Things Not to Say on the Campaign Trail

Foes offend, apologize; Obama polishes his halo by forgiving

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama has accepted a lot of apologies this election cycle, and each has made the Democrat stronger, notes Politico writer Ben Smith. From Joe Biden’s “articulate and … clean” gaffe to Bill Cunningham’s attempts to accent his middle name, opponents are always stepping over a line with Obama, and with every apology he appears more gracious, rising above the fray—and foes. More»

Xi Jinping, China's next president, to meet with Obama

(NEWSER) - The man slated to be China's next president began his US tour today, meeting with President Obama in the Oval Office before having lunch with Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. Biden will serve as Xi Jinping's host in Washington, the New York Times reports. Other stops on the agenda: a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce, and a high-level trip to the Pentagon, where he'll get an honor guard salute and meet with Leon Panetta and the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey. More»

The former rivals are easing into their new alliance

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have put the bitter presidential campaign behind them to form a solid partnership. They support each other, meet regularly and even joke about their status as 'frenemies.' “We’ve developed, I think, a very good rapport, Clinton said recently. “I see the president when I need to see him; I talk to the president when I need to talk to him,” she tells the New York Ti mes. More»

Prez was relentless in analyzing every angle

(NEWSER) - Amid cries of "dithering" and the silent finality of Arlington's rows of white tombstones, President Obama calmly, analytically, and exhaustively reviewed all options in Afghanistan before finally announcing to his team on Nov. 29 that he would send in 30,000 more troops. The New York Times retraces the president's steps in a lengthy retelling. Highlights: More»

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.