Thursday night was the conclusion of the first Democratic primary debate, and, like everybody else, we’re trying to make sense of what we watched. Some candidates had breakout moments while others were pushed to the sidelines. But did these moments really make a difference to viewers? In an attempt to […] Read more »
2 Debates, 20 Candidates, 26 Hours
The opening two debates of what Democrats hope is the 2020 Donald Trump Demolition Derby are in the books. Ultimately, the polls and maybe the upcoming donation totals will tell us whether there were any clear winners, and whether the debate changed anything. CONT. Larry J. Sabato & Kyle Kondik, […] Read more »
What to Make of the Democratic Debates
It is dangerous to read too much into any debate —especially one held more than six months before the first Democratic caucus in Iowa. Even so, these first two Democratic debates are instructive. First, they give us a benchmark for evaluating these candidates over time: Who wears well and who […] Read more »
Cory Booker Is Trailing In The Polls, But Some Democratic Activists Really Like Him
The first Democratic primary debates are nearly here, but the early-state Democratic Party activists I’m interviewing for my book on the future of the party are still largely undecided. Three more activists have committed to supporting just one candidate, but what struck me in this latest round of surveys was […] Read more »
Are Lanes Emerging In The Democratic Primary?
The first Democratic primary debates are scheduled for later this week, but the candidates are already butting heads. Joe Biden’s comments about his past work with segregationists in the U.S. Senate earned him strong pushback from Cory Booker, and Bernie Sanders appeared to be taking a jab at Elizabeth Warren […] Read more »
Joe Biden’s challenge: Sustaining support from black voters
… An average of our CNN polling in late April and late May shows Biden lapping the field among black voters with about 50%. Harris, Sanders and Warren were all between 5% and 10%. Biden’s 40 point lead among black voters was more than double his about 15 point lead […] Read more »