Starting Lineup: A Country, Divided

By Jeremy P. Jacobs  //  February 4, 2011 | 7:18 a.m.
Updated: February 7, 2011 | 10:55 a.m.

Good Friday morning and welcome back to the Starting Lineup. Here's our take on the day's political news.

A Polarization Problem: With all the focus on Pres. Obama's shift to the center in preparation for his reelection campaign, new numbers from Gallup shed light on an uncomfortable statistic for the president: He is one of the most polarizing presidents in recent history.

The Gallup survey, released Friday, found that the gap between the average Obama approval rating among Republicans (13 percent) and Democrats (81 percent) in the last year -- 68 percent -- is the highest for any president in his second year in office.

Now, part of the gap is a result of polarization throughout the country and parties becoming increasingly ideologically homogeneous. Gallup found that the span between Democratic and Republican approval ratings for president has grown significantly in recent years. It also isn't the worst sign for his reelection prospects; Pres. George W. Bush, actually had a 76 point gap in 2004 when he was re-elected.

Obama's recent move to the center -- calling for an end of earmarks, his tax cut compromise -- are clearly designed at appealing to independents and even some Republicans. And if that continues, it marks a different strategy from the one Obama used in 2008, when exciting the base and turning out new voters paved the way to the White House.

Off To The...Map Drawing: The redistricting process in Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia can officially begin, as the U.S. Census released its final numbers late Thursday. Those states go first because they have legislative elections in 2011.

The data shows the official population of each congressional district, which means map drawers now know which districts need to add people and which need to shed them. In Virginia, Loudoun County grew rapidly, necessitating more than one congressman to represent the area. And Louisiana, which will lose a congressional seat, continues to shed population post Hurricane Katrina. In fact, New Orleans has 29 percent fewer people than it did 10 years ago, with 11,000 less voters than it had just one year ago.

Don't Miss: Speaking of redistricting, don't miss the Cook Political Report's David Wasserman's breakdown of redistricting in two of the most complicated states: Florida, which is slated to gain two seats, and Texas, which will pick up four.

Frank's Rematch: Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank's (D) announcement on Thursday that he'll seek reelection in 2012 was immediately greeted by a lengthy -- and highly critical -- statement by his 2010 challenger, Republican Sean Bielat (R). Bielat, a former Marine, is particularly critical of Frank on military issues, saying he wants to "slash our armed forces even if it imperils our security." "Voters," Bielat wrote, "should be wary of sending Frank back to Washington yet again if his goal is to push for such a dangerous and ideological agenda." The eight paragraph release immediately raises the specter of a rematch. Bielat gave Frank a closer run in 2010 than he has had in decades, but he still lost by 10 points. He did, however, gain national recognition -- and a national fundraising base -- in the process of taking on the former chair of the Financial Services Committee. If nothing else, his statement means we haven't seen the last of Bielat, and neither has Frank. You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Former Republican Rep. Mark Foley (R), who had to leave office in 2006 amid an Internet sex scandal involving House pages, resurfaced in politics last week and spoke at a Palm Beach County Young Republicans meeting. But wait, it gets better. Foley also popped up on Tuesday at the grand opening of Rep. Allen West's (R) new district office. West, no stranger to garnering controversy, drew fresh scrutiny this week after he raised questions about a House colleague's ties to a Muslim group. The Starting Five 1. Potential 2012 Republican White House contenders have stayed remarkably silent on the crisis in Egypt. 2. Missouri Rep. Sam Graves (R) won't run for the Senate. That leaves Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) and 2011 Republican National Committee chair candidate Ann Wagner as the other Republicans who may still join former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman and Republican Ed Martin in the GOP field. 3. Jeb Bush graces the cover of National Review and doesn't rule out a run for the White House in 2016. 4. Texas Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D) has filed for bankruptcy. Hinojosa sits on the House Financial Services Committee. 5. And Jennifer Lopez will attend the White House Super Bowl party this weekend.

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