Commentary by Michael Barone

Untouched by the 60s, 'Romney reflects the Corny '50s By Michael Barone

One question I sometimes have been asked in this presidential campaign goes something like this: Why does Mitt Romney sound so corny?

Entitlement, Not Tax Cuts, Widen the Wealth Gap By Michael Barone

What should be done about income inequality? That basic question underlies the arguments hashed out in the supercommittee and promises to be a central issue in the presidential campaign.

Put Tax Breaks for Mortgages, Local Taxes on Table By Michael Barone

Supercommittee members Sen. Pat Toomey and Rep. Jeb Hensarling are taking flak from some conservatives for proposing a deal including increases in "revenues," and a Washington Post reporter had some fun insinuating that they were backing a tax-rate increase.

Obama Has a Knack for Ticking off America's Friends By Michael Barone

The election of Barack Obama, we were told, would bring new respect and friendship for America in the world.

Tea Partiers, Like Peaceniks, Upset Political Order By Michael Barone

It irritates members of both groups when I note the similarities of the tea party movement that swept the nation in the 2010 election and the peace movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Can Cain Keep Flouting the Cardinal Rules of Politics? By Michael Barone

Herman Cain, beleaguered by charges of sexual harassment, was all over Washington last week -- an odd choice of venue, considering that the Iowa precinct caucuses are now just 58 days away and the New Hampshire primary 65.

But as I learned when I sat next to Cain Friday morning during a long-scheduled taping of Richard Carlson's "Danger Zone" radio program, Cain seemed unfazed.

In conversation before the taping he dismissed the controversy. "No documentation. No witnesses. And I didn't cancel a single event this week" -- although his wife Gloria, accompanying him for the first time, cancelled an interview with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren.

The Revolt Against the Experts Helps Herman Cain By Michael Barone

At the moment, national polls show Herman Cain leading or tied for the lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. This, despite the fact that he has never won an election, has never held public office (except on a regional Federal Reserve advisory panel), and has shown prodigious ignorance on some important foreign policy and domestic issues.

Congress Softens Stance on High-skilled Immigrants By Michael Barone

We've been hearing a lot about immigration on the campaign trail, most of it based on outdated assumptions and echoing the arguments made when Congress was considering so-called comprehensive immigration reform bills in 2006 and 2007.

Romney Buoyed by Good Luck -- and Hard Experience By Michael Barone

Napoleon is supposed to have said that the quality he most valued in his generals was luck. In the current race for the Republican presidential nomination, Napoleon's favorite would clearly be Mitt Romney.

Obama Drags Feet to Avoid Offending Political Pals By Michael Barone

Leadership, said New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in his press conference Tuesday announcing he would not reverse his decision not to run for president, is something you can't be taught or learn. "Leadership today in America has to be about doing the big things and being courageous."

Is Herman Cain a Contender? By Michael Barone

Is Herman Cain a serious contender for the Republican presidential nomination? It's a question no one in the pundit world was asking until the past week.

Cain has never held public office. When he ran for the Senate in Georgia in 2004, he lost the primary by a 52 percent to 26 percent margin.

Mitch Daniels Dares GOP Candidates to Be Grown-ups By Michael Barone

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels did not attract as large a crowd when he spoke at American Enterprise Institute (where I am a resident fellow) earlier this week as he did when several months ago, before he disappointed admirers by announcing that he wouldn't run for president.

Still Looking for a Candidate to Replace Obama By Michael Barone

The Republicans' presidential debate Thursday night sponsored by Fox News and Google gave primary voters and caucus-goers at least one good reason to reject every candidate on the stage. The interesting question now is whether someone else will enter the race -- at just about the same point in the election cycle in which Bill Clinton entered the Democratic race in 1991.

What 'Developing' Countries Can Teach the U.S. By Michael Barone

As Barack Obama huffs and puffs about his tax plan, which is unlikely to pass in the Democratic-majority Senate much less the Republican-controlled House, Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank, has provided a much broader view of where the United States stands amid great changes in the world and some useful guidance on what direction public policy ought to take.

As President, Obama Acts as Shop Steward in Chief By Michael Barone

Barack Obama has been at pains to convince voters that he cares about jobs. It seems to be a hard sell.

Obama Tainted by Loan Guarantees to Solar Firms By Michael Barone

One factor favoring President Obama's re-election, according to a recent article by political scientist Alan Lichtman, is the absence of scandal in his administration.

Obama Buys the Drinks That Other Guys Pay For By Michael Barone

What is there to say about Barack Obama's speech to Congress Thursday night and the so-called American Jobs Act he said Congress must pass? Several thoughts occur, all starting with P.

GOP Needs a Front-runner Stronger Than Candidate X By Michael Barone

The race for the Republican presidential nomination finally seems to be gelling. On Wednesday night, candidates debated at the Reagan Library in California -- the first of five scheduled debates over the next five weeks.

Obama Speech Fiasco Shows 'Audacity of Weakness' By Michael Barone

I can't remember a more stunning rebuke of a president by a congressional leader than House Speaker John Boehner's refusal to agree to President Barack Obama's demand -- er, request -- that he summon a joint session of Congress to hear the president's latest speech on the economy at 8 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 7.

Obama and His Rivals Duck the Entitlement Crisis By Michael Barone

Some of society's most intractable problems come not from its failures but from its successes. Often you can't get a good thing without paying a bad price.