All posts by Dan Tokaji

“Trump’s authoritarian lean appeals to the right. Swing voters, not so much”

July 16, 2024, 5:31 amauthoritarian threats in US, political polarizationDan Tokaji

Aaron Blake in WaPo, on a new Monmouth poll “suggest[ing] that if Democrats can drive home the idea that a second Trump term would be a more authoritarian one, that could alienate the most crucial 2024 voters, the ‘double… Continue reading

Biden & DNC Run Out the Clock

July 16, 2024, 5:14 amballot access, political partiesDan Tokaji

NYT reports that the DNC is planning to have Democratic delegates vote as soon as next week: Leaders of the Democratic National Committee are moving swiftly to confirm President Biden as his party’s presidential nominee by the end of July,… Continue reading

“Mayor Adams’ Reelection Campaign Raked in More Than $1 Million as Opponents Circle”

July 16, 2024, 5:01 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

The City: “[NYC] Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign reported raising more than $1 million from 1,472 donors in the first half of 2024, a show of strength that outperformed his rivals in the 2025 mayoral race.” It also reports that… Continue reading

“The campaign is getting real for political donors”

July 16, 2024, 4:27 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

Politico on April-to-June campaign finance reports, filed with the FEC on Monday: “Donald Trump put up a roaring fundraising quarter, harnessing large and small donors to vanquish President Joe Biden’s cash advantage — and refilling the coffers of the national… Continue reading

“Complaint asks Kemp to remove three State Election Board members”

July 16, 2024, 4:18 amelection administrationDan Tokaji

AJC: A Fulton County election official has asked Gov. Brian Kemp to remove three members of the State Election Board and its executive director over actions that may have violated Georgia’s open meetings law. On Friday, three Republican members… Continue reading

Trump Campaign & RNC Sue Michigan Officials Over Voter Registration Activities

July 15, 2024, 2:58 pmvoter registrationDan Tokaji

Detroit Free Press reports: The campaign of former President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee have filed a lawsuit against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, alleging the state has violated the National Voter… Continue reading

Bipartisan Group of Election Officials and Experts Condemn Assassination Attempt on Former President Trump

July 15, 2024, 2:38 pmUncategorizedDan Tokaji

You can find the statement here. Signatories include Brad Raffensperger, Jocelyn Benson, Scott Schwab, and Trey Grayson.

Breaking: Judge Cannon Says Appointment of Special Counsel Was Unconstitutional, Dismisses Trump Documents Case

July 15, 2024, 7:18 amDepartment of Justice, Supreme CourtDan Tokaji

NYT reports: In a stunning ruling, the judge, Aileen M. Cannon, found that because Mr. Smith had not been named to the post of special counsel by the president or confirmed by the Senate, his appointment was in violation… Continue reading

“Trump Assassination Attempt Exposes the Mortal Core of America’s Politics”

July 15, 2024, 5:14 ampolitical parties, political polarizationDan Tokaji

Molly Ball in WSJ: For Trump and his followers, the shooting cemented his status as a victimized folk hero, a messianic figure who would sacrifice himself to save the country from ruin. “They tried to jail him. They tried… Continue reading

“Trump Once Unified Democrats and Divided Republicans. The Shooting And Debate Turned the Tables.”

July 15, 2024, 5:00 amauthoritarian threats in US, political partiesDan Tokaji

Jonathan Martin in Politico: The complete and total, to borrow a phrase, realignment of the GOP into the Party of Trump was nearly complete after he avoided being seriously challenged, let alone defeated, through the primaries. But it was… Continue reading

“The road from the GOP’s antislavery founding to Trump’s MAGA convention”

July 15, 2024, 4:53 ampolitical partiesDan Tokaji

The Washington Post has this piece by the incomparable David Maraniss on the Republican Party’s roots in Ripon, Wisconsin. It begins: The distance between Ripon 1854 and Milwaukee 2024 seems far greater than 86 miles or 170 years. It was… Continue reading

“Democrats back off Biden after Trump shooting, but clock still ticking”

July 15, 2024, 4:45 amcampaign finance, political partiesDan Tokaji

The Hill: [T]he debate around Biden’s age and mental acuity was on hold, according to more than a dozen Democratic sources who requested anonymity to speak openly about a sensitive topic, which no one wanted to touch in the… Continue reading

“Top Democratic strategist pushed reporters to consider ‘staged’ shooting”

July 15, 2024, 4:34 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

Semafor: The top political adviser to Democratic mega-donor Reid Hoffman suggested that the attack on Donald Trump could have been “staged,” even as Hoffman was criticized for joking before Saturday’s attack about Trump becoming a “martyr.” The adviser, Dmitri… Continue reading

“Conservative activists find errors in software they hoped would root out voter fraud”

July 15, 2024, 4:28 amvoter registrationDan Tokaji

NBC News: Last year, [conservative] activists excitedly embraced EagleAI and similar programs that promised to help them look through voter rolls across the country in search of outdated or fraudulent voter registrations, even as experts warned about the programs’… Continue reading