Trump, Biden and the Myth of ‘But 2016’

… Just as William Faulkner wrote about how Southerners once daydreamed about the moments before Pickett’s Charge, before Gettysburg turned the tide of the Civil War, some activists seem frozen in the post-midnight hours of Nov. 9, 2016, when Mr. Trump won and time — political time — stopped like […] Read more »

The Partisan Gap in Views of the Coronavirus

The major political parties in the U.S. embrace significantly different approaches in their views of human nature, policy issues and the role of government. Americans who identify with either of the two major political parties in turn reflect these differences in the way they view and interpret the world around […] Read more »

Social Distancing as a Red-Blue Divide

After nearly two months of the economy effectively being shut down, among the most bitter debates today is over when and how to reopen it. … While Democrats and liberals tend to put equity, justice, leveling the playing field, and, in this case, sacrifice for the common good at the […] Read more »

Where are people less likely to obey coronavirus restrictions? Republican counties.

President Trump is cheering on Republican governors who lift stay-at-home orders, criticizing Democratic governors who’ve been more cautious and supporting right-wing protests against stay-at-home orders. Coronavirus politics, in other words, like climate change politics, is riven by party. According to recent survey research, average Americans may be following their party […] Read more »

Trump Brings in the Infantry for His War on Blue America

Even during the shared national challenge of the coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump is escalating his attacks on the institutions of blue America. And a growing number of other Republicans are joining him. Trump has long provoked questions about whether he respects the legitimacy of small-d democratic institutions. But in […] Read more »

Is the California special election a bellwether of things to come? The GOP hopes so

It’s morning again in America for the GOP, or at least in California today. The hard-fought special election for the state’s 25th District ended Wednesday when Democrat Christy Smith conceded the race to Republican Mike Garcia. Republicans have managed to flip a blue seat in California for the first time […] Read more »