Welcome

Posted on July 12, 2011 by

Welcome to Campaign Report Cards!

A new kind of political poll: Grade the politicians and political parties

Here you have a chance to grade our leaders as they go through their campaigns for election and re-election.  Our political polls allow you to grade the current stances, behavior, and attitudes of the major parties and candidates, and you also have a chance to add any comments you’d like to add to explain your grading.  The overall goal of Campaign Report Cards is to augment the more traditional political and campaign polling that is done each election season with a more interactive and comprehensive information gathering system. 

We will keep our campaign report cards topical, covering current political events in a way that allows you to share your political views on current events, social issues, economic news, etc as it relates to how it is being used in the political campaigns.  Our only rule is that you keep your comments respectful of others who choose to post, even if their opinions differ.  Debate and discussion are welcome, but we want everyone to feel comfortable participating. 

Please feel free to use our “suggest a report card” page if you have an idea for a campaign report card that you think we should publish.  We welcome your input and ideas, and thank you in advance for participating in our political polls here at Campaign Report Cards! 

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The Effect of Super PACs in the primary season

Posted on February 11, 2012 by

Due to recent Supreme Court rulings, so-called Super PACs have formed which can raise unimited amounts of money from individuals and corporations during the election season.  These groups do have to disclose their donors, and they cannot coordinate directly with any campaign.  However, they are free to spend as much as they want up until election day either backing a certain candidate or attacking another candidate.

Super PACS have already made their presence felt in the primary season on the republican side, likely influencing the voters in several primary states.  Some would say that Super PACs are certainly legal and seem to fit with our ideal of free speech in campaigns and that disclosure should help reduce later corruption.  Others would counter that Super PACs give more weight to the speech and influence of the wealthy and corporations, and that they could breed later corruption despite disclosure.

More detailed arguments for and against Super PACs have been made elsewhere, and if you live in a state where the republican primary was close you likely saw their influence close up.  This poll is about grading the role of Super PACs so far in our election process.

Grade the role of Super PACs so far - higher grades indicate satisfaction with the role they've played.

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Rate the Presidential Primary Debates

Posted on December 13, 2011 by

Many people have found that debates are the best forum to get the candidates to talk freely and openly about their positions on a wide range of issues, and also to defend these positions against their opponents.  Others, however, have found that the debates can become clouded with exaggeration and distortion designed to win the best chance at lasting soundbites and attention.

This year is unique in that the Republican primary field has been fluid, with the frontrunner status changing several times, and the voters seemingly having difficulty landing on a candidate.  This dynamic could have two effects of the debates – it could make it all the more important for the candidates to make their positions, and therefore differences from each other, crystal clear.  It could also open the door for the kind of problematic attention seeking that is mentioned above as they try to win both the debate and the resulting media coverage.

We are curious about your impression of the primary debates.  A grade of “A” indicates a strong lean toward the idea that the debates have been a healthy and open back and forth about issue positions, while an “F” would show that you think they have been badly tarnished by exaggeration and distortion.

Rate the quality of the ongoing primary debates

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The GOP Presidential Field for the 2012 Election

Posted on August 22, 2011 by

Some have suggested that the republican presidential field is flawed because it lacks a true distribution of candidates within the various voting blocks necessary to win a national election.  There are certainly social conservatives, fiscal conservatives, mainstream candidates, and established leaders but some have worried that there may not be the perfect candidate to challenge for independent votes in the handful of important swing states.  Others feel that there are already candidates in the field that will successfully garner these votes once independent voters get to know them in the general election.

(Please focus on the viability of the field and do not use this poll to express your view about the Republican party as a whole, whether positive or negative.  Thanks.)

Rate the Republican Presidential Field

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A poll on the Supreme Court in Citizens United

Posted on August 12, 2011 by

Last year the Supreme Court, in a decision split along ideological lines, ruled that it was okay for corporations and unions to donate unlimited amounts of money to political campaigns as long as the money went to groups that would not coordinate with the campaigns themselves.

On the side of the decision were those who believed that the rules of free speech suggested that corporations and unions had the rights to express opinions freely, but those against the decision were those who believed that this might actually give corporations and unions an unfair advantage over the individual voter whose opinion might now be drowned out because these organizations had much more to spend.  Also, those for argued that the media, which in effect is made up of corporations, was already allowed to voice its political opinions, while those against voiced concern that this could open up a flood of special interest money into our political system.

Please use the poll below to grade this decision by the Supreme Court:

Grade the Supreme Court Decision to allow unlimited corporate and union money in campaigns

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Grading Michelle Bachmann’s Early Election Campaign

Posted on July 26, 2011 by

Michelle Bcahmann has opened many eyes.  She has seen a meteoric rise in popularity on the right, especially with social conservatives and tea partiers.  On the left, however fair or unfair, she has become a symbol of far right ideology in Washington.  Whether people like or dislike her stances, one thing remains clear: Michelle Bachmannn has come from being a little known republican congresswoman to a force in the GOP primary campaign.

What grade would you give Michelle Bachmann’s campaign so far, and once again we encourage you to explain your grade in the comments section below.

Grade Michelle Bachmann's Campaign So Far

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Raising the Debt Ceiling, President

Posted on July 18, 2011 by

Our last report card dealt with your grade for the republican house’s handling of the issue of raising the debt ceiling.  The issue remains that the republican party insists that taxes not be raised even on the wealthy and that this is not the time to address corporate taxes, while the democratic party insists that benefit programs such as social security and Medicaid not be significantly cut in any plan. 

The president seemed to be looking for a grand plan that would involve both parties budging from their stances above, though republicans are skeptical that he will cut enough spending.

From what you know and have heard, grade the president on his stance during the debt ceiling negotiations: 

Grade the President's plan and ideas during the debt ceiling talks

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Raising the Debt Ceiling, GOP House

Posted on July 16, 2011 by

Let’s get the ball rolling with a poll about the raising the dent ceiling.  Currently the two parties are at odds about how to do this, with the republican party insisting that taxes not be raised even on the wealthy and the democratic party insisting that benefit programs such as social security and Medicaid not be significantly cut even as they become increasingly expensive.  Both the republican and democratic parties seem to agree that some federal government spending cuts can happen, but it seems that if neither party budgets from the above, it will be hard to reach the goal of raising the ceiling enough.

Given that the GOP is in control of the House where the action currently is, please grade their stance in this debate.

Grade the Rebublican House on theiur behavior during the debt ceiling talks

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