Wherever John McCain appears on the stump in these waning days of the presidential campaign, he is always accompanied by his imaginary friend "Joe the Plumber," but it is the specter of Karl Marx that lurks just offstage.
Back in 2002 and 2004, the Crystal Ball brought misery to Democrats and joy to Republicans, as we projected the solid GOP victories that occurred in those years. The cycle of politics is not to be denied, and so in 2006 and now in 2008, there is a role reversal.
As the election enters its last two weeks, social populism wars with economic populism to become the major outlet for American anger and angst and to satisfy the demand for change. In his book The Populist Persuasion, Michael Kazin articulates the difference between these two types of populism: economic and social.
Madonna’s certainly no stranger to media coverage. Her highly publicized split with husband Guy Ritchie is the hottest show biz gossip going.
Fifty-eight percent (58%) of U.S. voters say more tax cuts will better stimulate the economy than new government spending, even as Congress considers a second stimulus plan that could cost as much as $300 billion.
Losing a presidential race is not an easy thing. Losing the primary is one thing. But making it to the finals, so close you can almost taste it, and then watching it slip through your fingers is one of those experiences from which few people ever fully recover.
The mounting economic crisis is eroding Americans' optimism in their financial security. The COUNTRY Financial Security Index(SM) slid 1.1 points to 68.8 in October, fueled by dramatic declines among men, pre-retirees and high income individuals.
Forty-one percent (41%) of Americans think the federal government should provide tax incentives for anyone who buys a car from a U.S. auto company, as two of the Big Three automakers talk merger to survive in the current economic climate.
John Kerry the next secretary of State? Republican Senator Chuck Hagel at the Pentagon? Al Gore as Energy secretary? These names and others are in the air as media speculation runs wild on the bipartisan “star” Cabinet Barack Obama has in mind if elected president. But some of these names might cost Obama votes in the key states he needs on Election Day, so Cabinet announcements will come after the votes are cast.
Once again in Ohio, the presidential polls are tied and its 20 electoral votes up for grabs. Such scenarios generally don't lend themselves to gentle politics.
In an age of craven politics, John McCain is not afraid to swim against the tide. When Americans soured on the Iraq War and had begun telling pollsters they wanted out, McCain pushed for a surge of U.S. troops in Iraq. Today, casualties are down dramatically and Iraqi troops are defending Iraqis.
Forty-five percent (45%) of voters say the liberal activist group ACORN is trying to register voters illegally, but they’re divided over whether Barack Obama has ties to the group, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
John McCain now says it's socialism, but Barack Obama insists, "When you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."
Like all polling firms, Rasmussen Reports weights its data to reflect the population at large. Among other targets, Rasmussen Reports weights data by political party affiliation using a dynamic weighting process
Will he or won’t he? Will moderate Republican Colin Powell, the first African-American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of State, endorse Democrat Barack Obama, the first black presidential candidate of a major U.S. political party?
Can Joe Wurzelbacher, Joe the Plumber from Ohio, change the course of this campaign? That’s one question that was raised at the third presidential debate.
Is Sarah Palin ready to be president? I haven't seen enough of the GOP vice presidential candidate to get a handle on the answer to that question. I know that she wants to finish the job in Iraq.
While voters seem a bit more optimistic this week about the economy, the tide is still rolling strongly in the direction of big Democratic gains on Election Day.
Barack Obama scored a hat trick in the presidential debates: A plurality of voters said he won all three, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
The short term impact of the third debate will be to help Barack Obama. But the long term implications may give John McCain a needed boost. Obama looked good, but McCain opened the tax-and-spend issue in a way that might prevail.
