The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

CNN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA DEBATE

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. CONCLUSION 1 a.m. ET: Excuse my long absence. Had to go to the spin room for the post-debate action, then write a column for The American Spectator. I was hesitant to say this earlier but, did Rick Santorum kick butt or what? Because I wanted to believe he did well, I felt that […]

How Low Will They Go? This Low.

Rick and Karen Santorum greet supporters in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Jan. 16, 2012 MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. I just got through covering Rick Santorum’s speech to the Faith and Freedom Coalition event here. Afterwards, Senator Santorum, his wife Karen and their four oldest children — Elizabeth, John, Daniel and Sarah — greeted supporters here for tonight’s […]

Rick Perry Has Replaced Jon Huntsman in the Coveted ‘Gov. Asterisk’ Position

Marginal poll numbers, yet deemed debate-worthy: According to CNN’s criteria for inclusion, a candidate must get at least 4th place in either Iowa or New Hampshire, or get 7% support in at least three national Republican or three South Carolina primary polls released in January. The requirements were posted online last Tuesday afternoon, several hours […]

Sunday Morning Coming Down in New Hampshire ‘Meet the Depressed’ Debate

HOLLIS, N.H. After my late night guzzling beer consulting with key sources at the Radisson Hotel bar last night, I slept in this morning at the home of Mike Rogers of Granite Grok, missing the “Meet the Press” debate. Mike’s got it TiVo’d for my later examination, but initial accounts indicate it was far more […]

SANTORUM SURGE: Finally, the Polls in Iowa Are Catching Up With … Me

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa I’m inside a town hall meeting with Rick Santorum. About a hundred people here, and the big news today in Iowa is the CNN/Time poll showing Santorum surging into third place, with 16%, ahead of Newt Gingrich, who is now fourth with 14%, followed by Rick Perry (11%) and Michelle Bachmann (9%). […]

Hatin’ on the Hawkeye State, Or: Should Iowans Burn Jim Geraghty in Effigy?

Mob violence is rare in Iowa, but National Review‘s Jim Geraghty would be well-advised to avoid any gatherings of Hawkeye State Republicans after he blasphemed against the Sacred Caucuses this morning. A special kind of prejudice causes pundits to disparage the campaign Holy Trinity of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina — the crucial early states that […]

Dear Mr. Cain

Who cares, at this point, that Robert Costa got “the exit interview” instead of me? I’m over it, and too busy planning for my Iowa trip to worry much about it now. But this kind of bothered me: The media: When Cain launched his campaign, “I didn’t realize how vicious it was and I didn’t […]

Joe Scarborough’s Weird Man-Crush on Jon Huntsman: Get a Room, You Two!

MSNBC has in recent weeks become the daily venue for one of the most bizarre reality shows on cable TV: Morning Bromance, starring Joe Scarborough as a man helplessly smitten with “Republican presidential candidate” Jon Huntsman. When he isn’t blowing air-kisses at Huntsman, Scarborough is citing every possible media blurb about Huntsman as ratification of the former Utah […]

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