The two dozen Democratic candidates currently vying for the chance to unseat President Donald Trump in 2020 are an ideologically and demographically diverse group, with wide-ranging views on major issues of the day. Yet, given a choice, 58% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents prioritize a candidate’s ability to beat Trump […] Read more »
Are Lanes Emerging In The Democratic Primary?
The first Democratic primary debates are scheduled for later this week, but the candidates are already butting heads. Joe Biden’s comments about his past work with segregationists in the U.S. Senate earned him strong pushback from Cory Booker, and Bernie Sanders appeared to be taking a jab at Elizabeth Warren […] Read more »
Black leaders welcome renewed focus on race — stumbles and all
… The emergence of race as a central issue in recent days, on the presidential campaign as well as in Washington, has underscored the increasingly important role the subject is playing in the Democratic Party in the age of Trump and is pressuring the Democratic candidates to demonstrate their awareness […] Read more »
‘Electability’ is the most important, least understood word in the 2020 race
The most important factor in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary is also the most unknowable: Electability. Unlike primary voters in every other recent presidential election, Democrats are still so rattled by the 2016 election that they keep telling pollsters they’ll vote for whichever candidate they think has the best chance […] Read more »
‘The Black Vote Is Not Monolithic’: 2020 Democrats Find Split Preferences in South Carolina
Joseph R. Biden Jr. enjoys a sizable advantage with black voters in South Carolina right now, and not just at lunch tables where they discuss candidates over freshly caught shrimp and fried fish. Recent polls have shown him with support from about 50 percent of African-American voters in the state. […] Read more »
People Who Can’t Vote Still Count Politically in America. What if That Changes?
… The Constitution is clear that congressional seats must be apportioned by total population. But states and local governments that would have comprehensive citizenship data in the next redistricting cycle could draw maps built on a very different population base, at a time when the country is growing more diverse, […] Read more »