Rudy Weighs NY Governor Race

Louisiana governor faced little Democrat opposition

(AP) - Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal easily coasted to a second term today, winning in a landslide election after failing to attract any well-known or deep-pocketed opposition. The 40-year-old Republican overwhelmed nine competitors in the open primary, where a candidate wins the race outright if he or she receives more than 50% of the vote. With 99% of precincts reporting, Jindal had received about 66% of the total vote. More»

Texas governor declares his candidacy

(NEWSER) - Take that, Ames straw pollers. Rick Perry told supporters today that not only is he running for president, "I full well believe I'm going to win." The statement came in a conference call ahead of his speech this afternoon to formally declare his candidacy, reports AP . His newly launched campaign website also jumped the gun: "We will not sit back and accept our current misery…because a great country requires a better direction…because a renewed nation requires a new president," he writes. "That’s why, with faith in God, the support of my family, and an unwavering belief in the goodness of America, I am a candidate for President of the United States." More»

'Prophet' says GOP nomination is now on his radar

(NEWSER) - Rick Perry has dropped his clearest hints yet that the race for the Republican nomination could soon be gaining another Texan. Perry, speaking at the New York Republican Party's annual Lincoln Dinner, slammed "Obamacare" and presented himself as a Reaganesque conservative stalwart, Reuters reports. He told Fox that while the presidency wasn't on his radar six weeks ago, he's now " giving it the appropriate thought process." More»

Governor says he'll 'think about it,' but spokesman later backtracks

(NEWSER) - The Rick-Perry-for-president buzz whipped up again today when the Texas governor said, "I'm going to think about it," reports the Dallas Morning News . It was a marked departure from his previous denials, though he qualified it by adding, "I think about a lot of things." After the comment generated headlines, a spokesman emailed the National Journal with a dose of cold water: "Nothing has changed. The governor has no intention of running for president." Maybe, but the buzz isn't likely to die down. Rumors have been floating around for weeks , and Peter J. Boyer at the Daily Beast explains why Perry's supporters want him to run. More»

Indiana governor generating buzz with potential candidacy

(NEWSER) - Two different views today on Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels as a potential presidential candidate:

• Dana Milbank, Washington Post : He praises Daniels as a "shrewd tactician" who is wisely "portraying himself to moderates as a non-threatening choice" and as the "grown-up in the room" who avoids fringe issues. He's got aw-shucks charm to him and even dares to praise the Obama administration when he sees fit. "So funny, so folksy, and so friendly to the disadvantaged: It is eerily similar to how another Republican governor presented himself to America a dozen springs ago."