The Virginia election results should shock Democrats into confronting the powerful role that racially coded attacks play in American politics. No candidate would think of entering an election without a winning message on the economy or health care. Yet by failing to counter his opponent’s racial dog whistles, Terry McAuliffe […] Read more »
One Lesson of Virginia? The Culture War Still Works.
… In the broadest sense, “cultural” matters have been challenging and bedeviling Democrats for well over half a century. The backlash to civil rights pulled the South away from the Democratic Party in the mid-’60s; crime, welfare, campus and urban violence eroded white working-class loyalties. These issues helped win Republicans […] Read more »
The ‘Third Rail of American Politics’ Is Still Electrifying
Although public polling on immigration shows a strong shift to the left, survey responses in that vein mask a far more complicated reality. Over and over again, immigration has proved to be politically problematic for Democrats. As far back as 2007, when he was chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, […] Read more »
Youngkin’s win in blue Virginia offers Republicans a 2022 road map
On its own, a Republican victory in Virginia’s race for governor would have been enough to lift GOP spirits and put Democrats on edge heading into the 2022 midterm elections. But the fact that Glenn Youngkin won by keeping former President Donald Trump at a cautious distance, even as Terry […] Read more »
Virginia’s governor’s race may hinge on debates about public schools
If Republican business executive Glenn Youngkin prevails over former Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe in Virginia’s gubernatorial election Tuesday, his stance on public education may be partially responsible. Polls have suggested that Youngkin built momentum among White suburban swing voters by addressing an issue that is not typically front and center […] Read more »
Competing Visions of America: An Evolving Identity or a Culture Under Attack?
Nearly one year into the Biden administration, a new national survey released today by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) highlights the stark differences along party lines in how Americans are experiencing changes in the country. PRRI’s comprehensive 12th annual American Values Survey, released in partnership with the Brookings Institution, […] Read more »