In the key battleground states that will decide control of the Senate this November, President Obama’s approval numbers are lower than they are nationally — but not much lower. That’s the key finding in a new poll, conducted by Democrat Stan Greenberg of Democracy Corps and Republican Whit Ayres of […] Read more »
Iraq in the Context of Past Polling
As Islamic militants take control of wide swaths of Iraq, including the country’s second-largest city of Mosul, the Obama administration is facing substantial criticism with regard to its 2011 decision to withdraw all American troops from Iraq. … Gallup is currently collecting new information on the American public’s opinion on […] Read more »
In No Mood for Trophies
With the midterm elections less than six months away, it’s a good time to take stock of things and even venture a few assumptions. But first, we need to acknowledge that when we talk about public attitudes, we are talking about human behavior and unexpected national events, which can cause […] Read more »
Overreacting to polls is folly
There’s an unfortunate pattern when it comes to the political world’s erratic fascination with polls. The pattern looks like this: if survey results offer bad news for President Obama, they’re extremely important. If the numbers look good for the White House, they’re meaningless. Not quite two weeks ago, for example, […] Read more »
Obama’s Poll Pain May Not Be GOP’s Gain
Reading polls can be a complicated business. Consider the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News survey. By most measures it is a very bad poll for President Barack Obama in particular and for Democrats, as a group, more broadly. It doesn’t look like a good 2014 is on tap for them. […] Read more »
Congress’s Low Approval Rating Is Hurting Republicans
President Obama’s approval rating is stuck in the low 40s. That’s as low — if not lower — than it was four years ago, when Democrats sustained massive midterm losses. Republicans have a good chance to take the Senate and are very likely to keep control of the House, but […] Read more »