mid-term elections

Local legislatures have a lot more power than you think. And after the recent mid-terms, Republicans are poised to use it.

What went wrong for the Democrats, what to expect now, and why Obama isn’t done yet

With the economy mired in a slow recovery, the Republicans are on ideal ground—voters are angry and pessimistic

With the American economy showing definite signs of recovery despite slow job growth—unemployment remains at 9.5 per cent—the Obama Administration and the Democrats will clearly be on the defensive come the fall campaign. While Democrats can justifiably argue in favour of an achievement-oriented Congress, the jobs picture is what really hits home. Neither the rebound on Wall Street, the success of the bailouts, nor the resurgence of the U.S. auto industry is enough to counter a sense of pessimism among voters in the short term.

Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer recently warned Republicans should “not underestimate President Barack Obama.” The conservative Krauthammer is no convert, and his piece was highly critical of the direction in which Obama is taking the country. He was critical of the restructuring of one-sixth of the US economy; he was dismissive of the near-trillion-dollar stimulus package; and he raised the spectre of major tax hikes to pay for all of it. All legitimate positions and classic conservative arguments. There was nothing new—except his warning.

They are not leading in policy ideas or even in the area of governing credibility