… Is the fundamental fissure in American life now demographic or geographic? The answer, a growing body of evidence suggests, is both. And that may point to a future of even greater distance — and antagonism — between a Democratic coalition centered in racially diverse, largely secular, and post-industrial metropolitan […] Read more »
Mark Sanford’s primary problem shows Donald Trump’s vice grip on the GOP
Nine years ago, then-South Carolina Republican Gov. Mark Sanford’s political career seemed to disappear along the Appalachian Trail. Sanford was able to resurrect his political life with a successful bid for Congress from South Carolina’s First District, even after it was discovered that his trail trip was actually an extramarital […] Read more »
Democrats’ October ‘surprise’ in the midterms? Hint: It has to do with health care costs
… Insurers in Maryland, New York and Washington have already submitted requests for premium increases averaging 19 percent to 30 percent statewide, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. It’s an October “surprise” that everyone sees coming, including Democrats trying to take back the House and Senate. … In focus groups […] Read more »
If There’s a Red Wave Election in 2018, This Will Be Why
As primaries roll by and the midterms approach, it’s worth remembering that for Republicans 2016 represented an opportunity more than a victory. It was a chance for them to help the country break the 30-year-spell the Clintons and the Bushes cast, President Barack Obama notwithstanding. It was also a chance […] Read more »
Polls Apart
… The most recent WSJ/NBC News poll contains some welcome news for President Trump and Republicans: Nearly two-thirds of Americans are satisfied with the nation’s economy, one of the highest ratings since Bill Clinton left the White House in 2001. Trump’s approval rating has climbed to 44 percent, the highest […] Read more »
Trump’s New Plan to Dismantle Obamacare Comes With Political Risks
After failing to repeal the Affordable Care Act with a Republican-controlled Congress, the Trump administration is seizing on a different strategy for dismantling the law, one fraught with political risk. It is asking a court to throw out major elements, including hugely popular provisions that protect sick people from being […] Read more »