Here is your R&D for January 24th:
Electoral math adds up to a hard-to-topple president from the Washington Post
For any Republican presidential contender, they must look at the electoral map and plot a way to 270 electoral votes. As it stands right now, that path may be difficult if they fail to win Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania.
The World from The Hill: U.N. funding an early target for House Republicans from the Hill
House Republicans are pushing to defund the UN Human Rights Council. Republicans allege that it is a waste of taxpayer dollars, but defenders say that the U.S. needs to spend money on the Council in order to have leverage over other nations.
China’s New World Order from Newsweek (courtesy of RealClearPolitics)
In this op-ed, Robert Samuelson discusses China’s economic might and how the U.S. could respond without sparking a trade war.
Portugal’s Anibal Cavaco Silva Re-Elected President from the Wall Street Journal
Despite major economic problems, Portugese voters re-elected President Anibal Cavaco Silva on Sunday. This is a signal that Portugese voters prefer stability in facing their country’s economic issues.
Can George Allen exorcise the ghosts of 2006? from the Washington Post
After being narrowly defeated by Jim Webb in 2006, former Virginia Senator and one time presidential hopeful George Allen in taking steps to sign on for a rematch in 2012. Virginia is one of the states that Republicans think they can recapture in the next cycle of Senate elections.