Free Republic

After Iowa and New Hampshire, it's on to South Carolina and Nevada. Republican voters will head to the polls in South Carolina on Saturday, while Democrats in Nevada will caucus for their preferred candidate. On both sides, the insurgent candidates are trying to sustain huge streaks of momentum off impressive wins in the New Hampshire primaries. Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders each notched a double-digit victory in New Hampshire after a narrow loss in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses. Trump is now looking for a defining victory in the Palmetto State, while Sanders is trying to prove...

Lindsey Graham's withdrawal won't prove terribly significant, but it may mark the beginning of the thinning of the GOP herd. With less than six weeks until Iowa, only a handful of candidates are polling above the level of statistical noise. If they start dropping out, it could allow voter - come the New Year - to focus on the real contenders.Currently, Ted Cruz is the center of the race. He trails Donald Trump in national polls, but is leading big in Iowa. In the most recent debate, the Rubio-vs.-Cruz scuffles were the most interesting, and perhaps the most consequential.Cruz's travails...

Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz got their first real head-to-head skirmishes in the final debate of 2015, and still nobody set a glove on Donald Trump who holds commanding leads in the national polls. Tuesday night's debates didn't change much in the Power Rankings, but they probably cemented Rubio, Cruz, and Trump as the only three candidates with serious chances of winning the nomination. Jeb Bush's so-so performance can be seen as a missed opportunity to make himself relevant again, increasing the perception of Rubio as the strongest establishment candidate. Cruz held his own against Rubio, and dealt deftly with...

We're past the point in the race where national polls tell us much. Ted Cruz's surge has landed him in first place in one Iowa poll, tied in another, and second place in a third. Cruz and Donald Trump atop the polls has got to cause a heart attack in the GOP establishment - and that's good news for Rubio, who is the most natural candidate for the party elite to unite behind. With less than two months until Iowa, here's who matters most in the race for the nomination.

GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz is enjoying a surge in popularity among the Republican field as he's now in second place in USA Today power rankings.This marks the first time Cruz has been this high since the rankings began around 14 weeks ago.Ted Cruz soars to 2nd place in GOP Power Rankings (Video)The prevailing theories for the rise of Cruz consist of how Carson has taken a tumble in the polls, along with the Texas senator's massive investment in Iowa.I think along with that, his proven track record of standing up for conservative values and his expert skill at...

The CNBC debate featured a little - though not a lot - of policy substance. It also featured a lot of clashes between moderators and candidates. When the dust settled, the presidential field looked potentially reshaped. Cruz was strong, while Jeb Bush was once again weak. But Rubio is now three for three, and he is now the most important figure in the GOP race, even as he trails Trump and Carson in the polls.

Over the past month of the presidential campaign, there have been multiple surprises (Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump), the relatively expected (Hillary Clinton), and the disappointing (Chris Christie, Rick Perry, and Rand Paul). With less than 450 days until the 2016 election, here's another look at who has the best chance of making it to the White House to succeed President Barack Obama. Our rankings are based on the Real Clear Politics averages of national polls and those in New Hampshire and Iowa. We also factor in candidates' fundraising numbers released last month and their momentum (or lack thereof) over the...

1. Indianapolis (5-0; unchanged): Alone in perfection, the Colts aren't likely to have a warm Monday Night Football reception for Rams interim coach Joe Vitt. 2. Denver (4-1; 7): The Broncos had just enough to hold off the Redskins, but can their rebuilt defense handle Tom Brady? 3. New England (3-2; 9): Tom Brady's ability to carry this banged-up team on his right arm is amazing. 4. Pittsburgh (3-1; unchanged): Winning in San Diego was huge, but the price (losing Ben Roethlisberger to a knee injury) could be larger. 5. Cincinnati (4-1; unchanged): The Bengals have tripped, but they haven't...