President News & Analysis

Barack Obama’s Sad Sausage-Making Foreign Policy

by Stuart Rothenberg September 12, 2013 · 9:21 AM EDT

They say that the process of making sausage isn’t pretty, but all that matters is how it tastes. And often, that applies to politics, as well.

The political process can be messy, with bad decisions along the way, but if the outcome is popular, the process doesn’t matter…

The Biggest Mistake of Obama’s Presidency?

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 10, 2013 · 10:01 AM EDT

President Barack Obama could have saved himself a lot of headaches, and potentially his presidential legacy, if he had done one thing: cultivated a relationship with Congress.

It doesn’t have anything to do with courting GOP leadership or caving to tea party conservatives. Multiple congressional Democrats believe the…

Obama’s Muddled Syria Politics

by Stuart Rothenberg September 4, 2013 · 2:04 PM EDT

President Barack Obama’s jaw-dropping decision over the holiday weekend to ask Congress for authorization to strike Syria was initially seen by some as a savvy political move, because it gives him political cover and puts Republicans in the hot seat.

But if it gives the president some short-term…

10 Things Losing Candidates Say

by Nathan L. Gonzales August 28, 2013 · 9:52 AM EDT

It’s August of an odd-numbered year, but the 2014 cycle is heating up. That means dozens of candidates are visiting us at The Rothenberg Political Report in anticipation of the midterm elections.

Some of them will win, but most will lose. So we’ve started taking notes on some…

Democrats Rally Against Bill Clinton’s Record

by Nathan L. Gonzales July 5, 2013 · 9:30 AM EDT

What do you call a politician who supports the Defense of Marriage Act and a balanced federal budget? Today, that describes a conservative Republican. Sixteen years ago, that was a two-term Democratic president.

Bill Clinton is a rock star among Democrats. He’s one of the most requested politicians…

It’s Uphill All the Way for Social Conservatives

by Stuart Rothenberg July 3, 2013 · 10:17 AM EDT

Although the seemingly unstoppable march of cultural liberalism took pause during the years of Ronald Reagan and even into the 1990s, it is back on track. Liberals will applaud it and conservatives will dread it, but it is silly to deny its strength.

Television and movies reflect our…

The War on Women vs. The War on Children

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 21, 2013 · 3:00 PM EDT

There isn’t an issue that more clearly defines the partisan disconnect in this country than abortion and abortion rights.

Hosts and guests on MSNBC are perpetually perplexed by Republicans, who pursue limits to legal abortion – mostly recently the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act – even in the…

The Barn Jacket as a Secret Campaign Weapon

by Nathan L. Gonzales June 13, 2013 · 2:53 PM EDT

Election Day is still more than a year away, but Illinois Republican Bruce Rauner is already deploying a popular campaign weapon: the barn jacket.

Rauner released two television ads on Tuesday in his bid to become the next governor in the Prairie State. In “Back to Work,” the…

When the Nation Has the Blahs …

by Stuart Rothenberg June 12, 2013 · 9:37 AM EDT

Is the nation suffering from a national case of hypochondria, or are Americans rightly worried about the country’s future?

The answer depends, in part, on your (political) point of view. But it’s also true that every bit of good news — rising home prices, rising stock prices and…

Anchorage Mayor Not Running in Alaska Senate Race

by Nathan L. Gonzales May 23, 2013 · 8:39 AM EDT

Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan (R) has no interest in running for the United States Senate in Alaska, according to knowledgeable sources, even though he met with officials at the National Republican Senatorial Committee just last week.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a Dan Sullivan in the…