This year’s presidential election is the most exciting, and certainly the most extraordinary, that I can remember. Undoubtedly there is more interest than usual on this side of the Atlantic.
That is why I am launching Ashcroft In America – a major research project to hear from the voters who will decide whether to put Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton in the White House.
Over the next seven weeks, starting next week, my polling team will visit seven states that will help determine the outcome in November. Our focus groups with different kinds of voters will explore how they see the candidates, the parties, the issues at stake and the choice before them.
I will write about our findings here every Friday. In addition, you will be able to enjoy the Ashcroft In America podcast – with “straight from the horse’s mouth” focus group quotes, analysis from the Lord Ashcroft Polls team, and interviews with eminent figures from the American political world.
We’re off to a flying start: our first edition, out today, features interviews with two outstanding commentators. First, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, who tells me how Clinton differs from Barack Obama, and what she thinks a Trump presidency could be like. And then Karl Rove, President Bush’s top political adviser, who tells us how we ended up with the two most unpopular presidential candidates in history and how the Republicans should go about building a sustainable winning coalition.
My aim is for Ashcroft In America to offer a new perspective on this fascinating election. I hope you enjoy it.
