April

It is by now axiomatic that Massachusetts voters were in revolt last week. But who, or what, were they rebelling against? Were they using their ballots to attack President Barack…

I’m frequently asked whether polls affect election outcomes. My typical response is, “Not really.” Writing Monday, before the Massachusetts outcome is known, I just may have found a race that…

Next week marks the first anniversary of Barack Obama’s accession to the presidency. All Americans can remain proud of electing a president whose father was a Kenyan immigrant – a…

One of the seemingly intractable problems in healthcare polling is deciphering exactly what voters are responding to when asked whether they favor or oppose “reform.” Most polls fail to divulge…

In the euphoria following victories in ’06 and ’08, Democrats’ concern about the G-d gap receded. Unfortunately, the gap itself has not. Despite our current economic crisis, cultural politics remains…

In September I noted that while support for the war in Afghanistan was flagging, President Barack Obama still had significant ambit for action with the American public. The president’s room…

Moderate and conservative Democrats may feel trapped in a political vise by the healthcare debate. Whatever their own views, the Republicans and conservatives who populate their states and districts are…

Back in July, I warned that some folks were attempting to misuse healthcare reform to restrict access to abortion. They have come a long way since then, endangering the vital…

Last week, I asserted that Tuesday’s election would tell us precious little we did not already know. That prediction proved mostly, though not completely, correct. We already knew that if…