Inside Politics Speed Read: The Obama drag
The Obama drag: Republicans have a great advantage heading into the 2014 midterm elections, according to another poll. But this poll, conducted by the PEW Research Center and USA Today, suggests their advantage could be starker than it was even in 2010, when Republicans took control of the House of Representatives.
In a generic question about whether a voter supports the Democrat or the Republican in their own district, Republicans got 47% and Democrats got 43%. That’s a switch from October, when Democrats held an advantage in a PEW poll.
More troubling, perhaps, for Democrats is that President Obama is not a draw for their voters. Just 31% of Democrats think of their vote as “for” the President. Four years ago, 47% of Democrats felt that way.
Numbers like these could have implications for Democrats in 2014, for sure. But they could also influence how Democrats run for president. Sixty-five percent of the people in the poll said they hope the next president has policies that are not similar to Obama’s.
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Biden heckled on immigration: Happy Cinco de Mayo! Vice President Joe Biden was heckled over immigration in Miami this weekend. Twice. Both he and President Obama have Cinco de Mayo events in Washington today.
The heckler said, “Stop the deportations!” Biden said, “We’ll do that too, kid. But first let me finish my speech.”
Was that a moment of truth?
Prospects for an immigration reform bill have ranged from on life support to critical condition in recent weeks. If Congress fails to act, there has been speculation that Obama could work unilaterally within his authority as president to change policies.
Related: Dems to Obama: Stop Deportations
Paul’s Kentucky Derby date and his North Carolina gamble: Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul surprised many by bringing media baron Rupert Murdoch, who owns Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, as his date to the Kentucky Derby.
The two allowed New York Times access to their day. The resulting story is worth reading. But Paul’s courting of Murdoch and Murdoch’s willingness to be courted confounded the notion that Paul is a fringe Republican.
Paul will reaffirm is tea party support Monday, however, when he heads to North Carolina to lend support to a tea party-favored candidate there.
Related: GOP establishment looks nervously at North Carolina primary.
Christie’s punchline: Chris Christie joined a room full of Washington bigwigs and laughed at himself during the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday night. It’s the night when politicians and Hollywood comedians - this year Joel McHale of NBC’s “Community” and E!’s “The Soup” - roast politics. Christie found himself the main target of McHale’s sharp tongue. And he didn’t seem to take it personally. The two took a photo together later that night.
Related: Obama gets last laugh at White House Correspondents Dinner
Reading list:
Opinion by John Boehner on CNN: Don't repeat Iraq mistakes in Afghanistan
The Washington Post has an in-depth look at President Obama’s personal attachment to the climate change issue. He talks about it with his daughters, according to the story. His personal commitment to enact new regulations runs at crosscurrents with Democrats’ electoral priorities. Climate change will continue to be a key issue and will jump to the fore in June, when the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce new emissions regulations for power plants.
Business Insider: An anti-gay marriage candidate explains his past as a drag queen.
USA Today: Health care spending surges in the first quarter.
Sports Illustrated: Source: Craig Robinson fired by Oregon State
WSJ: GOP poised to control more state legislatures
Oh darn. Today is going to be the "anti-Obama" day on the ticker? But I thought the previous article stated most folks aren't concerned with Obama?
Gotta get the messaging right, CNN.
Or something.
The problem the GO has is that they have done nothing at the National level in the last 6 yrs... nothing but attempt to repeal their own health plan 55 times, downgraded the Federal Debt rating, and cost $24 Billion during the Govt shut down they caused. The problem isn't the message. The problem is the ignorance of their voter base. We all love less Govt and lower taxes. The GOP has historically provided neither. They are the ones who should be worried in Oct.
Here it comes... "I wasn't polled"... "No one in my family was polled"... "They only call landlines"...
Spin it any way you want but face the facts... IF these numbers hold up, it's going to make the 2010 shellacking look tame in comparison.
Oh how quickly do you forget about the government shutdown. Who do we hold responsible for that?
-no one called me, I tell you I shall vote direct democratic key, and Hillary16. Period. Don't believe these polls that Fox version.
@Fair is Fair
Here it comes... "I wasn't polled"... "No one in my family was polled"... "They only call landlines"...
Spin it any way you want but face the facts... IF these numbers hold up, it's going to make the 2010 shellacking look tame in comparison.
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I'm a liberal but also aware of statistics and polling. I have to agree with you on the "I wasn't called" nonsense. I hate it when people act stupid about polling. Naturally I hope liberals take this as a wake up call and get out to vote at the appropriate time!
Romney by a land slide says all the polls. It will be a historical landslide say all the pundits.
This is all part of the gop/tea bag strategy to make Dems lose hope and stay away from the polls.
IT ISN'T GOING TO WORK.
Limbaugh said he wants the President to fail. The gop named as their #1 goal to make President Obama a one-term president. The gop/tea bags shut down the government to the tune of $24 billion dollars. The gop/tea bags have tried to repeal Obamacare 55 times – even though it is based on THEIR OWN IDEA. The gop/tea bag continue to squawk about Benghazi – when NONE of them said a peep when U.S. diplomatic missions were attacked 13 TIMES during the GW years.
The gop/tea bags cheer when the economy slows – they threaten to withhold domestic aid after natural disasters – they ran on jobs, jobs, jobs and have done nothing, nothing, nothing. Their spokespeople equate waterboarding to baptism. They constantly criticize President Obama on the international stage, when during the GW years to do so, they accused the person of being a traitor and aiding the enemy.
Democrats – LISTEN UP! Get to the polls on November 4, 2014 and give the gop/tea bags the shellacking they deserve!
Fair is Fair
Here it comes... "I wasn't polled"... "No one in my family was polled"... "They only call landlines"...
Spin it any way you want but face the facts... IF these numbers hold up, it's going to make the 2010 shellacking look tame in comparison.
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Sorry Fair, as a liberal I believe in science, and so, unlike those who thought Romney would win because polls are inaccurate, I know what this poll means TODAY. It is an accurate snapshot of today only.
See, I think the trick is the GOP and the Right actually need to run on something. So far that has only been lies and complaints. If they let the Mourdocks, Akins and Bundys define their message, they'll fail, again. Meanwhile, they still have nothing to propose as policy.
The current projection of RealClearPolitics, a website that keeps track of polls, is that Republicans are likely to have 47 Senate seats, Democrats 45 seats, with 8 seats as toss-ups. Without the toss-ups, Democrats will get 51 seats (including independents who vote with Democrats), and Republicans will get 49.
The only power in this USA, is the Power of the Voting Booth. So If you really want REAL CHANGE Americans, use it!!! Now is your time to make a real difference, you want transparency and truthfulness in government take a good look at what we have NOW in government and WHAT we could have in government, use your constitutional right of the voting booth to make REAL CHANGE.
So these polls are some GOP master plan to keep voters from going to the polls? I didn`t know USA Today was in kahoots with GOP.
@ Dutch/Bad Newz, VA – Take Back the House
Oh how quickly do you forget about the government shutdown. Who do we hold responsible for that?
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You hold President Obama and Harry Reid responsible for that (period)
It's going to be 2016 when the GOP finally feels the pain of there own stupidity .
Young people don't vote midterms .
This country is on the verge of failure, and unless the voters wise up, and take corrective action.......that just might happen.