December 2011
By Eric Ostermeier on December 30, 2011
A look back at some of the most illuminating and controversial of the 200+ Smart Politics reports published this year.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 28, 2011
Wisconsin's John Byrnes won the last presidential contest for a sitting GOP U.S. House member 48 years ago; John Anderson came close in Massachusetts and Vermont in 1980.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 22, 2011
Over the last 222 years, 150 U.S. Senators have had a gap in service in the nation's upper legislative chamber - lasting more than a decade for 32 of them.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 20, 2011
What the media said about Congressman Paul after his Sioux City, Iowa debate performance.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 19, 2011
FOX moderators have averaged a 40 percent larger share of speaking time compared to moderators at the other eight debates since September.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 16, 2011
The seven candidates name-drop 12 ex-presidents 33 times on Thursday; Gingrich makes 22 references to raise his tally this debate season to 63.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 16, 2011
Former House Speaker receives more than one-fifth of the speaking time, edging Romney and Paul and doubling up on Perry.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 14, 2011
Paul's support is up 100 percent in Iowa and 50 percent in the Granite State from his '08 campaign peaks.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 13, 2011
At six letters, Kyl has the shortest legal first and last name out of the 1,931 men and women to serve in the U.S. Senate; that's a far cry from Frederick Frelinghuysen.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 12, 2011
Romney doubles up on Ron Paul once again and speaks more than moderators Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos combined.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 9, 2011
Bachmann is on pace for the worst ever performance at the caucuses by an Iowa Straw Poll winner - a mark currently held by Phil Gramm in 1996.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 8, 2011
In only two of the nation's 56 presidential elections has the cycle's older nominee been elected with a greater age difference than Gingrich vis-à-vis Obama.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 6, 2011
Presidential nominees born under Leo (e.g. Obama) win at a 71 percent clip with Geminis (e.g. Gingrich) coming in at just 29 percent.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 5, 2011
Despite rising to 2nd in the new Des Moines Register survey, Paul gets just 5 percent of coverage in reporting on the poll - the same as Santorum, Perry, and Bachmann.
By Eric Ostermeier on December 2, 2011
South Carolina Republicans have successfully defended their last 42 House seats since 1988; the Missouri GOP is 40-0 in defending its districts since 1994.
