Pete Spiliakos

The main economic challenges facing conservatives in the next ten years are bringing down federal spending so that we can have a sustainable budget without large, economy damaging tax increases and reforming health care policy so that we get more quality health care for the dollars we . . . . Continue Reading »

Over at Big Think, Peter Lawler writes that: Another reason for the low turnout is the bizarrely huge number of debates that have absurdly lengthened the campaign. Robert says that those who Republicans who long for a candidate worthy of their deep devotion—such as Jindal or Christie or . . . . Continue Reading »

Okay, so most of us have heard Romney’s comment about how he “not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I’ll fix it.  I’m not concerned about the very rich, they’re doing just fine. I’m concerned about the very heart . . . . Continue Reading »

The speech wasn’t as aggressively awful as his Iowa Caucus night speech, but his reworked stump speech still isn’t much good.  He is trying to run as human placebo.  He needs to kill a couple of lines that he has fallen in love with.  I’m talkinng about lines like: . . . . Continue Reading »

Dr. Ceaser is right that we should consider the situation when looking at what a particular debating performance tells us about a candidate’s future debating ability.  Herman Cain’s boomlet was built on his debate performances.  A necessary condition of those performances was . . . . Continue Reading »

1.  I think this statement, from just before the Monday debate, holds up pretty well “Gingrich’s campaign is built around this fantasy where pedantic, self-righteous bombast = ruff and tuff. Reality will intrude and bring his numbers down. Maybe it will happen in time for the . . . . Continue Reading »

that with every debate the questions just seem to get worse and worse.  Zero questions on Medicare.  Who-knows-how-long on moon colonies.  Why should your wife be the best  First Lady?  What job would you give Marco Rubio (it wasn’t phrased that way but . . . )?  . . . . Continue Reading »

Santorum has hooked Romney good on Romneycare and the similarities between Obamacare and Romneycare.  It is devastating.  This is what the whole debate should be like. . . . . Continue Reading »

Winner: Romney.  He is killing Gingrich out there. Loser: Gingrich.  This is a bully beatdown. Loser:  People who want Mitch Daniels to run for President. Winner:  Mitch Daniels.  He gets to live a normal and hopefully happy life not running for President. Loser:  . . . . Continue Reading »

Peter Lawler is right that, in this race, the prevent defense is for losers.  Romney needs to go at Gingrich precisely and relentlessly.  If Romney’s attacks are poorly phrased, Gingrich will try to exploit any ambiguity to try to wriggle free.  If Romney’s . . . . Continue Reading »