Americans will elect a new leader of the free world in November — and Barack Obama is on borrowed time. Republican forces are rallying around their candidates, with a faltering economy and deeply divided ideology making the race for the White House a thrilling contest.
A furious year-long schedule of primaries and campaigning has begun, and our man Guy Rundle is on the road following the candidates and taking the pulse of these United States. His exclusive reports lead Crikey’s extensive coverage of US politics in 2012.
Will Obama make Clinton his veep?
A recent poll conducted by the NYT shows Mitt Romney ahead of Barack Obama in support among women. With this in mind, what are the chances, asks Michael Tomasky, of the president making Hilary Clinton his running mate?>Read more …
Endorsing Mitt Romney, Dubya style
“I’m for Mitt Romney,” George W. Bush told the ABC as the doors of an elevator closed on him. Not exactly a spectacular endorsement, writes Matt Negrin.>Read more …
Obama’s gay marriage endorsement: where it will matter
Despite an apparent overall increase towards approval on gay marriage, Obama’s recent endorsement carries political risks. But in what states, Adam Sorensen asks, will it matter?>Read more …
Obama: ‘same-sex couples should be able to get married’
Crikey media wrap: Barack Obama became the first US president to announce their support of gay marriage overnight, a tumultuous issue made even more politically powerful by a presidential election this year.>Read more …
Republicans, get in my vagina!
Actresses Kate Beckinsale, Judy Greer and Andrea Savage “spread” the message that the one thing women really want is the government getting involved in their nether regions. Republicans, Get In My Vagina! from Kate Beckinsale>Read more …
‘Politics is weird and creepy’ — bald truth from Shep Smith
In what one YouTube commenter dubbed ”the truest thing ever said on Fox News,” anchor Shepard Smith reacts to Mitt Romney reacting to New Gingrich bowing out of the GOP nomination campaign.>Read more …
How Romney could become president
Only five incumbent US presidents have lost re-election over the last 100 years. David Lightman explains what Mitt Romney needs to win to move into the White House. >Read more …
Ron Paul is hanging in there, but why?
Ron Paul has no chance of securing the Republican party nomination but continues to rack up delegates. When Paul inevitably loses, where, asks David Weigel, will they turn? >Read more …
Has the Obama campaign inadvertently selected a Marxist slogan?
It may not have been intentional, but the Obama campaign’s new slogan — “Forward” — has a long association with European Marxism, writes Victor Morton.
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Farewell Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich admitted overnight that Mitt Romney was the clear winner of the Republican nominee race and his campaign team have confirmed that he’ll be bowing out of the campaign next week. Let’s take a look back at one of our favourite Newt videos, starring bad lip reading — a recurring meme in this campaign.>Read more …
Why it’s important to crunch the numbers on Mitt v Rick
Mitt Romney has turned in another underwhelming performance in the Republican primaries, somehow managing to come third in contests in both Alabama and Mississippi. >Read more …
Rundle12: waiting for Joe the Plumber at Tony Packo’s bar n grill
“Man, we can’t take another four years of this.” At Tony Packo’s bar and grill in Toledo’s Little Budapest, Roy is expounding to me the line that is now standard issue on the Right.>Read more …
GOP candidates bluster and strut, as thoughts go back to Selma
“We should not be looking across the world for new dragons to fight.” Pint-sized, a perfect miniature, congressman Dennis Kucinich (Koo-sin-ich) is on his feet in a coffee shop, Lorain. It’s (Saturday), and Kucinich is nearing the end of a month-long campaign that once again sees him fighting for his political life. The crowd are Read more …
Rundle12: Cleveland on Xanax with a dose of Limbaugh absurdity
We come in over Cleveland, and I noticed that somewhere in the suburbs, they’d built a scale replica of a city … hang on. It was the damn city itself.>Read more …
Ron Paul is hanging in there, but why?
Ron Paul has no chance of securing the Republican party nomination but continues to rack up delegates. When Paul inevitably loses, where, asks David Weigel, will they turn? >Read more …
Rick Santorum pulls out of the race
Watch the full press conference of Rick Santorum as he announces his withdrawal from the US presidential race.>Read more …
‘Santorum’s campaign for President was so bad that it felt like being in labor with a giant baby’
Rick Santorum’s campaign was such a joke, the only way it can be discussed is with humour, says Erin Gloria Ryan, as she sums it up by employing the worst metaphors possible.>Read more …
Santorum ends White House bid
Crikey media wrap: Rick Santorum ended his campaign for the US presidency this morning in Gettysburg, essentially sealing Mitt Romney as the Republican presidential nominee.
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Santorum downplays chance of success as Southern primaries loom
Going ‘into Newt’s backyard’ and competing against Mitt Romney, fresh from Super Tuesday wins, Rick Santorum has attempted to lower the bar of expectations ahead of primaries in Alabama and Mississippi, reports John Hoefell.>Read more …
