Related Content: Election 2012

Obama’s Re-Election Path May Be Written in Will St. Clair’s Code

On The Radar

Will St. Clair, wearing semi-rimless glasses, a plaid buttoned-down shirt, jeans and Adidas sneakers, can usually be found sitting on an exercise ball in the back of President Barack Obama’s campaign headquarters, his eyes trained on his computer screen. The 23-year-old’s job is a mystery even to some senior staff in Chicago, yet they say they hope the skills he brings are a secret weapon: he’s a software engineer. St.

Medium Cool

On The Radar

The list of President Obama’s potential problems in getting re-elected is almost too long to enumerate: job-approval ratings that hover in the low 40s, a stubbornly stagnant economy, a dysfunctional political culture in Washington that his election was supposed to have changed, and a personality so even-keeled as to make him sometimes seem dead in the roiling waters around him.
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America’s Greatest Attack Politician

On The Radar

For a candidate who talks about being nice to his opponents, Newt Gingrich sure knows how to make them suffer. Today, when Mitt Romney suggested Gingrich return the $1.6 million he was paid by Freddie Mac, the former speaker shot back that Romney should return the money he earned “from bankrupting companies and laying off employees” as a venture capitalist. When asked about Michele Bachmann's critique of his immigration position, former college professor Gingrich compared her to a dumb student .

Democrats Find a Welcome Distraction

On The Radar

President Obama bluntly acknowledged Tuesday that winning a second term was “not a slam-dunk,” but a development outside his control is bolstering Democratic spirits: the prospect of a drawn-out Republican battle between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.
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Gingrich Hires Rubio Strategist as Florida State Director

On The Radar

Big get for surging Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich in Florida: His new state director is Jose Mallea, who helped steer Marco Rubio's come-from-behind victory in the 2010 Senate race. The Miami-based campaign strategist has longstanding ties to powerful Republicans in the state, which will hold one of the nation's earliest primaries on Jan. 31. Mallea's move is likely to fuel speculation that Rubio will endorse Gingrich, though the freshman senator has said he would stay neutral in the primary.

Obama Team Likes Prospect of Long Republican Fight

On The Radar

President Obama and his allies are keenly aware of the challenges on the horizon in his re-election bid, but one development entirely out of their control is bolstering their spirits: the prospect of a drawn-out Republican nominating fight between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. “The longer this race goes, the more you’re going to see these Republican candidates try to mortgage the general election to try and win the primary campaign,” said David Axelrod, the chief strategist for the president’s re-election campaign.

Race Reshaped, Rivals Target Gingrich in GOP Debate

On The Radar

Newt Gingrich offered a robust defense of his views on the Middle East, his lucrative work after leaving Congress and his conservative credentials during a spirited debate here on Saturday night as his Republican presidential rivals urged voters to take a hard look at his candidacy.

Critics Struggle to Explain Gingrich’s Rise in Polls

On The Radar

Newt Gingrich’s rapid rise in presidential polls has left veteran Republicans scratching their heads, and not just because he vaulted from far back to lead Mitt Romney in several key states. They’re trying to figure out why the former House speaker is supported by GOP voters who think he’s not particularly honest and doesn’t share their values.

President Obama's Campaign Mode

On The Radar

CNBC's John Harwood has the details on criticism that President Obama is facing from Democrats that he isn't doing enough and an update on GOP candidates campaign efforts.

For Gingrich, No Bombast or Apologies

On The Radar

Newt Gingrich is trying to preserve his rapid rise in the GOP presidential race by defending his most controversial stands without appearing to be the thin-skinned hothead his critics often describe. The former House speaker seemed to accomplish that goal in Saturday's debate in Iowa. His challenge will be to sustain the strategy while rivals attack him on the airwaves and the ground, and to convince conservative voters that he's their champion despite his occasional departures from orthodoxy.