Posts by Dr. Eric Ostermeier
The 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 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 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 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…
Read MoreWill Barack Obama Ever Appear On ‘The O’Reilly Factor’?
As popular television commentator and host Bill O’Reilly has pointed out on a near daily basis, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has yet to appear on his program, despite numerous on-air (and presumably private) invitations. Should Obama make the pilgrimage…
Read MoreWill the GOP Make Gains in the Minnesota House?
When the DFL swept its way into control of the Minnesota House in the 2006 election, some Republican officeholders and officials partially attributed the DFL 19-seat net gain to having all the cards fall just right for the DFL –…
Read MoreTed Stevens Indictment Boosts Odds of 1st Democratic Senate Victory in Alaska Since 1974
Today’s indictment of Alaska Republican Senator Ted Stevens on seven felony counts of concealing gifts from lobbyists makes one of the Democratic Party’s prime U.S. Senate targets that much closer to a pick-up in November. Stevens surprised many by announcing…
Read MoreMinnesota Home to Increasing Number of Self-Identified Democrats
A Smart Politics study of the partisan leanings of Minnesota residents finds that the percentage of self-identified Democrats has increased nearly 30 percent since 2005. While the percentage of self-identified Republicans has dropped, it seems the Democratic Party is increasing…
Read More“That blog isn’t called Smart Politics for nothing.” – POLITICO “Fantastic. Truly high-end to feed political addiction.” – Chuck Todd, NBC News Political Director…
Read MoreWill Obama Perform Stronger in Wisconsin Than in Minnesota? Don’t Count On It
A new poll by Quinnipiac University of more than 1,000 likely voters in both Minnesota and Wisconsin was released Thursday with a surprising headline: Barack Obama led John McCain by just 2 points in the Gopher State (46 to 44…
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