… A spectacular Democratic conclave has given the president a bounce — and the lead — as the candidates emerged from their conventions. … To win, Mitt Romney will have to do what no candidate has done since regular polling began in 1952 — win after emerging from the conventions […] Read more »

… To our detriment, many Republican leaders have begun to embrace a cold, individualistic philosophy that swing voters might believe leaves them on an island, without a boat and paddle. Will we unwittingly force them to swim toward the Democrats for safety? … In the Broadway play “The Book of […] Read more »

Mitt Romney is enjoying at least the fourth public loss of confidence by conservative elites since winning the nomination. … At the heart of the critique are two points: Romney is not taking the fight to Obama and he’s being too vague about what he would do as president. [cont.] […] Read more »

… Republican pollsters, strategists, and messaging specialists are digesting the conventions’ messages, polling data, and focus-group comments and piecing together what messages prompted the few percentage points’ shift in the tracking polls. In a race that has been essentially tied since Mitt Romney won the GOP nomination, every percentage point […] Read more »