It’s no secret that Iowa has been only lightly touched by the increasing racial diversity that has reconfigured the Democratic Party nationwide. But while the demographic change evident in the Democratic coalition has largely bypassed Iowa, the state has been swept up in the party’s most important geographic change. Democrats […] Read more »
What Iowa caucus voters reveal about the Democratic Party
The Iowa caucuses are going to give one Democratic presidential hopeful a boost as the primary season kicks off on Feb. 3. Which candidate? That will most likely depend greatly on what the caucus electorate looks like on that day. And in recent election years, that has varied a lot. […] Read more »
A Reckoning Over Iowa
… Many Democratic activists, especially but not exclusively those from minority communities, are perplexed and frustrated that the candidates of color who were considered most viable when the presidential contest began—Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, former Cabinet Secretary Julían Castro—have been forced from the race before the first votes […] Read more »
Why Democrats Still Have to Appeal to the Center, but Republicans Don’t
American politics has been dominated by the Democratic and Republican Parties since the Civil War. That gives us the illusion of stability — that today’s political divisions cut roughly the same lines as yesteryear. But in recent decades, the two parties have been changing, and fast. Those changes are ideological […] Read more »
Identity politics won’t win this presidential election
… Identity doesn’t solely define American politics. Voters aren’t vassals who blindly support candidates who look or act (or eat or pray) like them. And frankly, it’s insulting to presume that a certain slice of a demographic will support a candidate simply because they share a candidate’s characteristic or trait. […] Read more »
Trump’s abrasive personality might help him win reelection — if voters feel it’s a dangerous world
… Pundits and commentators often suggest that Donald Trump was elected despite negative coverage. Voters, according to conventional wisdom, want leaders who are likable — the kind of person you could have a beer with. In this view, if Donald Trump gets reelected, his voters must be closing their eyes […] Read more »