Stuart Rothenberg Quotations

The problem with the big issues, Social Security reform, campaign finance reform, fundamental tax reform, is that they are so politically dangerous that I think both sides want to avoid them.

There is no doubt the voters of Delaware really love Bill Roth. It's not that they don't know him. It's a question of whether they think it's time to give him a gold watch and have someone else for the future.

Murkowski has had significant problems over the past few months, establishing herself apart from her father, Gov. Frank Murkowski, who's not popular ... He appointed her to the office.

Maybe he can put this back on the radar screen as a focus of attention for conservative Republicans. But it's a lot harder when your own party controls Congress, and now you're talking about the line-item veto because they can't control themselves or the president can't control them.

Friends in high places, as you might say, are important to voters as well as the politicians, and Akaka can claim having friends in high places ? most Democrats in the U.S. Senate, for example.

He does not have a reservoir of good will, either in Congress or in the country. People in Congress are looking for ways to disagree with him. Democrats don't seem intimidated by him. And the public doesn't see him as honest, forthright or as much as a leader as they did a year ago. He's considerably weaker.

There is an aggressiveness coming out of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that I haven't seen in the past.

There are signs that Hackett seems a little embittered, ... If he runs an aggressive race that attacks Sherrod Brown, it could divide the party.

I think we do know for sure that there are plenty of interesting races in the Senate and that this will be used in Senate races but we don't know exactly what kind of effect it's going to have.

I think we are going to hear an awful lot about reform, open government, transparent government. And most presidential elections, frankly, turn out to be about change or the status quo. Do you like the direction of the country or do you want to change it? And if you want to change it, how do you want to change it?

President Bush's poll numbers are already pretty bad, and there has been some concern among people about the long vacation while there is a perception that things aren't going so well. I hate to say it, but some of the role a leader plays after a disaster is public relations.

Many Democratic elected officials are critical of the president's handling of the war and overall performance, and, at the same time, do not want to be seen as just anti-war liberal Democrats. So, they are trying to have it both ways, of being critical of the president, but, at the same time, supporting our men and women who are fighting.

Like Rasputin, who refused to die even after he was poisoned, shot three times and beaten with a 2-pound dumbbell, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley (R) is proving to be more resilient than many political observers once assumed.

I thought it was a strong night for the Republicans, John McCain talking about national security defense and foreign terrorism. I think Rudy Giuliani did a pretty good job of mixing criticism of John Kerry -- and talking about the president and his efforts on the war on terror. It was a good start. The only question is: How does it build? And will Vice President Cheney and President Bush close the deal?

You have the bizarre situation now of the Republican race looking like it could end before the Democratic contest, and the Democratic contest includes the sitting vice president of the United States. I don't think anyone would have imagined that a year ago.

The fact that he's a lame duck in Massachusetts now and his term will end two years before the presidential election is not at all a problem. I'd regard it as an asset. He's free to travel.

This year still looks very much like a Democratic year, and the only question is how big a year it will be for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Committee.

The president is not on the ballot so the only way to send a message to the government, to the White House, to Congress about the president's performance is via these congressional elections.

While they have received plenty of ink, it is far from clear that any of them will win... A military record is a credential that voters may consider, but they often prefer to use other vote cues to pick the candidate for whom they will vote.

The race is over unless Bush not only stumbles but collapses, ... He has such a huge bankroll, he starts out with such terrific poll numbers, he has demonstrated such significant campaign appeal that it's hard to imagine this is a race.

This turns the flame up under the kettle and keeps the water boiling. It means he's going to continue to be peppered with questions about this stock sale, and no politician wants to be questioned about things like that.

Even though I'm skeptical that this kind of issue is going to pull the rug out from Al Gore, I think it's a plus for the Republicans to be able to talk about foreign policy, to talk about national security and to talk about the failure of the administration of Bill Clinton and Al Gore in this one area.

Early indications are that voters aren't up in arms demanding big tax cuts.

There's a decent chance the Democrats could take the House. The combination of the national mood and the difficulty the president and Republicans are having getting things done makes it no longer a long shot.

It's just a difficult district for (Wilson). There are very few competitive districts. This is a competitive district.

It seems to me there's a lot of smoke here, but I don't know how much heat. To the extent that any of these candidates are going to win, they will probably win because they are Democrats in a Democratic wave year, not because all of a sudden voters have embraced them because they are veterans.

the best chance to raise doubts or concerns about Roberts' record, his reasoning, his views.

These numbers suggest an electorate ripe for an 'it's-time-for-change' argument. They don't like the way things are going, and they are blaming the people in charge.

In the context of American politics, this is a pretty big deal. It symbolizes the influence and growth of a key voting group -- Hispanic voters -- in Democratic politics, but also in American politics.

By saying that he's going to engage Bradley, by calling for debates, by talking about a campaign shakeup, I think Al Gore is saying 'no, the nomination is no longer inevitable, I have to earn it.

If Gore were up 10 points, this wouldn't happen. There would be a lot of golf to be played otherwise.

For some conservatives, it was like a cold dish towel across their face, reminding them that, 'wait a second, we thought we were totally supportive of this president, now we know, maybe we have to keep an eye on him.' And, conservative groups have become much more animated and activist and second guessing of the president.

The Kerry people have to keep their focus on George W. Bush and attacking the president's policies, particularly on Iraq. To the extent that Bill Clinton suddenly becomes a campaign issue, I don't think that's an asset for the challenger.

This is a homeland security, national security issue and I think Republicans think they own this issue and they don't want to give Democrats an opening.

The House of Representatives is in play, and the Democrats do have a chance to win it in November.

You don't have to be Albert Einstein to know there is some risk.

Accomplished a bit more for Bush than for Gore only because there were more question marks for Bush. I think he established that he possesses at least the minimum qualifications for being president.

The same electorate that is unhappy with [Pennsylvania's] GOP Sen. Rick Santorum appears to have some qualms with Rendell.

Republicans have to be relieved. Given all the bad news this White House has faced, at least the president's hemorrhaging has stopped.

We will be drawing down some troops. If the president wants to try to turn that into the beginning of a success, he actually, I think, has some opportunity.

What we're seeing early on is Democrats rallying around Al Gore, Republicans rallying around George Bush and the difficulty of anybody else to get any room in the race.

The environment is better and better for Democrats.

I think it's less risky for the Kerry campaign to embrace former President Clinton than it is to reject him.

California is going to be quite good for the Democrats. But the rest of the country is a draw.

If this isn't the Fat Lady singing, it's awful close to that. If Ari seriously thought she was a contender for the presidential nomination, he would not walk away right now.