Inside Elections

2012 House Ratings (February 1, 2011)

February 1, 2011 · 11:18 AM EST

Forecasts of Obama Rebound a Bit Premature

by Stuart Rothenberg February 1, 2011 · 8:35 AM EST

President Barack Obama’s standing is too often being treated as the political equivalent of a bull market. His approval is rising. He is receiving praise for his rhetoric and strategic positioning. He has drawn kudos for personnel changes. Suddenly, we are told, his political future is bright.

2012 Senate Overview (January 28, 2011)

January 28, 2011 · 4:59 PM EST

Democrats lost six Senate seats last year -- and it could have been worse if tea party-backed candidates had not won contested Republican primaries in Delaware, Colorado and Nevada. The Senate race landscape starts off even more challenging for the DSCC this cycle, since Democrats now hold 23 of…

2012 Senate Ratings (January 28, 2011)

January 28, 2011 · 4:58 PM EST

Liberal Blog: We Poll, You Decide

by Nathan L. Gonzales January 28, 2011 · 9:30 AM EST

If you weren’t buried in the avalanche of polling last cycle, beware: More numbers are on the way.

Daily Kos, one of the country’s best-known liberal blogs, recently started its weekly State of the Nation poll measuring President Barack Obama’s job approval rating and other national…

So Far, Boehner Is an Able Adversary for Obama

by Stuart Rothenberg January 26, 2011 · 10:52 AM EST

If the producers of AMC’s popular “Mad Men” television series ever need someone to replace Jon Hamm, the actor who plays Don Draper, they need look no further than Speaker John Boehner.

The 11-term Ohio Republican, 61, is significantly older than Draper (Hamm is just short of his 40th…

Republican Owns Obama’s ‘Win the Future’

by Nathan L. Gonzales January 25, 2011 · 8:05 AM EST

President Barack Obama spent the weekend talking about the need to “win the future” in what sounds like the beginnings of a re-election slogan. But a conservative activist in Oregon owns the winthefuture websites, virtually ensuring that Republicans will define the catch phrase in their own way.

2012 House Overview (January 20, 2011)

January 20, 2011 · 2:33 PM EST

The outlook for the House in 2012 starts off looking particularly hazy, which isn’t unusual at the beginning of a redistricting cycle.

Republican gains of 63 House seats in last year’s historic “wave” election mean that the GOP won some districts it has no business representing. But since most…

2012 House Ratings (January 20, 2011)

January 20, 2011 · 2:32 PM EST

Redistricting Winner Is Still to Be Determined

by Stuart Rothenberg January 20, 2011 · 9:41 AM EST

Shortly after the 2010 census numbers were released, new Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel commented that the report “pours cold water on Republicans’ hype that redistricting is a disaster for Democrats.”

The New York lawmaker’s comment, I suppose, was a response…