Archive
More Presidential questions for the Democrats
February 13, 2019 · 9:12 AM EST
In my last column, I raised three questions Democrats need to answer about the kind of nominee they want in 2020. Do they want an insurgent outsider, do they need someone with experience and must they have a woman and/or African-American on the ticket? In this column, I look at three other…
What do Democrats Want in a President?
February 7, 2019 · 11:00 AM EST
Democrats have a hoard of hopefuls aiming for their party’s 2020 nomination, so what qualities and characteristics are Democratic primary voters and caucus attendees likely to value?
Electability is certainly a factor, but what makes a potential nominee electable?
I’ll save the all-important…
A Few Thoughts on the State of the Union Address
February 6, 2019 · 8:51 PM EST
I did something dangerous Tuesday night. I watched the State of the Union and the Democratic response on my own, without Twitter as a crutch. I even watched the C-SPAN feed on my phone in order to avoid commentary from the networks and cable channels.
My goal was to avoid groupthink and try to…
2019-20 Gubernatorial Overview (Feb. 1, 2019): Lean Opportunities
February 1, 2019 · 2:30 PM EST
The final round of gubernatorial races before the new decade is starting to take shape, giving both political parties a handful of opportunities to shape policy and influence redistricting after the 2020 Census.
Fourteen states are holding gubernatorial elections over the next two years — three…
2019-20 Gubernatorial Overview (Feb. 1, 2019)
February 1, 2019 · 2:29 PM EST
DELAWARE. John Carney (D), elected 2016 (58%). John Carney first ran for governor in 2008, but lost the Democratic primary to Jack Markell. Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, son of Vice President Joe Biden, was expected to win Markell’s open seat in 2016, but he died of cancer in 2015. Carney,…
Too Early for Senate Ratings?
February 1, 2019 · 2:28 PM EST
A couple decades ago, The Rothenberg Political Report would wait months before placing individual Senate races into specific ratings categories, admitting that the election cycle was far from taking shape. But that would be almost unthinkable today. For example, most media outlets that handicap…
Report Shorts (Feb. 1, 2019)
February 1, 2019 · 2:27 PM EST
California’s 50th District. Alex Balkin became the second Democrat to announce a challenge to indicted GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter. 2018 nominee Ammar Campa-Najjar was the first. Balkin formerly worked at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Department of Defense. The district is considerably…
Maine Senate: How Vulnerable is Susan Collins?
January 25, 2019 · 9:10 AM EST
If Sen. Susan Collins runs for a fifth term, she ought to expect a very different race than in the past. Forget coasting to victory, no matter the opponent or even the nature of the election cycle.
Collins will start off as vulnerable — a top Democratic target in a state carried by Hillary Clinton…
