The sixth year of a two-term presidency is rarely kind. The public’s initial romance with the president has faded. The brief momentum he thought he earned by winning reelection has faded too. The White House doesn’t set the agenda any more; events are in charge now. … And if the past […] Read more »
Why the Senate Will Only Get More Polarized
It’s too early to confidently predict which party will hold the U.S. Senate after the November election. But it’s a safe bet the next Senate will more closely reflect the nation’s entrenched red-blue presidential divide. And that’s a recipe for even more polarization and gridlock. This year’s races will likely […] Read more »
Dems can’t count on economy to save them in midterm elections
President Obama and Democrats might not be able to rely on the economic recovery to bolster their chances in November’s midterm elections. Even though there has been a raft of positive economic news recently, experts in crucial battleground states caution that other issues, notably ObamaCare, could loom even larger than […] Read more »
A keep-the-bums-in mood may prevail in midterm election
After a highly contentious, hugely unproductive session, members of the most unpopular Congress in history will face voters this year and, very likely, win reelection in overwhelming numbers. It is a paradox of these discontented times. Participants in a Cincinnati focus group led by Democratic pollster Peter Hart expressed their […] Read more »
Democrats Turn to Minimum Wage as 2014 Strategy
Democratic Party leaders, bruised by months of attacks on the new health care program, have found an issue they believe can lift their fortunes both locally and nationally in 2014: an increase in the minimum wage. … With polls showing widespread support for an increase in the $7.25-per-hour federal minimum […] Read more »
West Virginia Democrats Face an Uneasy Time
Although Democrats have owned West Virginia’s two United States Senate seats since the Eisenhower administration, Republicans are eyeing this state as one of their best bets as they seek to win a Senate majority next year. … Neighboring Virginia has leaned leftward in recent years, thanks to the diversity and growth […] Read more »