The 2018 elections marked a notable increase in the influence of ideological media over both major American parties. Conservative media sources, led by Fox News Channel, further solidified their power within the Republican Party, main-taining their traditional role of informing and mobilizing Republican voters while extending their reach to become […] Read more »
Why the Senate Is the Big 2020 Story
Just about everyone interested in American politics these days is focused on what Special Counsel Robert Mueller is expected to do in the coming weeks, along with the unfolding presidential contest. To the extent there is any remaining political bandwidth, it’s mostly on the U.S. House, where Republicans would need […] Read more »
2020 House Overview: Can Democrats Keep Their Majority?
The spectacle in North Carolina’s 9th District makes 2018 feel like the election that will never end. And, the looming presidential primaries are rapidly overshadowing congressional politics. But the 2020 fight for the House is already underway, with both the DCCC and NRCC working behind the scenes to identify the […] Read more »
Did the Cohen Testimony Change Anything?
At the beginning of the day on Wednesday, I said that the two most important things to watch for at Michael Cohen’s testimony to the House Oversight Committee were: 1. Does it put pressure on Democrats to call for an impeachment investigation? 2. Does it move public opinion of the […] Read more »
Can a senator be nominated and win the White House?
The abundance of sitting senators running for president seems to confirm the old joke that a senator looking into a mirror sees a future president. But it doesn’t say much about whether the Senate is a good springboard to the White House. Historically, it has not been. CONT. Stuart Rothenberg, […] Read more »
Why Democrats are not afraid of gun control anymore
The House of Representatives this week is poised to pass its most significant gun control legislation since President Bill Clinton’s first term — and in the process highlight a fundamental transformation in the Democratic Party’s center of gravity. … The willingness, even eagerness, of most House Democrats to embrace new […] Read more »