All eyes are on the Old Dominion tonight, as the race between former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and businessman Glenn Youngkin comes down to the wire. My colleague Jessica Taylor has written a definitive account of how this blue state has become the site of a statewide Toss Up contest. […] Read more »
What Virginia’s election says about the nation
Whoever wins Virginia’s tight gubernatorial race Tuesday, the commonwealth will offer a fascinating read on where the country’s stormy politics stand a year after Joe Biden beat Donald Trump, and may point to what happens next. In the closing days of the race, both nominees in Virginia — as well […] Read more »
‘The power of two’: How Manchin and Sinema are blocking a new Democratic consensus
It’s hard to see amid the stormy conflict with Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, but the elongated Democratic standoff over President Joe Biden’s economic agenda shows how far the party consensus has moved toward a more aggressive role for government than during the presidencies of Bill Clinton or even […] Read more »
Virginia Buries an Enduring Political Myth
The political universe Tuesday night will look a lot like the start of a NASCAR auto race, with the Virginia governor’s election serving as the starting gun for the next year — or two or three — of campaign diagnostics. You can already hear the budding analysis: “Democrats See Midterm […] Read more »
Biden Job Approval Slides As Presidency Arrives At Key Turning Point
President Joe Biden’s job approval rating has gone from honeymoon heights to underwater in just three months. The November IBD/TIPP Poll finds Biden’s approval rating sinking 5.3 points to 46.9, after topping 60 at the start of August. That 46.9 rating reflects Biden’s net 5% disapproval rating: 40% of adults […] Read more »
Could anti-Trump messaging be more effective in 2022 than in 2021?
A wise friend of mine recently observed that if Democrats can’t turn Virginia’s gubernatorial election into a referendum on former President Donald Trump, it’s hard to see how that strategy would work in swing states in 2022. It’s a very reasonable point, since Trump lost Virginia by 10 points last […] Read more »