Public trust in the government, already quite low, has edged even lower in a survey conducted just before the Oct. 16 agreement to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling. Just 19% say that they trust the government in Washington to do what is right just about always […] Read more »
Nashville focus group: A raw sense of betrayal
Could Americans really get any angrier at Washington? Even before the recent government shutdown, congressional approval hovered around 10 percent, a minority thought the country was on the right track, and a “throw the bums out” mentality was rampant. Railing against the toxic mess in D.C. has been a winning […] Read more »
Conservatives, Get a Grip on Reality!
Here’s a question for conservatives and Republicans: Going into the 2012 Election Day, or even in the last few days before Election Day, did you think Mitt Romney was going to win? A couple of months ago, did you think the strategy of threatening to shut down the government or […] Read more »
The American People: Winners or Losers or Both?
A number of our elected representatives have somberly proclaimed that there are no winners from the recent government shutdown and near-default. These utterances have not prevented pundits from weighing in with various lists of “winners” and “losers” anyway. In many instances, of course, it takes a significant period of time […] Read more »
The GOP’s Dixiecrat Problem
… The rise of the Dixiecrat Party, like that of the Tea Party sixty years later, was ostensibly the result of one faction within a political party coming to believe its policy interests had been neglected. But on a more fundamental level, it was the product of demographic changes in […] Read more »
For GOP, the Damage Is Undeniable
The deal to open the government and raise the debt ceiling may be done, but the damage to the national Republican Party is considerable. … The problem, of course, is that the Ted Cruz/Ted Yoho wing of the party doesn’t really believe in negotiation, which, at its core, requires compromise. […] Read more »