The Responsiveness of Approval Voting to Political Circumstances

Another example of network reporting done well-and thus an example to emulate-was the discussion of the impact of the election on Reagan's political clout in Congress. ABC's Brit Hume projected changes in the new Congress based on interviews with winning candidates. The shift, he reported, was toward more liberals and, therefore, the president would win fewer controversial votes. But, Democratic strength was not so great that it could overcome presidential vetoes. Either political stalemate or more compromise by Reagan was Hume's prediction for the next two years. Hume's report is notable for informative conclusions that were amply supported by the evidence presented. Contrary to the exaggerated reactions of Rather and others, Hume recognized that Reagan would not need to abandon his economic