Dobbs 2012: A Nightmare for Republicans

Andy Martin says he'll be 'driving the GOP agenda'

(NEWSER) - The first Republican candidate has officially entered the 2012 presidential race: Self-proclaimed “King of the Birthers” Andy Martin will seek the office, he told New Hampshire radio. Though he said he’s "clearly" not the frontrunner, "I'm going to have a tremendous impact on the presidential election. I'll be driving the agenda in the Republican Party." Martin actually does believe Obama was born in Hawaii, but he thinks the administration is keeping Obama’s birth certificate under wraps because it holds “embarrassing” information, the Los Angeles Times notes. More»

Current Republican field riddled with weak spots

(NEWSER) - Republicans talk a good game about challenging President Obama in 2012, but the GOP would look scarier if it had even one legitimate challenger , says Dick Polman. "Obama's job-approval numbers are tepid these days—but he looks robust when matched against actual Republican challengers," warns the Philadelphia Inquirer columnist. "Not to mention the inevitable wounds and scars that any Republican will suffer during a primary season that promises to be downright Darwinian." More»

Incumbency carries plenty of advantages

(NEWSER) - Sure, things look glum for President Obama, but he’s still the odds-on favorite to win the 2012 presidential election. Carl Cannon tells us why:

• A “generic Republican” doesn’t exist. Obama trails that very thing by double digits in a recent poll, but the GOP nominee will bring his or her own baggage.
• There might be more than two candidates. Lou Dobbs? Glenn Beck? There’s a lot of rumbling out there about third-party runs.

Sarah Palin is good for business, but beware inflating presidential prospects

(NEWSER) - That Sarah Palin drives up TV ratings and online traffic is clear, but listen up, mainstream media—that doesn’t mean she’s the next big thing in Republican politics. Just look at the polls , Jim Vandehei and Jonathan Martin write for Politco . They say they “know we’re part of the problem—and we’ll surely continue to run stories about Palin.” But take it with a grain of salt: She's good copy. More»

He's got about $3M, and she's got $2.1M

(NEWSER) - Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin lead the pack of possible 2012 GOP presidential challengers when it comes to fundraising, with $2.9 million and $2.1 million coming in over the last year, respectively. Romney still had $1.1 million in the bank at the beginning of the year after his 2008 run, while former VP nominee Palin held on to $928,000. During the last 6 months of 2009, Palin spent almost $900,000 on travel and consulting. More»