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 »
Will Republicans Pay a Price for the Government Shutdown?
The ongoing Tea Party-induced crisis over the Affordable Care Act, the government shutdown, and the debt ceiling appears to be taking a substantial toll on the Republican Party’s popularity. … So the big question remains: Will Republicans pay a price for this? Can you stage a very public protest that shuts […] Read more »
Republicans losing no-win game
All of Washington’s elected leaders earn negative marks for handling budget negotiations, but the public’s ire toward Republicans in Congress has hardened quicker than disapproval of President Obama and Democrats through a fortnight of failed negotiations. [cont.] Scott Clement & Peyton M. Craighill, Washington Post Read more »
Disapproval of GOP Peaks in Blame for the Budget Crisis
A new high of 74 percent of Americans disapprove of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling Washington’s budget crisis, up significantly in the past two weeks and far exceeding disapproval of both President Obama and congressional Democrats on the issue. [cont.] Gary Langer, ABC News Read more »
Ted Cruz and the Politics of Hari-kari
Just when you thought that the G.O.P. might finally be wising up, and looking for a way to stop damaging itself in the eyes of voters, up pops Ted Cruz, the Texas firebrand who helped to get this whole shutdown/debt-ceiling thing started. Appearing before an audience of conservative activists in […] Read more »