The shutdown is over, but it lasted more than long enough to inflict significant damage to the Republican brand. A plurality of voters blamed the GOP for the shutdown, poll after poll shows the GOP’s favorability rating near record lows. And as a result, a once unthinkable Democratic takeover of […] Read more »
Don’t rule out the Democrats winning back the House in 2014
I don’t believe the Democrats will win back the House of Representatives in 2014. President Obama’s low approval rating, combined with the usual midterm loss and normal movement away from the White House party on the national House ballot, should keep Republicans in control. Yet, there’s a difference between thinking […] Read more »
For GOP, the Damage Is Undeniable
The deal to open the government and raise the debt ceiling may be done, but the damage to the national Republican Party is considerable. … The problem, of course, is that the Ted Cruz/Ted Yoho wing of the party doesn’t really believe in negotiation, which, at its core, requires compromise. […] Read more »
Impacts of budget, debt mess
… When there are no winners, trying to identify the worst loser is an exercise without meaning. From my perspective, it seems like a waste of time to parse through today’s polls in search of something meaningful. Today’s polls are really secondary to what comes next: the consequences that will […] Read more »
As Debt Limit Deadline Nears, Concern Ticks Up But Skepticism Persists
With just two days to go before an Oct. 17 deadline to raise the nation’s debt limit, 51% of the public views a rise in the nation’s debt limit as “absolutely essential” in order to avoid an economic crisis, while 36% think the country can go past the deadline without […] Read more »
The electoral ramifications of the shutdown are far from clear
The latest Washington Post/ABC News poll shows that even more Americans disapprove of how the Republicans are handling the budget negotiations. This, combined with evidence that the GOP’s favorability has dropped, suggests that the Republicans are already in trouble for 2014 and maybe beyond. In the New York Times, Jeremy […] Read more »