… An ABC News/Washington Post poll finds that 38% of Democrats or independents who leaned towards the party consider themselves liberal, 39% consider themselves moderate and 17% consider themselves conservative. … As I previously noted, the time and the moment may be right for Democrats to nominate their most liberal […] Read more »
Sorry, Howard Schultz. You’re not the centrist American voters are looking for.
“How many of you would consider yourselves fiscally more conservative but socially more liberal?” As I travel around the country speaking to groups of business executives about public opinion and U.S. politics, I often pose that question to the audience. People look around the room, nodding approvingly, feeling validated that […] Read more »
Does the Democratic nominee need to out-Trump Trump? … and other presidential questions for the Democrats
In my last column, I raised three questions Democrats need to answer about the kind of nominee they want in 2020. Do they want an insurgent outsider, do they need someone with experience and must they have a woman and/or African-American on the ticket? In this column, I look at […] Read more »
Is There Room in 2020 for a Centrist Democrat? Maybe One or Two
Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks chief executive contemplating an independent run for president, stated it as a plain matter of fact: For someone with his views — a distinctly white-collar blend of conservative fiscal instincts and liberal social values — there is no suitable political party. That would come as […] Read more »
The ‘Rotten Equilibrium’ of Republican Politics
One clear lesson from the elections of 2016 and 2018 is that President Trump and his fellow Republican candidates win where white voters are losing ground. Take a look at the 2018 congressional results in the upper Midwest and Pennsylvania, states that provided the Electorate College votes crucial to Trump’s […] Read more »
How to have productive disagreements about politics and religion
Psychology research suggests a new tool for your ‘disagreement toolbox.’ Dragon Images/Shutterstock.com Larisa Heiphetz, Columbia University In the current polarized climate, it’s easy to find yourself in the midst of a political disagreement that morphs into a religious argument. People’s religious affiliation predicts their stances on abortion, immigration and other […] Read more »