While the continuing economic struggles of everyday Americans played a central role in the 2014 election, protecting women’s access to health care, including abortion, played an important part as well. A new NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund survey in four key Senate battleground states demonstrates that voters […] Read more »
Comparing Wave and Calm Elections
Is there something magical and mystical about the number five in elections? After the tsunami of 1994, there were five straight elections that were “calm elections” (1996-2004) and then five straight elections that could be considered wave elections. … Well, the answer is no. There is nothing magical about two […] Read more »
How the Democrats lost: The failed ground game
The combined Democratic campaign placed a large portion of its 2014 success on the premise that they would use a massive investment in technology, grassroots strategy, and boots on the ground to reprise the Obama urban coalition of minorities and younger voters. It failed miserably, and Democrats around the nation […] Read more »
Economy, Anxieties about Terrorism and Ebola Fueled Midterm Discontent
Despite months of employment growth and the lowest unemployment rate since July 2008, more than 6-in-10 Americans think that the country is on the wrong track (62 percent). This negative judgment is fueled by continued economic concerns, coupled with more recent anxieties about the threats of Ebola and terrorism. The […] Read more »
Little Enthusiasm, Familiar Divisions After the GOP’s Big Midterm Victory
After a sweeping midterm election victory on Nov. 4, the Republican Party retook full control of Congress. But the public has mixed reactions to the GOP’s big win – much as it did four years ago, after Republicans gained control of the House though not the Senate. The post-election survey […] Read more »
A Surprising Unsurprising Election
We could call 2014 a surprising unsurprising election. Republican gains proved larger than most anticipated. But there were few shockers in statewide races; instead, Republicans simply won most of the competitive contests. For all the talk of anti-incumbency, only three sitting governors lost. The bigger surprise was the number of […] Read more »