Molly Ball

The New York mayor's latest nanny-state proposal -- a ban on soda -- has even many liberals leery. But the lame-duck Bloomberg is uniquely impervious to public opinion.… More »

As the Obama campaign seeks to make an issue of Romney's term in the Massachusetts state house, locals say he was neither a disaster nor a breakout success.… More »

Republicans are confident controversial Gov. Scott Walker will survive next week's attempt to oust him, while Democrats insist it's too soon to predict the outcome.… More »

In 2004, Kerry staffers blamed her for botching the response to the Swift Boat attacks. Now she's back -- as the aggressive face of the Obama reelection effort.… More »

On Hardball, the former presidential candidate finally meets his match in Chris Matthews' similarly childish enthusiasm for history -- and animals.… More »

After tacking to the right on immigration in the Republican primary, he is now attempting to woo Hispanic voters without mentioning the issue.… More »

Despite the recent controversy over contraception, Gallup finds Americans broadly approve of birth control -- but not porn, cloning, or infidelity.… More »

As Cory Booker discovered, "hope and change" is officially dead. A bare-knuckle campaign is now Obama's hallmark. And to many Democrats, it's about time.… More »

Democrats and Republicans both believe they got the upper hand in the kerfuffle over Cory Booker's criticism of attacks on Bain Capital.… More »

The political dynamics of the fast-changing Mountain West create opportunities in 2012 for both Democrats and Republicans.… More »

The Obama campaign is straining to argue that Romney's business record is about more than heartless greed, but it's a difficult case to make.… More »

The former president blurted out his support for his party's nominee, only to be greeted with ungrateful silence in return.… More »

Paul is staying in the race to pursue a set of concessions from the Republican Party and its nominee -- but he's not offering anything in return.… More »

The libertarian congressman doesn't want his supporters to stop crusading for liberty, but he needs them to recognize the fight for the nomination is over.… More »

Much of the public is persuadable, but the way politicians frame the issue will be crucial to how voters respond.… More »

The president has taken a stand that could hurt him electorally, but his opponent's views on the issue are also out of step with voters.… More »

The Indiana Republican's defeat at the hands of conservative activists isn't the start of another anti-establishment wave -- it's the exception to this year's rule.… More »

Primary elections in four states drive a Republican senator from office, nominate a Democrat to take on Wisconsin's governor, and put Romney closer to the nomination.… More »

A titan of the Senate faces defeat, a gay-marriage ban looks set to pass, and Democrats nominate a candidate for the recall of Scott Walker.… More »

Half of Americans favor making gay marriage legal -- the latest step in a long-term trend toward that position -- but public opinion remains in transition.… More »