The Numbers

McCain's Delicate Dance

Gary Langer — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:21:23 -0400

George W. Bush’s virtual appearance at the Republican National Convention tonight underscores a prime challenge for John McCain: to weave a safe path between Republicans who still approve of the president and the big majority of Americans who don’t. Bush’s...

Work-Life Balance: Beyond the Politics

Gary Langer — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:31:53 -0400

Sarah Palin’s selection as the Republican nominee for vice president has created a swirl of interest in a sensitive subject: The challenging decisions faced by parents in their home-life vs. work-life balance. There’s been some kickback on why these questions...

Palin and Teen Pregnancy

Gary Langer — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:48:01 -0400

Today's story on the pregnancy of Bristol Palin, 17-year-old daughter of Sarah Palin, raises a variety of hot-button social issues. As ever, it can help to cut though the inevitable rhetoric with some data. A good place to start is...

The Palin Equation

Gary Langer — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:59:39 -0400

Part of the immediate Sarah Palin spin has been to suggest that the Alaska governor’s position on the Republican ticket is a play for former supporters of Hillary Clinton. In the data, it’s hard to see. An easier case to...

Obama's Laundry List

Gary Langer — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:47:51 -0400

Barack Obama’s chief challenges tonight are to persuade voters he’s sufficiently seasoned for the presidency, better define his theme of “change” and cement his advantages on key domestic issues, chiefly the economy. There’s more: Obama needs also to expand his...

Is it the Economy?

Gary Langer — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:59:11 -0400

If you think rising GDP defangs the economy as an election issue, keep in mind: So did George H.W. Bush. Bush touted rising GDP on his path to re-election defeat. GDP rose not only in the second quarter of 1992,...

National Security, Joe Biden and WJC

Gary Langer — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:38:24 -0400

National security is the theme of tonight's proceedings at the Democratic National Convention; Joe Biden and Bill Clinton, the headline speakers. A fistful of relevant data points follows. National security -Significant shortfalls for Obama. In our latest ABC/Post poll registered...

HRC by the Numbers

Gary Langer — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:35:20 -0400

Here's a summary of data points past and present we've put on hand for our coverage of Hillary Clinton's speech tonight: -Seven in 10 Democrats (including Democratic leaning-independents) who preferred Clinton for the nomination have lined up behind Obama –...

Rethinking Working-Class Whites

Gary Langer — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:56:10 -0400

What's a working-class white? In political terms it matters more than you might think. Barack Obama trails John McCain among whites who haven’t gotten through college, the definition that caught on during the Democratic primaries. But use another definition and...

The Spouses

Gary Langer — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:13:33 -0400

Conservatives and Republicans will be eyeing Michelle Obama with some skepticism when she addresses the Democratic National Convention on Monday evening – more than liberals and Democrats express about Cindy McCain. But both are reasonably popular, with substantial numbers of...