The Negative Leads to Positive

With the votes trickling in in the second midterm of Barack Obamas presidency there are two big questions looming…

What will the results of the election be and why they turned out that way?

While the votes may not be in. Many people are attributing this years election to an unparalleled negativity bias in the campaigns. We have seen a constant flow of attack ads, which have become more and more hateful and plentiful as well.

Midterms are naturally a referendum on presidential job approval, but with few other major issues for voters the election appears to be wholly about the president. And as an expected correlation with the polls, the trend was mostly negative.

This swing toward the negative is especially evident in television ads. Not only have we seen around 1 million ads. more than 46% of them have been negative.

Studies show that negative ads can actually boost voter turnout, as well as having more issue content in those particular ads.

North Carolina is leading the charge in the Senate race between Tillis and Hagan, that race yielding 67% negative ads.

All around tied for second are Kansas, Iowa, Colorado and Michigan. While all of these states are in the midst of contested races shouldn’t there me a referendum on the negativity??

Krugman Weighs in on the Presidency

by Laura Green

In Rolling Stone’s most recent cover story, Paul Krugman elaborates on his changed opinion of Obama .

Paul Krugman is known for being outspoken in his views, and in 2007 Krugman was extremely skeptical of Barack Obama and his competence in becoming president, and his ability to gain support from both sides of the aisle.

6 years later it appears Krugman has changed his opinion, telling the magazine

“Despite bitter opposition, despite having come close to self-inflicted disaster, Obama has emerged as one of                              the most consequential and, yes, successful presidents in American history”

While critics lash out at Krugman yet again for such an extreme view, he has a valid statistical argument and backs up his claims well.

Which Hillary Are We Ready for?

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By Laura Green

Hillary Clinton is no stranger to being in the public eye, and with the potential to run for president looming, she is making her rounds on the usual pre-presidential circuit. Her most recent stop in Iowa, which famously impeded her 2008 presidential run did not come without controversy.

Clinton has had her ups and downs with public opinion but winning an election requires a lot more then mediocrity amongst the constituency. With at least one foot in the spotlight since the 90’s and an almost cemented image among the public, how will she distinguish herself in 2016.

Having a public record can often not work in your favor, for Hillary her lasting presence in politics has caused questions as to the consistency of her message on the issues.

Yet the more of the controversy surrounding her image has to do with  image and the scrutiny she has come under in regards to sexism in the media.

The media has known to be especially harsh to Hillary, framing her strength as her being a “ball buster” or commenting more on her outfits in an appearance rather than the content.

Presidential elections are known to be especially harsh in respects to candidate image and can only hope that Hillary will be able to rise above her past image and come out as a viable candidate.

Is the GOP Throwing The Tea Party Overboard?

by Laura Green

The tides seem to be changing in what is becoming and inevitable shift in the Senate. While the country is still a month or so away from an actual vote, many people having calling a GOP victory in both the house and the Senate.

This speculation has arisen long ago due to the abysmal approval ratings that President Obama has received recently.

With the wave of conservatives coming back, what happens with The Tea Party? This seems to be the question as the GOP grasps for those last few votes.

The Tea Party is now considered a challenge that Republicans have to overcome, shedding their image all together. Party leaders are financially backing non-tea party candidates in North Carolina, Georgia and Michigan in an effort to wipe out some of the most extreme candidates that do not fit their agenda.

Will this last ditch effort be enough or will the GOP come up short?

The Threadbare Coattails

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By: Laura Green

With every political commentator starting to file in their opinions of the outcome of the Midterm elections it is important to remember one thing, American politics are notoriously cyclical.

The President is notorious for influencing these trends, often bringing in seats for his own party upon election, and losing seats at the midterm. However with President Obama’s approval rating being even lower than it was in 2010, just 42%, what sort of effect can we expect to see in the upcoming election?

According to Gallup, on average a presidents with an approval rating below 50% lose 36 seats in the House of Representatives, so what can we expect come late fall?

With control of Congress split between the House and the Senate can Democrats hold on to the Senate, or will their influence tank with the President’s approval?