A fresh blast of public discontent reshaped American politics yet again in the 2014 midterm elections, handing the Republican Party control of the Senate and its largest house majority in 86 years. Its source: Seemingly unending economic woe – and the political discord it fuels. CONT. Gary Langer, ABC News Read more »
Obama’s Low Approval Rating Casts Shadow Over Democratic Races
… This year many Democratic candidates find their future is in somebody else’s hands — namely Barack Obama’s. Handicapper Nathan Gonzales of the Rothenberg Political Report says Obama’s sagging popularity is casting a long shadow over his fellow Democrats. “If the president’s job approval rating was 5 or 10 points […] Read more »
An election about rejection
… Crosscurrents of dissatisfaction, from distrust of politicians to worries about family finances to fears of foreign threats, can be found everywhere in the closing days of Campaign 2014. … The national environment has been shaped by dissatisfaction with President Obama as much as any other single factor. But there […] Read more »
Both Parties See Campaign Tilting to Republicans
Republicans entered the final weekend before the midterm elections clearly holding the better hand to control the Senate and poised to add to their House majority. But a decidedly sour electorate and a sizable number of undecided voters added a measure of suspense. CONT. Jonathan Martin, New York Times Read more »
FiveThirtyEight’s Gubernatorial Forecasts: A Lot Of Really Close Races
Most of our focus this year has been on the battle for the U.S. Senate. But 36 states will hold gubernatorial elections Tuesday. We hope it’s not too late to give you some polling-based forecasts of how they might turn out. CONT. Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight Read more »
Voters Expect Republican Wins, in Kansas and Elsewhere
Polls typically ask people which candidate they want to win. But some researchers have come to believe that another question — which candidate they expect to win — produces more meaningful results. When people are asked about their expectations, some may actually give more honest answers about their own voting […] Read more »