Key Points• 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin surprised the political world when she announced a run to replace the late Don Young in Alaska’s at-large U.S. House seat.• It’s not unusual for VP losers to subsequently win elected office, although in recent decades that has meant simply winning […] Read more »
Why Sarah Palin isn’t the clear favorite to win the Alaska special election
My columns are often about which candidates are most likely to win elections. But every so often, there are elections that are so difficult to handicap that I throw my hands up in frustration. The upcoming US House special election in Alaska is one of those. Former GOP Gov. Sarah […] Read more »
When the V.P. Is ‘the Woman’s Spot’
… Tonight, Senator Kamala Harris will become just the third woman, and the first woman of color, to be nominated for the vice presidency on a major party ticket. Since Ms. Ferraro’s run, Hillary Clinton broke a higher barrier, becoming the Democratic nominee for president, and a historic number of […] Read more »
4 ways Biden’s running mate could help — or hurt — the Democratic ticket
We know that Joe Biden’s vice presidential pick will be a female and that the announcement is coming very soon. Beyond that, it’s a mystery, though several contenders have emerged, including Sen. Kamala Harris, Rep. Karen Bass and Susan Rice, among others. Presidential nominees of the past have taken very […] Read more »
Trump May Be Even More Unpopular Than His Approval Rating Shows
Polls have consistently shown that President Trump is pretty unpopular, with only about 42 percent of the American public approving of the job he is doing as president. These numbers are much lower than what one might expect given the bustling economy. But does the standard presidential approval question actually […] Read more »
Gender and the Presidency: A Look Through Polling History
… Time, Clinton’s ubiquitousness in the political consciousness, the historic nature of Barack Obama’s presidency and her own damagingly high negative ratings have all dampened the drama of Clinton’s crowning as the first female nominee of a major party. And of course, other women have preceded her on the national […] Read more »