Why were Republican legislative leaders in Arkansas and Indiana so blindsided by the backlash against their “religious-freedom” laws that critics view as a license to discriminate against gays? One reason may be that Republicans in many cases are now literally preaching to the choir: Republican partisans are much more likely […] Read more »
Parties Trade Places in Culture Wars Over Rights Measures
The uproar set off by legislation in Indiana and Arkansas that sponsors billed as religious freedom measures not only signaled a revival of the culture wars, but also threw into stark relief the expectations and tensions in the coalitions that now make up the two major political parties. The contrasting […] Read more »
Religion, Same-Sex Relationships and Politics in Indiana and Arkansas
The controversy over the state-based religious freedom laws in Indiana and Arkansas highlights the continuing impact of religion on social and policy issues in this country. The laws were an apparent outgrowth of the feelings of highly religious segments living in those states that they were being marginalized and that […] Read more »
Obama Effect Likely Negative in Key Senate Races
In an election in which President Barack Obama’s mediocre approval ratings have cast a shadow on Democrats’ efforts to maintain their slim Senate majority, his image has remained generally weak in six states featuring competitive races. This includes sub-40% approval ratings over the last several months in Iowa (38%), Kansas […] Read more »
NBC News/Marist Polls Show Tight Contests in Key States
Control of the U.S. Senate is coming down to the wire, with Democrats and Republicans locked in tight races in the key contests that will determine the majority in that chamber of Congress, according to six new NBC News/Marist polls. The momentum in these races, however, has swung mostly in […] Read more »
Fewer Conservative Dems in Arkansas Adds to Tight Midterm
As Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor battles to keep the seat to which he was re-elected in 2008, the Democratic Party’s declining ability to attract conservatives in Arkansas may complicate his re-election prospects. In a state that is consistently more conservative than the nation, conservative Democrats may have been the […] Read more »