President News & Analysis

Debt Limit Vote: You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet

by Stuart Rothenberg May 13, 2011 · 10:17 AM EDT

Forget the fights over health care reform, the extension of the Bush tax cuts and any other controversy previously billed by the media as The Big One. The vote on raising the debt limit is so politically significant that any other Capitol Hill fight we have witnessed of late…

Don’t Start Planning Obama Inauguration Yet

by Stuart Rothenberg May 11, 2011 · 10:58 AM EDT

While few are saying it openly, many I talk with sound as if there is no need to wait until November 2012 to declare President Barack Obama winner of a second term.

Given the killing of Osama bin Laden, the expected $1 billion war chest of the president’s…

Does Daniels Really Fit GOP’s Bill? Maybe So

by Stuart Rothenberg May 9, 2011 · 11:34 AM EDT

He is definitely not the person central casting would have sent to play the role of president of the United States. But is Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels at the right place at the right time?

Now that Indiana’s legislative session is over, Daniels promises to decide in a…

How Major Is the Killing of Osama bin Laden?

by Stuart Rothenberg May 4, 2011 · 11:02 AM EDT

The reaction to the killing of Osama bin Laden strikes me as more interesting than the death of the man who plotted so many acts of international terrorism.

Members of the national media treated the announcement of the demise of bin Laden, who has become a symbol of…

Obama, GOP Not Serious About Deficit Deal

by Stuart Rothenberg April 20, 2011 · 9:37 AM EDT

After watching President Barack Obama’s response to Congressional Republicans’ proposals for cutting the federal deficit, it’s awfully hard to credit either side with being serious about finding a viable legislative compromise.

In his speech on fiscal policy at George Washington University on Wednesday, the president talked about the…

Trump in 2012? Not Every Stupid Idea Is Funny

by Stuart Rothenberg April 6, 2011 · 9:47 AM EDT

I debated about filing this column, worrying that writing anything — anything at all — about Donald Trump would only fuel the existing chatter about a possible presidential bid for the Republican nomination by the celebrity businessman.

I decided, however, that a painfully honest appraisal of Trump’s prospects…

An Early Look at 2012 ‘Elite Eight’ Battleground

by Stuart Rothenberg March 11, 2011 · 8:48 AM EST

At least eight states that are likely to be among the most competitive and fiercely fought on the presidential level next year are also headed for high-profile Senate contests that could determine control of the chamber.

The list includes Florida and Virginia in the South, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri…

Tim Pawlenty’s Michele Bachmann Problem

by Stuart Rothenberg March 2, 2011 · 12:05 PM EST

In a Republican presidential race that could include the likes of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) and Mississippi Gov. (and former Republican National Committee Chairman) Haley Barbour, Tim Pawlenty’s most troublesome potential opponent could well be a fellow Minnesotan, Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Pawlenty,…

Why Romney Is a Very Frail GOP Frontrunner

by Stuart Rothenberg February 7, 2011 · 9:00 AM EST

Unlike the Democrats, who almost always at least flirt with off-beat presidential hopefuls and sometimes even pick a nominee who started as a long shot for their nomination, Republicans have, over the past 50 years, generally preferred “the next guy in line” when they select their White House nominees.

Forecasts of Obama Rebound a Bit Premature

by Stuart Rothenberg February 1, 2011 · 8:35 AM EST

President Barack Obama’s standing is too often being treated as the political equivalent of a bull market. His approval is rising. He is receiving praise for his rhetoric and strategic positioning. He has drawn kudos for personnel changes. Suddenly, we are told, his political future is bright.

But…