… While most of the debate nationally still revolves around why the economy remains so pathetic, there are several pivotal states — Ohio, Florida, Nevada, Virginia — where things are slowly turning around. In these states, the real issue may not be who deserves blame for economic ruin but rather […] Read more »
Luntz focus group: Obama, Romney both ‘flawed’
Pollster Frank Luntz has some good news for Republican challenger Mitt Romney: Voters don’t want to re-elect President Obama. The not-so-good news: They’re not crazy about Romney either. … Luntz — who conducted a focus group this week of 27 voters, 24 of whom backed Obama in 2008 — said […] Read more »
‘Are You Better Off?’ The Answer Is Less Clear Than It Was in 1980
When Ronald Reagan asked voters a week before the 1980 election whether they were better off than four years earlier, he turned a race that had been nip-and-tuck for months into a landslide victory — and showed how a pointed question can be a lethal political weapon. … But if […] Read more »
A Campaign in Need of a Clintonian Pivot
Democrats will have to win over swing voters and independents after their convention in Charlotte, N.C., this week if they hope to win in November. It’s these voters—not the dyed-in-the wool supporters assembled in Charlotte—who win elections. The party’s job won’t be easy. [cont.] Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen, Wall […] Read more »
Are You Better Off Without Dumb Campaign Questions?
“Are you better off than you were four years ago?” That’s the question Ronald Reagan famously used in 1980 to end Jimmy Carter’s hopes for a second term as U.S. president. And that’s the question Republicans Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan want on your mind this week as you watch […] Read more »
RNC boosts Romney among the GOP women
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney accomplished one big thing last week in Tampa: the Republican National Convention rallied a once-wary GOP base back to his candidacy. But the immediate effect on the broader electorate was negligible, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. [cont.] Jon Cohen and Scott Clement, […] Read more »