My Confession
Posted by Erick Erickson
The problem with Mitt Romney is the inconsistencies in his record. The problem with Newt Gingrich is the consistency of his record. I will support either of these men against Barack Obama. Either would be better.

Internal Rick Perry Campaign Polling Shows Positive Picture in Iowa
Senior Rick Perry Campaign advisor Joe Allbaugh sent out an email today revealing Rick Perry’s internal polling in Iowa. The campaign’s pollster is Mike Baselice of Baselice and Associates out of Austin.

Romney, Gingrich, Huntsman and Health Care Hypocrisy
By Juan Williams
What do Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, the leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination, have in common?
Long before President Obama even entered the Oval Office, both men supported an idea they now pretend to spurn — the idea of requiring people to buy health insurance.

Romney and Gingrich, from bad to worse
By George Will
Republicans are more conservative than at any time since their 1980 dismay about another floundering president. They are more ideologically homogenous than ever in 156 years of competing for the presidency. They anticipated choosing between Mitt Romney, a conservative of convenience, and a conviction politician to his right. The choice, however, could be between Romney and the least conservative candidate, Newt Gingrich.

HHS Grants For Labor and Sex Trafficking Victims Denied For Not Including Abortion
By Audrey Hudson
The Obama administration has politicized federal grants that were designed to aid victims of labor and sex trafficking by excluding a Catholic organization that refused to include abortion and sterilization services, House Republicans said Thursday.

The Horserace for December 1, 2011
Posted by Erick Erickson
We are a month away from the actual horserace, but it has been going on a while. I have said repeatedly that the race is Mitt Romney’s to lose. It looks like he just might lose it.

Is Mitt Romney as Whiny as Barack Obama? Or Just Not Really Vetted?
Posted by Erick Erickson
If you haven’t seen the Bret Baier interview with Mitt Romney it is now abundantly apparent why Mitt Romney will not sit in the middle chair and take tough questions from the roundtable — his skin is as thin as Barack Obama’s. (To Bret’s credit, he had the roundtable panel submit questions and Steve Hayes asked an awesome one. You’ll have to watch the interview to see it).

Once You Go Conservative Black, You Better Watch Your Back
by Ann Coulter
With the mainstream media giddily reporting on an alleged affair involving Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, how long can it be before they break the news that their 2004 vice presidential candidate conceived a “love child” with his mistress, Rielle Hunter?

Obama’s Labor Department Looks To Take The ‘Family’ Out of Family Farms
Posted by LaborUnionReport
Let’s establish this right out of the gate so as not to confuse issues: It is wrong when corporations use child labor. Forgetting the law for a moment, whether it is here in the U.S. or overseas, children are children, and corporations should not exploit children. Got it? With that said, this is not about corporations, this is about families and farms. More specifically, family farms and the overreach of the federal government.

Obama Administration and EPA Use Clean Water Act for New Overreach – Prepare To Have That Puddle in Your Back Yard Regulated.
Posted by Ben Howe
Just as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has used the Clean Air Act to broaden the scope of their authority way beyond its original intention with rules like MACT and CSAPR, the Clean Water Act is becoming a tool of overreach by the out of control agency.

Role of underdog seems to suit Texas governor
By Pauline Arrillaga
Rick Perry is sitting comfortably on a plush sofa in a hotel far from the strip that put the sin in “Sin City.” It’s the day after another presidential debate, and if the flat-screen in front of him were on, he’d hear plenty of appraisals of whether a new fiery approach helped his pursuit of the highest office in the land or hurt him more.

Five Reasons Rick Perry Will Survive…For Now
By Jay Newton-Small
Sure, Rick Perry blew his chance to reboot his campaign last week and spent much of the weekend doing damage control – through humor and a quiet debate performance on Saturday night. Yes, some donors are fleeing from him. And his poll numbers have sunk even lower. But don’t expect Perry to bow out of the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination any time soon. In fact, there is still a path for him to win. Here are five reasons why Perry will stay in the race and survive his debate gaffe.

The Implosion of Herman Cain
Posted by Leon H. Wolf
Anyone who saw the debate on Saturday night and observed Herman Cain’s performance clearly saw a man who was terrified of the questions he was being asked and was hoping to be noticed as little as possible. Apparently, there was a good reason for that. Herman Cain apparently sat down with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel editorial board to talk foreign policy and, well… this happened.

Republican Chaos
Posted by Neil Stevens
Chaos: Mathematically, we see it when small changes to the inputs of a function produce large, wild changes to the outputs. I believe we’re seeing that now in the GOP primary race, as a weakened Herman Cain and a strengthened Newt Gingrich, combined with a steady Mitt Romney and a resilient Rick Perry, turn it into a four cornered brawl.

The Perry Campaign Gets a Life Line
Posted by Erick Erickson
Rick Perry’s debate gaffe last week will go in the annals of political history as one of the most embarrassing gaffes on a Presidential primary debate stage. His recovery the next day will be studied by future campaigns as the textbook example of damage control. His Saturday night debate performance in South Carolina gets him the complete redemption he needs.

Rick Perry: GOP debate ‘oops’ won’t end campaign
By Kasie Hunt
Rick Perry says he “stepped in it” during Wednesday night’s Republican debate, but insisted Thursday that it won’t force him out of the presidential race.

So What Agency Would You Most Like to Forget?
By Team Perry
We’ve all had human moments. President Obama is still trying to find all 57 states. Ronald Reagan got lost somewhere on the Pacific Highway in an answer to a debate question. Gerald Ford ate a tamale without removing the husk. And tonight Rick Perry forgot the third agency he wants to eliminate. Just goes to show there are too damn many federal agencies.

The governor said it best afterwards: “I’m glad I had my boots on, because I sure stepped in it tonight.”

While the media froths over this all too human moment, we thought we would take this opportunity to ask your help in doing something much more constructive: write us to let us know what federal agency you would most like to forget.

Rick Perry on the Super Committee & Energy
Posted by Erick Erickson
In the second part of my interview with Governor Rick Perry, I asked him about the Super Committee. He tied its existence into the failure of Barack Obama’s leadership. His answer transitioned us into a discussion about energy policy and the ability to create jobs in the United States based on accessing our domestic energy.

Ohio Issue 2: Let’s not over-react or fall for media templates
Posted by Kevin Holtsberry
Issue 2 in Ohio has failed. Unions poured a gazillion dollars into Ohio and won. Despite having a sense of this outcome for some time it still stings. Believe it or not, a great many felt that these reforms were important steps in bring fiscal and structural sanity to government. The voters clearly did not get that message.

COUNTDOWN TO VICTORY: 365 DAYS TO THE 2012 ELECTIONS – Left-wing Thugs Assault Conservatives
By Gary L. Bauer
Events in the streets of Washington, D.C., on Friday night must be a wakeup call to every decent American. Just a few miles from the White House, “Occupy” thugs physically attacked conservatives attempting to attend a “Defending the American Dream” dinner hosted by the conservative group Americans for Prosperity.

Can Rick Perry Rebound With a Flat Tax?
Posted by Erick Erickson
The Perry campaign wants to reboot, having retooled and refined its message and tried hard to get back on the jobs message.

Herman’s High-Tech Lynching
By Brent Bozell
No one who followed politics 20 years ago will forget the night when Clarence Thomas sent an electric charge through a Senate hearing room. As liberal Democrats pushed the unproven sexual harassment charges of Anita Hill, in an attempt to destroy Thomas’s chance to serve on the Supreme Court, Thomas called them out for conducting a national disgrace. “This is a high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves.”

Why It Doesn’t Matter Who Leaked The Cain Sex Scandal
Posted by streiff
Sure it’s fun trying to figure this out, but in the end it really doesn’t matter because Herman Cain has been accused of some variety of sexual harassment by at least three former employees. And unless we’re going to play the part of Lanny Davis and James Carville in 1996, Herman Cain owes everyone some answers.

Obama Continues Assault On Values
By Gary L. Bauer
As part of its continuing assault on traditional values, the Obama Administration has put out a not-so-subtle message when it comes to who qualifies for government grants: “Catholics Need Not Apply.”

Days of Whine and Poseurs
Posted by Erick Erickson

We’ve made a bit of a mistake as a conservative movement fixating so much on the race for the White House. There’s a behind the scenes fight happening in Washington right now. Congressional Republicans are not just selling us out, they are hell bent — and I really do mean hell bent — on destroying the conservative groups raising red flags about what they are doing.

Portraying the Face of Job Growth
By Jeremy W. Peters
The presidential campaign of Gov. Rick Perry of Texas started broadcasting its second television ad on Monday in Iowa.

Election 2012: Wisconsin President – Wisconsin: Perry 46%, Obama 42%
By Rasmussen Reports
Barack Obama carried Wisconsin easily in the 2008 presidential election, but he is slightly behind Texas Governor Rick Perry and runs just ahead of two other top Republican hopefuls in Rasmussen Reports’ first Election 2012 look at the Badger State.

Rick Perry’s new mantra: I’m a doer, not a talker
By Michael A. Memoli
In a nod to his poor showing in the GOP debates, Rick Perry declares in his latest campaign advertisement that he’s a “doer, not a talker.”

Pro-Perry group blankets Iowa and South Carolina with new ads
By Shawna Shepherd
A pro-Rick Perry group is unleashing an ad campaign this week in Iowa and South Carolina on behalf of the Republican presidential candidate.

Mitt Romney: The Magically Malleable Man of Mystery
Posted by Erick Erickson
Mitt Romney is probably thanking his lucky stars the Politico decided to drop a Sunday night hit piece on Herman Cain alleging Cain sexually harassed at least two women. Had it not happened last night, this morning the political world would be talking about George Will’s stinging take down of Mitt Romney and conservatives who support him coupled with Chris Wallace’s observation that Mitt Romney won’t come on the Sunday shows to be asked tough questions.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry makes Sunday morning political talk show debut – Plans to take down Obama despite lackluster debate, poll numbers
By Alison Gendar
Rick Perry says he is smooth enough to be president. The Texas governor made his debut on the weekly political talk shows on Sunday, even as his poll numbers plummet and conservatives wonder if he has what it takes given his blundering debates.

The Oppo Dump on Herman Cain Begins in Earnest
Posted by Erick Erickson
Hours after the Politico’s Roger Simon accused the GOP of being racist, the Politico begins a sincere effort to destroy the black guy running to be the GOP’s Presidential nominee. The opposition dump on Herman Cain has begun in earnest. Before getting into the details, let’s pay attention to what this means.

In N.H., technocrat Romney vs. preacher Perry
By Dan Balz
They have debated on the same stage five times, but rarely have the contrasts between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry been more in evidence than during separate appearances here Friday night. It was Romney the careful technocrat versus Perry the unplugged preacher.

The Horserace for October 27, 2011
Posted by Erick Erickson
Is Rick Perry wasting our time? He came out with a great energy plan. He came out with an amazing economic plan. But I get the sense the campaign is in denial. Word is leaking that he may start skipping debates.

Paul Ryan on the Perry Plan: ‘I Can Tell You This: It Would Grow The Economy’
By Avik Roy
In a conference call today sponsored by the Heritage Foundation, Paul Ryan answered some questions regarding the Perry plan for an optional flat tax. Ryan once proposed an optional flat tax, with two brackets of 10 and 25 percent. “I can tell you this: it would grow the economy,” Ryan said of the Perry plan. “This enters the good stage of the campaign . . . where the candidates are putting forth actual ideas and bold solutions.”

Obama’s Re-Election Model Is FDR
By Paul Moreno
With the economy sinking in 1937, Roosevelt accused business of sabotage. President Obama is cozying up to the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, intending to make resentment of big business a central theme of his re-election campaign. Here he’s following the lead of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who tried to convince the public that Wall Street was to blame for the double-dip recession that plagued his second administration.

Herman Cain Clarifies His Abortion Position
Posted by Erick Erickson
Yesterday, Leon Wolf wrote that Herman Cain’s abortion position sounds much like that of the mythical pro-life Democrat, or like those Democrats who try to cast themselves as “personally” pro-life, but who would not do anything to actually change the law.

Unhappy times at the White House
By Wesley Pruden
Good old Joe, always good for a laugh. However, that’s not President Obama or the White House wise men holding their sides and rolling on the floor. Joe is endearing enough in the way of crazy uncles, but when the attic door is left unlatched someone has to be dispatched to find old Joe and pay for the damage.

It’s Back!
By Gary L. Bauer
Thanks to the failed policies of the Obama/Biden Administration, the Misery Index has come roaring back. Here’s how Reuters put it: “An unofficial gauge of human misery in the United States rose last month to a 28-year high as Americans struggled with rising inflation and high unemployment.”

Thin Skin
Posted by Erick Erickson
It finally hit me tonight why I think Mitt Romney would have a real problem in the general election. He is Barack Obama.
No, not really. But yeah, there is something there. They are both robotically good on the campaign trail. But throw them off guard, get them off balance, and they turn a bit nasty.

Letter from Nevada Governor in Support of Rick Perry
Earlier today, we hosted the GOP contenders for president in the “Battle Born State” to find out who has the conservative record and vision to get America working again. It’s clear that Gov. Perry has the jobs plan and record to battle President Obama and take our country back in 2012.

Revived Perry presses Romney, pushes for flat tax
By Seth McLaughlin
Texas Gov. Rick Perry followed up a feisty debate performance with a pledge Wednesday to fight for a flat tax and with another round of thinly disguised jabs at rival Mitt Romney — the man he sees as his chief obstacle to winning the GOP presidential nod next year.

Recapping the GOP debate: Mitt’s snit, Cain’s crash, Perry’s push
By James Oliphant, Robin Abcarian, Kim Geiger and Michael A. Memoli
Whew. Can you have a debate in which nobody wins? The seven Republican presidential candidates on the stage during the CNN debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday slapped, swatted, slashed, jabbed, picked and poked at each other for two hours. As might be expected, most of them emerged bloodier and more ragged than when they walked in.

The CNN Debate: Where Has This Perry Been?
Posted by Erick Erickson
Where has this Rick Perry been? Finally, the guy showed up with unscripted, from the gut answers. The few scripted answers fell flat (see e.g. Jeffres). The rest were good. He’s not the best debater. But he certainly did not lose that debate.

Nevada Governor Supports Rick Perry

Earlier today, we hosted the GOP contenders for president in the “Battle Born State” to find out who has the conservative record and vision to get America working again. It’s clear that Gov. Perry has the jobs plan and record to battle President Obama and take our country back in 2012.

I invite you to watch the video that sums up the first phase of Rick Perry’s jobs plan and help Gov. Perry continue to take his message to voters across the nation with a campaign contribution.

Last Friday, Gov. Perry unveiled the first part of his comprehensive economic plan to get America working again: “Energizing American Jobs and Security.” Although it’s only the first part of his plan, it has already been called the “strongest proposal of any presidential candidate to date.”

And a defensive, nervous Obama campaign has already responded.

The striking contrast between the one million jobs created under Gov. Perry’s watch—versus the 2.5 million lost under President Obama—is cause for concern at the president’s campaign headquarters.

Governor Perry is the only candidate running on a soaring record of job creation, supported by his unyielding conservative principles. His plan for America is simple: make what Americans buy. Buy what Americans make. And sell it to the world.

With only a few short weeks until the first primary votes are cast, it’s critical that we make sure Rick Perry has the support to spread his plan to get our country working again across America. Please consider a donation today!

Sincerely,

Brian Sandoval

Governor, Nevada

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The Horserace for October 13, 2011
Posted by Erick Erickson
It was the one question in the Bloomberg-Washington Post debate that gave away the game. A source close to, but not in, the Bachmann campaign told me it was that question when he realized the game was over for Michele Bachmann. It was that one question that, according to a source close to the Perry camp and a source close to the Cain camp, raised a red flag for the Romney campaign and shows just how worried the Romney camp is about the race consolidating.

Chris Christie is Intellectually Dishonest
Posted by Daniel Horowitz
Earlier today, Chris Christie endorsed Mitt Romney for president, describing him as “a real hero in Republican circles.” During his announcement, he disparaged conservatives who oppose Romneycare, by suggesting that any attempt to compare it to Obamacare is “completely intellectually dishonest.” Governor Christie might want to look in the mirror or step down as a prominent spokesman for the Republican Party.

The Media Notices that Barack Obama is sort of Full of Crap
Posted by Leon H. Wolf
If I were President Obama’s political team, the only hope I would harbor right now for Obama’s re-election would center on the President being able to hold the line with his base – which is to say, the national media. Based on the questions asked in yesterday’s press conference, it may be time for administration officials to start polishing their CVs for employment in the private sector. Obama fielded, by my count, three hostile questions on Solyndra, and one on the Fast and the Furious. Through it all, Obama continually attempted to return the conversation to his jobs bill which has literally zero hope of passing either house, and in fact is so doomed that it probably won’t even be brought to the floor, barring a major change in the political climate.

The Horserace for October 6, 2011
Posted by Erick Erickson
Earlier this week, I focused on what I personally don’t like about each of the candidates. Today, with the race rapidly consolidating into a three man race, it is time to have a very frank conversation about each of the candidate’s objective problems.

The Enemy has been Engaged; Perry Supporters Must Press the Battle
By Steven Hotze
The war for the future direction of America is raging. The media and political pundits in Washington, D.C. have wasted no time in starting their attacks on Governor Perry who has proven himself a leader and an advocate for free enterprise, constitutional government, states’ rights and traditional family values.

This Primary Season Is All About Not Romney
Posted by Bill S
Every week brings another controversy or another debate – and another Republican POTUS front-runner. And once again, the GOP base continues its eternal (and fruitless) search for the Perfect Conservative. Each time a candidate peaks, they stick their foot in their mouth or some issue about their past pops up and they drop in the polls in favor of the next flavor of the month.

Stumbles aside, Perry to remain a top contender – Advantages outweigh setbacks
By Ralph Z. Hallow
Although Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been hurt by poor debate and straw-poll performances — and in recent days by associations with a racial slur — top Republican officials think he nonetheless can survive the blows and remain a major contender for the party’s presidential nomination.

I Hate You
Posted by Erick Erickson
Since I managed to make just about every Sarah Palin fan on earth mad on Friday by quoting Palin, I decided I would go on and make everyone else mad too.

Maybe Stephanie McCrummen Just Likes Using the N Word
Posted by Erick Erickson
This is perhaps the most bizarre attack on Rick Perry to come so far. Hugh Hewtitt has a very good take down of it. It shows the extent to which the Democrats will go to attack Republicans. Stephanie McCrummen, a Washington Post based reporter formerly stationed in Nairobi has a history of fanning racial flames out of context.

The Tao of Perry: Just Be an Aggie – To Decode Candidate, Look to Texas A&M Years; ‘What You See Is What You Get’
By Miguel Bustillo
Now that Rick Perry is a presidential contender, Americans are trying to get a handle on the Texas governor’s personal mix of aw-shucks conservatism and swashbuckling anti-Washington rhetoric.

Perry shows courage on immigration
By Ronald L. Trowbridge
As a libertarian/conservative Republican, I have great respect for the extraordinary honesty and courage Gov. Rick Perry has shown on the contentious issue of immigration. He’s the only one of the Republican candidates who’s got it all right.

As I Was Saying
Posted by Erick Erickson
I said yesterday that Herman Cain is now the center of gravity for the GOP’s 2012 candidates. Today, Fox News shows a meteoric rise for Herman Cain. And it is pretty much all at Rick Perry’s expense.

Texas’ Immigration Choices – Rick Perry’s pragmatism draws fire from his presidential rivals.
Wall Street Journal
Texas Governor Rick Perry is often assailed as a conservative yahoo, yet on immigration he’s getting whacked from the right for being soft on illegals. Michele Bachmann has portrayed him as weak on border enforcement, and Mitt Romney has decried his support of in-state college tuition rates for illegal aliens. We think Mr. Perry’s positions reflect those of a border state executive taking a pragmatic approach to the economic realities of immigration.

Rick Perry an immigration radical? Hardly
Texas Gov. Rick Perry is a radical who encourages illegal immigration. Really?

Rick Perry’s Immigration Problem vs. Mitt Romney’s Healthcare Problem
Posted by Erick Erickson
I don’t speak for all conservatives, but most every single conservative I know will gladly settle for Mitt Romney and support him over Barack Obama. Even the conservatives I know who right now are saying they could never support Mitt Romney will . . . when push comes to shove . . . support Mitt Romney.

President Obama Blames Texas Wildfires on Global Warming
Posted by Ben Howe
The great green culprit is back, and this time it’s setting Texas on fire! At least that’s what President Obama wants you to believe.

Herman Cain wins Florida straw poll.
Posted by Moe Lane
By a significant amount: [Herman] Cain, the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza who charmed the three-day Republican conference’s delegates, took 37.1 percent of the vote, with Texas Gov. Rick Perry second with 15.4 percent.

Gallup: Romney gaining from Bachmann?
Posted by Neil Stevens
The new Gallup poll of the Republican contenders is out, this time with USA TODAY branding. Just looking at the frontrunners Rick Perry and Mitt Romney in isolation, it looks like Romney is gaining. What I find interesting though is where that support appears to be coming from.