Archive

For GOP Delegates, Sarah Palin on the Ticket Is a No-Brainer

by Stuart Rothenberg September 4, 2008 · 12:06 AM EDT

We won’t know for at least a few days, maybe even a few weeks, whether Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was a smart addition to the Republican ticket, but it already is clear that delegates at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., are close to unanimous in their enthusiasm for the…

Stassen’s Son, Obama Fan, Recalls Conventions Past

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 4, 2008 · 12:05 AM EDT

In 1940, young Minnesota Gov. Harold Stassen (R) gave the keynote address at the Republican National Convention that vaulted him into the national political spotlight. His son Glen was only 4 years old at the time, but he would have a front-row seat for his father’s long political career.

But…

NRSC Finally Joins DSCC on the Air

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 3, 2008 · 11:18 AM EDT

The National Republican Senatorial Committee launched its first television ads of the cycle this week, with spots in New Hampshire and North Carolina.

The North Carolina spot plays off the Olympics and attacks Sen. Elizabeth Dole’s (R) opponent, state Sen. Kay Hagan (D). “What if they gave gold…

Is Congress Really a Juicy Target for John McCain?

by Stuart Rothenberg September 2, 2008 · 12:05 AM EDT

Some Republicans are downright giddy these days about Congress’ unpopularity.

They argue that Republicans, including the party’s presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), will be able to tag Democrats with being unwilling to deal with the nation’s problems, and they are counting on the…

What I Did When I Wasn’t at the Convention

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 1, 2008 · 12:05 AM EDT

Oregon Congressional candidate Kurt Schrader (D) has his sights set on Congress, and his path doesn’t go through Denver. While some of the Democrats’ most promising House candidates were highlighted from the convention floor Tuesday, Schrader chose to skip the week’s festivities.

Schrader…

Despite Accounts, Democrats All on the Same Page in Denver

by Stuart Rothenberg August 31, 2008 · 12:05 AM EDT

Even a few journalists have started to wonder whether the dominant narrative of the first days of the Democratic National Convention is entirely accurate.

Sure, a chunk of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (N.Y.) supporters initially didn’t completely embrace Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) as the…

Democrats Focus on Faith Agenda, Activists Interrupt

by Nathan L. Gonzales August 30, 2008 · 12:05 AM EDT

Democrats continued their unprecedented outreach to faith voters in Denver this week as they worked to expand the values issue agenda to include more than hot-button social issues. But after two official faith panels at the Colorado Convention Center on Tuesday, it’s clear that abortion is still…

Jones Will Be Missed by Neighbors

by Nathan L. Gonzales August 29, 2008 · 12:05 AM EDT

Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio), who died last week, was not one of those Members of Congress who makes Washington, D.C., their home and rarely goes back to their district. I know, because I lived above her in a D.C. apartment building for the past five years.

Even though her time in…

New Jersey 5: National Celebrity Doesn’t Equal Victory in House Elections

by Stuart Rothenberg August 28, 2008 · 12:05 AM EDT

It isn’t difficult to find Democratic Congressional candidates who have a chance of knocking off a GOP incumbent or winning a Republican open seat. Democrats should net at least 10 Congressional seats this November, possibly many more. It is going to be a very good Democratic year at the…

Florida 21: South Florida Race Heats Up in Denver

by Nathan L. Gonzales August 27, 2008 · 3:46 AM EDT

Both parties’ candidates in Florida’s 21st district are in Denver this week, but don’t expect them to cross paths.

“He won’t debate me in Miami, so I’ll debate him here,” former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez (D) said on the convention floor Monday night. His opponent, Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart…