Archive for August 2008
Pawlenty Disapproval Numbers Increasing Amid VP Talk
Although Minnesota Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty is not beloved by all in the Gopher State, he has maintained a consistent level of job approval throughout his gubernatorial tenure. In nearly 60 public opinion polls of Minnesotans conducted since early…
Read MoreMcCain Making Inroads in Wisconsin
A Quinnipiac survey of likely voters conducted in late July showed John McCain neck-and-neck with Barack Obama in Minnesota, but trailing by double-digits in Wisconsin. At that time Smart Politics warned that the political history of the region would make…
Read MoreIowa House Democrats Eye to Expand Advantage in ’08
Iowa Democrats seek to retain control of the House of Representatives in back-to-back elections for the first time since 1988/1990. Democrats won control of the House in 2006 with a 5-seat gain (as projected by Smart Politics), ending a 14-year…
Read MoreThe McCain Surge: Is It Real? Yes.
John McCain’s campaign has had the benefit of running as the underdog during the past few months, with most pundits characterizing the 2008 presidential race as “Barack Obama’s to lose.�? Even strategist Dick Morris, hardly a friend to Democrats these…
Read MoreThe Decline of a President: Tracing Bush’s Approval Ratings in the Upper Midwest
Despite rising national unemployment rates, high gas prices, and overall economic uncertainty, George W. Bush remains basically no less popular among Upper Midwesterners in 2008 than he was in 2007. A Smart Politics study of nearly 180 public opinion polls…
Read MoreSmart Politics Listed As Top 10 Most Influential Blog in Minnesota
BlogNetNews.com recently rated Smart Politics as one of the Top 10 most influential blogs in Minnesota. Smart Politics is ranked among the top blogs that are “Most powerfully influencing the direction of the Minnesota political blogosphere. On that note, Smart…
Read MoreWhat Is the Democratic Ceiling Across Upper Midwestern State Legislatures?
The 2006 election saw Democratic takeovers of 3 of the 6 Upper Midwestern legislative chambers previously controlled by the Republicans. Democrats now control 5 chambers (the Iowa House and Senate, the Minnesota House and Senate, and the Wisconsin Senate) with…
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