Free Republic

Wither the Tea Party? A major force in the 2010 midterm elections, the movement has stalled in public popularity, its support well below a majority and decidedly lukewarm. And Americans by a broad 23-point margin say the more they hear about the Tea Party movement, the less they like it, rather than liking it more. That negative buzz has worsened from a 9-point gap in an ABC News/Washington Post poll as the movement was gathering speed two years ago. And its avenues for resurgence may be limited: Interest in learning more about Tea Party is down 7 points from spring...

ABC Piece Calls Governor Palin “Sideshow”, Doesn’t Mention Her Main Source is Mitt Romney’s “Wonderful Friend”Unbelievable. Late yesterday ABC’s Huma Khan wrote a piece on the Republican race in which she essentially called Governor Palin a “sideshow candidate”. No, she didn’t say that directly, but given the large picture of Governor Palin right beneath the words “sideshow candidate”, the intent is clear. That ABC would do a hit-piece on Governor Palin is not exactly “unbelievable”, of course. Far from it. But here’s what I found noteworthy. The main source for Huma’s article is Ron Kaufman, whom Khan describes as a:...

ABC News' Amy Walter reports: A new ABC News/Wash. Post poll finds that in a head to head match-up against President Barack Obama, 70% of those who say they are Tea Party supporters say they'll vote for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president--compared to 69% for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Seeming Tea Party favorites like former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, meanwhile, draw 61% and 60%, respectively....

2012 Presidential Matchups In a head-to-head matchup among all adults, Obama leads Trump by 12 points, 52-40 percent; Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota by an identical 12 points; former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich by 15 points each; and Palin by 17. Closer, as noted, are Huckabee, who trails Obama by 50-44 percent; and Romney, who comes within a scant 4 points, with 45 percent to Obama's 49. Notably, both Romney and Huckabee move numerically ahead of Obama, by 49-44 percent and 48-45 percent, respectively, among independents, the quintessential swing voters in national elections. All...

As Mitt Romney sets out this week to promote his new book, “No Apology,’’ he is also auditioning for a rapidly disappearing role in American politics: a politician who is speaking out against the “temptations of populism.’’ “The populism I’m referring to is, if you will, demonizing certain members of society: going after businesspeople, going after Wall Street, going after people who are highly educated, people who are CEOs,’’ Romney said in an interview.... [snip] Instead of ideological fervor, Romney is working to win over Republican voters and party elites with intellectual sobriety more tightly linked to his career as...

Is Mitt Romney getting all the pieces together for another run at the White House? What seems to many as a forgone conclusion may soon become a reality, with the announcement of Matt Rhoades as executive director for Romney's Free and Strong America PAC. According to an article in Politico, Rhoades, who has served on other presidential campaigns and at the Republican National Committee was communications director for Romney's 2008 run. With the upcoming release and tour for Romney's new book No Apology: The Case for American Greatness, Romney's 2012 intentions may be one of the worst kept secrets in...

2012 Election: Twelve GOP Candidates Who Might Challenge Obama The Pros and Cons of a Dozen Republicans Who Might Run for President in the Next Election By TEDDY DAVIS Jan. 25, 2010 The 2012 presidential election is years away, but there is already a growing crop of Republicans who are toying with the idea of seeking the GOP's presidential nomination. (AP Photo/Reuters)The first test will come April 8-11 when the Southern Republican Leadership Conference will hold a widely attended cattle call in New Orleans, which several potential GOP presidential candidates are expected to attend. ABC News spoke with strategists, Republican...