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<title><![CDATA[Mark Mellman - Articles - RealClearPolitics]]></title><link>http://www.RealClearPolicy.com/authors/rss/archive/15252.xml</link><description><![CDATA[Mark Mellman]]></description><category domain="15252">Author</category><item>
							<title><![CDATA[DNC Drama Is Quickly Becoming the Democrats' Brand]]></title>
							<link>https://www.salon.com/2025/05/15/top-pollster-mark-melman-warns-dnc-drama-is-quickly-becoming-the-democrats-brand/</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[https://www.salon.com/2025/05/15/top-pollster-mark-melman-warns-dnc-drama-is-quickly-becoming-the-democrats-brand/]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Thu, 15 May 2025 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA["Showing off internal battles, be they ideological, personal, or otherwise, doesn't do anything to help the party"]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Trump Picked a Fight Against Harvard and Is Already Losing]]></title>
							<link>https://thehill.com/opinion/5298557-trump-attacks-college-universities/</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[https://thehill.com/opinion/5298557-trump-attacks-college-universities/]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 14 May 2025 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[President Trump and his minions are operating on the assumption that Americans harbor substantial animosity toward colleges and universities. Their premise is importantly wrong.'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';']]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Trump Has Gone Too Far, and Americans Are Noticing]]></title>
							<link>https://thehill.com/opinion/5227009-trump-executive-orders/</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[https://thehill.com/opinion/5227009-trump-executive-orders/]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[Donald Trump'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' won the election in part because voters endorsed his broadly stated goals, if not his specific policies. As I argued here a few weeks ago though, the worm is turning on the president. That'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s partly because Americans fear he'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s gone too far.'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';']]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Were Polls Right? RCP Averages Performed Well This Year]]></title>
							<link>https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4999776-polls-accuracy-2024-election/</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4999776-polls-accuracy-2024-election/]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Thu, 21 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[Since 2004, on average, over 83 percent of the swing states fell in the same direction.]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Half the Country Will Vote for Trump. What Is His Appeal?]]></title>
							<link>https://thehill.com/opinion/4935813-trump-appeal-conservatism/</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[https://thehill.com/opinion/4935813-trump-appeal-conservatism/]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 16 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[For me, Donald Trump is like pornography '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('”').';' he has no socially redeeming value.'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';']]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Would a Guilty Verdict Doom Trump at the Ballot Box?]]></title>
							<link>https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/25/opinions/trump-guilty-verdict-2024-vote-mellman/index.html</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/25/opinions/trump-guilty-verdict-2024-vote-mellman/index.html]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Sun, 26 May 2024 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[We'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'re in the midst of a historic first: As Donald Trump'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s trial winds down, a jury will decide as early as the coming week whether the former president is guilty of a crime resulting from his alleged effort to conceal the hush money paid to Stormy Daniels.]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Religion's Political Power]]></title>
							<link>https://thehill.com/opinion/4571486-mellman-religions-political-power/</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[https://thehill.com/opinion/4571486-mellman-religions-political-power/]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 03 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[Donald Trump,'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' hardly known'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' as'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' a'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' scholar of Christian scripture, is now hawking Bibles. It is'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' a'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' strange story that sums up'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' an important reality in'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' America today.'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';']]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[It's No Surprise That the SOTU Didn't Help Biden]]></title>
							<link>https://thehill.com/homenews/4543322-mellman-the-sotu-fails-to-move-bidens-numbers-thats-no-surprise/</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[https://thehill.com/homenews/4543322-mellman-the-sotu-fails-to-move-bidens-numbers-thats-no-surprise/]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[It almost seems like they were setting him up.'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' The commentariat was unanimous and unambiguous: This year'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s State of the Union speech would likely be the most important of'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' Joe Biden'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' presidency.'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';']]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Why Is Haley Postponing Her Reckoning With Reality?]]></title>
							<link>https://thehill.com/opinion/4452669-presidential-candidates-dont-know-when-to-fold/</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[https://thehill.com/opinion/4452669-presidential-candidates-dont-know-when-to-fold/]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 07 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[The late'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' Kenny Rogers'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' wasn'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'t singing about our presidential nominating process, but he could'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'ve been: '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('œ').';'You'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'ve got to know when to hold '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'em, know when to fold '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'em; know when to walk away, know when to run.'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('�').';''&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';']]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[How Our Constitution Works Against Majority Will]]></title>
							<link>https://thehill.com/opinion/4249015-mellman-how-our-constitution-works-against-majority-will/</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[https://thehill.com/opinion/4249015-mellman-how-our-constitution-works-against-majority-will/]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 11 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[I'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'m certain I disagree with Rep.'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' Dusty Johnson'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' (R-S.D.) on scores of issues, but he seems like a reasonable, thoughtful, somewhat moderate fellow who looks younger than his years and wants to get things done. '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';'  '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';']]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Will 2022 Tell Us About 2024?]]></title>
							<link>https://thehill.com/opinion/3523827-mellman-will-2022-tell-us-about-2024/</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[https://thehill.com/opinion/3523827-mellman-will-2022-tell-us-about-2024/]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[While no one knows exactly how bad this year will be for Democrats, every serious analyst recognizes 2022 is unlikely to be good for my party. Whatever the precise outcome, too many will blithely assume that the 2022 results will yield significant insights into President'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' Biden'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';'...]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Put a Black Woman on the Supreme Court]]></title>
							<link>https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/592387-mellman-put-a-black-woman-on-the-supreme-court</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/592387-mellman-put-a-black-woman-on-the-supreme-court]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 02 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[Putting a Black woman in Supreme Court deliberations will mean wiser decisions, and that's a great reason for President Biden to select his first justice from the large pool of brilliant, well -qualified, Black female judges.]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[The Republican Party's Continuing Donald Trump Problem]]></title>
							<link>https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/546817-mellman-the-gops-continuing-donald-trump-problem</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/546817-mellman-the-gops-continuing-donald-trump-problem]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Sat, 10 Apr 2021 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[Fealty to Trump that may be necessary to win a primary could be politically deadly in a general election.]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Biden Is Leading in the Polls, But Don't Rule Trump Out Yet]]></title>
							<link>https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/503067-mellman-is-biden-really-ahead-of-trump</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/503067-mellman-is-biden-really-ahead-of-trump]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Sun, 21 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[As of today, Joe Biden clearly leads Donald Trump in the race for the White House. Suggesting otherwise borders on the foolish.]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[So Many GOP Candidates, So Little Love]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/mark-mellman/238152-mark-mellman-so-many-candidates-so-little-love</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/mark-mellman/238152-mark-mellman-so-many-candidates-so-little-love]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[A seemingly interminable flight, blessed with a well-stocked video-on-demand system, afforded me the opportunity to watch Woody Allen'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s classic '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('œ').';'Annie Hall'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('�').';' again after a hiatus of many years. At one point, the star tells a joke about two elderly women '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('”').';' who, after a...]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[A Winning Message, But Losing Candidates]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/mark-mellman/224644-mark-mellman-a-winning-message-but-losing</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/mark-mellman/224644-mark-mellman-a-winning-message-but-losing]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[Democrats'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';' economic agenda fared far better than Democratic candidates on Election Day. Minimum wage increases garnered big majorities in Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota as voters were pummeling Democratic Senate candidates in those same states.Of course, candidates are...]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Republicans Fall Over the Cliff]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/276183-republicans-fall-over-the-cliff</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/276183-republicans-fall-over-the-cliff]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[Just how much did the fiscal-cliff debate hurt the GOP? A lot. Politically attuned Republicans ought to consider the damage already wrought as they plan strategy for the next round, instead of getting giddy about a government default.While the fiscal cliff did not command as much...]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Obama Still Likely to Emerge as Winner]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/264957-returning-to-the-fundamentals-</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/264957-returning-to-the-fundamentals-]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[With Election Day fast approaching, let's toss the confusing welter of polls for a moment and return to the fundamentals I have been emphasizing here for years.First is the economy. It's not good, but that's not the key point. We are, as calculus geeks would say, a first-derivative...]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Attacks on Bain Are Not Anti-Capitalist]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/230021-bain-is-fair-game-for-obama</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/230021-bain-is-fair-game-for-obama]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[The Obama campaign'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s attacks on Mitt Romney'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s tenure at Bain are not attacks on free enterprise, capitalism or even private equity.'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' Capitalism did not require Bain to issue debt that GS Steel could not afford to repay, mainly to put money in the pockets of Bain partners....]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[President Obama Isn't &quot;Toast&quot; in 2012]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/196063-is-obama-toast-in-2012-</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/196063-is-obama-toast-in-2012-]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[If Barack Obama is '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('œ').';'toast,'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('�').';' as one now-infamous headline conjectured, why is the broadest-based forecast (Pollyvote) projecting the president will be reelected with 51.1 percent of the vote? That'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s way too close for anyone'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s comfort, and it presages an exceedingly...]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Crisis of Confidence Is Widespread]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/184265-crisis-of-confidence-is-widespread</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/184265-crisis-of-confidence-is-widespread]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[It'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s no secret that America is suffering a crisis of confidence. The breadth and depth of that crisis, however, is overwhelming. Attention has been focused on Congress'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s low ratings, but Gallup reported this week that Americans were expressing '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('œ').';'historic negativity'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('�').';'...]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Bin Laden Rally Goes by the Book]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/160371-bin-laden-rally-goes-by-the-book</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/160371-bin-laden-rally-goes-by-the-book]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[Last week, forced to write about the political impact of Osama bin Laden's killing without a single poll, I confined myself to reciting the history and theory behind rally effects those bumps presidents get in approval in the wake of intense foreign-policy events.History offered four...]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Feeling the Pinch: U.S. Hit with Rising Prices]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/155657-price-of-food-gas-reverses-fiscal-gains</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/155657-price-of-food-gas-reverses-fiscal-gains]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[While Washington has been transfixed by budget deal-making, voters  have been focused elsewhere, keeping worried watch over what they  perceive to be a deteriorating economy '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('”').';' a perception fueled,  importantly, by rising gas prices.Acutely aware of the central  electoral role of the...]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Walker Is Waging Jihad on Public Unions]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/146901-scott-walkers-wacky-world-</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/146901-scott-walkers-wacky-world-]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s (R) jihad against public employee unions  is about 30 years late and likely to make Republicans even less popular  with voters, who endorse collective bargaining rights for public  employees '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('”').';' professionals for whom they have abiding respect....]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Envisioning Egypt's Future]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/142891-envisioning-egypts-future</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/142891-envisioning-egypts-future]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[Egypt'&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('™').';'s revolutionary turmoil has produced any number of fairly  confident predictions about its future as a pluralist democracy. John  McCain expressed it this way: '&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('¢').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('€').';''&#'.ord('Â').';''&#'.ord('œ').';'I have confidence in the Egyptian people  that they are not going to elect an extremist. They are not going to ...]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Midterm Defections: The Real Story of 2010]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/132553-deflation-or-defection-in-midterms</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/132553-deflation-or-defection-in-midterms]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[Turnout fetishists, who interpret this and most every election in terms of who did and did not come to the polls, are again infesting the commentariat. Of course, almost by definition, if more Democrats showed up, along with fewer Republicans, Democrats would have performed better. But...]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Uncertainty Still Lies Before Us on Midterms]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/123933-great-uncertainty-still-lies-before-us</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/123933-great-uncertainty-still-lies-before-us]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[For months, the narrative has been imprinted on our brains: Weighed down by an economy that still feels mired in recession and a president whose popularity is sagging as a result, Democrats face electoral Armageddon in November. Fueling this plot line has been a relentless focus on...]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[The Public Attitude's Four Antis]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/98491-the-public-attitudes-four-antis</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/98491-the-public-attitudes-four-antis]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA['&#'.ord('Ã').';''&#'.ord('‚').';' Regardless of Tuesday's results (I am writing before the votes have been cast), the fundamental contours of public attitudes shaping this year's electoral environment are already etched in bold relief. They can be summarized, in part, as the four antis:"? anti-politics;"?...]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[Building Support: Healthcare History Lessons]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/92023-healthcare-history-lessons</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/92023-healthcare-history-lessons]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[President Obama recently and rightly chastised poll-waving pundits for parroting premature conclusions about the popularity of healthcare reform, based on the absence of a post-passage surge in support. Wait until the bill takes effect, then views will change, the president advised.Just...]]></description>
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							<title><![CDATA[It's Too Soon to Write Off Obama]]></title>
							<link>http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/85801-some-quick-to-write-off-obama</link>
							<guid><![CDATA[http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/mark-mellman/85801-some-quick-to-write-off-obama]]></guid>							
							<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
							<author>Mark Mellman</author>
							<description><![CDATA[Another lede concluded that the president's "once-dazzling political momentum "has stalled."A noted columnist captured the pack's mood: "the Washington press corps is suddenly in hot pursuit of "an administration in disarray,' which is coming apart at the seams under " a "detached...]]></description>
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