Interviews and Commentary from
Around the Beltway
Weekly updates with Ron Faucheux on the events leading up to the 2012 election
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Chuck Conconi discusses Michele Bachmann’s importance in the upcoming 2012 election. He is joined again by Clarus Research Group President, Ron Faucheux.
Chuck Conconi is back with his weekly update to the political atmosphere surrounding the 2012 campaign. Joining him is President of the Clarus Research Group Ron Faucheux to go over the past week in political news.
Chuck Conconi sits down with Marilyn & Hal Weiner, filmmakers who have produced, written, and directed over 225 documentaries, a dozen “after-school” TV dramas, four public television series, over 100 television commercials, and they have also produced three feature films.
In this episode of Focus Washington, Chuck Conconi interviews Dr. Ron Faucheux of Clarus Research discusses the American political landscape, with particular focus on the potential GOP presidential candidates in the 2012 national election.
Brian Dengler, a partner at the Washington office of Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease LLP, talks with Chuck Conconi about developing an innovative law practice on e-media issues that assists broadcasting, university and start up clients monetize news and online content.
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Bill Plante, veteran White House correspondent, has been at CBS News since 1964. In a wide-ranging interview, he discussed the ever-changing media landscape and the challenges of gathering information from the White House in 2011. Plante also weighs in on the Obama Administration’s handling of the Osama bin Laden killing and which White House has been most forthcoming with the media.
Chuck Conconi: Hello, I am Chuck Conconi with Focus Washington. Joining me today is Randy Teague. He’s a partner at the law firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease.
Randy, thank you for joining us at Focus Washington today.
Randy Teague: Thank you for asking me to be here.
Chuck Conconi: There are a lot of things happening on the Hill, and I’d like to talk to you a little bit about the 2010 elections from the perspective of Ohio, which is where I am from. The Republicans defeated five Democratic incumbents in the House, helping make John Boehner of Ohio Speaker of the House. Other Ohio members are on key committees. Tell me a little bit about the influence Ohio is going to have—or does have.
Randy Teague: I think Ohio does have and will have even more influence here in Washington. Boehner as Speaker is critically important. But Pat Tiberi is on the Ways and Means Committee that handles taxes, trade, Medicare and social security. We have three members on the appropriations committee. I think this is a very good time for Ohio.
Chuck Conconi: It is going to be very influential. That new political clout—what does that mean for companies and industries in Ohio?
Randy Teague: I think it means their voice will be heard louder. Ohio has been a critical state in this country for a long time. But I think now they are going to be able to address the economy, taxes, trade through their members of Congress in ways they have not been able to do in many years.
Chuck Conconi: What are some of the biggest issues you think are going to be facing Congress this year?
Randy Teague: Well it is clearly the economy and jobs, it’s also budget and taxes. But for Ohio it is also exports. Much of Ohio’s economy is tied to exports, not only to Canada, which is obvious, but to Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
As the lame duck congress gets ready to leave Washington, all the newly elected representatives are scurrying around Capitol Hill looking for places to live. Many of them, however, aren’t looking for a house or an apartment, they are arranging for cots so they can sleep in their offices.
In an interview with Chuck Conconi on Focus Washington, Christina Wilkie, The Hill Newspaper’s In the Know columnist explained that since many of the freshmen congressmen will not move their families to Washington, they see no need to spend the additional money on an apartment that some of them can’t afford.
Most of them spend the weekends at home campaigning and raising money for the next election campaign. This, according to Wilkie, can partially explain the lack of civility on Capitol Hill. Unlike in the past, Congressional families got to know each other and the senators or congressmen developed friendships on the golf course or in other social activities. Wilkie, who also once worked for a royal family, said she is watching with fascination the plans for the upcoming British royal wedding.
Except for what was considered the surprising reelection of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, political pollster Dr. Ron Faucheux, said that watching the election returns coming in Nov. 2 was “almost boring” because the outcome was expected.
In a video interview with Chuck Conconi on Focus Washington, Faucheux, who is president of Clarus Research Group, said he had been convinced that Nevada Democrat Reid would be defeated for several reasons including “about the worst economy in the country” and was a symbol of what the voters were protesting. If the Republicans had nominated a better candidate, he added, the outcome would have been different. He defeated Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle.
As to why the political polls were so accurate for this election, Faucheux explained that the Republican sweep across the country was expected because of the sheer volume of polling. In the important states of Ohio and Pennsylvania, Faucheux said there were some days when as many and three or four polls were released.
In a polling of 12 Congressional races facing freshman Democrats, Sean Miller, the Hill Newspaper campaign reporter, told Chuck Conconi in an interview on Focus Washington that the races are tight, but that there still are a number of undecided voters.
