U.S. presidential elections come in two parts, the preliminary or nominating phase in the form of state caucuses and primaries, followed by the general election. The latter is considered the main event. This year, though, it’s the preliminaries that may prove to be decisive. In them, the GOP candidates are staking out such uniformly far-right [...]

My local paper informed me Feb. 8 that Rick Santorum was the top vote-getter in Minnesota, capturing 45 per cent of the votes cast in the state’s Republican presidential caucuses. But 45 percent of what? Finding out basic information about the contest was a day-long task. A Google search yielded nothing about the number of [...]

The best way to heal self-inflicted wounds is to confess error quickly, fully and unambiguously. The Susan Komen breast cancer foundation’s apology for withdrawing funding from Planned Parenthood, and to reinstate the money, fell short of candidly explaining why it adopted a policy one of its board members described, accurately, as “stupid.” The policy it [...]

How much longer will Republican presidential candidates pretend that George W. Bush doesn’t exist? Mitt Romney’s victory speech in Florida is a case in point. Romney tore Barack Obama limb from limb on joblessness and other issues, but never once acknowledged that what preceded Obama’s election might have had a bearing on his record. Leaving [...]

Sheldon Adelson and his Israeli-born wife are unabashedly Jewish and are unabashedly trying to buy with their riches Florida’s presidential primary for Newt Gingrich. That’s a potentially toxic combination in a country where some still harbor negative stereotypes about “Jewish influence.” Give the Adelsons credit for being up front about their faith and their pro-Israel [...]

There were hugs, kisses and praise galore for Representative Gabrielle Giffords as she left Congress. The only thing missing from the sendoff was any recognition that Congress owed it to her to act at least to prohibit the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines that enabled her attacker to spew bullets right and left in the [...]

By all accounts Newt Gingrich’s debating performance had a lot to do with his big win in South Carolina‘s presidential primary. That’s unfortunate because debating has nothing to do with governing. When was the last time an incumbent president engaged in an actual non-electoral debate with anyone? But now that debates have taken on added [...]

You have to hand it to Mitt Romney. He’s no time-waster. No sooner had he vanquished his Republican rivals in New Hampshire, than he put bigger game in his sights. Romney’s victory speech made it clear that he won’t be distracted by minor nuisances like Iraq when there’s more potent enemies to contend with: Europe!! [...]

The winner of the Republican presidential nominating battle is unknown at this writing. It’s not too soon, though, to declare the loser: the English language. When, in politician-speak “moderate” becomes an epithet or President Obama morphs into a “socialist,” language has lost its moorings and meaning. At one time “moderate” had entirely favorable connotations. It [...]

Mark Shields and David Brooks agreed the other evening on the PBS Newshour that the country was indebted to well-educated Iowans for their splendid show of citizenship in conscientiously attending campaign events and subjecting candidates to informed questioning. Shields and Brooks didn’t happen to wonder where these wonderful, public spirited, Iowans are when the caucuses [...]