Washington Post columnist Henry Olsen (9/30/21) lauded Sen. Joe Manchin’s opposition to the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package being considered by Congress, because Manchin “correctly reads public opinion.” That opinion, Olsen asserted, does not support the “radical change” that the reconciliation package, known as the Build Back Better bill, entails. His […] Read more »
Fake Polls and Tabloid Coverage on Demand: The Dark Side of Sebastian Kurz
It seemed like a miracle. For years, Austria’s conservative party had languished far behind its rivals. Then in May 2017, the polls spectacularly reversed, giving the conservatives newfound credibility that helped them convince voters that they had a real chance of winning. Five months later, in elections, they did. … […] Read more »
Time for Biden to get out of the Build Back Better bubble
… Biden’s problem seems to be his determination to create a transformational legacy for himself and his administration at any cost — and by enthusiastically embracing progressivism over moderation to do so. He seems to operate in a bubble these days, unaware of the political realities swirling around him, listening […] Read more »
Understanding Democrats’ present and past in polling
… The single most politically potent economic indicator is not unemployment, inflation, or the deficit, but rather change in per-capita real disposable income, a less heralded statistic that measures the average amount of inflation-adjusted money individuals have left after paying taxes. Capturing the impact of unemployment, inflation, salaries and government […] Read more »
Biden’s approval rating has fallen. Pollsters say there’s one way to bounce back.
The honeymoon is over. And the fading Republican support was inevitable. But Democrats are alarmed by President Joe Biden’s decline in job approval among groups central to his base — most notably Black voters, Hispanics and women. Despite the slip in his job approval, Biden’s economic agenda remains popular in […] Read more »
‘The president’s decline is alarming’: Biden trapped in coronavirus malaise
In a focus group last week, Pennsylvania Democrats one after another articulated the issue vexing top White House aides, party operatives in Virginia and voters in Georgia: Why isn’t President Joe Biden’s diminished job rating rebounding? All nine participants from Tuesday’s session gave Biden C- grades or lower. And their […] Read more »