One key measure of any Democratic wave in the midterm elections will be whether it crests high enough to overcome the formidable Republican defenses in the growing suburbs across the South. The answer will have implications that extend far beyond 2018. While Democrats have notched significant gains since the 1990s […] Read more »
Georgia’s gubernatorial race may be the purest example of politics in the Trump era
Stacey Abrams isn’t yet a nationally known politician, but one sign that she could become one is her picture appearing on the cover of Time magazine’s latest issue. … The Time cover is indicative of the interest in the Georgia race. Few gubernatorial contests will attract as much attention or […] Read more »
Can Republicans Bridge the Gender Gap?
One of the bigger challenges for Republican congressional candidates this year, is to win over women voters who don’t like President Trump. And, the number of women who don’t like Trump, especially those who live in battleground suburban districts is … huge. The most recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll finds […] Read more »
There are absolutely two Americas. Sometimes in the same state.
A tale of two Virginia districts explains why the geographic, demographic and cultural chasm between the parties in the House of Representatives is about to grow much wider — with ominous implications for America’s escalating political tensions. In the affluent, diverse, 10th Congressional District of Virginia in the Washington suburbs, […] Read more »
How Can Size of Community Still Matter?
Once upon a time (actually about 50 years ago) when I started doing research on social psychological differences between urban and rural people, many authorities dismissed the whole question as out of date. Sure, city-country cultural differences were once vast and important, but in the modern era of interstate highways, […] Read more »
How Much Can Democrats Count on Suburban Liberals?
Just how reliable is suburban liberalism? In affluent, largely white Massachusetts communities like Wellesley, Southborough and Dedham, Hillary Clinton crushed Donald Trump by margins ranging from 23 to 50 percentage points. These and other townships surrounding Boston epitomize the gains the Democratic Party has made nationwide in liberal, well-educated suburbs. […] Read more »