President News & Analysis

Will Debt Dance Be a Disaster for Incumbents?

by Stuart Rothenberg August 3, 2011 · 11:04 AM EDT

Congress, we hear from voters of all stripes on television and in print, is a disaster, unable even to address important questions let alone find good answers. Even with the deal to raise the debt limit and avoid a default, voters surely will punish all incumbents next November, won’t…

In Debt Debacle, Someone Will Have to Blink

by Stuart Rothenberg July 29, 2011 · 9:34 AM EDT

After months of posturing, promising and threatening, the endgame on raising the debt ceiling and shrinking the deficit is approaching.

But after talking during the past few days with a variety of participants and observers, I can find no consensus on exactly what the final result will be.

Debt Ceiling Stalemate Not About Numbers

by Stuart Rothenberg July 15, 2011 · 11:08 AM EDT

There is an old joke, attributed to both Winston Churchill and George Bernard Shaw. It goes something like this:

Churchill: Madam, would you sleep with me for 5 million pounds?

Woman: My goodness, Mr. Churchill ... Well, I suppose ... we would have to discuss terms, of…

GOP Primary Features Two Two-Person Races

by Stuart Rothenberg July 13, 2011 · 10:39 AM EDT

While the Republican presidential race has only just begun, it’s already clear that two early one-on-one skirmishes will be crucial for the serious contenders.

The first battle, Iowa, is shaping up as a fight between former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Pawlenty has…

Ask a Bad Question, You’ll Get a Bad Answer

by Stuart Rothenberg July 8, 2011 · 1:58 PM EDT

I avoid back-and-forth public arguments, believing that after I’ve made my case readers can decide for themselves who and what they believe. But I’m making an exception with this follow-up column.

I recently challenged those who argue that unpopular Republican governors seriously damage the prospects of the eventual…

Are Obama’s Polls Worse Than Meet the Eye?

by Stuart Rothenberg July 6, 2011 · 10:16 AM EDT

On their face, President Barack Obama's poll numbers are mediocre but not terrible. His 46 percent job approval in the June 15-19 Pew Research Center survey is far better than President George W. Bush's worst Pew Research Center job numbers, for example.

In March of 2006, Bush's job…

Obama Visits Media Market He Shunned in 2008

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 30, 2011 · 9:47 AM EDT

With his trip to Davenport, Iowa, on Tuesday, President Barack Obama returns to a media market that he shunned in the 2008 presidential contest.

Even though Iowa is traditionally a swing state, the Obama campaign refused to air television ads in the general election in the Quad Cities…

The Politics of the Debt Ceiling Are Too Tempting

by Stuart Rothenberg June 29, 2011 · 1:01 PM EDT

With President Barack Obama’s job approval sliding, the stock market showing its nerves, the public increasingly pessimistic about a jobs rebound and signs of a slowing economy everywhere, the president looks to be increasingly in trouble.

Trying to take advantage of what they see as an opportunity, Congressional…

Who Lost the New Hampshire GOP Debate? Me

by Stuart Rothenberg June 24, 2011 · 9:38 AM EDT

While most of political America has by now offered their thoughts about who won the June 13 Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire, I’m quite certain about the loser: me.

That’s right, I’m the big loser because I spent two hours of my time — hours that I’ll…

Rick Perry: Republican Savior or GOP Disaster?

by Stuart Rothenberg June 22, 2011 · 11:22 AM EDT

The buzz about Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s possible entrance into the presidential race grows, but the Republican’s cheerleaders ought to tread carefully when it comes to a Perry candidacy — very carefully.

Perry, 61, surely would be a serious contender for the GOP nomination, at least initially. He…