America is in the middle of a contentious debate about race. What constitutes necessary reform in policing, and can it be achieved? How much do new voting laws disadvantage people of color? Is the Republican Party of Donald Trump too willing to play the race card? Is the Democratic Party […] Read more »
Have Democrats reached the limits of White appeasement politics?
There is a flip side to the White grievance of the right — and it’s one of the most important but under-discussed aspects of American politics. … The Democratic Party, to its credit, has remained committed to civil rights. It wants to be aligned with people of color. But Democrats […] Read more »
Virginia: What was behind the shift of White women toward the GOP?
In the Virginia race for governor, exit polls showed a big shift among White women voters, a group that made up more than a third of the state’s electorate. In 2020, they roughly split their votes for president, but this year, they backed the Republican candidate for governor by 14 […] Read more »
Why voters rejected plans to replace the Minneapolis Police Department – and what’s next for policing reform
Precincts around where George Floyd was killed voted in favor of disbanding the Minneapolis Police Department. Brandon Bell/Getty Images Michelle S. Phelps, University of Minnesota Voters in Minneapolis rejected a measure that would have transformed the city’s policing 18 months after the killing of George Floyd thrust the city into […] Read more »
The Powerful G.O.P. Strategy Democrats Must Counter if They Want to Win
The Virginia election results should shock Democrats into confronting the powerful role that racially coded attacks play in American politics. No candidate would think of entering an election without a winning message on the economy or health care. Yet by failing to counter his opponent’s racial dog whistles, Terry McAuliffe […] Read more »
The ‘Third Rail of American Politics’ Is Still Electrifying
Although public polling on immigration shows a strong shift to the left, survey responses in that vein mask a far more complicated reality. Over and over again, immigration has proved to be politically problematic for Democrats. As far back as 2007, when he was chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, […] Read more »