… Polls probably do influence how people vote in some situations, experts say. But it’s not anything like a universal, definitive effect. What’s more, some of them told me they aren’t sure that would be a bad thing. The question isn’t just whether polls determine outcomes, it’s also a debate […] Read more »
What Is Voters’ Highest Priority? There’s a Way to Find Out
Republicans in Congress have tried to discredit the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry by arguing that it distracts Congress from its real duties. One Republican-aligned group recently released a poll of 1,600 voters in four congressional districts that suggested Americans “prioritize issues over impeachment.” But when we look at data on revealed […] Read more »
Yes, views on impeachment are related to belief in conspiracy theories — but not the ones you’d expect
The impeachment inquiry into President Trump is rife with conspiracy theories. It began, in part, with Trump’s demand that the Ukrainians investigate the “CrowdStrike” conspiracy theory, the false idea that Ukraine has the Democratic server that was hacked in 2016. Then came numerous conspiracy theories about congressional witnesses, George Soros […] Read more »
The ‘lane theory’ is the wrong lane to be in
It’s long past time we toss the “lane theory” of primaries into the dustbin of history. Lane theory holds that candidates are essentially running to attract subsets of voters who have consistently different sets of priorities, ideological or otherwise. Until near the end of the race, claims the theory, candidates […] Read more »
Both the Democrats and Republicans were once white majority parties. Now race divides them.
… It is easy to attribute the revival of white supremacy to the presidency of Donald Trump and his perceived friendliness to white nationalist groups. However, Trump is far from the only source. The reemergence of white supremacy goes hand in hand with changing partisan politics in the United States. […] Read more »
The surprising second choices of Democratic primary voters upend political cliches
To many observers, the Democratic presidential primary has highlighted the “profound ideological divides between the Democratic Party’s moderate and progressive wings,” as an Associated Press article put it — two wings locked in a bitter fight for control. … Perhaps that’s how Democratic leaders and activists see the primary. But […] Read more »