Democratic candidates already have plenty going for them this year. Anxiety about the Iraq war is down, but anxiety about the economy is way up. President Bush’s job approval rating is roughly 10 percentage points lower than two years ago before Democrats won the mid term elections.    Read More

There's only one truly reliable source for Barack Obama's thinking for vice president. That's Barack Obama, and he's not talking about it anywhere near me. But I attended a gathering of prominent Democrats and journalists that gives some insight into how political Washington expects him to think.    Read More

The votes come from the images, and to a lesser extent the knowledge, candidates get from consultations with foreign leaders and speeches on the international stage. They represent the reward voters confer for stature and experience that reassures them their would-be president can handle international crises and keep them safe.    Read More

Part of coming together involves money, specifically Clinton helping Obama raise money for the general election and Obama helping Clinton retire her primary debt. Both will cooperate, even if grudgingly.    Read More

2008 may prove better than most political years for surviving charges of flip-flopping. And Barack Obama and John McCain have both set out to test their luck.   Read More

Barack Obama faced a difficult choice for the fall campaign. He could follow through on his commitment to strike a deal with John McCain on remaining within the public financing system for the general election, or he could opt out of the system and cash in on the huge financial advantage he has displayed over John McCain.    Read More

I had admired Tim for years before I ever knew him personally. As moderator of "Meet the Press" since 1991, he cut a very large swath through our common profession of political journalism..   Read More

As the American media's leading political analyst, he played a role far beyond the viewership of NBC's "Meet the Press." Grilling candidates respectfully, moderating debates fairly, interpreting election results with the insight of a former political operative...   Read More

Democrat Barack Obama leads Republican John McCain by 47%-41% in the 2008 race for the White House, according to the first NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted after Mr. Obama wrapped up the Democratic presidential nomination.   Read More

A couple of my colleagues back at CNBC headquarters thought Obama looked subdued and serious during the interview. "He needs to lighten up," one of them said. But of course they didn't the Obama I saw off camera, who was plenty loose.    Read More