Political Wire

  • Front Page
  • Members
    • Subscribe
    • Members FAQ
    • Sign In
    • Exclusive Analysis
    • My Favorites
  • Resources
    • Political Calendar
    • Political Job Hunt
    • Political Dictionary
    • Electoral Vote Map
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us

Behind McConnell’s Effort to Win Over Cruz

December 3, 2015 at 11:23 am EST By Taegan Goddard 19 Comments

“Mitch McConnell is close to pulling off a feat that at first seemed impossible: Coax Ted Cruz and antagonistic conservative groups to back his strategy to repeal Obamacare,” Politico reports.

“For weeks, Cruz, a 2016 GOP presidential candidate and chief McConnell nemesis, and conservative Sens. Mike Lee and Marco Rubio threatened to vote against a House-passed bill dismantling the health care law… Now, nearly a dozen GOP sources say Cruz and Rubio are almost certain to support the bill that kills significant portions of Obamacare, though they hadn’t yet made their position official.”

“McConnell marshaled a secret weapon that ultimately would work in his favor: Anti-abortion groups.”

Primary Politics

December 3, 2015 at 11:15 am EST By Taegan Goddard 1 Comment

Just published: Primary Politics: Everything You Need to Know about How America Nominates Its Presidential Candidates by Elaine Kamarck.

An updated guide to understanding the modern nominating system and some of its arcana.

The Latest on Wonk Wire

December 3, 2015 at 11:08 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Here’s what’s trending:

  • Have Whites Lost Their ‘White Privilege’ Status?
  • Health Spending Grew 5.3% to $3 Trillion
  • Reaction to Mass Shootings: Republicans Pray, Democrats Call for Action
  • America’s Map of Mass Shootings

Unlock Political Wire for more.

Join for as low as $6 per month. Learn more.

Already a member? Sign in here.

 

Will There Be An Independent Presidential Bid in 2016?

December 3, 2015 at 10:10 am EST By Taegan Goddard 23 Comments

Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “The calendar will help to determine whether there’s a truly prominent third-party candidate on the ballot. Filing deadlines for independent presidential candidates vary by state, but a majority fall in August. That is after the conventions — 38 states’ deadlines are after the RNC ends on July 21 — but not so far after them that a spurned candidate could easily turn around and get on many state ballots. A candidate who wants to get on every ballot will have to start much earlier than that: For instance, the deadline for an independent to get on the ballot in Texas, the second-biggest state, is May 9.”

“So maybe it would be helpful to the Republicans if Trump hangs around in the primary — so long as he doesn’t win the nomination — just long enough for a national third-party bid to be out of reach.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

December 3, 2015 at 9:45 am EST By Taegan Goddard 32 Comments

“The pattern that I see is a man who seems to only feel big when he’s trying to make other people look small and I think it makes Donald Trump look the smallest of all.”

— Carly Fiorina, in an interview on Morning Joe, on Donald Trump.

GOP Voters Think Trump Is Most Electable

December 3, 2015 at 9:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard 35 Comments

Overlooked from yesterday: A new national Quinnipiac poll finds that 73% of Republican voters say Donald Trump would have a good chance of winning the general election.

That’s compared with 63% who say the same about Marco Rubio, 59% who say it about Ted Cruz and 55% who say it about Ben Carson.

Our Political System Has Failed on Gun Violence

December 3, 2015 at 8:37 am EST By Taegan Goddard 83 Comments

Rick Klein: “Are the responses just timed Tweets at this point, tweaked with a new detail or two? From one side of the aisle, ‘thoughts and prayers’ and a call for a focus on mental health. From the other, ‘this must change’ and a push for gun control, of course. The nation looks to politicians for guidance and help in understanding, if not fixing, tragic circumstances. On this count, when it comes to mass shootings and their aftermath, the political class has failed.”

“If anything, the responses we’ve come to expect now only add to a nation’s numbness. But the simple fact is that politicians and candidates aren’t feeling voter pressure to change their responses or their policy positions. Part of the ritual now is the numbness, followed by the forgetfulness.”

Wonk Wire: America’s map of mass shootings

Could Rubio Foil Cruz’s Plot?

December 3, 2015 at 8:14 am EST By Taegan Goddard 15 Comments

National Review: “The good news for the Texas senator is that what was once dismissed as a pipe dream — monopolizing the support of the conservative movement’s most prominent leaders in the hopes of consolidating their grassroots followers behind his candidacy — is now more feasible than ever before.”

“The bad news? That establishment bogeyman was always expected to be Jeb Bush, a relative moderate in the mold of John McCain and Mitt Romney. He would have been the ideal foil for Cruz and his conservative backers. Instead, it’s Rubio — protégé of Jim DeMint, feller of Charlie Crist — who is gaining a foothold as the establishment’s top contender.”

Trump Says He’d Like to Achieve Middle East Peace

December 3, 2015 at 7:11 am EST By Taegan Goddard 55 Comments

Donald Trump said he would know within six months of taking office if Middle East peace is possible, the AP reports.

Said Trump: “I think if I get elected, that would be something I’d really like to do. Because so much death, so much turmoil, so much hatred – that would be to me a great achievement. As a single achievement, that would be a really great achievement.”

Ryan Will Lay Out Vision for Republicans

December 3, 2015 at 7:03 am EST By Taegan Goddard 30 Comments

“With Republicans on Capitol Hill increasingly alarmed by what they hear coming from the presidential campaign trail, Speaker Paul Ryan will seek on Thursday to gain some control over his party’s overarching message and image,” the New York Times reports.

“Mr. Ryan’s aides described the speech at the Library of Congress as an effort by the speaker to lay out his governing philosophy, discuss the challenges facing the nation and describe the choice that voters will face in the 2016 elections. In his prepared remarks, he indicated that Republicans would use next year to push legislation that illustrates their vision even though President Obama is unlikely to agree.”

Politico notes Ryan will say that House Republicans plan to send “power back to the people” and “make America confident again.”

Quote of the Day

December 3, 2015 at 7:01 am EST By Taegan Goddard 28 Comments

“I believe I’m gonna win New Hampshire, to be honest with you. I honestly believe it.”

— Jeb Bush, quoted by NBC News.

Cheney to be Honored in U.S. Senate

December 3, 2015 at 7:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard 32 Comments

“As vice president as well as president of the Senate, Dick Cheney once asserted that he was essentially his own branch of government. Nevertheless, he will be immortalized in the Senate beginning on Thursday with a traditional marble bust in recognition of his service there,” the New York Times reports.

Bonus for Members

December 2, 2015 at 10:23 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Here’s a special bonus for Political Wire members: The December issue of Ballot Access News, a paid newsletter focused on ballot access issues in all 50 states.

This issue is just appearing in subscriber mailboxes now, but you get it for free.

Become a member to continue reading.

Join for as low as $6 per month. Learn more.

Already a member? Sign in here.

 

Who’s Behind the Ghost Companies Funding Jeb Bush?

December 2, 2015 at 8:10 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 30 Comments

Mother Jones looks at two shadowy companies that seem to be set up solely to fund a super PAC supportive of Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign.

“TH Holdings is a special case—one that represents the worst-case scenario in the post-Citizens United campaign finance landscape: untraceable corporations shoveling untraceable cash into the political system. Beyond this six-figure contribution, the company appears to have no history of doing business anywhere. And its incorporation records reveal no owners, managers, or officers.”

“A few days after the TH Holdings contribution, Right to Rise received another curious donation. This time, an Alabama-based company called Heather Oaks LLC dumped $100,000 into the group. And Heather Oaks is even more ghostly than TH Holdings.”

Obama Renews Call for Expanded Background Checks

December 2, 2015 at 7:27 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 34 Comments

After yet another mass shooting, President Obama told CBS News that lawmakers “should come together in a bipartisan basis at every level of government to make these rare as opposed to normal.”

Said Obama: “For those who are concerned about terrorism, some may be aware of the fact that we have a no-fly list where people can’t get on planes, but those same people who we don’t allow to fly could go into a store right now in the United States and buy a firearm, and there’s nothing we can do to stop them. That’s a law that needs to be changed.”

Trump Quote of the Day

December 2, 2015 at 7:16 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 20 Comments

“Well, you have to go with Lincoln and Washington. The classics, you know? You have to go with the classics.”

— Donald Trump, quoted by Esquire, on his favorite presidents.

Anyone But Cruz

December 2, 2015 at 7:02 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 65 Comments

Frank Bruni: “Anyone but Cruz: That’s the leitmotif of his life, stretching back to college at Princeton. His freshman roommate, Craig Mazin, told Patricia Murphy of The Daily Beast: ‘I would rather have anybody else be the president of the United States. Anyone. I would rather pick somebody from the phone book.'”

“It’s not easy to come across on-the-record quotes like that, and Mazin’s words suggest a disdain that transcends ideology. They bear heeding.”

Trump Continues to Lead GOP Race

December 2, 2015 at 6:58 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 13 Comments

A new Reuters poll finds Donald Trump leading the Republican presidential race with 34%, followed by Ben Carson at 16%, Ted Cruz at 14%, Marco Rubio at 11% and Jeb Bush at 7%.

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 4133
  • 4134
  • 4135
  • 4136
  • 4137
  • …
  • 5421
  • Next Page »


Classified Ads

☑️ Get 25% off any shared eCommerce or Managed WordPress hosting plan at WP Engine.

July 1

☑️ The Almanac of American Politics 2022 is the gold standard of accessible political information, relied on by everyone involved, invested or interested in politics in America.

July 1

Place an ad.

Your Account

Sign in

Latest for Members

  • Reaction to the Surprise January 6 Hearing — Part II
  • Reaction to the Surprise January 6 Hearing

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.

Copyright © 2022 · Goddard Media LLC | Privacy Policy

Political Wire ® is a registered trademark of Goddard Media LLC