In the June 23 NYC Democratic primary elections, recently-elected mayor Zohran Mamdani pulled off a series of coups. He put forward a slate of allies who defeated three candidates favored by New York governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries – including two incumbent politicians. A lot of… Continue reading Midterm Primary Cycles Are Ripe for Unorthodox Candidates
Tag: Election 2018
Democrats Will Lose the House in 2022. It Probably Doesn’t Matter What They Do.
In the Abrahamic religions, there is a profound mystery in how to reconcile belief in free will with faith in divine providence. Similar mysteries lie at the heart of political science. For instance, over the past 45 years, every time there has been a change of party in the White House, the opposing party won… Continue reading Democrats Will Lose the House in 2022. It Probably Doesn’t Matter What They Do.
Whatever Happened to the Obama Coalition?
In 2008, Barack Obama was widely described as having built a game-changing political coalition: young people, racial and ethnic minorities, educated professionals, urban and suburban voters. He was held to have built an innovative campaign infrastructure, leveraging big data and social media in an unprecedented way, increasing turnout and Democratic vote share with constituencies that… Continue reading Whatever Happened to the Obama Coalition?
Religion and Politics in the Age of Trump
In a previous essay I demonstrated that Democrats have been consistently losing ground with both people of color and people of faith in virtually every midterm and general election cycle after 2008. Republicans, meanwhile, have seen consistent gains with many constituencies. What occurred in 2016, therefore, was not an aberration – but the culmination of… Continue reading Religion and Politics in the Age of Trump
Trump Voters Have Been Misunderstood All Along (Including By Trump)
Unprecedented numbers of Americans — including a growing share of Republicans and independents — recognize racial injustice as pervasive, support police reform and back the protests against police brutality. Apparently oblivious to this emerging consensus, Trump is trying to run a Nixon-style “law-and-order” campaign for the 2020 election. And it is killing him politically. Trump has seen a dramatic and… Continue reading Trump Voters Have Been Misunderstood All Along (Including By Trump)
Pelosi’s Impeachment Bid Will Fail
On Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that a formal impeachment inquiry is going to be launched, looking into President Trump’s alleged attempts to get dirt on Joe and Hunter Biden from the Ukrainian government, among other accusations levelled against the president by a whistleblower from the U.S. intelligence community. Trump will definitely get impeached… Continue reading Pelosi’s Impeachment Bid Will Fail
How the Media Could Get the Last Laugh on Trump
“Behind every image, something has disappeared. And that is the source of its fascination.” Jean Baudrillard, Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared (p. 32). According to a New York Times report, “At the midpoint of his term, Mr. Trump has grown more sure of his own judgment and more cut off from anyone else’s than at… Continue reading How the Media Could Get the Last Laugh on Trump
Democrats Should be Very Alarmed by the 2018 Midterm Results
After flipping dozens of seats in the midterm elections, Democrats are set to take control of the House of Representatives. Many pundits and analysts have attempted to frame the race as a referendum on President Trump. Among these, there seems to be a consensus that the president has somehow been “repudiated.” Not so fast. To… Continue reading Democrats Should be Very Alarmed by the 2018 Midterm Results