For the candidate who loses a presidential election, it’s got to be humbling. What would you say to a friend who’s America's #1 loser? “The last thing you want is something snarky,” says David Ellis Dickerson, a former Hallmark writer (true!) who takes special requests for unusual circumstances ...

Kurt Andersen has been struck by how bland and uncreative the presidential campaign commercials have become; the more aggressive the attack ads, the more forgettable. So he challenged you to write and perform original jingles for the candidates. The veteran Republican ad man Bob Gardner judged ...

Bonus Tracks: Hear the ...

There is a proliferation of blogs, videos, and other homemade political commentary thriving online in this election cycle and taking control of the story away from the campaigns and the news media. YouTube has become a breeding ground for mashup and parody videos that move virally ...

Videos: ...

Political candidacies now seem to be as much about narrative as experience, with each campaign vying to control “the story” of its candidate. Lawrence O’Donnell is a former senate staffer who became a writer for The West Wing, and now hosts a political show on MSNBC. Kurt spoke with him about ...

Mayor Bloomberg's last-minute announcement of support for President Obama is an endorsement of competent governance.

For all that we should be scared about, we can also be proud about what worked. Our civil society stepped up in ways that can make us proud and provide blueprints for the society we want to live in every day.

As the region has focused on recovery efforts post-Sandy, local election officials have been working to make sure polling locations have power, displaced voters have access to absentee ballots, and any changes to polling locations gets communicated to a distracted public.  

From Donald Trump to Gloria Allred, there's been a lot of talk about "The October Surprise" as the election enters its final sprint. Well, there is an October surprise and it's about to hit the East Coast.

As Hurricane Sandy barrels towards the East Coast, many of us are preparing as best we can for the unknown.  And right now,  there are very few of us who are wishing that government would just get out of the way.

In the final presidential debate, both candidates made it clear they will take the country to war, if and when Israel decides that Iran’s nuclear program has reached the critical point.

When Mitt Romney is elected the 45^th President of the United States in 11 days, historians and scholars will look back to the 1^st presidential debate in Denver, Colorado as the pivotal point in the race.

Voting is one step - but not the only step. Whether you have 5 minutes, 5 days, 5 dollars or every hour between now and November 6th, you can do more than vote. Here's how.

Laughing at Donald Trump might be the most important way to respond.

It’s a close race in Connecticut to fill retiring Sen. Joe Lieberman’s Senate seat. Republican Linda McMahon, a former pro wrestling executive, is running against Democrat Chris Murphy, a three-term congressman. McMahon’s wrestling ties hurt her Senate campaign two years ago, but this year, Connecticut Democrats are more interested in ...

Money flooding in politics after the Citizens United Supreme Court decision isn't only affecting the presidential campaign.  A new Brennan Center for Justice report says money is flooding in to House races as well, including three in New York, in hopes of affecting the balance of power in congress.