The Democratic Party’s autopsy of its devastating defeat in 2014 calls for a renewed focus on the party’s message and winning back white Southern voters. In preliminary findings unveiled Saturday at a meeting of the Democratic National Committee, a task force studied the party’s defeats in 2010 and 2014—despite its […] Read more »
Why Outside Spending Is Overrated
… While there is little evidence that conservative outside groups were successful in influencing the results of either the presidential election or key Senate contests in 2012, some observers believe that their efforts may have had a greater impact on the 2014 midterm elections, especially in the crucial battle for […] Read more »
White-Out: Where Democrats Lost the House
Republicans have surged to their largest majority in the House of Representatives since before the Great Depression by blunting the Democratic advantage in districts being reshaped by growing racial diversity and consolidating a decisive hold over the seats that are not. Compared with 2009 and 2010, when Democrats last controlled […] Read more »
Losing the Tea Party Baggage
With the demographic composition of the electorate rapidly changing, what is the best way for Republicans in diverse states to campaign? The election in November of Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado provides a template for the party on how to succeed in a battleground state with two ascendant constituencies: well-educated […] Read more »
A Closer Look at the Colorado Senate Race
Colorado was the state that got away from Republicans in 2010 when Michael Bennet, the Democrat, won a come-from-behind victory. Yet if any Republican Senate win in 2014 was symbolic of the completeness of that party’s victory on Nov. 4, it was Cory Gardner’s in Colorado. CONT. Nate Cohn, New […] Read more »
2014: The year in the polls
Polling in 2014 found Americans voicing a lot of worry and concern – and continued dissatisfaction toward Washington that managed to hit record numbers by some measures. Americans offered slightly more positive views of the economy overall then in recent years, but nothing like pre-crash levels. And the political year, […] Read more »