Jennifer Harper
Articles by Jennifer Harper
Inside the Beltway: Let Obama be Obama?
It's likely President Obama will be in combat mode, ready to assume alpha male status on Tuesday evening when he faces Mitt Romney in the second presidential debate. But alas. The debate is town hall style, which demands folksy likability from the combatants, and conversation studded with talking points. Published October 15, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Butt out, Santa
So much for Santa Claus, who could turn up slim and gluten-free at any moment. A new version of the classic "A Visit from St. Nicholas" edits out all references to Mr. Claus' pipe smoking in the beloved old poem, rewritten by Pamela McColl, a writer and smoking-cessation advocate in Vancouver, Canada. Published October 14, 2012
Inside the Beltway: The presidential purse
The most telling numbers are often the most simple numbers. President Obama has conducted 222 re-election fundraisers in the past 18 months, more than any other incumbent president. Consider that President George W. Bush held 86 during his first term in office, and in comparable times, Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush staged 70 and 24, respectively. Ronald Reagan, incidentally, held no fundraisers during his 1984 re-election campaign. Published October 11, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Biden, Ryan to mix it up at the debate
America is intrigued with the latest clash of political titans, suggesting that the vice presidential debate could draw as much interest as the presidential version. And why not? This is debate as reality TV, pitting a pair of unlikely combatants against each other, with excruciating stakes and a big audience. Published October 10, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Even more Romney signs defiled
Rumors that Mitt Romney's campaign materials suffer disgraceful defacement around the nation appear to be true. And here's one more example. Solitary pro-Romney lawn signs in a heavily Democratic neighborhood have been draped with, uh, used doggie-doo disposal bags in recent days. This news comes from a comfortable enclave of supposed civility in the Maryland suburbs near the nation's capital. Published October 9, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Military’s ‘professional core’ backs Romney
The "professional core" of the U.S. military overwhelmingly favors Mitt Romney over President Obama in the presidential election, says a new Military Times survey of 3,100 active and reserve troops. Published October 8, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Left Coast bandwagon
Never underestimate the entrenched West Coast support for a Democratic White House. Published October 7, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Media revenge
Brace for impact: The peevish press seeks to persuade voters to forget Mitt Romney's stark and sparkling victory over President Obama during their initial debate. The glow of Mr. Romney's polished performance Wednesday is destined for a very short shelf life as journalists on gaffe patrol woo the public with fancy "fact" checking and anything remotely linked to the phrase "47 percent." Published October 4, 2012
Inside the Beltway: The celebrity president
The leader of the Free World was once just that – a canny stalwart with gravitas intact, ready to take on evil empires, stock market crashes, terrorists, Communism. Yes, once. Celebrity appears to have taken over the office, however, a phenomenon that likely got its start when Bill Clinton broke ranks with the adult population in 1992, donned cool shades and played "Heartbreak Hotel" on his tenor saxophone on late-night TV when he was pursuing the White House. Published October 3, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Into the jaws
The most worrisome time for Mitt Romney could be post-podium, when the presidential debate ends and the elite press descends, to gnaw on his words until voters are left with just a few bits of red meat — and lots of pre-digested conclusions. Published October 2, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Teachable moment
"President Obama needs to learn that being president isn't just about being on TV and protecting your job. It's about leadership. it's time for a president who gets it." At least that's what the latest American Crossroads campaign ad says. Published October 1, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Debate forecast
"Unlike 2008, President Obama goes into the debates with a record. But it's a record he'd rather not talk about," says Republican National Committee communications director Sean Spicer. Published September 30, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Debate = Party
Oh well, who can blame the University of Denver for turning the first presidential debate into a big fat party? Welcome to "Debate Fest." Published September 27, 2012
Inside the Beltway: More Gore
Al Gore missed the Democratic National Convention, prompting murmurs that the former vice president has been irked at the White House for one reason or another. Published September 26, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Weather or not
Serious research from the Weather Channel reveals that lousy weather on Election Day could impact turnout for a "substantial" number of voters, with the most dithering among undecided voters. Published September 25, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Enemies of ‘2016’
Somebody must be worried. Muckrakers and pirates have struck "2016: Obama's America," the blockbuster documentary that examines the future of America should President Obama be re-elected, now in more than 2,000 theaters nationwide. Published September 24, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Reeling along
National Hunting and Fishing Day, celebrated the fourth Saturday of each September since 1972 with the motto "Hunt. Shoot. Fish. Share the pride," appears to be evolving into something beyond woodland camouflage or spinner reels. Published September 23, 2012
Inside the Beltway: Reviling the pundit
Oh woe is the American pundit, that bombastic parasite of the political realm, all bloviation and alarm. They are an unpopular lot indeed: a mere 21 percent of Americans have a favorable impression of the elite talking set, this according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll that says the findings "reflect the public's sour mood overall." Published September 20, 2012
Inside the Beltway: ‘Big sticks’
A cultural moment of sorts: Americans think al Qaeda is "more scared" of Mitt Romney than President Obama, according to a new poll released by Esquire magazine on Wednesday. Published September 19, 2012
Inside the Beltway: The pile-on
One good thing about a media pile-on is that the phenomenon typically has a fairly short shelf life, something that can benefit Mitt Romney as he endures the latest negative narrative surrounding his "47 percent" video, which has generated about 5,000 news accounts in the past 48 hours, according to a casual Google News count. Published September 18, 2012
