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Congress as a whole is less popular than it's been since polling was invented.

The presidency is more than a popularity contest.

Popularity should be no scale for the election of politicians. If it would depend on popularity, Donald Duck and The Muppets would take seats in senate.

I think it is very difficult today to have a reasoned public discourse on any controversial subject. Certainly, election years present a complicating factor.

And if you're getting a poll coming out month after month saying something and then all of a sudden does an enormous swing in one direction - you are dealing with a more volatile electorate than most people believe they have.

Indeed, when all parties campaign effectively the overall effect is to push up voting rates, as you see in tight marginal seats or close general elections. That must be good for democracy.

Wars and elections are both too big and too small to matter in the long run. The daily work - that goes on, it adds up.

There's a big gap between public opinion polls and the vote in Washington, in Congress.

Congress is unpopular. Incumbents are unpopular.

I also know that there have been many times in our history when the proximity of an election has induced exactly the kind of leadership and consensus-building that produce progress in our democracy.