Demagogues often prosper under the rules of democracy, intimidating the moderate and preying on the weak-minded. But in a healthy society, such figures cannot cross a final threshold of decency without jeopardizing their own status -- and today's right-wing nihilists seem to be on the verge of doing just that.
Back in 1980, the Washington Post ’s David S. Broder wrote a notable book, The Changing of the Guard , about the generational turnover of national and state leadership occurring at that time. It’s happening all over again. We’ll see dozens of congressional seats switching hands and sides in November, but the greatest transformation will be in the statehouses.
Longtime incumbent John McCain now leads conservative challenger J.D. Hayworth by just seven points in Arizona’s hotly contested Republican Senate Primary race.
Surprise, surprise. Sen. Chris Dodd's financial-regulation proposal raises the possibility of substantial progress on the road to ending "too big to fail" and bailout nation for banks and other financial institutions.
Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold continues to lead his two announced Republican opponents in Wisconsin’s race for the U.S. Senate, and his hypothetical match-up with former Republican Governor Tommy Thompson is now a toss-up.
The federal government has launched its multi-million dollar effort to count the population of the United States, but just 25% of Americans think the final Census numbers accurately reflect the nation’s population.
Israel’s insistence on building new settlements in disputed Palestinian territory has heightened tensions with the United States. Forty-nine percent (49%) of U.S. voters think Israel should be required to stop those settlements as part of a peace deal with the Palestinians.
The president and the Democratic congressional leadership are fighting furiously to pass, with no Republican votes, the ever-less-popular health bill. An Associated Press poll last week shows that four in five Americans don't want the Democrats to pass a health care bill without bipartisan support, while almost all polls are showing support for the current bill to be at only 25 percent to 35 percent. And all polls show high negative intensity.
Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Meg Whitman are still tied in their race to be the next governor of California.
In addition to promising an end to Republicans’ out-of-control spending, Democrats vowed to “drain the swamp” of corruption in Washington D.C. prior to winning their Congressional majorities in 2006. Of course that was just an entrée for the real “hope and change” to come, as Barack Obama stormed to victory in the presidential election two years later promising to “change Washington” – and cut taxes for a majority of Americans.
The majority of U.S. voters continue to believe global warming is a serious problem, but the number who considers it very serious is at its lowest level in over a year.
For the second straight week, just 25% of U.S. voters say the country is heading in the right direction, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
It was 30 years ago that we first put national health insurance in the Democratic Party platform. I was working for Ted Kennedy then. We had lost the nomination to Jimmy Carter, but both sides were still fighting. Whatever we were for, President Carter and his team were against. And we were very much for health care.
A pint of stout or a glass of Irish whiskey are synonymous in many minds with St. Patrick's Day. But as people worldwide prepare to celebrate the Irish holiday, it's perhaps reassuring to note that only one-out-of-five Americans (20%) plan to toast the day with a drink.
Republican candidates have now stretched their lead over Democrats to 10 points in the Generic Congressional Ballot, their biggest lead ever in nearly three years of weekly tracking. The GOP has been leading on the ballot for months.
Americans are split when it comes to how the recession has impacted their retirement savings strategy. A COUNTRY Financial survey reveals that while 48 percent have decreased the amount of money they are putting away for their golden years, an equal number have either increased (12 percent) or maintained their level of savings (35 percent).
Support for Senator Arlen Specter has fallen below 50% this month in Pennsylvania’s Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate, but he still holds an 11-point lead over Congressman Joe Sestak.
Forty-four percent (44%) of Americans now say they are less likely to buy a Toyota because of the automaker’s recent large safety recalls.
As a candidate for president, Sen. Barack Obama rejected "the politics of fear." Well, he won. So now he's playing the fear card to the hilt.
Incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer is now in a virtual dead heat with former Congressman Tom Campbell in California’s U.S. Senate race.
