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27
Jan

December 2011 Survey

by Lisa Mathias

PDF Version

27
Jan

Op-ed in The Daily Caller: State of the Union address reveals contradictions in Obama’s trade stance

by Lisa Mathias

Winston Group project director Stephanie Slade wrote an opinion piece for the Daily Caller this week. Slade comments on President Obama’s mentioning of China’s trade practices in Tuesday’s State of the Union address in a manner that seems supportive of a free market, but is contradicted by his policy proposals:
(more…)

23
Jan

Politico: GOP aims for a House united

by Lisa Mathias

Politico reports on the GOP leadership retreat that took place in Baltimore over this past weekend, and states that there was a general goal to unify under one message. Among diverging opinions on what that message should be, The WG’s David Winston presented evidence that it should remain on creating jobs:

Perhaps most striking was Winston’s messaging advice: It showed that GOP talking points over the past year have been largely useless. A recent poll that he presented in a slideshow indicated that when considering the 2012 election, 58 percent of the country thinks the phrase ““Where are the jobs?” is more important than what the size and role of government should be, which registers at 37 percent.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/

20
Dec

U.S. News and World Report: Obama Has Misdiagnosed America’s Income Inequality Problem

by Lisa Mathias

Stephanie Slade, one of the WG’s project directors, released her first full-length op-ed in US News and World Report today, giving her thoughts on how the US should address income inequality.

But what people often fail to recognize is that the state is itself the tool by which the haves keep the have-nots without. Removing their secret weapon would, in fact, level the playing field for all participants in a way no amount of government intervention ever could.

To read the full piece, turn to usnews.com

20
Dec

Obama Has Misdiagnosed America’s Income Inequality Problem: An Op-Ed for U.S. News

by sslade

The answer isn’t more government, but restoration of a free market

In his acclaimed recent speech in Osawatomie, Kan., President Barack Obama articulated what has become the dominant liberal explanation of the issues America faces. “Inequality gives an outsized voice to the few who can afford high-priced lobbyists and unlimited campaign contributions, and runs the risk of selling out our democracy to the highest bidder,” he said.

The president correctly identifies the injustice inherent in rewarding the rich with undue political influence. Unfortunately, he misdiagnoses the source of the problem.

Obama’s mistake is a common one. He sees inequality as the root cause of our present evils, giving those “at the top” an unfair advantage when it comes to advocating for policies that benefit them. They alone have the resources to buy access and sway, thereby ensuring the “rules of the game” will always be rigged in their favor. This story makes intuitive sense, but it suffers from an obvious flaw: The real problem is not that certain individuals have the ability to “game” the system while others do not. The problem is that we’ve come to accept a system that invites itself to so easily be gamed.

To continue reading, click here.

08
Dec

Donald Trump as Debate Moderator Makes the GOP Look Like a Joke

by sslade

This week, I was asked to participate in US News & World Report’s “Debate Club,” where myself and four others, including Grover Norquist, weighed in on the question: Should the GOP presidential candidates participate in Donald Trump’s debate?

Virtually no one in the Republican mainstream is happy about the prospect of a GOP debate featuring celebrity billionaire Donald Trump as moderator. Texas Rep. Ron Paul, in declining his invitation, said the event would create an “unwanted, circus-like atmosphere.” Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman has likewise refused to participate, and conservative voices like George Will, Karl Rove, Ari Fleischer, and the National Review editorial board have lambasted Trump’s involvement.

The reaction to the debate on the right has been one of alarm, and for good reason: the choice of Trump as moderator contributes to the perception that the Republican Party no longer takes itself seriously.

Onlookers have watched as Republicans flirted with nominating a pizza mogul with zero years of political experience. They saw recent frontrunner Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, struggle to remember which agencies he would eliminate if elected. Last year, they were faced with a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate who felt the need to go on the air and announce, “I’m not a witch.” And now the GOP has anointed a reality TV star whose biggest conservative credential is that he forced the president to take time away from orchestrating Osama bin Laden’s assassination in order to prove—again—that he was born on U.S. soil.

To continue reading, click here.

11
Nov

USA Today: Perry debate lapse undermines credibility

by Lisa Mathias

USA Today writes about the latest Republican debate in Michigan, where candidate and Texas Governor Rick Perry failed to list the third of three government entities that he would get rid of if voted for President. The WG’s David Winston says this slip-up wasn’t going to help Perry’s already slipping poll numbers:

The debate performance didn’t help, Republican pollster David Winston said.
“It was a very difficult thing to watch,” he said. “Anything is possible but this is a really deep hole.”

To read more, turn to usatoday.com

08
Nov

The Olympian: 4th woman alleges – publicly – that Cain harassed her

by Lisa Mathias

The Olympian writes about the 4th allegation claiming sexual harassment to come out against Republican candidate Herman Cain, just as his poll numbers were doing well. The WG’s David Winston states that likely Republican voters may not necessarily take this news to the polls:

“The electorate is following this election very closely and they are going to think through every piece of information that is put in front of them in the most thoughtful way they can,” he said. “This is an election where everyone is concerned about direction of the country

Read more: The Olympian

01
Nov

The Associated Press: Obama’s team banks on his ‘regular guy’ appeal

by Lisa Mathias

The AP looks at President Obama’s favorability ratings this week and addresses the tactic that his team has been using to attract voters: by appealing to the public as a “regular guy.” This comes with mixed results, as David Winston states:

“He has a clear track record at this point and that’s what his job approval reflects. He can’t avoid his record but it’s not like people are not willing to listen him.”

Click to read the full article.

27
Oct

Businessweek: Obama: Connecting the Dots to Win

by Lisa Mathias

Businessweek looks at the economic numbers behind Obama’s struggling presidency, questioning whether he has a chance at re-election among the country’s current situation. David Winston says Republicans may have a better chance:

“What’s going to decide this election is jobs and the economy,” says David Winston, a Republican pollster and strategist. “The door is wide open for Republicans.”

To read the full article, turn to businessweek.com

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