Free Republic

Despite an instant, commanding lead in the polls, newly-minted GOP presidential candidate Gov. Rick Perry is already being viewed as “unelectable.” The panel of reporters on Sunday’s The Chris Matthews Show reached a general consensus that Perry’s loose talk and extreme views will eventually lead the Republican establishment to choose the more moderate, more electable Mitt Romney to challenge President Obama in the general election. Barely a week into his campaign, the Texas Governor has talked himself into trouble, and not just with liberals and Democrats. While John Heilemann sees Perry’s smashmouth certitude as an advantage over Mitt Romney, The...

With the midterm elections rapidly approaching, the fixation on the Republican Party’s chances for a comeback are evolving into speculation over the future of the GOP should the Tea Party make a serious indent on their collective persona. In light of this, Chris Matthews argued Friday night that the GOP’s biggest problem will not be President Obama or the Democrats, or even the Tea Party candidates themselves, but what to do about Sarah Palin, the candidate. “There’s no doubt in the world that she… carries tremendous clout when she endorses candidates,” Matthews conceded. But for the Party, that may not...