U.S. military engagement on Islamic State may alter the political calculus for this year’s midterms, but the potential impacts may reach beyond the next few months and into 2016, thanks to a shift among tea party supporters. In September 2013, 64% of tea party supporters said they believed taking military […] Read more »
The South’s Lesson for the Tea Party
Last week’s Republican primary in Tennessee resulted in a comfortable win for Senator Lamar Alexander over his Tea Party-backed challenger, State Assembly Representative Joe Carr. But make no mistake: The Tea Party is on a roll across the South, having mounted major primary challenges in Texas, Mississippi and South Carolina, […] Read more »
Republicans deliver another self-inflicted wound
Republicans may yet win the elections in November. They may end up in control of both houses of Congress come January. But in the final week before a lengthy August recess, they have shown a remarkable capacity to complicate their path to victory. The latest blow came Thursday in what […] Read more »
Georgia Runoff Shows Just How Unusual Mississippi’s Was
The Senate runoff Tuesday in Georgia underscored just how unusual the one in Mississippi a month ago really was. Both Republican contests featured an “insider-outsider” dynamic, with veteran incumbent Thad Cochran challenged by tea party favorite Chris McDaniel in Mississippi, and 11-term Rep. Jack Kingston facing off against first-time candidate […] Read more »
Disruptive Politics
Back in the mid-1990s, Harvard professor Clayton Christensen coined the phrases “disruptive technology” and “disruptive innovation” to describe certain kinds of game-changing developments in the business world. Now, in politics, we are seeing a variation on that theme. CONT. Charlie Cook Read more »
Kaiser Health Policy News Index: June 2014
Reports about long waiting times for those seeking care at some Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities captured a significant share of the public’s attention this month. Over six in ten (62 percent) report following the story “very” or “fairly” closely, making it the most closely followed health policy story so […] Read more »