Category Archives: campaigns

“Outsourcing Politics: The Hostile Takeovers of Our Hollowed out Political Parties”

December 23, 2016, 1:31 pmcampaigns, political partiesRick Hasen

Sam Issacharoff has posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, Houston Law Review). Here is the abstract: In 2016, both the Republicans and Democrats experienced efforts at hostile takeover of their presidential campaigns. On the Republican side of the ledger, the… Continue reading

“Why Trump Had an Edge in the Electoral College”

December 20, 2016, 7:54 amcampaigns, electoral collegeRick Hasen

Nate Cohn for NYT’s The UpShot.

“Donald Trump’s sons behind nonprofit selling access to president-elect”

December 20, 2016, 7:43 amcampaigns, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Blockbuster report from CPI: A new Texas nonprofit led by Donald Trump’s grown sons is offering access to the freshly-minted president during inauguration weekend — all in exchange for million-dollar donations to unnamed “conservation” charities, according to interviews and documents… Continue reading

Watch Video of NYU Forum on “A New American Political System?”

December 19, 2016, 3:04 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, political partiesRick Hasen

This was a great conference. Video courtesy of CSPAN: Vice President Biden Keynote Viability of Third Parties (Ginsberg, Keating, Pildes) Role of Media in the 2016 Election (Marcus, Psaki) Technology in Political Campaigns (Goodstein, Persily, Rospars) Fred Yang on 2016 … Continue reading

“Trump advisers spar over new political arm; Rivaling factions jockey over who should head the group central to Trump’s political agenda.”

December 19, 2016, 7:07 amcampaigns, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Shane Goldmacher for Politico.

“The Electoral College Vote Isn’t Just About The Electoral College”

December 18, 2016, 8:08 pmcampaigns, electoral collegeRick Hasen

Chris Geidner: The battle over Monday’s electoral college vote is the beginning, not the end. A larger campaign to undermine the legitimacy — and constitutionality — of Donald Trump’s presidency is likely just getting underway. Discomfort with Donald Trump before… Continue reading

“FBI backs CIA view that Russia intervened to help Trump win election”

December 16, 2016, 11:30 amcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

WaPo: FBI Director James B. Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper have backed a CIA assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election in part to help Donald Trump win the presidency, according to U.S. officials. Comey’s support… Continue reading

MT: Dept of Oops

December 16, 2016, 7:41 amcampaignsRick Hasen

AP: The sponsor of a 2015 bill that changed how Montana fills its U.S. House and Senate vacancies says Gov. Steve Bullock should appoint an interim replacement for departing Rep. Ryan Zinke until a special election is held. Democratic Sen.… Continue reading

“Republican National Committee Security Foiled Russian Hackers; Investigation calls it a less aggressive and much less persistent effort than the hacks of the Democratic National Committee”

December 16, 2016, 7:33 amcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

WSJ reports.

“After allegedly trying to suppress voting, Trump and his fans applaud lower black turnout”

December 16, 2016, 7:14 amcampaignsRick Hasen

The Fix: “We did great with the African-American community,” he said, during the rally in Hershey, Pa. “So good. Remember — remember the famous line, because I talk about crime, I talk about lack of education, I talk about no… Continue reading

“How big is the gap between the donor class and ordinary Americans? Bigger than you think.”

December 15, 2016, 2:46 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, political polarizationRick Hasen

Sean McElwee, Jesse Rhodes, and Brian Schaffner for Monkey Cage: Across the board, we find that donors as a group are more partisan than non-donors who share their party affiliation. For example, Democratic donors were 10 percentage points more… Continue reading

Shalom Lamm Charged with Vote Fraud in Bloomingburg Case

December 15, 2016, 2:39 pmcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

I’ve been watching the Bloombingburg voting saga play out for years (see this excellent VICE piece by Hella Winston). And now comes news of what many suspected: Lamm and others have been charged in federal court with conspiracy to… Continue reading

“Foreign National Influence, Foreign National Interference”

December 15, 2016, 2:25 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

Bauer blogs.

“How Clinton lost Michigan — and blew the election”

December 14, 2016, 7:07 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

What a read at Politico. Sam Bagenstos (prof at U Mich.): “None of this lets Comey, the Russians, or anyone else off the hook. But, Jeebus Christmas, what incompetence.” Chris Ashby: “Just gonna tweet this link to 11 CFR… Continue reading