Agents of Change Jolt Parties

Voters think Hillary Clinton would be swell, though

(NEWSER) - With a blockbuster memoir and national tour, Sarah Palin is again grabbing headlines. But does she have what it takes for a 2012 presidential bid? The answer is a resounding “no,” according a CNN and Opinion Research poll. Only 28% believe she’s qualified for the nation’s top job, and 70% say she isn’t.

• Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, is viewed as quite presidential: 67% of poll respondents say the secretary of state is fit to be president, while 32% disagree.

Weird doings with Hillary, Huck and a chucked shoe

(NEWSER) - Oh-eight was a banner year for politics, and half the time it was a really strange banner. Politico looks back on the weirdest moments in a topsy-turvy year.

• Mike Huckabee holds a news conference to announce he won’t run a negative ad, then plays the ad for everyone.
• Desperate for blue collar cred, Hillary Clinton awkwardly downs a whiskey shot in an Indiana bar.
• San Francisco tries to rename a sewage plant after George W. Bush.

Romney jokes on why he left race

(NEWSER) - While the Democratic candidates were grinding away at each other last night, some other normally stiff shirts were loosening up at the Radio and Television Correspondents annual dinner in DC. The high points:

• Dressed in hunting hat and shades (no naked lady), Dick Cheney spoofed Barack Obama’s blue-collar gaffe (“Obviously you’re not the kind to look down on a bitter man who clings to his guns”) and Hillary Clinton’s whiskey shot (“Looked like she replaced Mark Penn with Johnnie Walker.’)

Critical contests ahead later tonight in Ohio and Texas

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama and John McCain won their primaries in Vermont tonight, the Burlington Free Press reports. For Obama, it's his 12th straight political victory over Hillary Clinton, though the bigger focus comes later tonight when voters in Ohio and Texas weigh in. Rhode Island also votes. McCain, meanwhile, edges closer to officially securing the GOP nomination, which he could do tonight. More»

The Nike of the field draws praise from marketing experts

(NEWSER) - Hillary Clinton is the sturdy candidate resembling Microsoft, John McCain evokes Hummer, and Mike Huckabee’s the Applebee’s of the field, but only Barack Obama "has the secret sauce that Brand America needs to regain its appeal." media consultant Jeff Yang writes in Salon. Yang is part of a team studying the "brand's" international standing, and he shares some insights. More»