Playing the Race Card Against Obama

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig Jan 15, 2008 It turns out that Toni Morrison's famous line about Bill Clinton as "our first black president" was just a bon mot. If the Clintons took it as a sign of African-Americans' unconditional fealty, they were mistaken. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

They All Love Ronald Reagan

Staff / Truthdig Jan 14, 2008 Ronald Reagan may be dead, but he's running for president. At least he might as well be, given the nonstop competition among Republican candidates, captured here, to worship him. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Oprah Stumps for Obama at S.C. Stadium Rally

Staff / Truthdig Dec 11, 2007 If Oprah Winfrey can do for politicians what she's done for books and for any number of consumer items on her "Favorite Things" lists, Barack Obama might have a serious shot at the White House next November. Oprah held court on Sunday at a South Carolina stadium filled with nearly 30,000 Obama supporters, a giant pep rally that "had the feel of a rock concert," according to Associated Press reporter Seanna Adcox. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Oprah Helps Obama to Stadium Status

Staff / Truthdig Dec 6, 2007 If you think the "Oprah effect" is all hype, you may be interested to learn that the Barack Obama campaign has had to move the location of an upcoming rally featuring the TV talk show host to accommodate the "overwhelming demand." The new venue is the University of South Carolina's 80,250-seat Williams-Brice Stadium, pictured here. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

End of the Line for Colbert’s Campaign

Staff / Truthdig Nov 6, 2007 Those Stephen Colbert fans who had hoped that, for once, there would be a political figure on the national stage who would be refreshingly upfront about the parodic and performative nature of his role will be no doubt be disappointed that Colbert has ended his quest for the presidency -- at least this time around. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Colbert’s Campaign Hits a Snag

Staff / Truthdig Nov 2, 2007 All those hand-wringers out there who've been vexed and perplexed by Stephen Colbert's presidential campaign might be heartened to hear that the South Carolina Democratic Party -- "a shadowy organization whose rituals are shrouded in mystery," says Colbert -- has thrown a major wrench into the works. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Kissing Up to 300 Million People Is Hard Work

Staff / Truthdig Oct 11, 2007 It's not easy to win over an entire country -- or at least a majority of its voters -- without bruising some feelings. That's particularly true in the early-primary states, where locals place high demands on presidential candidates, who, despite their best efforts, frequently step in it. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Giuliani’s South Carolina Meltdown

Staff / Truthdig Jun 26, 2007 Rudy Giuliani is no stranger to ill-advised staffing choices, but his latest picks to head up his South Carolina campaign have caused the candidate some real headaches. First, Thomas Ravenel had to resign, presumably from legal trouble related to cocaine. Now his father (and replacement) is in hot water over past racist comments, including a reference to the NAACP as the "National Association for Retarded People." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Has the Straight Talk Express Run out of Steam?

Staff / Truthdig Jun 26, 2007 John McCain isn't worried about his floundering presidential campaign -- at least not publicly -- but a number of polls show his support slipping into single digits. Mayor Knox White of Greenville, S.C., a McCain supporter, explains the downward trend this way: "[McCain] sometimes makes voters mad." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )