When New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shocked the political world by unseating a 10-term incumbent in a Democratic primary in 2018, some analysts believed the victory might foreshadow a party shift to progressivism. But three years later, the evidence for the great turn leftward is scant. In fact, looking at […] Read more »
How a bad response to a weather disaster can ruin a political career
The tragic situation in Texas following this week’s historic cold snap and power outages has people pointing fingers. Perhaps the ire has been pointed toward no one more than Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who left the state for Cancun, Mexico. It’s obviously too early to know what if any political […] Read more »
Governing, the Economy, and Coronavirus
This week, a look at the way coronavirus is reshaping our worldview. … During times of crisis, people look to the President. A strong show of leadership has the power to calm nerves and reassure audiences that everything will be okay. Professor Barbara Perry is the Presidential Studies Director at […] Read more »
Democrats are making big gains in the suburbs. Here’s why that may not be enough to beat Trump.
Democrats are rightfully ecstatic that they won two of the three 2019 elections for governor in deep red Southern states, overcoming relentless campaign visits by President Donald Trump. … The continued migration of highly college-educated suburbs away from Republicans in the Trump era is welcome news for Democrats. The Kentucky […] Read more »
Democrats Were Both Lucky and Good in the Off-Year Elections
With Saturday’s gubernatorial runoff in Louisiana, the 2019 odd-year elections are now in the record books. Did Democrats capturing the governorship of Kentucky and reelecting a governor in Louisiana, though coming up short in Mississippi, mean anything? Are these results canaries in the proverbial coal mine or just random events? […] Read more »
Trump’s options for winning a second term are narrowing
The tumultuous impeachment hearings and the string of GOP election losses this fall underline the electoral risks Republicans are courting as they allow President Donald Trump to refashion the party in his combative image. In overlapping ways, the election results and the hearings — in particular Trump’s characteristically belligerent response […] Read more »