Four in 10 Americans rate Mitt Romney’s selection of Rep. Paul Ryan to be his running mate as either “excellent” or “pretty good,” while 42% call the choice “only fair” or “poor.” This even division is among the least positive reactions to a vice presidential choice Gallup has recorded in […] Read more »
The 2012 Presidential Election: Referendum or Choice?
The economic and political environment of the 2012 campaign has forced Barack Obama to wage two campaigns – one campaign against Mitt Romney and one campaign against a bad economy, driven by his own failed economic policies. In 2008, Barack Obama won with an aspirational campaign, promising hope for all, […] Read more »
Polls Have Middling Reviews for Ryan
… However, a few polls were released that were dedicated to Mr. Ryan specifically, and they offered mediocre numbers for the Republican ticket. … First, Mr. Ryan’s numbers are middling to poor by the standard of other recent vice-presidential selections. And second, the period immediately after a vice-presidential announcement has […] Read more »
Handicapping the Presidential Race: Watch the Samples and Weighting
It’s time for another caution about polls and what they mean. The most recent set of six CBS News/New York Times state polls conducted by Quinnipiac University and the latest Fox News national poll should remind us how important each survey’s sample is in understanding the ballot test. [cont.] Stuart […] Read more »
Medicare Rises as Prime Election Issue
With Mitt Romney’s selection of Representative Paul D. Ryan as his running mate, Florida quickly emerged on Monday as a critical test of the nationwide Republican gamble that concerns over the mounting federal debt can blunt potent Democratic attacks on conservative proposals to revamp Medicare. … Andrew Kohut, the director […] Read more »
Why Mitt Romney ignored his own pollster to pick Paul Ryan
… Ryan’s selection is revealing: the signal Romney is giving with this pick is that he wants to do more than just win the election; he has chosen to pitch a conservative vision for the US. Whether or not that plan will sell with the American public is to be determined. […] Read more »