The Narrowing Field (Editorial)

That problem has been exacerbated by the withering away of the federal matching fund system, which was designed to boost lesser-known primary candidates but has now become functionally irrelevant, because the top-tier candidates can raise more on their own than they would be permitted to if they accepted matching funds. An increasingly front-loaded primary system -- on the Democratic side, candidates will need enough to get through four contests in 15 days -- intensifies the need for an early pile of cash.
-From Washington Post

Keeping the Faith: Considering the religion of our next president (comments)

Religion has always been a way of explaining an endermatic universe. We should not choose our national leader based on adherence to a more ancient and venerated irrationality than her opponent. The only rational religious question for a national leader is "does the person's belief interfere or assist the candidate." As Jesus said "by there fruits ye shall know them." Let's judge Romney and all other candidates on their life and what they have done. Romney is intelligent. First in his class out of Harvard. His life's work has involved turning around struggling companies. He did a great job with the winter Olympics and as a Governor. I am sure not every one agrees with these points. But that is what we should be talking about.

All comments in reaction to: Romney's Religion

Is America ripe for a Mormon president?

All these things I learned that morning.

But as 10 minutes became half an hour and an hour and more, I made a much more profound discovery about this faith: that its adherents are bright and intellectually open, and have a sense of humour, of humanity, that is sadly lacking in other strands of American religious life.