All Politics
Presidential debate 101: In oil drilling spat, did Obama make his best case?A tense exchange between Romney and Obama on oil drilling was perhaps the most contentious of the second presidential debate. Here's a look at what was said, and whether it was accurate.
Presidential debate 101: Did Mitt Romney want Detroit to go bankrupt?Mitt Romney said in the presidential debate that, in effect, Obama followed his plan in calling for Detroit automakers to go bankrupt. But there's a key difference: At the height of the fiscal crisis In 2008, commercial lending was dead, hence the need for government funding.
Presidential debate 101: Does Romney鈥檚 tax math add up?Here鈥檚 a closer look at the tax reform proposals that Mitt Romney discussed during Tuesday night's debate. Do President Obama and others have a point in challenging the math?
Would Romney really dare to tag China a 'currency manipulator'?Mitt Romney said again, during Tuesday's presidential debate, that on Day 1 in office he'll declare China a 'currency manipulator' 鈥� something recent presidents have resisted doing. The aim: to improve prospects for US exports. The risk: that China will retaliate in a most unpleasant way.
'Binders full of women': a revealing remark from Romney, or a sideshow?'Binders full of women' is already the most memorable phrase of the second presidential debate, showing just how much the 2012 campaign revolves around issues narrowly targeted to specific groups 鈥� a strategy of the Obama campaign.
Viewing the Romney-Obama debate in battleground Ohio: a tribal experienceThere's much cheering and a close watch on social media as two partisan crowds in Ohio, a state that could swing the election, track the ebb and flow of momentum in Tuesday's presidential debate.
Has Obama reenergized Democrats with debate performance?Obama鈥檚 forceful performance Tuesday night is likely to quiet Democrats鈥� doubts and help energize them for the tough final weeks of the campaign. Snap surveys judged Obama the winner, but the big question is whether his slide in the polls will stop now.
Cuban Missile Crisis: the 3 most surprising things you didn't know Fifty years ago, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the United States and the Soviet Union within a hair鈥檚 breadth of nuclear war. Here are three things that many Americans don鈥檛 know about what historians routinely call 鈥渢he most dangerous moment in human history.鈥�
From the 'Wastebook': robotic squirrels, talking urinals, and CongressSen. Tom Coburn's annual Wastebook comes up with $18 billion of spending that never should have occurred, with an eye to getting Washington priorities back in line. The No. 1 wasteful item: $132 million to run a Congress that won't say no to waste.
Town-hall presidential debate: what to know about Candy Crowley's rulesFrom an audience of 80 undecided voters at Tuesday night's presidential debate, CNN's Candy Crowley will select some to ask questions of President Obama and Mitt Romney. In question is how much leeway Crowley has to follow up or press the candidates.
As Obama and Romney ready for second debate, where do polls stand?The question now is whether Mitt Romney鈥檚 gains are due to a temporary bounce from his strong first debate performance, or whether they reflect a fundamental change in standings with President Obama.
With race tight, celebrities make the pitch for ObamaAs the campaign enters the final stretch, a tidal wave of Hollywood types are cutting ads and making appearances on behalf of President Obama. Do celebrity pitches actually help?
Obama vs. Romney on 'fiscal cliff': May the bolder man win, polls sayVoters want Romney and Obama to take on the tough issues concerning the nation's fiscal future, especially the $600 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts known as the 'fiscal cliff.'
Ohio pushes welfare recipients to find work and exit the systemOhio is one of three states still scrambling to meet the requirements of a federal law that requires states to get at least half of adults currently on welfare into work 鈥� or face $135 million in penalties.
What does Obama want to accomplish in next presidential debate?'More energetic' is how campaign advisers describe what they hope to see from Obama in Tuesday's presidential debate. That 'energy' is likely to be directed toward painting Mitt Romney as a 'severe conservative.'
Presidential polls: Politics, like Major League Baseball, is numbers-drivenWith 23 days and two important debates before Election Day, the presidential race could see major twists and turns. Here are the latest polling data, including an apparent advantage for Obama among early voters.
Cover StoryElection 2012: How another Obama term might be differentWould four more years of Obama change the Washington dynamic?聽 A two-part election 2012 report profiles the stark differences and interesting similarities of a second-term Obama White House vs. a聽 Romney White House 鈥� either of which would have to deal with a highly polarized Congress.- History shows 鈥渃oattail鈥� effect not so crucial to presidentsThe "coattail" effect may not be key to a successuful administration: History shows US presidents have always had to deal with opposition in Congress, whether their party held sway or not.
Cover StoryElection 2012: How Romney might lead on new Washington terrainRomney White House scenarios beyond a top-down CEO approach. A two-part election 2012 report profiles the stark differences and interesting similarities of a second-term Obama White House vs. a Romney White House 鈥� either of which would have to deal with a highly polarized Congress.
FocusAre ballot initiatives broken? California offers cluesDo ballot initiatives put power in the hands of the voters, or are they another tool for special interests to dominate politics? California's experiences 鈥� both good and bad 鈥� make it an important laboratory for 'direct democracy.'
