As New Yorkers learn more about their new governor and Democrats look ahead to a June gubernatorial primary, Governor Kathy Hochul leads her closest opponent by between 14 and 19 points in three potential primary scenarios, according to a new Siena College poll of registered New York State voters. … […] Read more »
Out of office and off the ballot, Trump’s influence still looms
The two candidates in the Virginia governor’s race are talking more about Donald Trump, the former President, than they are about Joe Biden, the White House’s current occupant. That disparity in the dialogue between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin points toward an unusual, even unprecedented, dynamic looming over […] Read more »
All politics isn’t local anymore
I’ve spent plenty of time over the past three decades reminding national political reporters and political junkies that off-year gubernatorial races don’t tell us a hell of a lot about what will happen in the next midterm election or the next presidential contest. State and local races, after all, tend […] Read more »
Cherry-Picking Polls to Hide Public Support for Biden’s Spending Plan
Washington Post columnist Henry Olsen (9/30/21) lauded Sen. Joe Manchin’s opposition to the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package being considered by Congress, because Manchin “correctly reads public opinion.” That opinion, Olsen asserted, does not support the “radical change” that the reconciliation package, known as the Build Back Better bill, entails. His […] Read more »
Why neither party has a sustainable political majority
Let me tell you a little story. Nine years ago, Barack Obama won a second term in office, and there was talk of an emerging Democratic majority in presidential elections. Then came Donald Trump, the least liked major party nominee of all time, who won the 2016 election — albeit […] Read more »
Virginia is for worriers: Governor race poses real risk to Dem agenda
The Democratic Party’s fortunes are increasingly tied to someone who’s never served a day in federal office: Terry McAuliffe. Losing ground in a Virginia gubernatorial campaign once seen as a near-lock for Democrats, McAuliffe has sought to nationalize the race — calling out congressional inaction and President Joe Biden’s waning […] Read more »