Obama Confronts the Stubborn Problem of Political Rancor–Again

President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address recalled themes from the Democratic National Convention speech that launched him into national politics: that we are not just red and blue, liberal and conservative America but one nation. “Do we participate in a politics of cynicism, or do we participate in a politics of hope?” he asked in 2004.
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Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and the Still-Shifting Center

Peter D. Hart wrote on Tuesday that the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll showed that Hillary Clinton’s support with independent voters has weakened over the past 12 months to 32%. But with 11 months to go before Election Day, this is not a cause for immediate alarm among Democrats.
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A Hopeful Day in the U.S. House

With the election of Rep. Paul Ryan as the 54th speaker of the House of Representatives, Thursday felt like a rare optimistic day on Capitol Hill. The vote for the Wisconsin Republican was predictably along party lines. He got 236 Republican votes and Freedom Caucus member Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida received nine votes. But Mr. Ryan’s margin of victory does not truly reflect the divisions that still remain inside the GOP caucus and the challenges he will face as speaker.
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Jeb Bush and the Battle in Boulder

For Jeb Bush, the GOP debate in Boulder tonight is a make-or-break moment. Mr. Bush’s donors are restive because they, along with Republican voters, haven’t seen the fire in the belly or the vision that any successful presidential candidate needs. Mr. Bush, the former Florida governor who is now running in fourth place in RealClearPolitics’ average of national polls, has expressed both mystification and anger about trailing two political neophytes, real estate developer Donald Trump and former neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
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A Big Challenge for Hillary Clinton: Bernie Sanders’s Avid Supporters

An interesting thing happened at the Democratic Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, over the weekend–something that could have a profound effect on the outcome of the presidential campaign and on Hillary Clinton’s chances to be president. After chants of “Hey, hey, ho, ho — the oligarchy has got to go,” hundreds of Sen. Bernie Sanders’s supporters left the hall after his address and did not stick around to hear Mrs. Clinton’s remarks.
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Hillary Clinton: The Timex Watch of Politics

Hillary Clinton has stamina. You’ve got to give her that. Even her fiercest critics, no doubt, would have to grudgingly admit that after more than eight hours of poking and prodding by Republicans on the House Select Committee on Benghazi she was still standing – or rather sitting – none the worse for wear.
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Why Gerrymandering Is Responsible for the GOP’s Speaker Crisis

With their 247 seats in the House, the largest GOP majority since 1930, Republicans should have no problem pushing their agenda and agreeing upon a speaker to lead them. But here’s the rub: The Republicans are victims of their own success – gerrymandering success.
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Why Hillary Clinton Needs Joe Biden

It was with obvious sadness and regret that Vice President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he won’t be seeking the presidency. Mr. Biden has had an office just down the hall from the Oval Office for the past seven years and has wanted to be president for at least three decades. Mr. Biden signaled that he will remain a staunch defender of the Obama administration’s record and has little patience for other Democrats (read Hillary Clinton) who aren’t.
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Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s Boast About Benghazi Panel Backfires

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s boast that the Select Committee on Benghazi has weakened Hillary Clinton as a presidential candidate confirms what most Americans think goes on in Washington — and it’s exactly why they have so little respect for our political leaders.
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In CNN’s Early Debate, a Good Performance From Lindsey Graham

Lindsey Graham had a very good night. The foreign-policy subject matter of Wednesday night’s early debate played to the senator’s strengths. Whether he was using humor or talking tough about terrorism, Mr. Graham made the most of his opportunity to snag a lot of air time as one of only four on stage for CNN’s early debate.
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