A second term Democratic president, battling back against series of controversies. Sound familiar? President Barack Obama is facing a political situation not altogether unlike what the last Democrat in the White House, Bill Clinton, experienced during his second term. [cont.] Paul Steinhauser, CNN See also: Obama ratings | Clinton ratings Read more »
Here’s why the ‘scandals’ aren’t affecting Obama’s poll numbers
… The public is simply separating the scandals from Obama. They’re upset about the IRS, Benghazi, and DoJ stories. But most think the president has been truthful. Most think the IRS acted on its own. And the dissenters disapproved of Obama before the scandals, too. The public’s reaction to the […] Read more »
Is There Really A Second-Term Curse?
The phrase “second term curse” is so familiar that it’s become a cliche of American politics. Whether it’s President Richard Nixon’s resignation or President Bill Clinton’s impeachment, presidents tend to have a tough time during the back half of an eight-year presidency. Nothing on President Obama’s plate comes close to […] Read more »
Reform After the IRS Scandal? Don’t Bet on It.
… In survey questions that Conor Dowling and I fielded in 2012 via the CCES and the CCAP as part of work on a forthcoming book, we asked respondents a series of questions designed to assess their knowledge of the legality of various activities during presidential elections. … Our findings are […] Read more »
CNN Poll: Controversies hurting Obama? Has GOP overreacted?
President Barack Obama comes out of what was arguably the worst week of his presidency with his approval rating holding steady, according to a new national poll. But a CNN/ORC International survey released Sunday morning also indicates that congressional Republicans are not overplaying their hand when it comes to their […] Read more »
Can Obama bridge the divide between the two Americas?
… While there has been some cross-party agreement over the past week — particularly on the IRS where many Democratic members of Congress have voiced their concern with how the agency acted — the general rule of Washington still held: How you think about things depends almost entirely on the […] Read more »