Campaign 2016 | Praxis

Mike Huckabee: The Religious Right Is a Giant Scam

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee lashed out against religious conservative leaders Wednesday, accusing them of trying to bilk gullible donors out of money while actually having no desire to pursue goals like outlawing same-sex marriage and banning abortion. “A lot of them, quite frankly, I think they’re scared to death that if a guy like me got elected, I would actually do what I said I would do,” Huckabee said in an interview with Christian Right commentator Todd Starnes. “We would abolish abortion based on…

Donald Trump’s ‘Birther’ Ploy Against Ted Cruz Shows Why He’s Winning

It’s no secret by now that many conservative elites absolutely despise Donald Trump. Many do so because of his policy views which have been said to be incoherent or even liberal. Christian nation conservatives don’t like Trump due to his lower religiosity and history of making remarks indicating a general lack of interest in the ideas they hold dear. Another reason that Trump is so despised by many right-of-center authors and activists is that he’s managed to master the art of politics with no training…

Yes, Ted Cruz Did Support ‘Amnesty’ for Illegal Immigrants

Even though immigration is a top concern of only 10 percent of Americans, ever since Donald Trump entered the Republican race talking about deporting illegal immigrants and building a “big beautiful wall,” the debate about the issue has changed dramatically, including for one candidate who’s billed himself as an implacable rock of conservative principle, Ted Cruz. Now that he’s managed to shove aside fellow Religious Right candidates Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, Cruz is going hard after the other top-ranked candidate besides Trump, Marco Rubio. The Florida senator has…

Media Coverage of Presidential Debates Is More Influential Than the Actual Debates

Ever since John Kennedy and Richard Nixon squared off in 1960, televised presidential debates have become a fixture of American politics. Whether it’s Al Gore’s repeated sighing or George H.W. Bush looking at his watch, there are dozens of moments which the conventional wisdom cites as being influential in the campaign. How much do debates actually move the numbers for the various candidates though? In this particular cycle, good debate performances seem to have been good for former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina who rocketed up…

Does Marco Rubio Actually Want to Win?

It may seem strange to wonder if the man who’s been consistently polling at third-place in the race for the Republican presidential nomination actually wants the job but when you look at how Marco Rubio has been running his campaign, it’s a perfectly reasonable question. As noted by the Boston Globe, Rubio’s strategy in the state of New Hampshire appears to be completely different from using scores of small-scale events with locals, the way that successful candidates in both parties have done for decades with…

Donald Trump Might Be Even More Popular Than Polls Show

Months after his campaign was widely expected to collapse, billionaire Donald Trump continues to enjoy wide leads over his challengers in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. The long length of time that he’s led the field has finally gotten Republican officials to take the prospect of his candidacy seriously. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the organization assigned to elect members of the party to the U.S. Senate, recently wrote a private memorandum (which of course was leaked) to candidates advising them on what…

Republicans Are Courting the Jewish Vote But Are They Doing It Wrong?

On Thursday, 13 of the 14 GOP candidates for president stopped by the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual meeting, each boasting of how he or she was the best choice for adherents of the oldest Abrahamic religion. As would be expected, awkward pandering was a top priority on the agenda. “Last night, I was watching ‘Schindler’s List,’” announced former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore. It was the highest compliment a politician could give, almost a direct reference to a 2013 Pew Research poll which indicated that 73…

Regardless of Who the GOP Nominates, Hillary Clinton Will Be a Formidable Opponent

All eyes are on the Republican nomination contest right now for good reasons: There are a record number of candidates and Donald Trump is starting a dumpster fire every few days. Despite that, however, it’s worth considering how a general election scenario might play out for the GOP candidates as they are likely to face former secretary of state and senator Hillary Clinton. If you ask the average Republican voter who could win, it appears that more than a significant majority believe Donald Trump is…

In Threeway Race, Donald Trump Has Edge Against Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz

The race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination is finally beginning to look a bit more conventional. After weeks in which the leading candidates, Donald Trump and Ben Carson, appeared able to flout all the rules of politics, Carson’s support appears to be declining as many had expected. Since the end of October, the former surgeon’s national support has declined 35 percent. In Iowa—a state in which evangelical Republicans have a much-larger presence than others and where Carson has polled best—Carson has relinquished first place…

Understanding the present is the key to the future