President Obama’s approval rating just hit 50 percent for the first time since the spring of 2013. That’s the biggest — and most surprising — takeaway from a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. … The gains are pretty even across the board, but the biggest are among Democrats (10 points), […] Read more »
Rising economy boosts Obama’s standing on eve of the State of the Union
President Obama will deliver his State of the Union address Tuesday enjoying rising approval ratings that have been strengthened by rapidly improving perceptions of the economy and increased optimism about the overall direction of the country, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. … Obama enjoys other advantages as […] Read more »
Mood on Economy Up, Race Relations Sharply Down
Americans’ views about the economy, their overall quality of life and the opportunity to get ahead through hard work are more positive than they were before the 2014 State of the Union Address — echoing their improving economic confidence. At the same time, Americans are markedly less satisfied with the […] Read more »
U.S. consumer sentiment at highest in 11 years
U.S. consumer sentiment rose in January to its highest in more than a decade on gains in jobs and wages and on lower gasoline prices, a survey released on Friday showed. The University of Michigan’s preliminary reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment for this month came in at […] Read more »
The Democrats’ Turn: First Steps on the Road Back
The 2014 election was a devastating defeat for the Democratic Party, with consequences that may be felt for many years to come. Even so, we wrote in the aftermath of the 2014 election, “Despite the deep losses of 2014, the partisan predispositions of the Democratic coalition remain very much intact. […] Read more »
Will Democrats’ New Economic Message Work?
Many Democrats blame their terrible showing at the ballot box in 2014 on a lack of a clear and compelling economic message. … In response, Democrats like Chris Van Hollen and Elizabeth Warren have offered up economic agendas that rely on a robust government intervention to help narrow the income […] Read more »