The fact that Chris Christie rolled to a second term in New Jersey and Terry McAuliffe won in Virginia wasn’t a surprise. Public opinion polls have consistently shown both men in the lead. But the exit polls showed two very different paths to victory. Christie steamrolled hapless Democratic nominee Barbara […] Read more »
Exit Poll Results Tell a Tale of Two Republicans
Broad personal and professional appeal lifted Chris Christie to easy re-election in New Jersey, yet without the clear home state endorsement for the presidency he might have wanted. His fellow Republican, Ken Cuccinelli, lost a far closer contest in Virginia, done in by a mismatch on ideology in general and […] Read more »
Unmarried Women Overwhelmingly Support Terry McAuliffe in Virginia Governor’s Race
By a landslide 42 points, unmarried women favored Democrat Terry McAuliffe over his Republican challenger in the Virginia governor’s race, exit polling shows. 67 percent of unmarried women (single, divorced, widowed, or separated) voted for McAuliffe as compared to just 25 percent for Cuccinelli. … Pollster Stan Greenberg of Democracy […] Read more »
HealthCare.gov doesn’t help Obama’s argument for greater government
… Administration officials insist that the health-care law is sound, even if the Web site has proved a nightmare to navigate. But the questions raised by the botched rollout go beyond whether the Web site Obama touted so positively is merely plagued with technological glitches or is flawed in more […] Read more »
Holy Grail of Voters
After covering eight presidential and seven midterm election campaigns, I still manage to learn new things or come to view things differently. For many years, I have been fixated on independent voters as the political equivalent of the holy grail. But now I believe voters who describe themselves as moderates […] Read more »
The 2012 Election: What Happened, What Changed, What it Means
In the fall of 2011, Barack Obama’s prospects for reelection did not appear bright. After the failure of his “grand bargain” talks with House Speaker John Boehner, his approval rating plunged to a new low. Economic growth was mediocre, unemployment remained stubbornly high, and the public’s confidence in the future […] Read more »