GOP candidates attack
Candidates for the Republican presidential nomination dropped the friendly tone of the last debate and traded attacks as the polls opened in Florida
What happened
Candidates for the Republican presidential nomination dropped the friendly tone of the last debate and traded attacks as the polls opened in Florida’s closely watched primary. Mitt Romney and John McCain—who are in a tight race for the lead in the state—launched radio ads attacking each other, with Romney accusing McCain of being soft on immigration, and McCain calling Romney tax-happy and unelectable. (Chicago Tribune)
What the commentators said
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It looked for a while that a “kinder, gentler” Republican field was emerging, said Brian Montopoli in CBSNews.com. “Fat chance.” As the crucial Florida primary approached, the candidates—especially the front-running duo of McCain and Romney—have traded “accusations of flip-flopping, liberalism and lack of leadership.” Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani has been unscathed, but that’s just because nobody regards him as a threat any more.
The conventional wisdom used to be that McCain would lose if the race became a referendum on him, said Dean Barnett in The Weekly Standard’s Worldwide Standard blog. But even Republicans who “have no desire” to see him as the nominee are willing to forgive him for straying so often from the party line, thanks to his support for the Iraq war and “his admirable life story.” If Romney supporters want to win, they’ll have to make stronger points for their guy—not just against McCain.
McCain scored some points when he falsely accused Romney of wanting to set a timetable for withdrawing from Iraq, said syndicated columnist Jack Kelly in RealClearPolitics. It was “a low blow,” but it worked—changing the conversation from economics to national security, McCain’s strong suit. But in the final analysis, “both Sen. McCain and Gov. Romney are too flawed to reunite and reinvigorate a dispirited Republican party. There is only one candidate who can do that. And she might lose to Barack Obama.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How global conflicts are reshaping flight paths
Under the Radar Airlines are having to take longer and convoluted routes to avoid conflict zones
-
Zohran Mamdani: the young progressive likely to be New York City's next mayor
In The Spotlight The policies and experience that led to his meteoric rise
-
The best film reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Creativity and imagination are often required to breathe fresh life into old material
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?