Public Opinion Strategies

We at Public Opinion Strategies wanted to wrap up the election cycle with some last minute observations about what is happening in the political environment, and how it is affecting campaigns.
It’s been a wild cycle – starting with a Nobel Peace Prize and other unearned accolades for Barack Obama, a failed, jobless, wasteful spending stimulus [...] Read more

Back in June, the survey that Stan Greenberg and I conducted for NPR was huge news. Conducted in 60 Democrat-held and 10 Republican-held seats, it showed Republicans ahead by a 48%-39% count in the Tier 1 seats (30 most vulnerable) and up 47%-45% in the Tier 2 seats (next 30 seats).  It was the first [...] Read more

A recently conducted survey of Colorado voters conducted by the bi-partisan research team of Lori Weigel of Public Opinion Strategies (R) and David Metz of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (D) highlights two very different races at the “top of the ticket” in Colorado. The results of the survey show a dead heat for [...] Read more

Because it is the only message they have.   That doesn’t mean it will move voters.  But, blaming former President George W. Bush is one of the few areas where voters still give President Obama the benefit of the doubt, so Democrats will work with what they have. 
The problem Dems have is that Republicans are increasingly [...] Read more

The Democrats say they have settled on their message arc for the cycle, and it is clearly a bifurcated approach. Nationally, President Obama, the White House, and their water-carrying special interests are going to frame the election as a choice, not a referendum. In specific campaigns, Democratic candidates are going to run as a combination [...] Read more

Elsewheres on this blog, you’ve seen the posts regarding the NPR poll in 70 battleground districts which shows very good news for the Republican effort to take back the House in 2010.  The political environment in those key seats is excellent for Republicans, the enthusiasm gap is significantly in the GOP’s favor, and the basic [...] Read more

Analysts are pointing toward last night’s primary results (the defeat of Arlen Specter, Trey Grayson, and the run-off for Blanche Lincoln) as – when combined with Bob Bennett and Alan Mollohan’s defeats – proof of anti-incumbency and anti-Washington establishment. The top story in the New York Times today is titled “Specter Defeat Signals a Wave [...] Read more

By Bill McInturff and Nicole McCleskey
If some Democrats have lost sleep over the last week, it is with good reason.  Republicans are knocking on their doors, loud enough to cause some nightmares heading into 2010.
Voters waved good-bye to President Bush in January, and he is increasingly fading in the rear view mirror.  Democrats still like [...] Read more

By: Lisa Valentine
This article highlights key findings from a merge analysis conducted by Public Opinion Strategies of all interviews conducted by the firm on national surveys since 2004.  This merge analysis contains more than 100,000 interviews (and growing) and is a valuable tool for tracking demographic and attitudinal shifts over time.  [...] Read more

New national survey data released today by Public Opinion Strategies shows the country’s opinion of President Obama’s health care plan is virtually the same as that measured for President Clinton’s plan in 1994.
“This data is highly problematic for the President and clearly demonstrates the struggle President Obama faces as he tries to sell his health [...] Read more