All Decoder
Is Donald Trump trying to sabotage the Republican Party?The discredited 'birther' stuff and more insinuations about Obama’s character won't appeal to the slice of the electorate Mitt Romney needs to win in the campaign's waning days. We’re pretty sure Donald Trump knows that.
Presidential debate 101: Is Romney right that Navy is smallest since 1917?It's true that the Navy is smaller today than it was in 1917, but the US warship count was smaller still in the Bush 2 administration. However, the US still rules the waves in terms of naval firepower.
October surpri...zzzzz: Donald Trump's Obama 'bombshell' fizzlesTrump's news-less announcement was preceded by an attempt to unseal testimony Mitt Romney gave in a decades-old divorce proceeding. So far, these October surprises aren't living up to their billing.
Will Richard Mourdock's rape remarks hurt Mitt Romney?The Romney campaign immediately distanced itself from the remarks of Richard Mourdock, a Republican Senate candidate from Indiana. Democrats portrayed the remarks as evidence of an extreme view on abortion and women’s rights.
Presidential debate 101: Does US military still use horses and bayonets?President Obama's retort to Mitt Romney on the number of ships in the US Navy noted that the military has 'fewer horses and bayonets.' Both animal and weapon, it turns out, are still in service.
Bob Schieffer and presidential debate: Will this moderator enforce the rules?Bob Schieffer moderates the third presidential debate, on foreign policy, Monday evening. If the first two debates are any indication, the challenge for him will be containing the discussion.
Presidential debate: Do new reports on Libya change the story?Ahead of Monday's presidential debate on foreign policy, a new narrative is emerging about why the White House waited so long to describe the Sept. 11 attack in Libya as a terrorist attack.
Donald Trump teases 'big' announcement: Is he trying to get in Obama's head?On the eve of the third and final presidential debate, Donald Trump tells Fox News he's planning to drop a big bombshell about the president sometime in the coming days.
Presidential debate 101: Where did Romney get those 'binders full of women'?Mitt Romney misspoke at the presidential debate when he said he'd asked women's groups to help find qualified women for top Massachusetts jobs. In fact, they initiated the binders. But Romney did use them – and did appoint more women to leadership positions than other governors.
What women want: Is it abortion, contraception, and equal pay – or jobs?The Obama campaign is targeting so-called 'women's issues,' as Romney doubles down on an appeal to women on a promise for more and better jobs. The presidential race could turn on who gets it right.
Bruce Springsteen's letter: supporting Obama, despite 'rough ride'As Bruce Springsteen campaigns Thursday in key swing states, he's also penned an open letter endorsing President Obama. It's a window into how Mr. Obama's supporters have gone from giddy inspiration to gritty realism.
Presidential debate 101: When did Obama label Libya attack 'terror'?In a narrow sense, Mitt Romney was wrong when he said at the presidential debate that Obama took weeks to describe the consulate attack in Libya as an act of 'terror.' But in a larger sense, Romney isn’t wrong.
Presidential debate 101: Did Mitt Romney want Detroit to go bankrupt?Mitt Romney said in the presidential debate that, in effect, Obama followed his plan in calling for Detroit automakers to go bankrupt. But there's a key difference: At the height of the fiscal crisis In 2008, commercial lending was dead, hence the need for government funding.
'Binders full of women': a revealing remark from Romney, or a sideshow?'Binders full of women' is already the most memorable phrase of the second presidential debate, showing just how much the 2012 campaign revolves around issues narrowly targeted to specific groups – a strategy of the Obama campaign.
Has Obama reenergized Democrats with debate performance?Obama’s forceful performance Tuesday night is likely to quiet Democrats’ doubts and help energize them for the tough final weeks of the campaign. Snap surveys judged Obama the winner, but the big question is whether his slide in the polls will stop now.
Town-hall presidential debate: what to know about Candy Crowley's rulesFrom an audience of 80 undecided voters at Tuesday night's presidential debate, CNN's Candy Crowley will select some to ask questions of President Obama and Mitt Romney. In question is how much leeway Crowley has to follow up or press the candidates.
As Obama and Romney ready for second debate, where do polls stand?The question now is whether Mitt Romney’s gains are due to a temporary bounce from his strong first debate performance, or whether they reflect a fundamental change in standings with President Obama.
With race tight, celebrities make the pitch for ObamaAs the campaign enters the final stretch, a tidal wave of Hollywood types are cutting ads and making appearances on behalf of President Obama. Do celebrity pitches actually help?
What does Obama want to accomplish in next presidential debate?'More energetic' is how campaign advisers describe what they hope to see from Obama in Tuesday's presidential debate. That 'energy' is likely to be directed toward painting Mitt Romney as a 'severe conservative.'
Joe Biden's smiling: Was there method to his madness?Vice President Joe Biden has come under some criticism for his excessive smiling during Thursday night's debate. But Biden might have set up President Obama well.
