Even though I have lived in Washington for almost 25 years, I like to think of myself as only slightly cynical. I don’t hate politics or politicians. I think our electoral system, while imperfect, is still pretty good. I think voters are smarter than we give them credit for. However, […] Read more »
What’s changed in the Republican party in the last 9 days. And what hasn’t.
It’s been nine days since Eric Cantor’s primary defeat stunned the political world and set off not only a race to replace him in Republican leadership but a deeper examination of where the party is and where it’s going. With the party choosing new(ish) leaders in Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) as […] Read more »
Tea Party Stands Alone on Key Issues
As House Republicans pick new leaders in the wake of Eric Cantor’s stunning primary defeat last week, our new NBC/WSJ poll finds that the Tea Party is in a VERY different place on key issues — than both non-Tea Party Republicans and the general population. It’s a stunning contrast. … […] Read more »
NBC/WSJ Poll: Obama’s Foreign Policy Rating Plummets, Even Without Iraq
The percentage of Americans approving of President Barack Obama’s handling of foreign policy issues has dropped to the lowest level of his presidency as he faces multiple overseas challenges, including in Iraq, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. Additionally, the public is evenly split on whether Obama […] Read more »
Recipe for Paralysis
… The ironies of recent days are many. If someone had previously suggested that, one way or another, one of the top four Republicans in the House would be toppled, who would have guessed it would be Cantor, the most conservative of the four? And that he would be defeated […] Read more »
Understanding the Obama-era Republican Party
… I’ve spent the last few weeks in conversations with a wide variety of Republican strategists aimed at understanding the various factions within the GOP as well as how the party got to where it is — and, even more importantly, where it’s heading. At the center of every one […] Read more »