… Elections don’t convey policy mandates because most voters don’t vote on policy. Instead, they vote based on longstanding loyalties to one party or the other. As political scientist Gabriel Lenz shows, rather than using policy to choose a candidate, voters more often choose the candidate first, and then mold their policy views to fit those of the candidate they support. …
Consistent with the idea that the 2012 election didn’t convey a mandate, public opinion about the shutdown battle doesn’t suggest a clear-cut victory for either side. Partisan loyalties dominate: the vast majority of Republicans say they’ll blame Obama and congressional Democrats for a shutdown, and the vast majority of Democrats say they’ll blame congressional Republicans. [cont.]
John Sides (GWU), Washington Post
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