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William Schneider


 
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Recent articles by William Schneider:

July 31, 2007

The Poverty Candidates

John Edwards made poverty an issue in his 2004 campaign for the White House. This time around, he has company: Barack Obama is also working to put poverty back on the political agenda.

August 7, 2007

Democratic Slugfest

An exchange of blows between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama was bound to happen.

July 10, 2007

The Bush Court

President Bush has made good on his pledge to move the Supreme Court to the right. As a result, the Court could be more of an issue in the 2008 presidential race than it was in 2004.

July 17, 2007

Platinum Politics

This is an anti-establishment year, which is helping Barack Obama and hurting John McCain.

July 24, 2007

Of Church and State

Religion now looms larger than economic class as a source of political division.

June 5, 2007

United Against Bush

In three competitive swing states, Muslim-American voters could make a difference.

June 12, 2007

The Papa Bear Factor

Even though he's a former senator, Fred Thompson is positioned to run against Washington.

June 19, 2007

Clear as Mud

The collapse of the Senate immigration bill makes the 2008 GOP presidential race even muddier.

May 1, 2007

Framing the Debate

Democrats and Republicans are framing the Supreme Court abortion ruling in very different ways.

May 8, 2007

Violating the 11th Commandment

Republican presidential candidates haven't hesitated to speak ill of their fellow hopefuls.

May 15, 2007

Hardening Their Positions

The legislative process pushes the parties together. The presidential campaign pulls them apart.

May 22, 2007

Intensely Anti-War

Iraq doesn't sound like a kitchen-table issue, but it's what voters are most worried about.

May 29, 2007

44 Million Strong

The rise in Hispanic voters can help Democrats—unless an anti-immigrant backlash kicks in.

April 3, 2007

Bush's Firing Squad

Congressional Republicans will start clamoring for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to go if they feel the U.S. attorney controversy has become politically threatening to them.

April 10, 2007

Voter's Remorse

Bill Clinton's popularity has gone up as George W. Bush's has gone down.

April 17, 2007

Of Dollars and Discontent

First-quarter fundraising totals have opened up the presidential races in both parties.

April 24, 2007

Triangulating Times?

Bill Clinton triangulated on welfare reform. Can George W. Bush do the same on immigration?

March 6, 2007

Hollywood Hedges Its Bets

With some Democrats wondering whether either Hillary Rodham Clinton or Barack Obama can be elected president, the 2008 primaries are likely to produce a lot of strategic voting.

March 13, 2007

Outsiders in the Fast Lane

Barack Obama and Rudy Guiliani are the rock stars of the 2008 race.

March 20, 2007

Turning Up the Heat

Democrats are facing intense pressure to cut off funding for the Iraq war immediately.

March 27, 2007

Irking New Hampshire

Changes in the presidential primary calendar will make New Hampshire more important than ever.

February 6, 2007

Betting on Private Money

The current presidential campaign finance system is likely about to collapse and die.

February 13, 2007

The Middle-Class Blues

Democrats are picking up signs of middle-class anxiety about economic trends.

February 20, 2007

Don't Blink

The presidential nomination fights could be over by early February 2008.

February 27, 2007

Race to the Right

The three leading Republican presidential contenders are all moving to the right.

January 9, 2007

A Message About Priorities

Opinion polls show that Americans have one big priority; resolving the situation in Iraq.

January 17, 2007

Laying Down a Marker

Nancy Pelosi has taken over in a more polarized environment than Newt Gingrich faced in 1994.

January 23, 2007

The Confidence Gap

President Bush has not succeeded in changing people's minds about Iraq.

January 30, 2007

The 2008 Crowd

Opinion polls could play an unusually big role in the selection of the presidential nominees.

December 5, 2006

The Price of Patience

When Americans feel bogged down in a war; they want to win or get out.

December 12, 2006

One Tough Democrat

For decades, Democrats have been stereotyped as wimpy liberals. But Jim Webb, Virginia's new Democratic senator, is nobody's idea of a liberal. And his confrontational style is anything but wimpy.

December 19, 2006

Clinton, Obama, and the Third Way

Clinton's excessive baggage and Barack's light load of experience might not be the only options for Democrats.

November 7, 2006

Immigration: Election Issue Fade-Out

Neither party holds a clear advantage on the issue.

November 14, 2006

Swing Time

Independents have always been around, but for the past 12 years they've split their votes pretty evenly between the two parties. This year, they swung. The independent vote went 57 percent to Democrats and 39 percent to Republicans—the biggest margin since the first exit polls in 1976.

October 10, 2006

Opening Another Front

Revelations in Bob Woodward's new book are putting the White House on the defense.

October 17, 2006

Stay-at-Home Conservatives

Is President Bush in a position to throw his party a lifeline? We'll find out on Election Day.

October 24, 2006

Of Close Calls and Chaos

This year's midterms could turn into another endless election in which we won't know who won the day after the balloting. Remembering 2000, neither side wants to be out-lawyered in any litigation battle.

October 31, 2006

Not a Pocketbook Election

Pocketbook elections occur when most people think the economy is either very bad or very good. This year, people are evenly divided about whether the economy is in good shape or not.

September 5, 2006

Terrorism Still a Trump Card?

Democrats have to convince voters that they are strong in confronting terrorism.

September 12, 2006

Morphing Into Angry Voters

The early 1990s saw a wave of term-limit laws and anti-incumbent voting. Could voter concerns about Iraq, the economy, gas prices, and immigration trigger a repeat in 2006 and 2008?

September 19, 2006

The Spread of Disillusion

The Bush administration's efforts to link Iraq with the war on terrorism could backfire.

September 26, 2006

Pushing Prices Down

The decline in gasoline prices may be having an impact on attitudes about the economy.

October 3, 2006

Spotlight on Center Stage

The political center is alive and well in Colorado's 7th Congressional District.

August 8, 2006

Did Bush Get It Backward?

President Bush wants to put Iraq and Israel on the same side ("democracy"). But they're not.

August 15, 2006

No Rallying 'Round Bush

Only one Bush administration figure is getting high marks: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

July 11, 2006

The Clintons of New Hampshire

After Democrats lose a presidential race, their first impulse is to change the primary calendar.

July 4, 2006

Staking Out a Middle Ground

Democrats need to go to the voters with some kind of position on Iraq. But what?

July 18, 2006

The Primary Message

President Bush's standing among Connecticut Democrats is bad news for Joe Lieberman.

July 25, 2006

Tehran Calls the Shots

Iran is showing the West, by attacking the soft underbelly of Israeli security, that pushing it around will have consequences.

August 1, 2006

The Middle East and the Midterms

American politics is bitterly divided over Iraq. But not over the conflict in the Middle East.

June 6, 2006

Taking On Arnold

Phil Angelides and Steve Westly are vying to take on California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

June 13, 2006

A Bipartisan Ticket in 2008?

A movement hoping to elect a bipartisan ticket in 2008 brings back memories of Ross Perot.

June 20, 2006

The Politics of Illegal Immigration

The year's election is likely to be the first in which illegal immigration is a national issue.

June 27, 2006

Split Decisions

Polls indicate that Republican voters are more divided over Iraq than are Democrats.

May 9, 2006

Identifying Features

In the 2008 presidential race, will she call herself Hillary Clinton or Hillary Rodham Clinton?

May 16, 2006

Looking for Someone to Blame

The public's instinctive reaction to high gas prices is that somebody is up to no good.

May 23, 2006

Teeth and Sympathy

Americans want to do everything possible to keep more illegal immigrants from coming in.

May 30, 2006

The Clinton in the Rearview Mirror

The American public now considers Bill Clinton more honest than George W. Bush.

April 4, 2006

Forcing the Debate

The politics of immigration reform suggest that Washington may do what it does best: nothing.

April 11, 2006

Beyond the Collapse

The old order has collapsed in Israel. But is this a new beginning, or another dead end?

April 18, 2006

Perhaps 'Nothing' Actually Can Win

Voters are in a mood to "throw the bums out." And most of the "bums" are Republicans.

April 25, 2006

The Vietnam Syndrome Mutates

An "Iraq syndrome" may be emerging as disillusionment with the Iraq war intensifies.

May 2, 2006

Pumped-Up Prices

President Bush sounds worried that his party could pay for high gas prices at the polls. He should be worried. Those hit hardest by high gas prices say thay plan to vote Democratic in the fall.

March 7, 2006

Bush Shuffles the Deck

On the port-security issue, Republicans can score political points by defying an unpopular president.

March 14, 2006

Discontent Is Again in Season

Anti-incumbent sentiment is growing, just as it did in the early 1990's.

March 21, 2006

Along the Border, No Middle Ground

Arizona's 8th Congressional District is ground zero in the debate over illegal immigration.

March 28, 2006

Naked Political Calculation?

How John McCain is positioning himself to win the 2008 GOP presidential nomination.

February 7, 2006

Electing Terrorists

Developments in the Middle East over the past year raise serious questions about the Bush doctrine of protecting America's security by promoting democracy abroad.

February 14, 2006

Challenging Bush's 'Safety' Defense

Evan Bayh, the normally quiet Hoosier, takes on President Bush directly, saying that the war in Iraq has made terrorism worse and the U.S. less safe.

February 21, 2006

The Immigration Divide

George Bush's conservative base is cracking, and the two biggest tremors causing the split are big government and immigration.

February 28, 2006

Cheney's Self-Inflicted Wound

The Cheney hunting incident confirmed a damaging stereotype about the vice president and the rest of the Bush administration—that they don't want people to know what's going on.

January 10, 2006

Confidence Gap

People seem to have a problem when the president talks about "victory" in Iraq.

January 17, 2006

Sharon's Party Unhinged

Can a centrist political party thrive in Israel without Ariel Sharon?

January 24, 2006

K Street's Capitol Connection

Republicans are hoping that the corruption issue won't hurt them in November.

January 31, 2006

Rove's Anti-Itch Prescription

Republicans have a 2006 game plan, the same one they used in 2002 and 2004.

December 6, 2005

The Lost Middle

It might be tough for a Republican closely associated with the Bush administration to win the presidency.

December 13, 2005

Define 'Victory'

The American people want the same thing in Iraq that they wanted in Korea and Vietnam: Win and get out.

December 20, 2005

Bush's Upward Blip

If U.S. troops are being withdrawn from Iraq by next fall, the issue could lose its political edge.

November 1, 2005

Can Bush Recover?

The key to a Bush recovery is still the economy. People are spending money, but they're worried.

November 8, 2005

Bush's Cheney Problem

Dick Cheney has become a problem for George W. Bush. Don't be surprised if Cheney's influence suffers.

November 15, 2005

Failing Their Own Tests

Voters seem to be sending President Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger the same message.

November 22, 2005

Escalating the Rhetoric Offensive

President Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger are dealing with political setbacks in completely opposite ways.

October 4, 2005

Ballot-Box Poison

Arnold Schwarzenegger declared war on special interests. So far, the special interests are winning.

October 11, 2005

Second-Term Blues

President Bush is exhibiting classic symptoms.

October 18, 2005

A Souter in a Skirt?

If Miers changed once, how can Bush know she won't change again?

October 25, 2005

Re-evaluating U.S. Debt

Isn't there something worrisome about Communist China financing operations of the U.S. government?

September 6, 2005

Bush's New Low

For presidents, a 40 percent approval rating means trouble.

September 13, 2005

Leadership Vacuum

Bush's strength has always been his image as a take-charge guy.

September 27, 2005

Pervasive Economic Pessimism

President Bush faces growing economic pessimism and a looming budget crisis.

September 20, 2005

Catastrophic Failure

The advantage could go to whichever party offers bold ideas for improving government responses to crisis.

August 2, 2005

De-Escalation

John Roberts's nomination may result in something totally unexpected—a civil debate on the issues.

August 9, 2005

The Doctor in the Senate

Did Bill Frist's break with the White House make him look like a politician or a physician?

August 16, 2005

A Republican Town

Could the war become a trauma that transforms Washington?

July 5, 2005

One War or Two?

The public views the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism as two different things.

July 12, 2005

Hurling Threats

Threat-making has suddenly taken over politics, thanks to the Supreme Court vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

July 19, 2005

The Same War?

The attack in London is likely to intensify the debate over the war in Iraq.

July 26, 2005

From Denial to Stonewalling

Credibility, not criminality, is the biggest problem facing the White House in the Karl Rove controversy.

June 7, 2005

How 'Extraordinary'?

Faith-based politics? That's what will be needed if the filibuster compromise is going to work, particularly if President Bush gets the opportunity to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court.

June 14, 2005

The 33-Year Gap

Mark Felt kept quiet for decades, watching others get rich off his story.

June 28, 2005

Second Thoughts on Iraq

Americans hear news of continuing violence in Iraq and wonder what, exactly, is being accomplished.

May 31, 2005

Triumph of a Latino Unifier

As mayor of Los Angeles, James Hahn made the mistake of losing his base.

May 24, 2005

Spoiling for a Fight

Fights over the Supreme Court are most intense when ideological balance is at stake.

May 17, 2005

A Casualty of Iraq

Britain's voters bloodied the nose of Blair over his handling of the war in Iraq.

May 10, 2005

What Political Capital?

Bush's job rating hit a new low for a President just three months into a second term.

May 3, 2005

No Lawsuit Left Behind

States are suing Uncle Sam over education mandates in the "No Child" act.

April 26, 2005

Revolt of the Propertied Class

There's one tax that growing numbers of Americans resent: the property tax.

April 19, 2005

The Power of the Polls

Senate Republicans need to separate the filibuster issue from the Terri Schiavo case.

April 12, 2005

The Strong and the Weak

The "culture of life" is a simple idea: the strong must protect the weak.

April 5, 2005

The Public to Politicians: 'Keep Out'

The Schiavo case helped neither party; every move was seen as political.

March 29, 2005

Bush's Separation Solution

President Bush is pursuing a "separation strategy" in selling his Social Security ideas to the public: Separate the issue of personal investment accounts from the issue of the solvency of the Social Security system.

March 22, 2005

The Trouble With Hahn

The Los Angeles mayor has alienated the very groups that were his base.

March 15, 2005

The Disconnect

Most people say Bush's solution won't save Social Security's problem.

March 8, 2005

The Permanent Negative Campaign

At least by one measure of partisanship, things in Washington are worse than ever before.

March 1, 2005

Schwarzenegger Hits the Road

The governor plans a promotional tour to market his redistricting idea.

February 22, 2005

Back in the Ring

Howard Dean's election as chairman of the DNC shows that Democrats are ready to stand and fight.

February 15, 2005

Crisis of Confidence?

Confidence in Bush's handling of Social Security has been dropping since '01.

February 8, 2005

Voting for the Process

The election rules in Iraq only make the Sunni problem more serious.

February 1, 2005

Repackaging the Message

Bush's address expanded the war on terrorism into a war on tyranny.

January 25, 2005

About That Cowboy Rhetoric ...

Bush voices regret over remarks that were crucial to his winning strategy.

December 14, 2004

Ukraine's 'Orange Revolution'

A victory for Viktor Yushchenko in Ukraine would confirm the West's increasing influence there.

February 2001

Clinton and the Democrats

The President's party has lost its power base, both in Washington and in the states.