If there were a theme for 2014 midterms, it would be “fear and loathing of Washington, D.C.” Congress is as about as popular as gonorrhea. President Obama’s approval ratings and personal ratings are at the lowest point of his presidency. Republicans, as well, have seen their favorable ratings hit all-time […] Read more »
The Threatening Thirties
For the first time in his presidency, Barack Obama finds his aggregate approval rating hovering right at 40%. In some polls, he has already fallen below it: According to Gallup, the president’s approval dropped to 39% three times in November. … Looking back at Gallup’s approval polls since World War […] Read more »
There is no wave coming in the 2014 election
Prognostications about the upcoming midterm election are coming fast and furious. The bullishness about the Democrats’ prospects, so frequently expressed (and exaggerated) during the government shutdown, is gone. Current forecasts typically range from “a midterm headache for Democrats” to “a midterm nightmare” for Democrats and possibly even another Republican wave. […] Read more »
Learning from whiplash
As America sat down to Thanksgiving dinner, it suffered from an almost unparalleled case of political whiplash. … Just a few weeks ago, in the wake of the government shutdown, analysts (myself included) were preoccupied with surveying the wreckage wrought by the GOP. Democratic triumphalism was in full flower. … […] Read more »
A Traditional Midterm Headache for Democrats
Democrats have had a nice run recently of interesting House recruits and new takeover opportunities resulting from open GOP seats. And yet, it probably won’t matter. If history is any guide — and it usually is — the president’s recent problems have already overshadowed that good news for House Democrats […] Read more »
Both Parties Battle Long Odds in Quest to Capture New Majorities
The 2014 elections are now 11 months away, but the political scene has already undergone dramatic changes just in the past three months. Republicans went into a political free fall after the government shutdown, and shortly thereafter Democrats plunged into boiling water thanks to the botched launch of and early […] Read more »