Americans have increasingly dismal views of the economy, but they don’t blame Trump

… In new survey data from the Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape project, the percentage of Americans who believe the economy is worse than a year ago has increased dramatically — to 46 percent in the most recent survey from 18 percent only a month ago. … The question, however, […] Read more »

A Coronavirus Recession Could Doom Trump’s Reelection Chances

Key Points • The coronavirus public health crisis likely will lead to an economic downturn of unknown length and severity. • Historically, second-quarter GDP growth in the election year is an important variable in predicting how an incumbent president will perform in the fall. • A recession could seriously damage […] Read more »

Coronavirus is a test Trump can’t pass with ideology alone

The coronavirus’ relentless spread is exposing Donald Trump to a question no president wants to hear: Is he up to the job? For supporters and opponents alike, questions about Trump’s basic competence as a manager of the federal government have taken a back seat during his presidency to the fierce […] Read more »

The Sanders Coalition Is Not Quite What We Thought It Was

… A crucial bloc of Sanders’s 2016 voters is no longer a part of the Democratic primary electorate. The remnant of the conservative wing of the Democratic Party that in 2016 voiced its hostility to Clinton by voting for Sanders has now turned to President Trump. Many of these former […] Read more »