Resolving the serial showdowns over the federal budget and debt ceiling may be more difficult now than during the last shutdown under Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich because so many more House Republicans today represent safely GOP districts, a National Journal analysis has found. This suggests that even if a […] Read more »
Seven reasons why Democrats won’t delay the Affordable Care Act
Washington, D.C’s current, unneeded crisis seems destined to lead to a federal government shutdown starting October 1. House Republicans have refused to fund the government unless the Affordable Care Act is defunded or delayed. Their strategy can’t succeed because the Senate will never agree and nor will President Obama. [cont.] […] Read more »
No, the Shutdown Won’t Destroy the Republicans’ Majority
… The belief that a shutdown would be an electoral disaster for Republicans is steeped in Clinton-era political mythology. According to legend, the 1995-1996 shutdown put President Clinton on a pathway to reelection; the ’98 impeachment proceedings gave Democrats gains in the House. But the myth crumbles under scrutiny. Yes, […] Read more »
Facing government shutdown, Obama’s party can’t bank on 1996 mythology
… For those who don’t remember, 1995-96 featured congressional Republicans led by Newt Gingrich taking on Democratic President Bill Clinton. The conventional wisdom now is that Clinton won the political battle over the shutdowns. Some have taken that a step further and believe Gingrich’s “defeat” cost Republicans in the 1996 election. […] Read more »
Democrats Need to Keep an Eye on Republican-Tilting Independent Voters
… McInturff and his team at Public Opinion Strategies recently did an analysis of NBC/WSJ polls, merging 9,455 voters surveyed in 2010 into one group, the 7,963 interviews conducted in 2012 into a second, and the 2,532 surveyed from June through this month into a third for comparison. The study […] Read more »
Fight over spending, debt and health law has risks for Republicans and Obama
… The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that a majority of Americans say that they oppose the law—52 percent, compared with 42 percent who favor it. Among Republicans, 78 percent oppose it, and 68 percent of Republicans oppose it strongly. Overall, Democrats like the act, although 31 percent of […] Read more »