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 »
Cruz Immigration Crusade Has Republicans Fretting Over Backlash
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas wants to clamp down on illegal immigration, saying it’s a winning issue with many voters. Some of his fellow Republicans fret that the party could end up losing big in Cruz’s home state. CONT. Heidi Przybyla, Bloomberg Read more »
Americans’ view of the economy most positive in eight years
Americans’ views of the national economy are now the most positive they’ve been in almost eight years. Fifty-three percent say the economy is in very good or fairly good shape — an increase of 13 points since October and the highest percentage since September 2007, before the start of the […] Read more »
Mentions of Jobs as Top U.S. Problem at Six-Year Low
In January, 7% of Americans name unemployment or jobs as the most important problem facing the country. Although this figure is similar to the 8% who cited unemployment or jobs in December 2014, it is the lowest percentage mentioning the issue since October 2008. Mentions of unemployment and jobs are […] Read more »
Can Jeb Bush Defy the Tea Party and Win?
Can Jeb Bush win the Republican presidential nomination while defying the most ideologically committed wing of his party? Bill Clinton did this successfully in 1992, when he staked out conservative stands opposed by the liberal wing of his party — the so-called Sister Souljah strategy, designed to distance himself from […] Read more »