Free Republic

In a YouGov survey of 1,795 adult citizens conducted between Apr. 6 and Apr. 9, Iger is at -9 net, with 15% viewing him favorably and 24% unfavorably. Meanwhile, DeSantis is better known, but at least for some respondents, familiarity breeds contempt. The second-term Republican stands at -13 net; 34% view him favorably, with 47% regarding him unfavorably. DeSantis is in negative territory with most age, gender and racial cohorts, with only respondents 65 years of age and older regarding him favorably, albeit by a slender 48% to 44% spread.

President Obama insulted many Americans last week when he raised events in Ferguson, Missouri, during his United Nations speech. They chafed at the implied moral equivalence of a shooting still in legal dispute with the many lethal foreign threats besieging the world. While such rhetoric is divisive at home, there is another problem. The president does not seem to understand that most of the world is completely unmoved by such apologies. Most of the world does not see an earnest moralist struggling with America’s complicated past or a humble man admitting his own foibles. Instead, they see a weak leader...

When Gov. Scott Walker went up with an ad last week attacking Tom Barrett, he was looking to weaken a potential June opponent. But Barrett used it as a badge of honor, because it seemed to bolster one of his main arguments to Democratic voters in the May 8 primary -- that he’s the opponent Walker takes most seriously. “I think it’s a bit of a back-handed compliment from the Republicans,” said Barrett spokesman Phil Walzak, who said the Walker ad shows “they’re clearly more concerned about facing Tom Barrett in the general election than any other candidate.” Is Tom...

With just two days to go, the New Jersey gubernatorial election has turned into a horse race among three candidates, a remarkable development considering that the incumbent, Democrat Jon Corzine, has huge unfavorable ratings. As one radio talk-show host put it: “Who is voting for Corzine?” The answer is simple: people who benefit from big government. In a high-tax, big-spending place like Jersey, much of the burden of funding government falls on a narrow slice of residents who pay steeply progressive taxes, while the benefits of expanding government are enjoyed by those who receive more in services than they pay...