… Conservatives have a talent for denying facts. “The American people overwhelmingly reject Obamacare,” Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said on Meet the Press, “They understand it’s not working.” Do they? Well, the public has always been skeptical of the Affordable Care Act. Americans polled last week by Quinnipiac University were […] Read more »
Americans Think GOP’s Top Priority Is Troublemaking
The two parties are portraying the stalemate over the federal budget and health reform as a titanic clash of principle, but a plurality of Americans believes that causing political problems for President Obama is now the GOP’s top priority in Washington, the latest United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll has […] Read more »
Obamacare and the Partial Government Shutdown
Now that the deadline for a continuing resolution has been missed, correct messaging around the partial government shutdown is critical. The left will try to repeat the story of 1995, but this situation is fundamentally different and Republicans need to be prepared to message appropriately to ensure that voters know […] Read more »
Defining the Opponent
Elections are about choices. Beyond defining themselves, successful candidates also define opponents by framing the choice facing voters in a favorable way and then creating a clear contrast within that frame. If Democrats aim to become synonymous with “reasonable solutions,” then how best to characterize Republicans? Specifically, what is the most […] Read more »
History Suggests Shutdown Stakes May Not Be That High
As the federal government prepares to shut down for the first time since 1995/1996, historical Gallup data reveal that the repercussions of that past conflict ranged from none to short-lived, in terms of Americans’ concerns about the U.S. and the political players involved. [cont.] Elizabeth Mendes, Gallup Read more »
Republicans More Insulated Against Backlash
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 »