Whether they want it or not, the last year has given Americans a master class in political polarization. But the terminology commonly used to describe the peeling apart of the country’s Republican and Democratic factions — “red states and blue states,” “coastal elitists vs. flyover country” and the like — […] Read more »
Inside the Data: What the Virginia Election Results Mean for ‘18
The Democratic Party’s big wins in Virginia this week, from the governor’s race on down, have sparked intense if somewhat predictable reactions from the nation’s two major political parties. Democrats are hailing Governor-elect Ralph Northam’s win as evidence of an electorate that has turned decidedly against President Donald Trump, buoying […] Read more »
Trump dominates the GOP base. Party leaders live with the consequences.
The Republican Party has been plunged into ever more turmoil, thanks to the outcome of the off-year election in Virginia, the results of contests elsewhere around the country and an allegation of sexual misconduct against Roy Moore, the party’s candidate for Senate in Alabama. … Republicans have been dealing with […] Read more »
Trump’s Low Approval Rating Hurt Republicans Tuesday
How Republican losses in Virginia could mean real trouble for the GOP in 2018
In 1897, an earthquake that hit 5.8 on the Richter scale shook Virginia and was felt across 12 other states. Six months later, William McKinley’s Republican Party experienced its own disaster in Virginia, losing 15 seats in the state House of Delegates. Not until Tuesday night did another such earthquake […] Read more »
Laws of Political Gravity Dragging Down Republicans
About a year ago at this time, many of us in Washington, DC were trying to catch our breath, still reeling from the political upset that blindsided us. Many of us were wondering if the rulebook of politics—the one all of us had been dutifully following for years—should be thrown […] Read more »