Year: 2015
Walker Doesn’t Know If Obama Loves America
I’ve never asked the President so I don’t really know what his opinions are on that one way or another.”
— Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, sought to stay out of the uproar over former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s comments about President Barack Obama and love of country, saying those two could speak for themselves.
Kristol: GOP Could Be Sleepwalking Toward Defeat
It’s of course very early in the 2016 cycle. But it’s never too early for some healthy alarm. Are we the only ones who are struck that many of the leading Republican candidates, whether moderate or conservative, seem to be planning stale and tired campaigns? Hillary will herself, it’s safe to predict, run a stale campaign with tired themes. But the polls suggest she would prevail in a conventional matchup of boring campaigns. We’re all free to ignore the fire bell in the night, and hope for the best. But it would be a shame to have to explain in November 2016 how the Republican party decided to sleepwalk to defeat.
— Bill Kristol, writing in the Weekly Standard.
Majority in New Hampshire Say Scott Is Qualified to Be President
85%
Of New Hampshire Republicans and independents likely to vote in next year’s GOP presidential primary say it doesn’t matter that Gov. Scott Walker (R) didn’t graduate college, and that he’s qualified to be the next president, according to a new NH1 News Poll.
Clinton Foundation Becomes an Issue
As Mrs. Clinton prepares to embark on a race for the presidency, she has a web of connections to big corporations unique in American politics—ties forged both as secretary of state and by her family’s charitable interests. Those relationships are emerging as an issue for Mrs. Clinton’s expected presidential campaign as income disparity and other populist themes gain early attention.
— Wall Street Journal
Democrats More United on Issues Than Republicans
One of the biggest assets for Democrats – especially for Hillary Clinton – going into this next election is the fact that they are much more ideologically united than the GOP. From social issues to economic ones, the overwhelming majority of Democrats are on the same page. This, of course, leaves little room for a primary challenger to Hillary Clinton to expose a gap or drive a wedge. … Not so much for Republicans who are divided on almost everything other than foreign policy and a desire to repeal Obamacare. This is will not only make it difficult for a Republican to become a ‘consensus’ candidate in the primary, but could make it difficult to unite the party post-primary as well.
— Amy Walter, writing in the Cook Political Report.
Why Bush Might Not Be GOP’s Best Choice Against Clinton
In a general election, nominating Bush would neutralize one of Hillary Clinton’s biggest liabilities (the idea that she, too, is a figure from the past trying to ride her last name to power). Instead of having the clear contrast that would be possible if Republicans were to name a fresh candidate, the 2016 election would devolve into a proxy battle over whether Americans want to restore the Bush or Clinton presidencies. Whether the GOP likes it or not, that isn’t a matchup that favors Republicans.
— Philip Klein, writing in the Washington Examiner.
Cuomo Admits LaGuardia Airport Is Like a Third World Country
Vice President Biden, in a very candid moment, which he enjoys, flew into LaGuardia and said, ‘You fly into LaGuardia, and you think you’re flying into a Third World country.’ Now, that was a slight overstatement, slightly insensitive, slightly insulting. But, basically true.
— New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), quoted by the New York Observer.
Obama’s Job Approval Surges in California As Optimism Rises among Democrats
A Field Poll of California voters out this week [PDF] found Pres. Obama’s job approval rating has rebounded in the state to 57 percent — up 12 percentage points from five months ago when his approval rating was 45 percent.
By party affiliation, the president’s job approval rating was 84 percent among Democrats, 54 percent among independents and 18 percent among Republicans. Overall, just 36 percent said they disapproved of the president’s job performance.
Analysis by Field pollsters suggests that approval of the president’s handling of the economy and optimism about the overall direction of the country among California Democrats is behind the surge in Obama’s polling:
