“Culture wars” politicking, which uses values-driven arguments to take advantage of polarization between religious groups, has always been an important part of Donald Trump’s political playbook. Nevertheless, Trump seems to have doubled down on the culture wars in spring and summer 2019, using executive action to move policy in a […] Read more »
Who is ahead in the Democratic primary race?
Twenty-seven candidates have thrown their hat into the ring for the Democrats’ presidential nominating contest in 2020. This field, the largest ever, includes United States senators and House representatives, mayors, entrepreneurs and even a self-help guru. Some candidates have already withdrawn. Those who remain are engaged in a battle for […] Read more »
Dems fear another rural wipeout will reelect Trump
As Democratic presidential candidates descended on the Iowa State Fair, a plane buzzed overhead, an ominous warning fluttering behind it on a banner: “Focus on Rural America.” Democrats hoping to win the White House in 2020 recognize how critical that advice is after 2016, when Hillary Clinton turned in strong […] Read more »
If the Economy Dips, Will Trump’s Fortunes Follow?
… The old adage that Americans vote their pocketbooks used to be a safe assumption. But things are more complicated now, and the economy is not quite as major a driver in presidential popularity as it once was. As this column mentioned last month, noted political scientists John Sides, Lynn […] Read more »
Government: The Most Important Issue Facing 2020 Candidates
The American public’s broad concerns about the role of the federal government in their lives have evolved into, I believe, the most important issue in our current political environment. Debates over the role of government have defined the American Experience going back to the nation’s founding — but now more […] Read more »
Could Trump Drive Young White Evangelicals Away From The GOP?
A central message of President Trump’s insurgent candidacy in 2016 boiled down to this: Millions of Americans are losers — economically, culturally and even demographically. Perhaps no group needed less convincing of this proposition than white evangelical Christians, who have long felt embattled. “Make America Great Again” was the perfect […] Read more »