Washington may be split by partisanship, but politics stop at the water’s edge, or so goes the old saw. That is, when it comes to using military force, lawmakers moves past simple Red/Blue distinctions and come together. But in recent weeks, many lawmakers have voiced concern that the “water’s edge” tradition […] Read more »
Back to the Future? A Look At the 1995-96 Government Shutdowns
Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but public attitudes toward the 1995 and 1996 government shutdowns went south quickly. And, the standing of Republicans in Congress dropped from a pretty good level to a much weaker point. It was a sobering lesson in the advantage of […] Read more »
Nothing New About Partisan Votes On Military Action
With so many Republicans apparently committed to voting against a military strike against Syria, the Obama Administration will be forced to rely on Democrats, including liberals, to win the vote in Congress. From an ideological perspective it looks odd, but members of Congress lining up to support the president of […] Read more »
Second-term polls: How do Obama and Clinton compare?
A second term Democratic president, battling back against series of controversies. Sound familiar? President Barack Obama is facing a political situation not altogether unlike what the last Democrat in the White House, Bill Clinton, experienced during his second term. [cont.] Paul Steinhauser, CNN See also: Obama ratings | Clinton ratings Read more »
History Usually Kinder to Ex-Presidents
As the current president and former presidents gather in Dallas to open the George W. Bush presidential library, a Gallup review of presidential job approval ratings finds that presidents’ retrospective approval ratings are almost always more positive than their job approval ratings while in office. In particular, Americans rate John […] Read more »
Obama Averages 49% Approval in First Term
President Barack Obama averaged 49.1% job approval during his first term in office, among the lowest for post-World War II presidents. Only Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford had lower job approval averages. Obama’s first-term average is most similar to Bill Clinton’s. Lyndon Johnson, John Kennedy, and Dwight Eisenhower were the […] Read more »