The rifts we've seen develop over the past few weeks -- Donald Trump and Ted Cruz battle, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio squabble -- were on full display in South Carolina. The bromances are over.

The GOP response to President Obama's State of the Union highlighted divisions within the party and "doubled down" on a rejection of the angry conservatism espoused by the front-runners. Many were impressed with her measured tone and clear rejection of their campaign rhetoric.

President Barack Obama's last State of the Union address tackled the polarization of Washington, while touting the various successes of the last seven years. The messages of hope and change resurfaced just in time for the 2016 election.

Among high-income consumers (over $100,000 per year), the Trump brand found itself in the 97th and 95th percentile of brands studied, in 2005 and 2010 respectively, as "glamorous." Last month, the brand fell through the floor to the 67th percentile. Trump's success in business was and is a major impetus for his meteoric rise.

The early contests of Iowa and New Hampshire are increasingly close and difficult to predict in both parties. The GOP establishment continues to feel the pressure brought by the popularity of Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz.

For a country that by and large has a two-party political system, we have an abundance of third-party and independent candidates running for president, 38 registered as third-party candidates in 2016. In modern times, they have altered the outcome.

What went so wrong for Jeb? For one thing, he's the brother of a president and son of another. Both these facts raised expectations for success, as well as raising suspicions of dynastic favoritism within the party. He is neither gregarious like his brother, nor as statesmanlike as his father.

The 42nd U.S. president, Bill Clinton, started off the year in New Hampshire campaigning for his wife and potential Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton. Despite Clinton's significant popularity and campaigning prowess, his reemergence as a major surrogate may do as much harm as good for Hillary's campaign.

The first week of 2016 has seen a deluge of ads in support of and attacking GOP candidates. Yesterday, Donald Trump released his first paid TV ad online, which goes live on TV today, entitled: "Great Again."

The Democratic primary race, as far as the Bernie Sanders campaign is concerned, is nowhere near being decided. He will have to campaign fiercely as Feb. 1 approaches, the date of the Iowa caucuses.