Gridlock is likely to rule the federal government until at least 2023. Why 2023? Because it may not be until after the 2020 Census that the Democrats have a good chance of regaining control of the House of Representatives. As long as Republicans rule the House, compromise with Democrats is […] Read more »
How the Politics of Nostalgia Sank Eric Cantor
… Like Tea Party challengers across the country, Brat sought to make immigration reform a defining issue in the campaign, accusing Cantor of supporting “amnesty” for immigrants in the country illegally, even though Cantor opposed the comprehensive, bipartisan Senate bill and only supported (but did not bring to the floor) […] Read more »
Cantor’s Fall
… Perhaps five decades from now, Cantor’s loss will be easier to explain within the context of larger events. Maybe it is indeed a harbinger of a coming “populist revolution” or a sign that the Republican Civil War is once again at full tilt. But as of right now, the […] Read more »
Voters Saw Cantor as Out of Touch, but Not Because of His Jewish Faith, Analysts Say
As the lone Jewish Republican in Congress, representing a deeply conservative, overwhelmingly Christian district in Virginia while dreaming of becoming the first Jewish speaker of the House, Representative Eric Cantor always had a delicate task. … Now Mr. Cantor’s stunning primary loss on Tuesday — to a little-known economics professor, […] Read more »
Wait, the Tea Party’s Back? Lessons from Eric Cantor’s Defeat
… Not only does Brat’s victory underscore the continued presence of the Tea Party, but it also provides a high-profile example of the Tea Party’s main strategy, what I call a “party within a party.” Further, Brat’s victory pushes us to consider who or what we mean when we speak […] Read more »
Beware ‘internal polling’
The defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the Republican primary on Tuesday night came as a surprise to probably everyone outside of the Cantor campaign — and perhaps them, too. … But if we take only one polling-related lesson away from this surprise, it is this: Internal polls […] Read more »