… The ascendance of European far-right parties over the past decade has laid out a tempting path for Trump. The parallels between Trump’s brand of American right populism and European working-class conservatism are striking. CONT. Thomas B. Edsall, New York Times Read more »
As New Poll Finds ‘Increased Xenophobic Streak,’ Republicans Heighten Anti-Muslim Rhetoric
As Republican presidential candidates and governors pronounce Muslims and Syrian refugees personae non grata after the horrific massacres in Paris on Friday, a major new poll about Americans’ religious and cultural attitudes provides an ominous look at Americans’ views on immigrants and Islam in particular. The Public Religion Research Institute’s […] Read more »
How Much Do Black Lives Matter to the Presidential Campaign?
The onslaught of confrontations between blacks and the police, as well as intense coverage on TV and online of college campus protests and of the Black Lives Matter movement, have decisively affected the Democratic Party’s position on a core issue: the use of force to maintain public order. … These […] Read more »
On police conduct, white and black Marylanders have starkly different views
A deep racial divide exists among Marylanders over who is to blame for violent police encounters and whether the state’s criminal justice system treats African Americans and whites equally, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll. CONT. Paul Schwartzman & Scott Clement, Washington Post Read more »
The Two Faces of the GOP
Defying the predictions of just about everyone who watches politics even remotely, the two nontraditional Republican presidential contenders remain at the top of just-released opinion polls. Public polls, it is true, have proliferated, and many are worthy of being ignored. But four of the most respected surveys came out this […] Read more »
Hillary Clinton’s White-Voter Problem May Change Election Math
One finding in this week’s Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll stands out for its potential to reframe the presidential election: The dramatically dim view that white voters—particularly white men—have of Hillary Clinton. … If Mrs. Clinton’s favorability numbers translate into voting behavior, she would be in a pretty deep hole: […] Read more »