The killing of nine black churchgoers by a white gunman, Dylann Roof, in Charleston, S.C., sparked a nationwide debate over the Confederate battle emblem. … Drawing on rare survey data on this subject, we can shed light on this question. We find that white Southerners who support the Confederate flag […] Read more »
Obama’s approval rating grows following memorable week
Could Barack Obama’s great week mark a turning point in his poll numbers? After months of stagnant approval ratings, a new CNN/ORC poll finds that for the first time in more than two years, 50% of Americans approve of the way Obama is handling the presidency. CONT. Jennifer Agiesta, CNN […] Read more »
Does Scott Walker Have What It Takes to Win in 2016?
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is widely viewed as a top-tier hopeful for the GOP presidential nomination. But it’s less clear he has the right profile to knock off the likely Democratic nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Walker’s strength in the nomination race comes from his positioning in […] Read more »
Dixie’s Long Journey From Democratic Stronghold To Republican Redoubt
The tragic events in Charleston this month have released years of racial and political tension in the South, and the pressure is being felt by Republican officeholders across the region. Why the Republicans? Because it is increasingly difficult to find officeholders in the region who are not Republicans. CONT. Ron […] Read more »
Can Hillary Clinton step forward on race without leaving white voters behind?
… Clinton 2008 may have been leery of speaking overtly about gender, race or even the historic nature of her own campaign. But Clinton 2016 plans to put race and other issues of inequality front and center. … So for candidate Clinton circa 2016, the question becomes just how far […] Read more »
Most Americans Believe Protests Make the Country Better
With the Fourth of July fast approaching, the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute released new data on American perspectives on what makes someone truly American and what makes the U.S. unique in the world. The survey found that a majority (63 percent) of Americans believe that protests challenging unfair treatment […] Read more »