Ordinary citizens play a critical role in maintaining democracy. They refuse to re-elect — at least in theory — politicians who abuse their power, break the rules and reject the outcome of elections they lose. How is it, then, that Donald Trump, who has defied these basic presumptions, stands a […] Read more »
Half of Americans report gas prices causing financial hardship
A new ABC News/Ipsos poll finds that half of Americans are experiencing financial hardship due to high gas prices, with one in five reporting “serious” difficulties. Americans blame lots of actors for the current prices including Russian President Putin, oil companies, and President Biden and the Democrats. These pressures potentially […] Read more »
Treating Politics Like the NCAA Tournament
According to the PredictIt betting odds, there is an 84 percent chance that Republicans will capture the House in November, a 77 percent chance that the GOP wins a Senate majority, and a 72 percent chance that Republicans end up controlling both. Generally speaking, I am not a big fan […] Read more »
Why aren’t Americans rallying around Biden during a war?
The Biden administration has earned broad praise for its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — at least before the president’s unscripted remark that Russian President Vladimir Putin should not remain in power. Conventional wisdom has long held that U.S. public opinion rallies around the flag and the president in […] Read more »
Near-even split in approval of President Biden’s handling of Ukraine
A new Marquette Law School Poll national survey finds 48% of adults saying they approve of the way President Joe Biden is handling the Russian invasion of Ukraine, while 51% disapprove. Approval of Biden’s overall job performance is 44%, with 55% disapproving. In January, Biden’s overall approval was 46%, with […] Read more »
Republican Voters Are Now America’s Foreign Policy Doves
On Wednesday, 15 Republican senators held a press conference to criticize President Biden for insufficient boldness in Ukraine. John Kennedy likened the president to “Bambi’s baby brother.” Ben Sasse accused the administration of treating the war like a “nerd-lawyer” dispute, not “a moral battle.” John Cornyn sternly declared, “The Biden […] Read more »