In the wake of the first 2012 presidential debate, as former governor Mitt Romney gained ground in swing-state and especially national polls, a narrative took hold about the importance of the auto bailout. The Buckeye State was likely to decide the election, President Obama was over-performing in Ohio relative the […] Read more »
Obama approval rises postelection, most expect 2nd term economic improvement
A month after the bitterly fought election, President Barack Obama has his highest approval ratings since the killing of Osama bin Laden, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll, and more Americans say the nation is heading in the right direction now than at any time since the start of his […] Read more »
Though More Optimistic, Americans Are Still Sharply Divided
After a campaign season of unprecedented expense and duration, taming the federal deficit and avoiding the fiscal cliff top the public’s To Do list for President Obama and Congress, the latest Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll has found. But in contrast to Washington’s nearly exclusive focus on the budgetary standoff, […] Read more »
Economic Confidence in November Best in Four Years
Americans’ economic confidence was better in November than in any month since Gallup began tracking confidence daily in January 2008. The -13 Economic Confidence Index score surpasses the previous bests of -17 from October and May of this year. The index, which began at -32 in January 2008 as the […] Read more »
Approaching the cliff
Voters often approach policy issues from a very different angle than do Washington elites. So it is with the fiscal cliff. Everyone thinks the debt and deficit are serious. Everyone thinks the problem should be fixed. The differences emerge on the “how.” While Washington fixates on which programs to cut […] Read more »
Results don’t jibe with economics
… There has always been a strong linkage between economics and politics. “Up” cycles helped incumbents. “Down” cycles hurt them. But in 2012 we saw most all incumbents returned, despite the plunge. Even now, as the politicians fiddle toward non-resolution of the so-called fiscal cliff, thereby threatening deepened recession, the […] Read more »