Presidency

Jon Meacham

What History Tells Us About Obama’s Chances

Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty Images

The worst thing the incumbent could do would be to let his mediocre approval rating spark self-pity

Karen Hughes and Mark Penn

How Will the Supreme Court’s Decision on Health Care Affect The Election?

Pete Marovich / Zuma

The Republican strategist and Democratic pollster in their biweekly face-off about Election 2012

Karen Hughes and Mark Penn

How Does Michigan Affect the Lead Up to Super Tuesday?

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

The Republican strategist and Democratic pollster in their bi-weekly faceoff about Election 2012

Justin Frank

Will Obama’s Continued Silence Hurt Him Politically?

President Barack Obama during an address at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, Va., Feb. 13, 2012.

Why the President risks shirking his leadership responsibilities by not responding to Republican attacks

Karen Hughes and Mark Penn

How Is Obama Faring Against a Republican Challenge?

Jewel Samad / AFP / Getty Images

The Republican strategist and Democratic pollster in their bi-weekly faceoff about Election 2012

Justin Frank

Lessons for Obama from the Super Bowl

Obama

Obama invoked a parallel between the presidential race and the NFL championships. But can he be a winning quarterback?

Karen Hughes and Mark Penn

Has Newt’s Challenge Hurt Romney or Made Him Stronger?

Craig Lassig / Reuters

The Republican strategist and Democratic pollster in their bi-weekly faceoff about Election 2012

What Is a Conservative?

Elephant performing trick on box

Mitt Romney’s advance toward the Republican presidential nomination has provoked a lively conversation about what it means to be a conservative in America today. TIME asked a number of right-leaning thinkers to answer one of three questions to help define both their ideology and their challenges for the future

doyle

Newt and Mitt Are Playing the ‘Stupid’ Card

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Why don’t the GOP candidates want us to go to college or read newspapers?

Karen Hughes and Mark Penn

What Does the Turn South Mean for Republicans?

Richard Ellis / Getty Images

The Republican strategist and Democratic pollster in their bi-weekly faceoff about Election 2012

doyle

Mountain Dew for President

Jin Lee / Bloomberg / Getty Images

Could a mouse-dissolving, toddler pepper-upper be the last, best hope for the GOP?

Srinivasan_silo_a

A Soldier’s Dilemma: Should Corporal Thorsen Have Endorsed Ron Paul?

Brendan Hoffmann / Prime for TIME

One vet reflects on the meaning of Corporal Jesse Thorsen wearing his politics on his uniformed sleeve

doyle

What All Those New Presidential Bios Say About America’s Mood

Alexander Gardner / Getty Images

Three media personalities have written bestsellers about presidents. It must mean something

Karen Hughes and Mark Penn

Can Republicans Learn to Love Mitt Romney?

The Republican strategist and Democratic pollster in their bi-weekly faceoff about Election 2012

cecile_richards

Mitt Romney’s About-Face on Women’s Health

The candidate famous for flip-flops now vows to end family planning