Category Archives: political parties
“Republicans represented by John Eastman sue to close Colorado’s primary elections to unaffiliated voters”
Denver Post:
Opening Colorado’s primary elections to unaffiliated voters has cost partisans their constitutional right to free association, a group of Republicans are alleging in a new lawsuit.The lawsuit, filed Feb. 24 in federal court by four current or… Continue reading
Trump Pressures Wyoming Legislators to Change Primary Law to Prevent Democratic Crossover Voting for Liz Cheney in Primary
Politico:
Former President Donald Trump and his allies have been privately lobbying Wyoming lawmakers to change the state’s election laws as part of an effort to unseat Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).On Thursday, Trump endorsed Wyoming legislation that would prevent… Continue reading
How Should Democrats Respond to the GOP’s Censure of Cheney & Kinzinger?
I take the censure as further evidence that the Democratic Party, if it wants to protect small-d democracy, must try to save the Republican Party from itself. To have a functioning democracy, the United States needs a responsible right-of-center party,… Continue reading
“Five Best: Books on American Political Parties “
From the WSJ. Chosen by Michael Kazin, the books are:
The Idea of a Party System:The Rise of Legitimate Opposition in the United States, 1780-1840
By Richard Hofstadter (1969)
Affairs of Party: The Political Culture of Northern Democrats in… Continue reading
Could bipartisan democracy-protection have worked? Could it still?
There has been skepticism voiced by some about my suggestion that, after January 6, Democrats in Congress should have pursued a strategy of finding at least ten GOP Senators to support the kind of structural electoral reform, like a majority-winner … Continue reading
“As the GOP sheds its moderates, a whirlwind approaches”
This Washington Post op-ed, by Democratic consultant Doug Sosnik, is a counterpoint to the Virginia GOP self-description of Younkin’s victory there, as posted by Rick Pildes.
While ranked-choice voting enabled Virginia Republicans to choose a gubernatorial nominee who… Continue reading
New Political Maps May Kill Swing Districts, But Swing Districts May Not Save Us
The Wall Street Journal is not the first to lament that the 2021 redistricting cycle is not likely to produce very many competitive districts. But how much should we care? The call for competitive elections presumes that electoral accountability emerges… Continue reading
“‘A real fight for our existence’: Massachusetts GOP spirals in Baker exit”
Moderate Republicans struggling to stay in office given party primary dynamics is not exactly news. Still, this Politico article on the Republican Party in Massachusetts is worthwhile.
“Republicans [in Massachusetts] have clung to relevancy in this bluest of blue state… Continue reading
“How the GOP threatens harm to red state residents, as revealed in a new study”
This new Op Ed by Greg Sargent in the Washington Post, highlights, once more, deficits in policy responsiveness that arises out of hyper-polarization, among other things.
Sargent highlights a new study from the Third Way–a centrist Democratic-leaning group–that analyzes the… Continue reading
“Politics is still local. When incumbents face off in redrawn districts, community ties make a big difference.”
Charles Hunt shares on Monkey Cage his new research arguing that “Yes, party matters. But so do incumbents’ deep ties to their districts.” The article resonates with my experience listening to voters at public meetings here in Pennsylvania talk about… Continue reading
“A plurality of Republicans think they’re more moderate than their party”
Phillip Bump, Washington Post
New polling from YouGov/Economist reaffirms, once again, the degree to which the ideologies of our political parties (mostly just the Republican Party) and their legislative (in)action do not align with the preferences of ordinary voters. This… Continue reading
“House Democrats Have New Strategy for Voters of Color”
All Things Considered, NPR
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has launched a new, multimillion-dollar initiative “to engage and mobilize voters of color ahead of the midterm elections, including investments in local organizing” and in strategies to stymie “Republican efforts to… Continue reading
“The Desperate Scramble to Stop an Insider Election Threat”
The Atlantic
Judge of elections and inspector of elections are elected positions in Pennsylvania. The question of the day is how many Trump loyalists were elected to those positions in the recent election. The fear is that Trump loyalists, primed… Continue reading