One big irony: Our Founding Fathers thought the House of Representatives would be the most sensitive barometer of public opinion, because representatives have to face the voters every two years.

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Twitter -- the closest thing to an instant barometer of public opinion -- exploded with reaction.

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Nearly 2, 500 seats are up for grabs in less than two weeks' time in an election that will be closely watched as a barometer of public opinion two years before the scheduled date of the next general election.

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The Drumcree stand-off is not central to the fraught peace process, but it recurs as a kind of barometer of unionist public opinion.

ECONOMIST: Green, orange, 10% black