Seth McLaughlin
Articles by Seth McLaughlin
Interstate 4 corridor drives Florida politics
"We say in Hillsborough County, you can't win Florida unless you win the I-4 corridor and you can't win the nation if you can't win Florida." Published October 3, 2011
Florida GOP defies party with early primary date
Florida pushed its primary date up to Jan. 31 — earlier than the RNC hoped. Published September 30, 2011
Gingrich’s new ‘Contract’: More U.S. oil, fewer jobless
Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich rolled out his "21st Century Contract with America" on Thursday that he says would make the United States the world's biggest oil producer, cut unemployment by more than half and gain control of the southern border — all within a matter of years of him taking office, and without cutting government benefits or raising taxes. Published September 29, 2011
Florida prepared to jump line in GOP primary order
Defying national party officials, a top Florida Republican said Wednesday that the Sunshine State is on the verge of jumping the line and holding its presidential primary Jan. 31, as states jockey to move up in the calendar to increase their influence and clout. Published September 28, 2011
Conservative leader: Christie wouldn’t get evangelical vote
The New Jersey governor would have to build bridges with values voters, Tony Perkins said. Published September 27, 2011
Perry hurt by tuition stance on illegals
Rick Perry struggled to explain Texas offering in-state college tuition discounts to illegal immigrants. Published September 26, 2011
Herman Cain wins GOP Florida straw poll; Rick Perry in second place
Former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain won the Presidency 5 straw poll in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday, delivering a blow to Texas Gov. Rick Perry's front-runner status and a victory for a candidate who has struggled to transform his grass-roots popularity into strong showings in national polls. Published September 24, 2011
Romney keeps after Perry on immigration
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney pressed his attack Friday on conservative concerns over presidential rival Rick Perry's support of favorable tuition rates for some children of illegal immigrants, hitting the three-term Texas governor's claim that critics of the law are simply heartless. Published September 23, 2011
Perry’s support of tuition for children of illegals puts him in GOP cross hairs
Rick Perry went out on a limb Thursday by refusing to back off his support as Texas governor for granting in-state tuition to some of the children of illegal immigrants, and painting critics of the law as heartless — remarks that landed him in the cross hairs of his GOP rivals. Published September 23, 2011
Romney, Perry take political feud to Florida debate
Rick Perry and Mitt Romney played a rhetorical badminton game in the debate in Orlando, Fla., Thursday, with the two Republican presidential front-runners trading barbs over Social Security, illegal immigration and jobs. Published September 22, 2011
Romney, Perry gear up for Round 3
Mitt Romney and Rick Perry have ratcheted up their attacks before Thursday’s debate in Florida. Published September 22, 2011
Liberals vow to challenge Obama in Democratic primaries
Worried the liberal voice is being drowned out in the presidential campaign, progressive leaders said Monday they want to field a slate of candidates against President Obama in the Democratic primaries to make him stake out liberal stances as he seeks re-election. Published September 19, 2011
State record on jobs is no guarantee as president
Gov. Rick Perry says that on his watch Texas has created more than 1 million jobs. Former Gov. Mitt Romney touts turning job losses into gains in Massachusetts. Former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. boasts that his job-growth credentials in Utah trump them both. But records from recent governors turned president show it's difficult to re-create gubernatorial success on a national level. Published September 18, 2011
Perry, Romney trade jabs over Social Security at Florida debate
Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Mitt Romney picked up Monday night where they left off in their last debate encounter, with the two GOP heavyweights engaging in a testy exchange over Social Security. Published September 12, 2011
Trying new pitch, Romney stirs old core-belief doubts
Already dogged by a reputation for political shifts on the campaign trail, Mitt Romney is once again honing a new sales pitch to voters, now casting himself as a real-world "conservative businessman." Published September 8, 2011
Do or die for GOP hopefuls
With three more presidential debates scheduled and a quarterly fundraising report due, the next five weeks loom as do-or-die time for some of the lesser GOP candidates trying to make enough of an impression to stay in the race. Published September 7, 2011
Paul: Perry’s not really conservative
Republican presidential contender Ron Paul, for the second day in a row, criticized Rick Perry's record as a conservative and cast the Texas governor as a wolf in sheep's clothing. Published September 7, 2011
GOP rivals test bounds of Reagan’s admonition
President Reagan's famous "11th Commandment" — Republicans shalt not speak ill of fellow Republicans — is being sorely tested in the heat of the 2012 presidential sweepstakes. Published September 6, 2011
Romney invitation divides the tea party
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's appearance at an upcoming tea party rally is creating a rift between different arms of the grass-roots movement, with one side arguing that Mr. Romney "is an establishment hack posing as an outsider." Published August 31, 2011
Romney criticizes Obama’s push to cut defense spending
Mitt Romney told the nation's oldest major veterans organization Tuesday that the Obama administration's push to cut defense spending is based on either a misguided belief that the world is becoming a safer place or a wrongheaded notion that the United States should "become a lesser power." Published August 30, 2011