Ron Fournier

Ron Fournier

Editorial Director

Ron Fournier is the Editorial Director of National Journal. Prior to joining National Journal, he worked at the Associated Press for 20 years, most recently as Washington Bureau Chief. Starting with a Little Rock posting, covering Bill Clinton's second term as governor, Fournier moved to Washington to report on the Clinton White House. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi Award for coverage of the 2000 elections and a four-time winner of the prestigious White House Correspondents' Association Merriman Smith Memorial Award. His 2012 piece on the decline of U.S. institutions, "In Nothing We Trust," was awarded an honorable mention in David Brook’s essay contest, the Sidney Awards.

In 2005, Fournier co-wrote "Applebee's America," a New York Times best seller that examined the shared attributes of successful political, business and religious leaders.

Ron Fournier's Latest Posts

Do You Trust This Man?

By
Like Bush before him, President Obama faces an existential credibility crisis. Read More »

America to Congress: You Suck!

By
Gridlock and ineffectiveness give Congress worst rankings in decades. Read More »

If You Don't Allow Government Cameras in Your Home, Will Terrorists Win?

By
Reader's analogy raises question of how far we can bend Constitution before it breaks. Read More »

Why I Don't Care About Edward Snowden

By
Hero or traitor? The White House would love to distract us from its actions. Read More »

The Dirty Secrets of Washington Elites

By
The White House, Congress, and the media need to bring national security out of the dark. Read More »

How Obama Scandals Threaten to Kill 'Good Government'

By
Emerging narrative supports claims that Washington is intrusive, incompetent, untrustworthy and heartless. Read More »

Welcome to the Bush-Obama White House: They're Spying on Us

By
The "Bush-Obama era" will be long remembered for curbing the Constitution. Read More »

Mild-Mannered David Plouffe Is a Terror on Twitter

By
As doubts about Obama's credibility rise, former White House adviser goes on the attack. Read More »

How Congress and the White House Eviscerate the Judiciary

By
Partisanship and incompetence leave federal judges home alone. Read More »

Issa Stirs Echoes of McCarthy as Obama's 'Best Friend' in IRS Probe

By
Chief GOP investigator doesn't know when to let damning facts speak for themselves. Read More »

Middle Class Falls, Wall Street Rises ... and Washington Dithers

By
This week's "positive" economic news rings hollow to many Americans. Read More »

7 Reasons Why the Media Shouldn't Keep Eric Holder's Secrets

By
What "off the record" means and why it matters to you. Read More »

What If the Next President Is Even Worse?

By
Partisanship shouldn't blind Americans to Bush-Obama civil-liberty threats. Read More »

Scandals? What Scandals? This Week Is Historical for Another Reason

By
Years from now, this past week may be remembered less for developments in a spate of White House scandals than as a turning point in the "war on terror." Read More »

How Reince Priebus Crossed the Line

By
By arguing Obama is part of "lawlessness," he's undermining the credibility of the opposition. Read More »

Why You Can't Trust the White House (Even If Nobody's Lying)

By
Shifting stories cast doubts on answer to core question: Did Team Obama know about IRS abuse in real time? Read More »

5 Ways Obama Can Restore the Public's Trust and Rescue His Presidency

By
Painful choices include a special prosecutor on the IRS and an apology for The Associated Press.     Read More »

You Know What Really Risks National Security? Leak Investigations.

By
What happens if national security journalists stop trusting government warnings? Read More »

Does Obama Need Staff Shakeup to Manage Scandals?

By
Experienced crises managers would 'stop spinning' and restore trust. Read More »

Benghazi, IRS Create Perfect Storm Threatening Obama's Credibility

By
What does it mean when a president's people can't get their stories straight? Read More »

Did David Plouffe Justify IRS Targeting Conservatives?

By
Obama adviser says he was addressing impact of 'dumb' actions, but tweet is likely to fan flames. Read More »

A Bad Day For 2 Agencies

By
It's been a rough day for the Obama administration. Read More »

Scrubbing the Truth from Benghazi

By
Caught playing politics with tragedy, what's next for the Obama administration and GOP investigators? Read More »

Why Benghazi is a Blow to Obama and Clinton

By
Both parties are wrong about the scandal: It’s not Watergate and it’s not nothing. Read More »

Will Millennials Become Generation X-treme?

By
Harvard study suggests leaders must act urgently to prevent polarization and apathy among young Americans. Read More »

Nobody Spoils a Good Story Like Congress

By
Enjoy the good news, America, while it lasts. Read More »

Is Obama's Legacy Great Leadership or Bad Breaks? Check the Sports Pages

By
An old baseball adage applies to the president: 'The great ones play above the breaks.' Read More »

Obama Channels Clinton’s Worst Day in Office, Raises Doubts About Relevancy

By
Like Clinton in April 1995, Obama struggles against forces out of his control. Read More »

3 Stories That Will Make You Mad As Hell (But Will You Act?)

By
Actions of Obama, Weiner and McDonnell reflect why Americans are losing faith in leadership. Read More »

Obama's Amazing Speech (and Why You Probably Missed It)

By
Lost amid the laughter, Obama's closing remarks at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner indict failed elites. Read More »

Joblessness? Deficits? Wars? Let's Party!

By
Washington never looks more out of touch than it will this weekend, when movie stars, music moguls, media mavens and their advertisers join President Obama at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Read More »

'No Politics' Doesn't Mean No Accountability for Obama Administration in Boston Bombings

By
Congress, White House must investigate and learn from terrorist strike. Read More »

Mark Pryor May Soon Have A Bloomberg Problem

By
Mayors Against Illegal Guns mulls months-long campaign against Democratic senator. Read More »

Go Ahead, Admit It: George W. Bush Is a Good Man

By
In the rush to mythologize and demonize our presidents, we forget they're human. Read More »

The End of Government as We Know It

By
Whatever happened to Johnny Whitmire? The answer is tied to a new book on digital-age innovations to improve government. Read More »

Crisis in Boston, Fallout in Washington

By
What. A. Week. Read More »

Pray for Our President

By
Terrible moments like this past week tested Obama and his predecessor.  Read More »

At Pivotal Point in Presidency, Obama Routed on Gun Control

By
But GOP victory could backfire if voters revolt. Read More »

Who's Playing Politics With the Boston Bombing?

By
A few ill-advised Democrats and Republicans edge toward the inexcusable. Read More »

Why Boston Bombings Might Be Scarier Than 9/11

By
Killing Americans at play resonates differently than attacks on economic and military targets. Read More »

Obama on Boston Marathon Bombings Reads From Grimly Familiar Script

By
Remarks echo Clinton, Bush, and other presidents in early stages of crises. Read More »

Why Evangelicals Back Obama on Immigration (and Why They Should Agree on Guns and Climate Change, Too)

By
Pragmatic mega-church leaders are savvy about demographic shifts.   Read More »

Newly Engaged Obama Makes Slow, Uncertain Progress on Agenda

By
Deals are within reach on guns, immigration, and even deficit reduction. Read More »

There's No False Equivalency on Guns

By
On guns, the NRA and the GOP are factually wrong more often, more likely to demagogue, and are further from the mainstream than Obama. Read More »

The Conservative Senator Who May Control Obama's Fate

By
Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania emerges as a dealmaker on background checks, as he faces tough re-election in 2016. Read More »

The Death of Relationships

By
New study on relationships says Washington has "veered off the map." Read More »

Obama's Gambit Raises Pressure on Boehner, Edges Washington Toward Budget Deal

By
The president's budget will test whether the GOP's antitax rhetoric is bluster or a deal-killing fact. Read More »

One Congressman, Rand Paul, the GOP, and What Ails American Politics

By
Rep. Scott Rigell stayed true to conservatism but was punished for his moderation and common sense. Read More »

From Lincoln to Obama, Presidents as Propagandists

By
President Obama is exploiting new technologies to burnish his image, but the strategy may cause mistrust. Read More »

What I Learned About President Obama From Playing Basketball With Him

By
'He's confident and competitive. Superstituous and silly. Admits his mistakes. Always in control.' Read More »

Debunking 2 Myths: GOP Won't Raise Taxes and Budget Deal Is Dead

By
Republicans are open to tax hikes as part of a narrow path to bargain with the White House. Read More »

Cowardly Congress, Ruthless NRA, and an Impotent Obama Conspire Against Assault-Weapons Ban

By
Washington's approach to stemming gun violence is a ruse. Read More »

On the Anniversary of War in Iraq, Who's Rooting for War in Syria?

By
McCain, Graham are pushing president Obama down a bloody slope. Read More »

5 Ways Reince Priebus Is Channeling George W. Bush and Bill Clinton

By
The RNC report is an important blueprint for the GOP’s 2016 presidential nominee, one who has enough guts, skills, and imagination to create a 21st-century Republican Party. Read More »

Race-Baiting, Godlessness, and Elitists at GOP’s CPAC

By
The conservative conference is an annual reminder of the GOP's image problem. Read More »

John Podesta Channels Rand Paul to Undercut Obama on Drone Warfare

By
Obama ally John Podesta methodically undercut every conceivable argument against transparency. If you're Obama and you lose Podesta, it's far past time to drag drone warfare out of the dark. Read More »

Why is John Boehner Leading From Behind?

By
When an anonymous Obama adviser described the president’s nuanced approach to Libya in 2011 as “leading from behind,” a GOP talking point was born. Now it's fair to ask why House Speaker John Boehner is leading from behind. ...

Read More »

Hypocritical Paul Ryan Plan Doesn't Close Path to Big Budget Deal

By
Republicans in Congress are open to a second tax hike if Democrats bow much more on spending. Read More »

Humility or Cynicism? Whatever is Driving Obama is Better Than Nothing

By
Obama’s sudden burst of public outreach coincides with a drop in his approval ratings. Read More »

Rebuilding Trust: What Do Pope Francis and President Obama Have in Common?

By
From the Vatican to Washington, what can we do about the failure of powerful institutions? Read More »

Why Rand Paul's Case Against the White House Matters

By
The Kentucky Republican's filibuster reflects the pace of politics and the power of social media. Read More »

The Art of Washington War: Know Your Enemy

By
Heeding Sun Tzu, Obama and GOP finally break bread to bend wills. Read More »

Obama Is on the Wrong Side of History — and Rand Paul — on Drone Warfare

By
Until the president explains the standard for assassinating American terrorism suspects on U.S. soil, voters will assume the worst and demand better. Read More »
POLITICS

Rep. Castro Denounces Congress, Implored Obama to Lead

By
Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro and his twin brother Julian, the mayor of San Antonio, express concern that sequestration hurts the U.S. economy and jeopardize thousands of military jobs. Read More »

Rising Democratic Star Joaquin Castro Says Obama 'Needs to Be a Leader' on the Budget

By
Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas denounces GOP but says the president also bears responsibility for sequestration fiasco. Read More »

Detroit: A Sad Tale of 2 Cities and 2 Americas

By
My hometown is about to experience its umpteenth transition in a generations-long struggle against mighty odds. Read More »

Adult Leadership Required to Clean Up the Mess in Washington

By
“Muddy steps” analogy reveals why voters want Obama and Boehner to stop acting like kids. Read More »

Washington in 3 Words: Dumb, Arbitrary, and Inexcusable

By
U.S. leaders fail to lead on sequestration, but finger-pointing thrives. Read More »

Obama Plays Cat and Mouse With GOP on Gay Rights, Guns, Immigration, and Climate

By
The president is torturing his prey on issues that divide the GOP from the mainstream. Read More »

Why Bob Woodward's Fight With The White House Matters to You

By
This can’t be what Obama wants. He must not know how thin-skinned and close-minded his staff is to criticism. Read More »

Bloomberg Rocks, NRA Rolled in Chicago

By
Results of Chicago Democratic primary carry significant national implications for the New York mayor and gun debate. Read More »

How (And Why) Obama and Boehner Should Strike a Spending-Cut Deal

By
Despite absolutist rhetoric, both sides have incentive to deal on sequestration. Read More »

How Obama and Boehner Can Learn Lessons From 'Governor Ultrasound'

By
How acute is the shortage of comity, compromise, and true leadership in Washington? Bad enough that the closest example of political courage is a Virginia conservative whom Democrats dubbed "Governor Ultrasound." Read More »
EDUCATION

The Art of Technology

By
Washington is focused on better education in math and the hard sciences. But when it comes to innovation, design matters.   Read More »

Why You Don't Want Me to Be President

By
The White House is waving the white flag on working with a hardheaded Republican Party. Read More »

The Credibility Gap: Shading the Truth Has Consequences

By
From the White House to statehouses, politicians aren't keeping their promises on pivotal issues. Read More »

You May Be Right, Mr. President, But This Is Crazy

By
As the nation's chief executive, Obama is ultimately accountable for the budget fiasco, even if he is right on the merits and politics. Read More »

Debating the Future of the Two-Party System

By
For all of its advantages, the status quo is a bad bet. Responding to a reader's defense of the two-party system. Read More »

6 (More) Reasons Why Americans Hate Washington

By Ron Fournier
In a moment of eloquence almost unprecedented in the malapropistic career of Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader said Thursday, “Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse, it gets worse.” Read More »

Republican Leaders Worry Their Party Could Divide in Two

By
Behind the scenes, Republican leaders are sourly predicting a party-busting independent presidential bid by a tea-party challenger, like Sen. Rand Paul, in 2016. Read More »

Grading Obama: High Marks for Style but Low Ones on Civil Liberties

By
The president's "College Scorecard" inspires "Obama Scorecard" and so-so State of the Union scores. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Nothing Big or Bold About Obama's State of the Union Address

By
For all his swagger and political capital, the president subtly acknowledged the limits of what he can accomplish--even while promising in his State of the Union address to create “a rising, thriving middle class.” Read More »

How Obama Wins the Day and America Gets the Shaft

By
Only in Washington do two wrongs make you right. While failing so far to use the immense power of his office to broker a historic budget deal,  President Obama can argue with a straight face that Republicans are less willing ...

Read More »

Stung By Media's Focus on Liberal Agenda, Obama Pivots Back to Economy

By Ron Fournier
Job One for President Obama in his State of the Union address will be to convince Americans that his top priority is their jobs. Read More »

Drone Doublespeak: John Brennan Offers Few Details on 'Targeted Killings'

By
Other than doublespeak and vague assurances to share more information with the Senate Intelligence Committee, Brennan shed little light on the Obama administration’s drone policies. Read More »

The Number That Explains Gridlock's Rise and GOP's Fall

By
To be clear, compromise doesn't need to equal capitulation. True leadership is about working with political enemies toward solutions that provide both sides ample wins and explainable losses. Read More »

Spending Cut Shenanigans: Why Washington Will Fail America Again

By
The haphazard and the economy-slowing sequestration cuts look increasingly likely to take effect. But don’t worry – both sides have their butts covered. Read More »

Using People as Props: Cantor Channels Clinton and Reagan

By
As Washington becomes increasingly staged-managed, 'real people' land roles in political scripts. Read More »

Secret Memos Expose Obama's Double Standard on 'Targeted Killings'

By
For all the protests over Bush-era torture policies, where is the commensurate condemnation over President Obama’s justification for killing American citizens with no due process, no transparency, and no accountability? Read More »

How Eric Cantor Is Trying to Soften the Republican Party

By
The House majority leader's charm offensive is part of a broader effort by GOP leaders to revive their battered brand. Read More »

What I Learned Covering Hillary Clinton

By
I stopped betting against Hillary Rodham Clinton 23 years ago when I watched her crush one man’s ambitions to preserve her husband’s. Read More »

If You Want a Friend in Washington…Don't Call John McCain

By
At Hagel's confirmation hearing, the Arizona senator hammers his "old friend" in a ritual display of D.C. hypocrisy. Read More »

Giffords Lends Soft and Powerful Voice to Gun-Control Debate

By
Reading from a sheet of paper, the former lawmaker punctuated every word with a poignant pause. "I need to say something important." Read More »

We're All Part of The -0.1 Percent

By
Obama's bold agenda crashes against harsh reality with weak GDP number. America's possibilities are not as "limitless" as he says. Read More »

A Less Obvious Reason Why GOP Should Cave on Obama’s Immigration Plan: It’s Conservative

By
Citing American exceptionalism and economic necessity, Obama echoes Reagan and Rubio in his push for conditional amnesty. Read More »

The One Word That Explains the GOP Move on Immigration: Survival

By
Bipartisan accord on amnesty shows consequences of 2012 election. Read More »
IMMIGRATION

Why GOP Backs Immigration: It Wants to Survive

By
The GOP wants to survive. That is one interpretation of the move toward amnesty and  broad immigration reform  spearheaded by a bipartisan group of senators Monday. Read More »

Don't Bet Against Hillary Clinton in 2016

By
Those closest to the secretary of state say Clinton honestly doesn't know whether she will seek the presidency. They also wouldn't bet against it. Read More »

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton End Marriage of Convenience with "60 Minutes" Lovefest

By
In a “60 Minutes” interview raising eyebrows in status-obsessed Washington, outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said she and President Obama buried the hatchet after their 2008 campaign “because we both love our...

Read More »

Obama, Clinton End Marriage of Convenience with '60 Minutes' Lovefest

By
Obama dismissed "incorrigable' chatter about 2016 but fuels Clinton-Biden speculation with TV chat. Read More »

7 Reasons Why I'm Praying for Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton to Run in 2016

By Ron Fournier
Bill Clinton's reaction alone is enough to make a reporter plead to high heaven. Read More »

Why (and How) Obama Might Be Raising Expectations Too High Again

By
The president's newly confrontational approach might feel better, but it's a capitulation to the times that may backfire. Read More »

Is the GOP Moving to the Center? Or Just Getting Sane?

By
Capitulation on debt ceiling and immigration suggests the GOP is eying vacuum created by left-leaning White House. Read More »

Post-Partisan No More: Who Is the New Obama?

By
Obama's inaugural address buried the brand he rode to the White House. Will the new approach work? The GOP won't make it easy. Read More »
POLITICS

Will Obama's Nod to Gay Rights Irk Black Backers?

By Ron Fournier
By linking the founding moments of women's rights ( Seneca Falls, N.Y. ), African-American rights ( Selma, Ala. ), and gay rights ( Stonewall Inn ), President Obama stepped forcefully into a politically charged zone. Read More »

Obama's Mention of Gay Rights May Raise Eyebrows Among Black Backers

By
Linking gay rights to civil rights is not without risks. Read More »

Chastened by His Times, Obama Falls Short of History in Inaugural Address

By
“We cannot mistake absolutism for principle," Obama tells both allies and rivals. Read More »

Obama's Inaugural: With Malice or None?

By
Understandable as it may be for Obama to govern with a chip on his shoulder, it's not his path to greatness. Read More »
POLITICS

In Congress, Compromise Is a 4-Letter Word

By
It’s rare for lawmakers to socialize across party lines. It’s rarer still for them to agree. But frustration breeds common cause. Read More »

Why Te'o Hoax, Armstrong Lies Should Matter to Washington

By
Loss of faith in social institutions from sports to politics breeds cynicism in voters. Read More »

Has the NRA Finally Gone Too Far?

By
After skirting the lines of decency for years, gun lobby pulls President Obama's daughters into the debate.   Read More »

From Guns to Immigration, Obama Circumventing GOP

By
New White House strategy reflects the President's inability to work with House Republicans Read More »

'No Labels' Vows Full Disclosure of Donors

By
In reversal, 'problem-solving" group embraces transparency Read More »

The Rise of Radical Pragmatism?

By
Readers respond to talk of "brewing revolution" at No Labels conference.   Read More »

'No Labels' Adds Washington Muscle to Reform Washington

By
Centrist and squishy no more? Grassroots advocacy group shifts focus in bid to fix political system. Read More »

Talkin' About Revolution: 6 Reasons Why the Two-Party System May Become Obsolete

By
"No Labels" is a symptom of public's hunger for change, if not the final solution. Read More »

5 Reasons Why Obama Isn't Ready for Rushmore

By
While president's legacy includes "game-changers" like health care, Obama has yet to close the gap between good and great. Read More »

And the Winner Is ... NOT Washington, as Lincoln, Argo, and Zero Dark Thirty Earn Oscar Nods

By
Hollywood has once against raised expectations beyond Washington's reach. Read More »

State of the Union Stakes: Guns, Debt, and Climate Change Give Obama Shot at Immortality

By
The only thing Obama could do worse than failing on the big issues is failing to try on a big way. Read More »

Chris Christie Explains the Difference Between a Functioning Democracy and Washington

By
The New Jersey governor is presidential timber because his rhetoric (if not his record) speaks to the times. Read More »
ANALYSIS

The Perils of Being Aloof

By
Another lesson that Barack Obama (and Chuck Hagel) could learn from Abraham Lincoln: Embrace your rivals Read More »

Al Gore's Al-Jazeera Deal Shows He's Smart Enough to Have Invented the Internet

By
If nothing else, Al Gore made a lot of money in selling Current TV to Al-Jazeera. Read More »
POLITICS

Chuck Hagel's Biggest Problem: He's Like President Obama

By
By nominating Chuck Hagel to be his Defense secretary, President Obama is putting forward an aloof contrarian who doesn’t suffer fools--a characteristic that closely describes the president himself. Read More »
POLITICS

Do Jon Huntsman and Joe Manchin Have Independent Presidential Aspirations?

By
While we're on the topic of Chris Christie and independent political movements, here's an interesting item from No Labels, the grassroots organization dedicated to bipartisan problem-solving: Republican Jon Huntsman and Democrat Joe...

Read More »

Chris Christie May Be the Smartest Man in Politics

By
The smartest move in politics today is to move against Washington and the major political parties. Read More »
FISCAL CLIFF

Can We Fire Washington Over the Fiscal-Cliff Fiasco?

By
Washington’s answer to a self-inflicted financial crisis reminded Americans why they so deeply distrust the political class. The “fiscal cliff” process was secretive and sloppy, and the nation’s so-called leadership lacked t...

Read More »

What If Nothing or Nobody is to Blame for Adam Lanza? Guns, Video Games, Autism or Authorities

By
What if there is nobody or nothing to blame for Adam Lanza's henious acts? Read More »

Don't Stigmatize Asperger's Syndrome in Wake of Newtown Massacre

By
My son cradled the iPad and scanned The New York Times article I had downloaded: "A Gunman, Recalled as Intelligent and Shy, Who Left Few Footprints in Life." It said child-killer Adam Lanza may have had Asperger's syndrome, a h...

Read More »

'She's Running,' Says Source Close to Hillary Rodham Clinton Who Has No Clue

By
I was at funeral in Arkansas this week when a long-time friend and associate of Hillary Rodham Clinton leaned into me and whispered, "She's going to run." Read More »
MEDIA

In a Crisis, Be Like Eliot Spitzer, Not Anthony Weiner

By
In "Masters of Disaster: The Ten Commandments of Damage Control," authors Chris Lehane, Mark Fabiani and Bill Guttentag provide case studies that explore the right and wrong way to respond to crises. Here are some: Read More »
MEDIA

Tips for Surviving Reply-All and Other Crises, From Bill Clinton's 'Masters of Disaster'

By
Your boss is an ass. You know it, your buddy knows it, and now your entire company's knows what you think of the Big Guy, including the jerk himself, because you just sent an angry missive -- totally and horrifyingly -- "Reply-All."...

Read More »
OPINON

Appreciation: Joan Duffy, My Friend and Master of the Work-Life Balance

By
Twenty-some years ago in Arkansas, when I first crossed paths with Joan Duffy, I was new to political reporting and to fatherhood. She made me better at both. Read More »

Is A Third Party Coming Soon?

By
Add Federal Express founder Fred Smith to the list of prominent Americans who believe a third party could emerge if Democrats and Republicans don't get their acts together. Read More »

A Must-See Movie About Public Service That Is Not Named 'Lincoln'

By
Watching Lincoln is all the rage in Washington for its depiction of the grit and glory behind the politics of emancipation. Behold another move that should be required viewing in the nation's capital: Burn, an adrenaline-fueled ...

Read More »
OPINION

New Asperger's Rule: 'What Does This Mean for My Son?'

By
Timing is everything. Less than three years after my son was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome — and just three days after I published a magazine article about his condition — the American Psychiatric Association dropped Aspi...

Read More »

Readers Find Comfort in Presidential Directive: 'Love That Boy'

By
A few years ago, my wife sampled an NBC drama called  Parenthood  and was transfixed by a character named Max Braverman, a smart, sweet, socially awkward teenager who both facinates and frustrates his anxioius parents. He ...

Read More »
PERSONAL ESSAY

How Two Presidents Helped Me Deal With Love, Guilt, and Fatherhood

By
Guidance from Bill Clinton and George W. Bush taught the author to accept and understand his son’s Asperger’s syndrome. A personal essay. Read More »
POLITICS

Analysis: Romney Gave America 5 'Gifts'

By
In his sour-grapes postmortem of the presidential race, Republican Mitt Romney attributed his decisive defeat to expensive policy "gifts" that President Obama doled out to Democratic constituencies: African-Americans, Latinos, and ...

Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

5 'Gifts' Mitt Romney Gave America

By
In his sour-grapes postmortem of the 2012 presidential race, Republican Mitt Romney attributed his decisive defeat to what he called expensive policy "gifts" that President Obama doled out to Democratic constituencies: African-Ameri...

Read More »
ELECTION 2012: MOVING AHEAD

Obama at the Hinge of History

By
The president does not have the comfort or convenience of shelving his campaign rhetoric. His legacy-shaping window of opportunity is brief—20 months at the very most.   Read More »
ELECTION 2012

Obama Gets Second Chance at a Mandate

By
Greg Sargent , the well-respected opinion blogger for The Washington Post, asks an important question today: "Why, now that Obama has won a resounding victory, is this suddenly being talked about as a small, no-mandate election?" Read More »

4 More Years to Turn Hope into Happening

By Ron Fournier
On a whim, I live-tweeted President Obama's victory speech this morning. True to the forum, I doled out the snark and only slowly realized that this was the last and best address of a horrid campaign. Read More »
ELECTION 2012

Obama Victory Comes With No Mandate

By
Barack Obama won a second term but no mandate. Thanks in part to his own small-bore and brutish campaign, victory guarantees the president nothing more than the headache of building consensus in a gridlocked capital on behalf of a p...

Read More »
ELECTION 2012

5 Reasons Why Obama and Romney Will Get No Mandate

By
No matter who wins tonight, President Obama or President Romney will have no mandate. Victory guarantees the president nothing more than an uphill fight to build consensus in a gridlocked capital on behalf of a polarized public. Read More »
POLITICS

Racial Prejudice in the Election, and Why the Campaigns Are Ignoring It

By Ron Fournier
This is a story that neither President Obama nor former Gov. Mitt Romney want you to read. Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

The Story (on Racial Attitudes) That Obama and Romney Don't Want You to Read

By
This is a story that neither President Obama nor former Gov. Mitt Romney want you to read. It points to evidence that racial attitudes are costing Obama votes. Read More »
ELECTION 2012

Obama Wins Third Debate but Romney Wins Debate Season

By
Bottom line: Obama won Monday night’s debate on points, benefiting from the blessings of incumbency and hard-world experience. But the challenger held his own, and thus the state of the race is likely unchanged. Read More »
ELECTION 2012

Obama Scores the Most Debate Points, but Verdict Uncertain

By
Bottom line: Obama and Romney scored points while turning off independent voters with their point-scoring. Democratic and Republican partisans will find reason to celebrate the debate, but it likely did nothing to reshape the close...

Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

4 or 5 Leadership Traits to Watch for in Debate

By
A presidential debate is a job interview. And voters look for certain traits in people applying to be president. In Tuesday night’s debate between President Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, look for four attributes...

Read More »
ELECTION 2012

Joe Biden Clears Barack Obama's Low Bar in Debate with Paul Ryan

By
Voters were treated to a free-wheeling and substantial debate over the size of government, the limits of U.S. military power, and other issues defining the choice between Obama and Romney. In style and substance, Biden v. Ryan outsh...

Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

5 Reasons Why It’s Too Early to Write Off Obama

By
It seems only yesterday that convention wisdom had Mitt Romney buried and President Obama reelected. Maybe because it was only yesterday, and now the chatter class is likely to lurch to another false extreme. Read More »
ELECTION 2012

Incumbent Debate Curse: Barack Obama Falls to Mitt Romney

By
Call it the curse of incumbency. Like many of his predecessors, President Obama fell victim Wednesday night to high expectations, a short fuse, and a hungry challenger. Read More »
ANALYSIS

5 Reasons Why It’s Too Early to Write Off Romney

By
Take a breath, Washington. It’s too early to write off Mitt Romney. Read More »
ANALYSIS

How Bush’s Emotions Mirrored Ours on 9/11

By
Shock, confusion, fear, anger, grief, and defiance. On Sept. 11, 2001, and for the three days following the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, President George W. Bush led with raw emotion that reflected the public’s whipsawing ...

Read More »
CONVENTIONS 2012

Why Obama's Great Speech Fell Short

By
Obama still has work to do with the vision thing. Convincing voters that he has a credible, practical plan to turn the nation around is a process, not a speech. Read More »
CONVENTIONS 2012

In Convention Speech, Clinton Does Obama’s Dirty Work

By
Former President Clinton on Wednesday framed the election in ways that Barack Obama simply cannot – so negative and nostalgic that his was a dirty job. One better left to a master politician who will never face voters again. Read More »
POLITICS

On Race, Obama Treads With Caution

By and Caren Bohan
Is Mitt Romney playing the race card on welfare reform? It was a softball question for three Democratic pollsters sitting on a  National Journal  panel hours before the Democratic National Convention opened Tuesday. Read More »
CONVENTIONS 2012

Democrats Open Convention With Heavy Appeal to Women

By
If Mitt Romney and Republicans played up their feminine side last week in Tampa, Democrats on Tuesday were utterly and unabashedly feminist. Read More »
CONVENTIONS 2012

On Race, Obama Treads With Caution

By and Caren Bohan
Is Mitt Romney playing the race card on welfare reform? It was a softball question for three Democratic pollsters sitting on a National Journal panel hours before the Democratic National Convention opened Tuesday. But for Presiden...

Read More »

Clinton, as Ever, Offers Risk and Opportunity

By and
Associates say Bill Clinton's address tonight at the Democratic National Convention will attempt to eviscerate GOP attacks on Obama for failure of leadership on debt and deficit issues. Clinton finds GOP calls for fiscal rectitude g...

Read More »
CONVENTIONS 2012

Mitt Romney Takes It to Mr. Hope and Change

By
In a made-for-TV national introduction, Willard Mitt Romney accepted the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday night with a workmanlike attempt to soften his image, deliver a positive vision for the nation, and fuel doubts ...

Read More »

A Wild Manager for a Disciplined Campaign

By
Stuart Stevens is an easy guy to love: Funny, creative, and colorful, Mitt Romney’s chief strategist is an accomplished author, athlete, and world traveler portrayed in a recent New Republic profile as “a steroid- dabbling, sc...

Read More »
ANALYSIS

Why (and How) Romney is Playing the Race Card

By
Romney and his advisors stand by an ad that’s demonstrably false. That ad is exploiting the worst instincts of white voters – as predicted and substantiated by the Republican Party’s own polling. That leaves one inescapab...

Read More »
CONVENTIONS 2012

An Introduction to Mitt Romney

By
America, there is somebody you need to get to know. Please say hi to Willard Mitt Romney. Read More »

Isaac Forces Romney to Mull Truncated Convention

By
“My name is Mitt Romney, and I had hoped to come before you under happier circumstances. I looked forward to telling you about my faith, my family, and my vision for this great country. But this is not a day for politics. This is ...

Read More »

Missed Messaging Time at Tampa Convention Doesn’t Worry GOP

By , and Jim Tankersley
Tropical Storm Isaac barely spritzed and tousled the Republican National Convention on its way past Tampa, and even as it bears toward New Orleans, GOP delegates are confident that the storm won’t affect their key mission here: se...

Read More »
ANALYSIS

Isaac Forces Romney to Mull Truncated Speech, Convention

By
With Isaac on target for New Orleans, Republican convention officials consider the possibility of a quick roll-call vote and a truncated speech by Mitt Romney as the campaign team weighs how to salvage some political gain from even ...

Read More »
CONVENTIONS 2012

Romney Seeks Respect in Tampa, Not Love

By
The Gettysburg Address streamed across the arena’s teleprompter as Republican convention organizers tried out the microphones, lifted balloons to the rafters, and primped the stage for the presidential nominee’s acceptance speech. Read More »
CONVENTIONS 2012

Strategists Urge Obama, Romney to Get Positive

By
Political consultants are pugilists, masters in the dark art of negativity. Which is why it’s surprising to hear Democrats such as Steve McMahon and Republicans like Rich Galen urging their presidential candidates to be more, well...

Read More »
CONVENTION ANALYSIS

Strategists in Both Parties Say It's Time for Obama, Romney to Go Positive

By
Political consultants are pugilists, masters in the dark art of negativity. Which is why it’s surprising to hear Democrats like Steve McMahon and Republicans like Rich Galen urging their presidential candidates to be more, well, ...

Read More »

Romney-Ryan: New Promise of Leadership or Status Quo?

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Hillary Clinton Is 'Most Influential' and Most Likely to Run Again

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Roberts Labels Obama a Tax Raiser

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

A Follow-Up Conversation with Johnny Whitmire

By Ron Fournier
Johnny Whitmire doesn't want your money, thank you. He could also do without your pity. Read More »

Sorry, Johnny, We Can't Turn Back the Clock

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Why Muncie is Middletown and More

By Ron Fournier
Read More »
RESTORATION CALLS

In Nothing We Trust

By and
With few notable exceptions, the nation’s onetime social pillars are ill-equipped for the 21st century. They are failing to adapt, and people are losing faith. Read More »

Anything Possible? Don't Count on It, Sarah Palin

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Romney's Next Challenge: Don't 'Win Himself to Death'

By Ron Fournier
In the dark hours of World War II, surging German troops rode their grinding tanks across hundreds of miles of Russian territory, suffering precious loss of life and time with every mile gained. A division commander wrote of the imp...

Read More »

Obama Bucks Teddy Roosevelt for Second Time

By Ron Fournier
President Obama's about-face on soliciting donations under a Supreme Court ruling he denounced is another reminder that we're living in times not unlike Teddy Roosevelt's -- and that Obama is no TR. Read More »

Clinton: Bin Laden Killing Helps Obama Deflect Romney Critique

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

A Li-Mitted Victory for Presumptive GOP Nominee

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

The Indignation of Newt

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

4 Sentences: Why Tonight's Debate Matters

By Ron Fournier
Florida is a must-win state for Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. The race is tied. Debates matter. That makes tonight a must-win debate.  Read More »
STATE OF THE UNION

Obama to GOP: Divided We Are

By Ron Fournier
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

What Part of Full Disclosure Does Romney Not Understand?

By Ron Fournier
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

"Angry Newt" Takes the Night Off

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

President Newt? Not Likely But Scary

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

President Newt? Not Likely But Scary

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Brokered Convention? 7 Paths to Obama in Wake of Gingrich Surge

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Mistress Beats Money in GOP Debate

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Romney Takes Early Lead in 'Bain Primary'

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

New Hampshire Exposes Romney's Flaw: Image as a Coldhearted Phony

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

As New Hampshire Primary Looms, 5 Things to Look For

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Romney Coasts as Rivals Walk

By Ron Fournier
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Santorum: GOP Would Suffer Under Romney

By
MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum warned Saturday that rival Mitt Romney would lead the GOP to defeat in the fall and, even if Romney won, the party would suffer under the former Massachusetts gover...

Read More »

The Good and Bad About Rick Santorum

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

3 Men, Santorum and The AP (... and Dogs)

By Ron Fournier
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Santorum Raises Polygamy in Defending Stand Against Gay Marriage

By and
Santorum debates marriage laws with gay-rights supporters on the campaign trail in New Hampshire. Read More »
COVER STORY

Romney’s to Lose

By and
Two basic truths shape the Republican race: Mitt Romney continues to perform solidly but not spectacularly as the front-runner, and the vanguard conservatives most skeptical of him still have not consolidated around a single alterna...

Read More »
NEED TO KNOW: POLITICS

Romney’s Makeover

By
Mitt Romney’s New Hampshire strategy emerged from a 2010 dinner at a Bedford steakhouse. Read More »

Romney's Alliterative Attack on Obama: 'Crony Capitalist'

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Romney-McCain: Is That All There Is?

By Ron Fournier
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Bachmann Bows Out, Says GOP Must Rally Behind Nominee

By
Rep. Michele Bachmann became the first post-Iowa casualty on Wednesday when the Minnesota congresswoman ended her presidential campaign after a dismal sixth-place finish in the caucuses. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Perry Trashes Iowa as He Vows Not to Quit Race

By and
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa –- Just hours after announcing via Twitter that he would be continuing his presidential bid in South Carolina, Texas Gov. Rick Perry blasted Iowa's caucus process and blamed it for his fifth-place finish. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Bachmann Ends Presidential Run

By
Rep. Michele Bachmann ended her presidential campaign on Wednesday. Read More »

Still Romney's to Lose

By Ron Fournier
!~ Read More »

5 Things to Know About New Hampshire

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

5 Reasons Why New Hampshire Matters

By Ron Fournier
Mitt Romney's rise in Iowa and his huge lead in New Hampshire polls is causing some commentators to wonder whether the Granite State still matters. The answer is yes. Definitely, yes, especially if the former Massachusetts...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

5 Reasons Why Santorum Can Get a Ticket Out of Iowa

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

'Braveheart' a Cautionary Tale for House GOP

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Romney Finds "Happy Place" with Editorial

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Fire in His Belly? Romney Doesn't Answer Call

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Look Out for a Santorum Surprise

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Food for Thought: The Iowa Caucus Winner is ...

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Anything Still Goes in Iowa

By Ron Fournier
Newt Gingrich has the momentum and Mitt Romney has the GOP establishment's blessing, but they are not the only candidates capable of winning the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses. Read More »

Gingrich: Great Debater, Greatly Flawed Candidate

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

The Mitts Come Off: Romney Camp Slams Gingrich

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Don't Play the Trump Card

By Ron Fournier
A sliver of sanity has finally emerged from the raucous Republican presidential race. Read More »

No TR: The Limits of Obama's Bully Pulpit

By Ron Fournier
President Obama's "fair shot" address Tuesday may be remembered as one of his best, a searing and historically poignant account of the greatest challenge of the American experiment: How do we give every ...

Read More »

Obama Reboots as "TR 2.0"

By Ron Fournier
OYSTER BAY, N.Y. -- In a display case at Sagamore Hill, the historic estate of President Theodore Roosevelt, a polished blue tablet reads, "By the turn of the century, business trusts controlled 65 percent of American wealth an...

Read More »

The False Debate Over False Equivalencies

By Ron Fournier
My post yesterday on the so-called super committee's so-real failure ( "Shame On Us, Washington" ) drew criticism from the White House, its Democratic allies and some journalists. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Shame On Us, Washington

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Death (Panel) for Newt

By Ron Fournier
Oops. For the second day in a row, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is getting a harsh reminder that his post-Congress career as an influence peddler is a drag on his GOP presidential campaign.  Read More »
NEED TO KNOW: POLITICS

Romney Team: Obama's the Real Flip-Flopper

By and
The GOP candidate looks to slap the shape-shifter label back on the president. Read More »

Hypocrisy, Cronyism and Bad Politics Threaten Gingrich Candidacy

By Ron Fournier
Hypocrisy, cronyism and bad politics aren't going to get you very far in the 2012 presidential race. Which is why Newt Gingrich's ties to the government-sponsored mortage company Freddie Mac is a story with legs. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Cain Campaign Apologizes After Reporter Clotheslined by Security

By National Journal and CBS Staff
As he's risen in the polls, Herman Cain is having some difficulties with crowd control. Read More »

Advice to Romney: Don't Be Afraid to Lose

By Ron Fournier
One of the most important moments of Mitt Romney's campaign came weeks before he announced his candidacy. In a gathering of political advisers and the once-and-future GOP presidential candidate, one of the consultants cleared his th...

Read More »

GOP Field Hard-line, Isolationist and Unclear

By Ron Fournier
Herman Cain sums up his world view in an all-too-simple phrase: "Peace through strength and clarity," he tells adoring audiences every day. "Clarify who our friends are and clarify who our enemies are." Read More »

Romney's Military Spending Catch-22

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Rick Perry's Excuse Tour Hits with Thud in South Carolina

By Ron Fournier
SPARTANBURG, S.C. _ Rick Perry hopes to salvage his GOP presidential campaign with a self-flagellation tour, topped Thursday night by this appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman." Read More »

The Flip-flopper, the Flop and the Fiasco

By Ron Fournier
Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

GOP Debate Field: Meet Dave Miller

By Ron Fournier
Dave Miller is somebody the GOP presidential field needs to get to know. Read More »

Cain's Laughable Line: The Democrats Did It

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

Another Reason to Hate Washington

By Ron Fournier
  Read More »

Bad Day for Obama? Sure, But Not So Much

By Ron Fournier
Another ugly jobs report. More lousy poll numbers. This must be a depressing day for President Obama and his reelection team. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Mitt Romney's 'Ever-Evolving Ideology'

By Ron Fournier
Mitt Romney's team will dismiss it as old news, but this Washington Post story on the former Massachusetts governor's "ever-evolving ideology"  is a must-read because it underlines his greatest weakness as a preside...

Read More »

Best Reason to Not Raise Cain

By Ron Fournier
There are a lot of reasons to say Herman Cain won't win the GOP nomination, much less the presidency. The snowballing sexual harassment story is an obvious one. Read More »

Cain's Message May Be Up in Smoke

By Ron Fournier
Herman Cain's campaign manager says the sexual harassment story has run its course, but he may be blowing smoke. Read More »

Charlie Cook: It's Romney, But How Soon?

By Ron Fournier
Charlie Cook says Herman Cain's day has pretty much come and gone, and it looks like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is going to be the GOP presidential nominee. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Booze or Back Meds? Consultants Wonder About Perry's "Odd" Video

By Ron Fournier
Read More »

GOP Consultant: 'Hard to Judge' Impact of Allegations on Cain

By Ron Fournier
Well, that didn't take long. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Outside Groups May Open Door to Lifting Spending Caps

By Ron Fournier
The Supreme Court's Citizens United decision has stirred favorable rumblings about a campaign finance proposal once favored only by GOP lawmakers: Unlimited donations and full transparency. Read More »

Cain Underscores Romney's Authenticity Gap

By
Read More »

Obama Borrows Page from Clinton Reelection Playbook

By Ron Fournier
I'm hearing echoes of Bill Clinton, circa 1996, in President Obama's relection rhetoric. Read More »
COVER STORY: WORKING-CLASS ASPIRATIONS

Dreams Diverging for Whites, Minorities

By Jim Tankersley, and
Far more working-class minorities than whites are optimistic about their economic opportunities. The different viewpoints are illustrated in the stories of an African-American woman who aspires to be a nurse, a Hispanic woman who wa...

Read More »

Romney Trounces Perry in Michigan Straw Poll; Rubio the Pick for VP

By Ron Fournier
MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. - In a rout, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney trounced Rick Perry and the rest of the GOP field to win the National Journal Hotline/National Association of Home Builders Straw Poll of GOP activist...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Returning to Michigan, Romney Ignores Perry to Blast Obama

By and Rodney Hawkins
Mitt Romney, buoyed by his chief rival's lackluster performances this week, blithely ignored Rick Perry and focused on President Obama as he returned to his native Michigan. Read More »

Romney's Home Court Advantage

By Ron Fournier
Michigan Republicans are taking note of a major contrast between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry: Attention. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Grass is Greener on Other Side of GOP Fence

By
As Republican presidential candidates make appeals to activists in Florida and Michigan, there's a dissatisfied sense that the party should find a new standard-bearer. We've seen this movie before. Read More »

State GOP Chairman: Advantage Romney in Michigan

By Ron Fournier
Read More »
Q&A

Michigan, the New Global Economy's 'Canary in the Coal Mine'

By and Brianna McClane
Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and husband Dan Mulhern offer lessons from Michigan’s experience with the new global economy. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Obama: Pass This Jobs Bill ... Or Else

By Ron Fournier
Pass this jobs bill, and we can put people to work. Pass this jobs bill, and thousands of teachers in every state will go back to work. Pass this job bill, and we'll cure cancer, sprout wings, and fly. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Perry, Romney 'Win' Debate, but at What Price?

By
Rick Perry and Mitt Romney dominated the debate Wednesday night at the Reagan library. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Governor Pawlenty vs. Candidate Pawlenty

By
In bowing to tea party pressure during his brief presidential campaign, Tim Pawlenty fell short of the principles he displayed when he took on Karl Rove in 2004. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Obama, Perry Win GOP 'Mickey Mouse Games'

By
Eight Republican presidential candidates debated in Iowa on Thursday. The winner wasn't on the stage. Read More »
DEBT TALKS

Obama Announces Debt Deal, Thanks Voters

By
President Obama announced Sunday night a hard-fought deal to slash the federal deficit and lift the nation's debt ceiling limit to avoid a default. Rushing to the White House briefing room, Obama said Democrats and Republicans ha...

Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

Obama: It's Kids Versus Corporate Jets on Debt-Ceiling Talks

By
If President Obama's news conference accomplished anything on Wednesday afternoon, it underscored, in striking tones, his strategy for winning the debt ceiling fight with Republicans: Make it a clash of classes. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Obama's Choice: A Partial Exit, With Reelection in Mind

By
Don't kid yourself. President Obama’s decision to withdraw 33,000 troops from Afghanistan before he stands for reelection is not driven by the United States’ “position of strength” in the war zone as much as it is by grim...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Barbour: Not Running for President

By and Jim O'Sullivan
In a surprise announcement that reshapes the field of candidates seeking the GOP presidential nomination, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour took himself out of the 2012 presidential race on Monday. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Obama Casts Lot in Middle of Decades-Old American Debate

By
President Obama is casting his lot in the middle of a debate as old as America itself: Are we rugged individualists pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps? Or are we a nation of community, all connected and counting on one another? Read More »
POLITICS

Gingrich to Make It Official: He's 'Exploring' Presidential Bid

By Cameron Joseph
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will announce this week that he's entering the "exploratory" phase of his 2012 presidential campaign.   Read More »
VANTAGE POINT

In Politics and Journalism, Relationships Matter

By
If you take the time to look, you’ll discover that politicians are rarely as good—or bad—as they seem at first glance. Read More »
STATE OF THE UNION: ANALYSIS

Echoing Reagan and JFK, Obama Cites American Exceptionalism

By
It’s an appeal as old as America and its presidency: This is an extraordinary country populated by hard-working, big-dreaming, freedom-loving people graced by God when they’re not pulling themselves up by the bootstraps. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Obama Tells Crowd, America to Be Worthy

By
Less powerful than Oklahoma City or 9/11 speeches, the sometimes professorial president still connected on a gut level. Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

A Twitter Analysis: 'This tragedy shouldn't be politicized'

By Ron Fournier
In the clipped environment of Twitter, a get-to-the-point analysis of Obama's speech. The point: Children "are so deserving of our good example.'' Read More »
ANALYSIS

Washington the Biggest Loser as Wave Sweeps Through Congress

By
Who was the big loser Tuesday? The easy answer is President Obama and his fellow Democrats on this day of epic GOP victories in the House, the Senate and U.S. statehouses. Read More »
POLITICS

GOP Gains Control of House, Narrows Dem Lead in Senate

By
Republicans seized control of the House and slashed the Democrats' Senate majority in epic midterm elections on Tuesday, as angry voters divided power in Washington and dealt a political blow to President Obama. Read More »

Complete Transcript of Obama Interview

By and
National Journal 's Ron Fournier and Ronald Brownstein interviewed President Obama on October 19. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Not Quite 'Morning in America' for Obama

By
Barack Obama may have found the answer to his biggest rhetorical challenge: When millions of voters are unemployed or underemployed, how does a president simultaneously sound realistic and optimistic? Read More »
COVER STORY

Obama to Republicans: Let’s Build Consensus

By and
In an exclusive interview with National Journal , President Obama talks about working with Republicans after the midterm elections on education, energy, and infrastructure. Read More »
COVER STORY

Obama Charting a New Course

By
In an exclusive interview with National Journal , President Obama talks about working with Republicans after the midterm elections on education, energy, and infrastructure. Read More »
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

No Biden-Clinton Swap in the Works, Obama Says

By and
President Obama signaled today that he will seek reelection and dismissed as "completely unfounded" reports that he might replace Vice President Joe Biden on his 2012 ticket with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Read More »

Obama Signals Reelection Bid; Biden Likely to Stay on 2012 Ticket

By Ron Fournier and Ronald Brownstein
President Obama signaled Tuesday that he will seek re-election and dismissed as "completely unfounded" reports that he might replace Vice President Joe Biden on his 2012 ticket with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Read More »

Editors' Note

By James Bennet and Ron Fournier
So when is the next economy going to emerge? Later rather than sooner, it seems, judging from the depressing economic indicators of late. Which only increases the need to understand where the economy will recover first. And later, too. Read More »
SEE MORE
Follow National Journal
  • NationalJournal on Twitter
  • NationalJournal on Facebook
  • NationalJournal on Tumblr
  • NationalJournal's RSS Feeds
  • NationalJournal's Email Newsletters
  • NationalJournal on iPhone and iPad
Latest Magazine
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Latest cover story: "Americans Know They've Already Lost Their Privacy" -- In an exclusive poll, many say they’re anxious about the brave new world of connectivity and surveillance.

Read this and all of the stories in the latest magazine.

Photo of the Day
The Edge
National Journal Email Alerts

Stay ahead of the curve with these alerts.
Learn more.