Roger Simon is the chief political correspondent of U.S.News & World Report, a nationally syndicated columnist and a New York Times best-selling author.

2004 Columns

The final hours: It is time to examine the candidates, their issues, their pasts, their promises–and to hope that this election will be over. . .someday. (11/8/04)

War, peace and politics: Why this campaign matters more than almost any other: Voters agree on the high stakes, but who's better equipped to keep the country safe from harm? (11/1/04)

Split screen nation: Has America ever been quite so divided?: By almost every measure, the race is literally too close to call, and barring a major stumble by either candidate, it's shaping up like–yikes!–a crazy rerun of four years ago. (10/25/04) 

Best out of three: After Round 2, a tight race tightens still further, and now it's either man's to lose. (10/18/04) 

A war of words: Bush was hoping for a knockout debate, but now Kerry's right back in the ring. (10/11/04) 

Acting, with no second takes: Bush and Kerry get set to make their marks in a grand tradition of high-stakes drama. (10/4/04) 

The guns of August: John Kerry had a really bad end of summer. Is it too late to turn things around? (9/20/04) 

In the house of the believers: In his acceptance speech at the Democratic nominating convention, John Kerry made it clear that his Vietnam experience will play a major role in his presidential campaign. (8/9/04) 

Turning point: After nearly everyone had written him off, John Kerry turned a limping campaign into a force that couldn't be beat. Here's how (7/19/04) 

Sunny side up, always: Ronald Reagan's optimism drove his personal success and his vision for America. (6/21/04) 

An American Krakatoa?: Some political pundits are predicting a landslide election in the U.S. presidential race, but are divided on the winner. (5/24/04) 

High-stakes numbers game: Matthew Dowd, Republican Party chief strategist, is expecting a close vote, with swing voters and the president's approval numbers making the difference. (5/10/04) 

The run of his life: Kerry must define who he is–and who his veep will be. (3/15/04) 

Man on the move: Sure, Kerry's got what the elder Bush used to call Big Mo, but George W. is taking off the gloves. Don't look now, but it's time for a good, old-fashioned donnybrook. (3/8/04) 

And then there were five: Although five Democratic candidates are still in the race, John Kerry has won most of the primaries and caucuses to date. (2/23/04) 

And then there were two?: It's Kerry on the rail, with Edwards looking to close the gap. The candidates hate the horse-race metaphor, but hey, get real. (2/16/04) 

Into the fray: Kerry's the guy to beat, it's do-or-die time for Edwards, and now it's coast to coast for all the Democrats in the mad scramble for delegates as they lurch toward Super Tuesday. (2/9/04) 

And they're off: Forget about the issues and all that anger. As the Democrats' quest for a presidential savior heads into a crucial week, it's all about. . .electability. (2/2/04) 

Ill-suited for the road: Profile of Howard Dean on the campaign circuit (1/26/04) 

Is he the one?: The race gets hot as wary Democrats hunt for a winner. (1/19/04) 

Give 'em hell Howard: Interview with Howard Dean on his views on foreign policy, running against George Bush, and his admiration for Harry Truman and George Washington. (1/19/04)