California Gov. Gavin Newsom ably fended off a recall attempt from Republicans on Tuesday, changing the stakes of the contest from a referendum on his own performance and into a partisan fight over Trumpism and the coronavirus. Here are five takeaways from Newsom’s victory: CONTINUED Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press Read more »
How today’s politics is a throwback — to the 1890s
We are now in a period of intense partisanship and polarization, with each party painting the other as extreme, untrustworthy and even dangerous. But while current levels of partisanship may seem unique, another rarely mentioned period in American history, from the late 1880s to the mid-1890s, produced comparable levels of […] Read more »
How the California recall could strengthen the push for Covid mandates
The closely watched California gubernatorial recall election on Tuesday is poised to send precisely the opposite political message that its proponents initially intended. It was a strong gust of discontent in the state’s most conservative regions last year over Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stringent measures to fight the Covid-19 pandemic […] Read more »
Higher Approval, a New Electorate and No Arnold. This Isn’t 2003.
As Californians who haven’t already voted by mail head to the polls for the recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday, they may be reminded of a similar election 18 years ago. In 2003, another Democratic governor, Gray Davis, was recalled and replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s easy to […] Read more »
How Outrage Over Vaccine Mandates Became a Mainstream G.O.P. Stance
Like other Republican governors around the country, Tate Reeves of Mississippi reacted angrily to the coronavirus vaccine mandates President Biden imposed on private businesses. Declaring the move “terrifying,” he wrote on Twitter: “This is still America, and we still believe in freedom from tyrants.” There is a deep inconsistency in […] Read more »
Most Republicans want Trump as the GOP’s leader but are divided about whether he’d help them retake the White House
Most Republicans want former President Donald Trump to remain their party’s leader, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. But differing views about Trump’s role in the party — and his strength as a future presidential nominee — highlight divides within the GOP. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say, […] Read more »