If you really want to diminish a candidate, depict him as the foil of his handler. This is as old in American politics as politics itself.

Many Democrats have a pre-9/11 worldview.

The Democratic Party's problem is that voters don't believe the president's claims that the economy is thriving. Even people with jobs feel apprehensive. Paychecks are flat, growth anemic, and people are worried about their children's prospects. Mr. Obama had a 38% approval on handling the economy in the Sept. 9 Fox News poll. In the Sept. 7 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 67% believe America is on the wrong track.

Ronald Reagan wasn't in the establishment of the Republican Party either, nor was Richard Nixon.

I hate to sound sort of diffident about it but it strikes me that a lot of people on the right have got active lives and are doing other things.

That's important, I think, for people who come here to realize that we are here for only a time and we have an obligation of service and we need to keep things in perspective.

Marriage is and should be defined as being between one man and one woman.