Analysis

4242 Results

Matheson’s Retirement Moves Utah’s 4th District to Safe for Republicans

Rep. Jim Matheson’s retirement means the Democratic hold on Utah’s 4th District is all but over. Matheson represented the most Republican district held by a Democrat in the House. Now that he’s gone, his party will be hard-pressed to replace him. The presidential numbers are dismal for Democrats at the presidential level. Mitt Romney carried […]

Wolf’s Retirement Moves Virginia’s 10th District from Safe to Lean Republican

Republican Frank Wolf’s retirement gives Democrats an opportunity to win Virginia’s 10th District next year.  Democratic strategists have had their eye on the Northern Virginia seat, but the 17-term congressman has been a considerable roadblock in their efforts to take over the seat. On paper, the district is competitive, but still slightly Republican after redistricting. […]

One Reason Donald Trump Should Be President

It’s not very challenging to write about the countless reasons why Donald Trump would not make a good president. But there is one thing the Donald does that might be useful in the Oval Office — he fires people. As Ezra Klein noted in his recent Bloomberg column, there have been multiple opportunities for President […]

Louisiana Ad Could Preview 2014 Democratic Playbook

A new television ad by a Democratic-aligned super PAC in Louisiana is more than an early attack ad in an important Senate race. It’s an important sneak peek into what Democratic ads could look like in races all over the country next year. First reported by Roll Call, Senate Majority PAC’s first ad in the […]

Awards for the Best and Worst of Politics in 2013

Yes, folks, it’s time again for my end-of-the-year awards. It’s been a weird year, but face it: Weird is the new normal in politics. Eight weeks ago, everyone was talking about the shutdown. A month ago, it was the launch of Obamacare. Now it’s, well, I’m not sure. In early October, it looked as if […]

What Happened to the Campaign for Primary Accountability?

Competitive primaries are raging, but one of the groups that received the most attention last cycle for ousting incumbents is still on the sidelines. So far this cycle, the Campaign for Primary Accountability is nowhere to be found. After receiving glowing press coverage in 2012, the political action committee has been very quiet this year. […]

The $4 Billion Campaign Against John Cornyn

Democrat David Alameel announced recently his challenge to Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and the wealthy dentist said money won’t be a problem. I’m not so sure. “I’ll just do whatever it takes,” he told the Dallas Morning News. “Money is not an issue for me.” The source of Alameel’s confidence is unclear. There are expensive […]

House Democrats’ Not-So-Secret Weapon for 2014: Cash

House Democrats are stockpiling cash, and some GOP strategists have expressed concern that Democrats could use their financial advantage to expand the playing field. Through October, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $65 million and had $25 million in the bank for the 2014 cycle. The National Republican Congressional Committee raised $52 million during that […]

A Traditional Midterm Headache for Democrats

Democrats have had a nice run recently of interesting House recruits and new takeover opportunities resulting from open GOP seats. And yet, it probably won’t matter. If history is any guide — and it usually is — the president’s recent problems have already overshadowed that good news for House Democrats and the Democratic Congressional Campaign […]

If Linda Lingle Could, Why Can’t Wendy Davis?

As longtime readers of this column know, voters in one-party states sometimes elect the nominee of the “wrong” party as governor. Today’s question is whether state Sen. Wendy Davis, a Democrat, has a fighting chance to win next year’s gubernatorial election in Texas, which remains a rock-solid Republican state. Davis was elected to the Fort […]