Public Policy Polling’s latest Michigan poll has very good news for Democrats. Let’s start out with the very best news: after trailing in all previous polling, Mark Schauer is now in a 40-40 dead heat with incumbent Republican Governor Rick Snyder. What’s more, Snyder’s numbers are down four points from December and he has a negative job approval of 54% […]

As I’m sure you know, the Environmental Protection Agency released draft rules this week calling for a 30% reduction in carbon emissions from power plants by 2030. This, of course, is not going to happen without a fight, as polluters always claim that new or stricter pollution limits will destroy their businesses and the economy. Initial public reaction to the rule is positive, but polluters and their allies will come out swinging. Here’s how supporters of the new rules can be most effective in the fight to come:

Just like with Obamacare, the key is playing offense The Environmental Protection Agency is going to release rules next week limiting the amount of carbon dioxide pollution that can be released from power plants. Amidst a lot of worry about the impact this will have on Democrats in an off-year election, apparently the optimistic take on this among Washington Democratic […]

Because how could Detroit voters’ views be relevant to what happens to their city?

The Detroit Journalism Cooperative published a poll this week investigating views of the proposed “grand bargain” to pull Detroit out of bankruptcy. The good news is that the study finds strong support for the state pitching in with funding to help preserve workers’ pensions and the DIA. As Kevyn Orr tries to persuade Lansing Republicans to sign off on the deal, it’s good to know that he has voters behind him.

But here’s the thing: the poll only sampled voters who live outside the city of Detroit. 600 interviews, none of them within the city. This was intentional, not an oversight. Mlive offers the rationale that:

“Because the poll is intended to measure Michigan voters’ attitudes toward Detroit, the survey does not include interviews with Detroit voters.”

It’s been more than three years since Rick Snyder took the reins of power in Michigan and, despite having Republicans in charge of both chambers of the legislature along with all of the major administration posts, his favorability is still under 50% with 52% giving him failing grade. Among the data was a question asking how voters would rate the […]

Focus on values and make the other side defend

There has been lots of great Obamacare news over the last few weeks. But public opinion of the law hasn’t improved. The Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll has been tracking this issue since 2009, before the bill passed. Their most recent poll, conducted at the end of April, found 36% saying the law is a good idea, consistent with the range in the mid to high 30s that they have seen the whole time (link is PDF).

Other pollsters, asking somewhat different questions, show higher or lower support for the law, but the same consistency over time. Why so little movement?

New polling by Clarity Campaign Labs shows Democrats Mark Schauer and Gary Peters with sizable leads over Republicans Rick Snyder and Terri Lynn Land in the statewide races for Governor and U.S. Senator among likely voters. Snyder’s approval rating is now less than 40% (39%) while nearly half of the voters polled (46%) disapprove of his performance. Schauer leads him […]

You can’t unskew a poll this skewed up Updated twice below. Karl Rove, the man who was absolutely certain that Mitt Romney was going to pull out an astonishing victory over Barack Obama despite all evidence to the contrary, has commissed a new series of polls that say Republicans are going to take back the Senate. Michigan was among the […]

A new poll conducted on behalf of the ACLU of Michigan underscores the need to let voters decide on this reproductive health issue. Eclectagraphic by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog If Right to Life of Michigan and their supporters in the Michigan Legislature have their way, women could be hit with a new limit on their right to choose: […]

They think their pensions are OK, too This guest post is by Roger Kerson, a Michigan-based media consultant for labor unions, environmental groups, and non-profit organizations. He was director of public relations at the United Auto Workers during the GM and Chrysler restructuring. As an associate of the Arlington, Virginia-based firm PRWRK, he has provided strategic counsel to the Transport […]

Thank you, tea party. May we have some more? Photos by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog As horrible as it is, the Republican shutdown of the U.S. government does have a silver lining: it’s positively KILLING Republicans’ chances of being winning in November of 2014. Two new polls show both Pam Byrnes, running for the 7th District Congressional seat […]