Choices.

On a personal level, I’m happy to see Chris Christie take action to get his weight under control.  It’s almost impossible not to like him, if just for his blunt, no-nonsense manner and his sense of humor.  His attitude more than his policies endeared Christie to Republicans in and out of New Jersey, and assuming [...]

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Presidential profile?

After years of criticism over his weight, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie decided over the winter to take action.  After consulting with Jets head coach Rex Ryan on his successful weight-loss surgery, Christie underwent lap-band surgery in February, he told the New York Post in an exclusive: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie secretly underwent lap-band [...]

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"The governor."

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is launching his first television ad buy of his reelection campaign with a 60-second spot focusing on — you guessed it — Gov. Christie’s bipartisan leadership prowess. With the 32-point lead he’s got going over his challenger, Democratic state Sen. Barbara Buono, he isn’t exactly in dire campaign straits, but [...]

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What happens in Jersey doesn't stay in Jersey, Guv.

For a time last year there was some serious chatter about New York Governor Andrew Cuomo being a potential Democrat nominee for 2016. Even if Hillary weren’t likely going to be in the hunt, I’m pretty sure that chatter ended once Cuomo took the shocking, overreaching measures of passing the gun grabbing SAFE Act and [...]

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Noise

Over at Outside the Beltway, Doug Mataconis has a pretty good roundup of discussions currently underway as to what should be done about the GOP presidential primary debate process, if anything needs to be “done” at all. Much of this was spurred by the RNC autopsy last month, and it’s hard to argue that the [...]

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No runners-up?

We’re two years away from the start of the 2016 primary season … or at least we hope we are.  That makes polling for the presidential nomination in either party somewhat of a parlor game, as changes in fortunes for current policies and positions are almost sure to significantly impact the potential attractiveness of candidates [...]

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Don't bet on it.

Just remember when you read this post that I’m the resident optimist at Hot Air.  I’m the blue-sky, sunny-side-of-the-street, glass-half-full contributor to this site. And even I’m having trouble buying this: Sitting at his desk a stone’s throw from the Senate chamber, McConnell turned to the aide and, with characteristic directness, said: “This decision is [...]

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For reals.

No kidding. How the tables have turned: Team GOP has a whole roster of savvy, fresh-faced up-and-comers, while the Democrats’ bench is looking decidedly less dynamic and their best bets lying in generation old school. That’s not to say another super-candidate couldn’t come out of the woodwork somewhere between now and the next campaign cycle, [...]

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"I was invited."

After he watched Dr. Ben Carson’s speech at CPAC, Jazz mentioned that one of his first reactions was that, if he were a Democrat, he’d be thinking: “That is the most dangerous man in the United States of America today.” Rush Limbaugh voiced much the same thought on his show yesterday, musing, “I think Ben [...]

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War chest.

In case there was any doubt about Christie’s insane level of popularity in New Jersey or his prospects for reelection this November, just take a look at the man’s fundraising tallies so far. Can’t touch this: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is raising record cash for his re-election bid. … In December, before Democrats had [...]

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Realities

Yesterday, both Ed and AP provided some coverage and commentary on the “autopsy” of the GOP following the 2012 election by the RNC and Chairman Priebus’s plans to try to set the situation to rights. Obviously, this caused quite a stir amongst the base, which the media took great joy in wringing its collective hands [...]

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“I don’t think there’s any Bush baggage at all."

It’s difficult to argue with Jeb Bush on this point, too.  We only just finished the 2012 presidential election, which occupied most of 2011, too.  Appearing on Meet the Press yesterday, David Gregory asked Bush to handicap the 2016 election while we’re still 20 months away from the next midterms. After laughing out loud, Bush [...]

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Can one be too prepared?

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell did not do himself any favors with conservatives when he signed his big transportation bill into law last month — it certainly looks like it will be a tax increase in practice (one of his economic advisers just resigned in protest because of it), and the agreement to allow a bicameral commission to [...]

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On deck?

Hillary Clinton’s answers on her future plans and potential presidential ambitions may be evolving, but even if she decides not to run, the Democrats may be looking for a lady to possibly lead the party, the better to keep the dynamism rolling and keep up this war-on-women meme of which they’re so fond. Other than [...]

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Choices

It’s starting to look as if this may become a reality, at least in some locations. Three states with Republican controlled legislatures which Barack Obama carried in the last election are already looking at a proposals to change their electoral college split from winner takes all to a division by congressional districts. As we’ve previously [...]

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"Stepping off the very fast track for a little while"?

Because why not fan the flames of 2016 speculation on a slow-ish news day? Ed already noted that Hillary Clinton, Private Citizen is now meant to testify on the security failings in Benghazi on January 22nd, but there was another minor but noteworthy moment today when she was speaking to reporters about working to smoothly [...]

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Not messing around.

And it’s apparently working like a charm. New Jersey is really loving the “I’m so moderate and above-the-fray, I’m perfectly willing to excoriate my own party and I simply adore compromise” tack, with the added bonus that the media cannot seem to get enough of the Republican-on-Republican crime and is helping Christie to expand his [...]

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Memories

The Secretary of State is making all sort of headlines lately, and most of them don’t have much to do with her current job. (A woman with limitless options who is desired by 90% of the Democrats.) The word has hit the streets that Hillary Clinton’s future is pretty much cast in solid gold plated [...]

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Jury Rig

This is a somewhat troubling question which I first noticed being addressed by Dr. James Joyner over at Outside the Beltway. He’s talking about a definitely hyperbolic entry from Mother Jones which accuses the GOP of trying to rig the electoral college through various acts of villainy in advance of the 2016 elections. The basic [...]

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Beats the alternative!

Hey, why not?  Hillary Clinton would be a shoe-in to win, and she’s going to be available to run very, very soon — although the exact timing might depend on whether Barack Obama appoints John Kerry or Susan Rice to replace her.  In fact, she’d probably get bipartisan support, since a four-year term as Bloomberg’s [...]

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Plus, the first rule of media relations.

I remember a time in America when we used to have some time between elections to reflect on the lessons of the previous contests, develop some talent in the field, and actually get a few things done before worrying about the next election.  If that sounds like a Grandpa walked seventeen miles to school in [...]

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"That's classified."

He’s certainly part of it, and an important part as the Republican Party tries to reach out to libertarian-leaning voters.  His father found ways to excite and energize younger voters, a skill that the last few elections have shown the GOP sorely needs, as well as a message that matches up with their leave-me-alone mindset.  [...]

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Prepare for the future.

Matt Lewis notes that the coming Republican debate over the loss to Barack Obama on Tuesday might end up costing RNC chair Reince Priebus his job.  Priebus turned around a profoundly derailed fundraising machine and put the GOP in position to battle Democrats this year, but only succeeded at maintaining the House majority.  Priebus didn’t [...]

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The whole load.

The bad news? He was on the phone saying this at around the same time Jay Carney was sonorously warning reporters that “This is not a time for politics.” The good news? As you’ll see below, this wasn’t even in the top three most “interesting” things he said on the trail today. Which part of [...]

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