Eric Cantor

Cantor Backs Rep. Ryan 2012 Presidential Bid

Susan Crabtree | May 23, 2011, 2:50PM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

As further proof that becoming a GOP lightening rod all but guarantees consideration in the Republican presidential primary, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) threw his support behind a presidential bid from his friend and fellow political ally, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI).

Cantor didn't hesitate when asked whether Ryan, the author of the House GOP's budget and controversial plan to privatize parts of Medicare, should run for the White House in 2012 during a Monday briefing with reporters.

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Barack Obama

Poll: Obama's Approval Rating Hits Two-Year High

Jon Terbush | May 11, 2011, 8:28AM

President Barack Obama (D)

Fully six in ten Americans now approve of President Obama's job performance, according to an AP poll released Wednesday morning, the highest level recorded in their surveys in exactly two years.

In addition, the poll showed the president's reelection prospects getting a boost too, as it found that more Americans now think Obama deserves to be reelected than the percentage who said the same two months ago.

In the poll, 60% of respondents said they approved of Obama's job performance, compared to 39% who disapproved. That's the best rating Obama has received since May 2009 when, riding high after his inauguration, 64% of Americans approved of his job performance.

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Barack Obama

Poll: Despite Rising Approval Rating, Obama Gets Worst Marks Ever On Economic Management

Jon Terbush | May 10, 2011, 1:08PM

Following the killing of Osama bin Laden, President Obama's approval rating received an expected bump. Yet while his overall approval rating ticked up, his marks when it comes to the economy actually fell at the same time, dropping to a record-low in the latest NBC survey released this week.

That finding underscores the old political maxim that, "it's the economy, stupid," as it shows that Obama's overall presidency is still weighed down by the sluggish economy even while enjoying a major national security success.

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Barack Obama

Poll: Obama's Approval Rating Jumps Nine Points After Bin Laden's Death

Jon Terbush | May 3, 2011, 12:48PM

President Barack Obama

Immediately following the announcement that American forces had killed Osama bin Laden, President Obama's approval rating leapt to its highest level since 2009 in a Washington Post/Pew poll.

In the poll, which was conducted on Monday, 56% of Americans said they approved of Obama's job performance, compared to 38% who said the disapproved. That's a marked turnaround from one month ago, when 47% of Americans gave Obama positive marks on his job performance, while 45% said otherwise.

TPM SLIDESHOW: Osama Bin Laden Killed: The Nation Reacts

It also marks the highest approval rating the President has enjoyed since June 2009, when 61% of Americans approved of his job performance, and 30% disapproved.

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Barack Obama

Approval Of Obama's Handling Of Economy Hits All-Time Low In Marist Poll

Jon Terbush | April 28, 2011, 3:08PM

President Barack Obama

With the economy still sputtering and gas prices rising, the percentage of Americans who approve of how President Obama has managed the economy has sunk to a new low, according a Marist poll released on Thursday.

In the poll, only 40% of registered voters said they approved of how Obama had handled the economy. Meanwhile, 57% said they disapproved of Obama's job performance with respect to the economy, also a record in Marist's polls.

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Birth Certificate

Polls Show About Half Of GOPers Think Obama Wasn't Born In U.S.

Jon Terbush | April 27, 2011, 10:09AM

With the release of President Obama's long form birth certificate on Wednesday, many are wondering why the White House decided to even bother wading into the birther debate long after it had been proven to be a red herring.

One reason, as noted by Obama in a press conference Tuesday morning, is that while the birther controversy is largely considered a fringe issue, it's actually mainstream within Republican ranks, according to several recent polls.

TPM SLIDESHOW: There's The Birth Certificate: TPM's Best Of The Birthers

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Birther

Poll: Nearly Half Of Republicans Think Obama Wasn't Born In U.S.

Jon Terbush | April 21, 2011, 1:19PM

The belief that President Obama was not born in America may seem like a fringe issue, but within the Republican party, the view is fairly mainstream.

In a New York Times/CBS poll released on Thursday, a 45% plurality of Republican adults said they believe Obama was not born in the U.S. Additionally, 33% said Obama was born in America, while 22% said they weren't sure.

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2012 Presidential Primaries

Poll: Romney Leads, Trump Ties For Second Place In GOP Primary

Jon Terbush | April 6, 2011, 8:44AM

Donald Trump

Republicans may be ready to hire Donald Trump.

According to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, Trump is the second choice of self-identified Republicans to represent the party in 2012. Trump, the brash real estate magnate, reality talk show host, and recent Comedy Central roastee, tied Mike Huckabee for second place, and trailed only former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for the party nod.

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John Boehner

OMB Director Lew: Government Shutdown Is Off The Table

Susan Crabtree | February 14, 2011, 4:25PM

Jack Lew, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Office of Management and Budget Director Jack Lew confidently dismissed the chances of a government shutdown this year, predicting that Republicans in Congress and the White House will be able to come to a consensus on cutting spending without such serious brinkmanship.

When asked how the White House and Republicans will reconcile their divergent spending views, Lew said only that a government shutdown is off the table.

"What we do have is an agreement on [between the White House and Republicans in Congress] -- is that it would not be prudent to shut the government shutdown," Lew told reporters Monday at a briefing focused on President Obama's budget blueprint.

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Egypt

McCain Urges Mubarak To Listen To His People

Susan Crabtree | February 10, 2011, 6:32PM

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) called Egyptian Prime Minister Hosni Mubarak's decision to remain in office while allocating unspecified powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman "deeply unfortunate and troubling."

"The voices of the Egyptian people are growing louder and more unified, and they are not demanding partial transfers of power or minor adjustments to the current government," McCain said in a release issued less than two hours after Mubarak gave a rambling speech in which he said he would remain as President until elections are held in September. "They are calling for President Mubarak to step down as the beginning of a meaningful and enduring transition to democracy in Egypt."

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Barack Obama

What 'Shellacking'? Recent Polls Show Major Momentum For Obama

Jon Terbush | January 28, 2011, 8:50AM

President Barack Obama

Just two months ago, President Obama was reeling from his party's massive defeat in the midterm elections. He faced a number of critical legislative decisions, his approval numbers plummeted to the lowest levels of his presidency, and pundits began speculating whether he could survive a primary challenge in 2012.

Yet now, it seems like everything is coming up in Obama's favor. Buoyed by a surging approval rating, an improved economic outlook, and some popular legislative achievements, Obama is suddenly back on top.

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State Of The Union

Poll: Americans Don't Expect State Of The Union Will Alter Their Outlook

Jon Terbush | January 24, 2011, 12:56PM

President Barack Obama

A majority of Americans do not expect President Obama's State of the Union speech to alter their opinion of the country's direction, according to a Marist poll conducted in the run up to Tuesday's address.

Fifty-nine percent of respondents said they thought the address would not change their level of confidence in the direction the country is heading. Only 28% said they thought the speech would boost their confidence, while 8% said they expected to feel less confident following the speech. An additional 11% said they were unsure how the address would impact their view of the nation's future.

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State Of The Union

Christie Turned Down Offer To Deliver State Of The Union Response

Jon Terbush | January 24, 2011, 11:00AM

Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) declined an offer to deliver the Republican rebuttal to the State of The Union address, according to a top Christie aide.

William Palatucci told the New Jersey Star-Ledger that Congressional Republicans had contacted the governor to see if he'd be interested in countering Obama's speech on Tuesday. Yet Palatucci said that Christie felt it would be inappropriate to address federal issues when his state has its own pressing problems.

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Barack Obama

He's Back? Obama's Approval Rating Surges In Recent Polls

Jon Terbush | January 14, 2011, 12:20PM

President Barack Obama (D)

Just two months removed from a midterm shellacking that saw the GOP win a whopping 63 seats in the House, President Obama's approval rating has suddenly spiked in recent polls, a change so significant that for the first time in eight months the President has a net positive approval rating in the TPM Poll Average.

In the current TPM Poll Average, Obama posts an approval rating of 47.9% compared to a disapproval rating of 47.3%. It marks the first time Obama has notched a net positive in the TPM average since May 18, when that split was 47.7% to 47.6%.

Virtually every pollster has tracked at least a nominal improvement in the President's approval rating over the last month or so, including a 13-point net approval swing in the latest Marist poll. And while it would be mere speculation to cite the surge as evidence that Obama has completely regained his mojo and that his approval will keep climbing, the turnaround is striking considering his standing as 2010 drew to a close.

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112th Congress

Poll: Health Care Obama's Best -- And Worst -- Accomplishment

Jon Terbush | January 13, 2011, 10:31AM

President Barack Obama

In a stark measure of just how divisive the health care law is, a Quinnipiac poll released today finds that that piece of legislation is both the most popular and unpopular accomplishment of Obama's presidency.

In the poll, health care reform was by far the top answer to two open ended questions that asked respondents to name the best and the worst thing Obama has done as president. Twenty-six percent of respondents said health care was he best thing Obama has done, while 27% said it was the worst thing he's done in office.

No other specific policy or action Obama has taken polled higher than six percent on either question in the survey.

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2012

PPP Poll: Nevada Republicans Want Romney As Their Nominee

Jon Terbush | January 11, 2011, 4:44PM

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney rolled over the competition in Nevada's 2008 Republican caucus, and a new PPP poll has him in good shape to come out on top there again in 2012.

In the poll, 31% of respondents said Romney was their first choice, compared to 19% who supported Sarah Palin. Newt Gingrich finished a close third at 18%, followed by Mike Huckabee (14%), and Ron Paul (7%). Mitch Daniels, Tim Pawlenty, and John Thune each drew support from 1% of respondents.

An additional 8% said they were undecided, or planned to vote for someone not presented in the poll.

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Barack Obama

Approval By Numbers: How Obama Compares To Past Presidents

Jon Terbush | December 9, 2010, 8:30AM

TPM Illustration

By some measures, it's been a rough first two years in office for President Obama, as the soaring rhetoric of his campaign speeches has given way to the unglamorous reality of governing. With the messy debate over health care reform and a slowly recovering economy steadily tugging his approval ratings down, it may seem like Obama is slipping toward a uniquely inglorious first term.

Yet despite all the chatter, Obama's slide in approval ratings is really nothing special.

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Tea Party

Poll: Americans Divided On Who Should Set Policy-- Obama Or The Tea Party

Marc Kilstein | November 24, 2010, 8:33AM

A Tea Party rally in Michigan.

Americans can't agree on who they want to "have the most influence on government policy next year," according to a newly released USA Today/Gallup poll. No surprise there. What may come as a surprise, however, is that at the top of the poll, the split is between respondents who want President Obama to set policy, and those who want Tea Partiers to take the lead in Washington.

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2012 elections

Rick Perry: Soon, Gov Of TX Will Be More Powerful Than POTUS (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 22, 2010, 2:26PM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

Who wants to be President of the United States when you can be Governor of Texas? According to Rick Perry, trading the latter job for the former would be crazy -- and that's why he swears he's not running for president.

Perry, fresh off the national book tour where he called for states to secede from Social Security, stopped by Fox News Sunday yesterday for a quick victory lap after his fellow Republican governors chose him to head the Republican Governors Association last week.

Now that he's in charge of helping more Republican governors get elected, it perhaps makes sense that he'd be so darn into the job. But Perry also sought to tamp down rumors that a presidential run is in his future by making it clear he has the job he wants -- and also suggesting that the job everyone thinks he wants won't amount to much pretty soon.

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Christine O'Donnell

Et Tu, Christine?! O'Donnell Won't Say Whether Sarah Palin Is Ready For Presidency

Brian Beutler | October 8, 2010, 9:40AM

Christine O'Donnell

Alaska Republican Senate hopeful Joe Miller already got into a heap of trouble this week for not going to bat for Sarah Palin. And now Palin's other protégé, Christine O'Donnell, has also refused to answer, when asked, whether Palin is qualified to be president.

The fateful moment came deep in an interview with CNN yesterday.

"Is Sarah Palin qualified to be president?"

""Is she running for president?" O'Donnell asked back. "Again, hypothetical."

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