The frustration that voters are expressing in 2010 goes much deeper than specific policies. At a more fundamental level, voters just don’t believe politicians are interested in the opinions of ordinary Americans.
When the pollster calls and asks whether I think the country is going in the right direction, I will say "no." When she asks if I approve of the job Congress is doing, I will say "no." And when she follows up with a question on President Obama's performance, I will answer: "Sometimes good, sometimes bad. The guy drives me nuts at times."
The headline for the latest poll says that public confidence in President Obama has sunk to a new low, with a majority of Americans saying they don't trust him to make the best policy choices, especially on the ailing economy. These same voters, surveyed by The Washington Post and ABC News, are even more disdainful of Congress, split almost evenly between Democrats and Republicans. Those numbers may portend a shift in partisan control of the House and a loss of Democratic seats in the Senate if citizens express their anger by punishing incumbents.
Republican incumbent Rick Perry holds a modest lead over Democratic challenger Bill White again this month in his bid for a third term as governor of Texas.
Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold and his chief Republican challenger Ron Johnson remain locked in a neck-and-neck battle for the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin.
Boosted by major endorsements this week, ex-Congressman Nathan Deal and former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel are tied for the lead in the state’s Republican Primary contest for governor. Both, however, are far short of the number of votes needed to avoid a runoff.
When Julia Gillard, 48, orchestrated the ouster of Labor Party Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, whom she replaced, she made history as Australia's first female prime minister. But Gillard is much more than that. Gillard is the rare national leader of a modern country -- in fact, I cannot think of another, male or female -- who is not married and has never been married. Moreover, Gillard has not been a parent, and she's an atheist.
The Missouri Senate race has squeezed to a near tie but remains largely the same way it’s been for months with Republican Roy Blunt barely ahead of Democrat Robin Carnahan.
Democratic hopeful Paul Hodes has lost ground this month with all four Republican candidates now leading him in the race for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire.
Like Americans across the country, voters in Illinois aren’t too optimistic about economic conditions in the United States.
Washington Post political columnist Dana Milbank recently wrote a column about Arizona’s response to illegal immigration and called it a “pariah state.” However, voters nationwide are far more worried about the nation’s Political Class than about Arizona’s response to illegal immigration.
Abraham Lincoln: "I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence." Lincoln address in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Feb. 22, 1861:
With Senate Judiciary Committee approval expected next week, voters are now slightly more supportive of Elena Kagan’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court and have their most favorable opinion of her since her nomination in early May by President Obama.
The likely (and much deserved) confirmation of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the United States Supreme Court creates an opening for one of the "Top 4" positions in the Justice Department. While there are many qualified candidates, the fact is that Kagan was the only woman in the top ranks at Justice. Even below that, men substantially outnumber women.
Thirty-one percent (31%) of Likely Voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey taken the week ending Sunday, July 11.
Republican Brian Sandoval continues to hold a lead of more than 20 points over Democrat Rory Reid in Nevada’s race for governor.
Incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer continues to hold a modest lead on her Republican challenger Carly Fiorina in California’s white hot race for the U.S. Senate.
Just over half of Americans communicate via e-mail daily, but if they were charged even a small amount for each one sent, the number of e-mail users drops dramatically.
Just 27% of Likely Voters in Florida say the $787 billion dollar economic stimulus plan enacted by Congress and President Obama last year helped the economy.
Roughly half of American Adults think postage stamps cost too much, and they're willing to sacrifice a day of delivery to keep the cost of stamps down.
