them as . . . . Continue Reading »

Shannen Coffin and Rich Lowry  argue that Romney would look desperate and inauthentic if he were to attack Perry now.  He would also open himself up to some devastating counterpunches.  All true, but Romney is in a tough situation (or as tough as it could be in August.)  I think . . . . Continue Reading »

David Brooks on how Romney might attack Perry.  I’m not convinced, but I can’t think of anything better. . . . . Continue Reading »

So I’ve been thinking about John’s suggestion that Bachmann attack Perry on the conservative authenticity thing.  So let’s take the issues of the Trans-Texas Corridor, the Texas Enterprise Fund etc. and the HPV vaccine thing.  Her attacks could look something like this: . . . . Continue Reading »

The first round of Perry vetting hasn’t laid a glove on Perry’s appeal to right-of-center voters.  According to Public Policy Polling, Perry is in an incredibly strong position.  He is the plurality first choice for GOP voters in a three way race against Bachmann and . . . . Continue Reading »

Jonathan Chait writes that Perry has made the Bachmann campaign obselete.   Peter Lawler picked up on it first. . . . . Continue Reading »

1. Yuval Levin makes the case for the current Republican field about as well as it is going to be made.  There is also a lot that is unsaid but still communicated about some Republican presidential candidates from this cycle and the last. I’m not there yet.  There are too many . . . . Continue Reading »

While the Ryan people were announcing that he wasn’t running for President (sigh), I was out watching FRIGHTNIGHT.  Very enjoyable vampire movie that does a smart job of incorporating some of the anxieties of the Great Recession.  That is tougher to do than it sounds.  The . . . . Continue Reading »