As has been reported in the media, if Obama carries the exact same states he did in 2008 again in 2012, he would end up with six fewer electoral votes. Interestingly, though, this means that if you rank the states in order of largest margin of victory for Obama, the same state that guaranteed him the presidency in 2008, Colorado, would give him the presidency in 2012, although with bare minimum of 270 electoral votes (instead of 276 in 2008). Put another way, Obama could still be reelected without winning Virginia, Ohio, Florida, the 2nd CD in Nebraska, Indiana, or North Carolina. Moreover, it is clear that there are now going to be more House seats in states that tend to send more Republicans to the House of Representatives.

January: Undies bomber had apparently found a way to combine miniature pretzels and 3 ounces of Diet Coke to make an explosive device.

February: Scientists discover Neanderthal teeth in very old glass on nightstand in Poland.

Selecting a numerically capped list is always challenging, and when it came to the politicians who died this year. The list below covers political figures from 5 continents, from presidents, to diplomats, to nationalists, to tribal leaders. Two died in a plane crash, while one was murdered. Two died from a sudden illness, while one died after a prolonged illness in which his hold on power was constantly in question. Find out who made our 10.

In a recent statement, Judson Phillips, President of “Tea Party Nation,” gave the lie to three of his movements most cherished ideals. That they represent the principles of America’s founding fathers. That they stand for the less privileged in America, and that they are racially inclusive.

As 2010 draws to a close, we reflect on the year that was and the years that will be—who came to our attention this year (or who continued in our gaze) and will be making an impact on our lives in the years to come. The list of potential figures to make our group of 10 was long, and in the end we fudged, selecting seven individuals and three pairs for a total of 13 people. Still, left off the list are some people who will raise an eyebrow, we’re sure—and that’s the fun of it for both the reader and us. (Who know who they are.) But, in this list we’ve drawn from various walks of life—some people who you know very well and who were in the media glare and others that perhaps are lesser known but who you should know. Creating lists such as these is entirely subjective, of course, and we invite you to offer your voice in the comment below on who we missed. Maybe they’ll make the class of 2011.

Had the folksinger Phil Ochs lived, he would have turned 70 years old on December 19. To commemorate the event, here are three of Ochs’s songs, which—alas—retain their currency two generations after they were first sung.

Oprah’s audience is seeing if they can survive in the Outback without Oprah giving them everything.

Drums far into the night as Sarah remains offline. She’s been shouting tweets from her deck.

Biggest denial of service since George W.

With Barack Obama’s approval rating in the mid-40s, historians point correctly to fact that his ratings are better than those of Ronald Reagan in 1982 and Bill Clinton in 1994. But, it’s neither 1982 nor 1994, and in many ways Obama is neither Reagan nor Clinton (to his benefit and detriment). Unemployment hovers near 10%, the mortgage crisis continues unabated, and most Americans believe that the country is on the wrong track. The visceral empathy of a Clinton is not natural for the more professorial Obama, and the sunny optimism of Reagan seems to elude Obama’s more recent speeches.

With less than two years before the 2012 presidential election, we have asked a host of people to weigh in on the Obama presidency and what’s in store for the next two years.

Next week we’ll post their essays, and we invite you to join the debate.

Political scientist Daniel Franklin looks at the meaning of the 2010 midterms and charts Obama’s course. His bottom line: “it would be a mistake for Obama to shift gears in the policy sense as the result of this election.” Find out why.

Why can’t President Obama communicate his successes? Why is it that the opposition controls the discourse? The President does many things very well, but conveying his ideas would not seem to be one of them.