http://uspolitics.about.com/ Get the latest headlines from the About.com http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hh http://www.about.com/ 118 20 en-us 2012-02-20T06:00:30Z Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:00:30 +0000 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/21/5-tips-for-super-tuesday.htm <p><a href="http://uspolitics.about.com/od/CampaignsElections/a/Super-Tuesday-2012.htm"><img class="alignright" style="margin: 5px;" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/uspolitics/1/3/t/Q/137802868.jpg" alt="Vote sign" width="170" height="113" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/od/CampaignsElections/a/Super-Tuesday-2012.htm">Super Tuesday</a> is March 6, just two weeks away. Primaries and caucuses will be held in <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/od/presidency/a/Primary-Dates-In-The-2012-Presidential-Contest.htm">10 states across the nation</a>, and the prize is a whopping 419 delegates - more than a third of the magic number of 1,144 needed to secure the Republican Party's presidential nomination.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/21/5-tips-for-super-tuesday.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/21/5-tips-for-super-tuesday.htm Tue, 21 Feb 2012 05:00:30 +0000 2012-02-21T05:00:30Z http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/20/do-iowa-caucus-winners-always-get-the-nomination.htm <p><a href="http://uspolitics.about.com/od/biographies/p/Rick-Santorum-Biography.htm"><img class="alignright" style="margin: 5px;" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/uspolitics/1/3/U/Q/137351520.jpg" alt="Rick Santorum" width="170" height="113" />Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum</a> won <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/od/presidency/tp/2012-Republican-Primary-Results.htm">this year's Iowa caucuses</a>. So that makes him a shoo-in for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, right?</p> <p>Well, not so fast. Over the past three decades, Iowa's Republican voters have a <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/od/CampaignsElections/ss/5-Iowa-Caucus-Winners-Who-Lost-The-Nomination.htm">less-than-stellar record</a> when it comes to siding with their party's eventual nominee, records show.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/20/do-iowa-caucus-winners-always-get-the-nomination.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/20/do-iowa-caucus-winners-always-get-the-nomination.htm Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:00:30 +0000 2012-02-20T06:00:30Z http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/15/rick-santorum-front-runner-and-anti-mitt-of-the-moment.htm <p><img class="alignright" style="margin: 5px;" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/uspolitics/1/3/l/Q/138666244.jpg" alt="Rick Santorum" width="170" height="125" /></p> <p>Republican voters are <em>really</em> uncertain about <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/od/presidency/a/Mitt-Romney-Biography.htm">Mitt Romney</a>'s conservative credentials. Need proof? How about this: Former <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/od/biographies/p/Rick-Santorum-Biography.htm">U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum</a> is now edging the guy who just a week or so ago was "<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/07/is-romney-the-presumptive-nominee.htm">claiming the mantle of presumptive nominee</a>."</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/15/rick-santorum-front-runner-and-anti-mitt-of-the-moment.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/15/rick-santorum-front-runner-and-anti-mitt-of-the-moment.htm Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:07:21 +0000 2012-02-15T07:07:21Z http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/14/are-the-republicans-really-headed-for-a-brokered-convention.htm <p><img class="alignright" style="margin: 5px;" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/uspolitics/1/3/f/Q/138151673.jpg" alt="Newt Gingrich" width="113" height="170" />Never mind his recent primary losses.</p> <p>Former House Speaker <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://usconservatives.about.com/od/champions/p/NewtGingrichBIO.htm">Newt Gingrich</a> keeps saying he's going to take his presidential campaign "all the way to the convention," suggesting he believes <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/07/is-romney-the-presumptive-nominee.htm">front-runner</a> <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/od/presidency/a/Mitt-Romney-Biography.htm">Mitt Romney</a> might not win enough delegates during the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/od/presidency/a/Primary-Dates-In-The-2012-Presidential-Contest.htm">state caucuses and primaries</a> to secure the nomination before the summer meeting.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/14/are-the-republicans-really-headed-for-a-brokered-convention.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/14/are-the-republicans-really-headed-for-a-brokered-convention.htm Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:00:54 +0000 2012-02-14T06:00:54Z http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/13/why-obama-changed-his-mind-about-super-pacs.htm <p><img class="alignright" style="margin: 5px;" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/uspolitics/1/3/e/Q/138083462.jpg" alt="Barack Obama" width="103" height="170" /><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/od/senators/a/barack_obama.htm">President Barack Obama</a> has given his top campaign fundraisers the OK to raise money for a super PAC supporting his re-election bid. But as anyone who recalls the president's 2010 State of the Union address can attest, Obama was vehemently <em>opposed</em> to <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/10/what-are-super-pacs.htm">super PACs</a> before he was <em>for</em> them.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/13/why-obama-changed-his-mind-about-super-pacs.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/13/why-obama-changed-his-mind-about-super-pacs.htm Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:00:21 +0000 2012-02-13T06:00:21Z http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/10/what-are-super-pacs.htm <p><img class="alignnone" style="margin: 5px;" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/uspolitics/1/H/h/Q/119586743.jpg" alt="Twenty-dollar bill" width="300" height="181" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Super PACs are raising and spending tens of millions of dollars to influence this year's presidential election. So what are super PACs? Where do they get their money, and who are they supporting? What rules govern super PACs? How do super PACs, or "independent expenditure-only committees," differ from traditional political-action committees?</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/10/what-are-super-pacs.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/10/what-are-super-pacs.htm Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:20:39 +0000 2012-02-10T09:20:39Z http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/08/where-the-candidates-stand-on-prop-8-ruling.htm <p><img class="alignright" style="margin: 5px;" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/uspolitics/1/3/k/Q/138508041.jpg" alt="Proposition 8 Protest" width="170" height="118" />Three of the four Republican presidential hopefuls sharply criticized the federal appeals court ruling declaring unconstitutional California's <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://civilliberty.about.com/od/gendersexuality/p/ca_anti_gay.htm">Proposition 8</a>, which forbid gay couples to wed by defining marriage as being between only a man and woman.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/08/where-the-candidates-stand-on-prop-8-ruling.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/08/where-the-candidates-stand-on-prop-8-ruling.htm Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:47:19 +0000 2012-02-08T19:47:19Z http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/07/is-romney-the-presumptive-nominee.htm <p><img class="alignright" style="margin: 5px;" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/uspolitics/1/3/c/Q/138159868.jpg" alt="Mitt Romney" width="115" height="170" />Former Massachusetts Gov. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/od/presidency/a/Mitt-Romney-Biography.htm">Mitt Romney</a> picked up 10 more delegates in an <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://usliberals.about.com/b/2012/02/06/warnings-for-obama-in-romneys-big-nevada-win.htm">easy win in Nevada</a> over the weekend, giving him about 7 percent of the total number he needs to win the nomination. Yes, you read that correctly: He's only 7 percent of the way there.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/07/is-romney-the-presumptive-nominee.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/07/is-romney-the-presumptive-nominee.htm Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:48:04 +0000 2012-02-07T05:48:04Z http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/04/super-pacs-raise-100-million-to-influence-presidential-race.htm <p><img class="alignright" style="margin: 5px;" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/uspolitics/1/3/g/Q/132025771.jpg" alt="Stephen Colbert" width="118" height="170" />More than 300 <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/od/firstamendment/a/What-Is-A-Super-Pac.htm">super PACs</a> have raked in nearly $100 million so far in their efforts to pick a winner in the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/lr/2012_presidential_race/1693835/4/">2012 presidential contest</a>, according to new Federal Election Commission data analyzed by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/04/super-pacs-raise-100-million-to-influence-presidential-race.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/04/super-pacs-raise-100-million-to-influence-presidential-race.htm Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:57:12 +0000 2012-02-04T09:57:12Z http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/01/romney-wins-big-in-florida-with-help-from-super-pacs.htm <p><img class="alignright" style="margin: 5px;" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/uspolitics/1/3/b/Q/138027725.jpg" alt="Mitt Romney" width="170" height="106" /><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/od/presidency/a/Mitt-Romney-Biography.htm">Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney</a> thumped his nearest Republican opponent, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, in <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/od/presidency/tp/2012-Republican-Primary-Results.htm">this week's Florida primary</a>, carrying all of the state's 50 delegates.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/01/romney-wins-big-in-florida-with-help-from-super-pacs.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2012/02/01/romney-wins-big-in-florida-with-help-from-super-pacs.htm Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:46:33 +0000 2012-02-01T21:46:33Z