Politics

  • Is Michelle Obama 'Edgier' Now?

    Michelle Obama: ‘Edgier’? More comfortable? Reflecting on the first lady’s recent media blitz, Slate’s Jessica Grose argues that while her main preoccupations remain wholesome (healthier eating; more benefits for military families), her presentation has become “edgier” and “more authentic.” She says Michelle is calmly fighting back against the notion of herself as an “angry black…

  • Living While Obama: Super Bowl Taping

    First lady Michelle Obama shows NFL Play 60 “super kid” James Gale, 11, historical photos from previous administrations on display in the Booksellers area of the White House during a National Football League taping on Jan. 30. At right is James’ mother, Lisa Gale. The taping will air during the Super Bowl on Feb. 5.

  • Obama's Day, Feb. 2: Starting Off With Prayer

    Ever wonder what the president’s day looks like? Here’s the daily guidance and press schedule for Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, sent by the White House Press Office. Look out for President Obama’s schedule each weekday on The Root. In the morning, the President will deliver remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast at the Washington Hilton.…

  • Nastiness Reigns in GOP Race

    If there’s any lesson to be learned from Mitt Romney’s big win over Newt Gingrich in Tuesday night’s Florida GOP primary, it’s that negative campaigning works. That’s the same takeaway that came from their previous battle in South Carolina, though there it was Gingrich, not Romney, who benefited the most from a barrage of advertising…

  • Romney Wins Florida. Advantage: Obama

    As expected, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the Florida Republican primary on Tuesday night, the first primary on the GOP campaign calendar held in a state that comes close to reflecting the nation’s cultural and demographic diversities. Romney, having lately discovered his inner angry man, bested his only real challenger, former House Speaker Newt…

  • Living While Obama: Corcoran Museum Visit

    President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia visit the Corcoran Gallery of Art on Jan. 29, 2012, in Washington, D.C.

  • Segregation Is Down. Great News, Right?

    When Newt Gingrich says that housing project people don’t work, our job is to show that they do. When he says that Obama is the “food stamp” president, our job is to show that most food stamp recipients are white. When Ron Paul writes that we’re about to start rioting again, we are to make…

  • What's All the Fuss About in Mississippi?

    The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund is opposed to what it calls “mass incarcerations for terrifyingly long periods of time,” so its chief counsel is not very upset at what is upsetting so many people in Mississippi and nearby states: Gov. Haley Barbour’s on-his-way-out-the-door pardons and early releases to more than 200 people (pdf),…

  • Al Sharpton on Why Newt's Failing in Florida

    Just a week ago, Newt Gingrich was back. Having won over Southern conservatives with surly debate performances (heavy on his “food stamp president” catchphrase, lectures on the malformed work ethic of poor children and eviscerations of the liberal news media), he handily won the South Carolina primary. But Gingrich lost steam this week in Florida…