Posts by Doug Mataconis

Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.
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Democrats May Be Short On Votes For Filibuster Reform

Harry Reid appears to be short of the votes he needs to enact filibuster reform.

Anti-Tax Orthodoxy Of House Republicans Looks Like It’s Ready To Crack

As we approach the fiscal cliff, there are signs that House Republicans may not be as rigid as they were the past two years.

Reconsidering The Petraeus Hagiography

The scandal now surrounding David Petraeus should lead people to reassess his past record.

Republicans Could Have Done A Lot Worse Than Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney wasn’t a perfect candidate, but he was much better than most of the 2012 Republican field.

Some Respond To Election Results By Advocating Secession

Some people on the right apparently want to return to this map.

The Conservative Political Media Complex

Many conservatives are living inside of a media bubble and they’ll continue to have problems until the consciously decide to break out of it.

FBI, DOJ Knew About Petraeus Affair For Months

The David Petraeus/Paula Broadwell story gets curiouser.

The GOP Is Nearly Dead In California

Republicans used to dominate California. Now, they’re barely a factor in the state’s politics.

Republicans In A Bind On Tax Increases

Political reality says that the Bush Tax Cuts for high income earners are likely doomed in the wake of the election, but the GOP will find it very hard to switch positions on this issue.

2012 Pollster Rankings: Rasmussen And Gallup Among The Least Accurate

There are some expected and unexpected results in Nate Silver’s review of pollster accuracy in 2012.

Republicans And Young Voters

Turning young voters into Young Republicans isn’t going to be an easy thing for the GOP to pull off.

Are Republicans Finally Realizing Their Immigration Problem?

Republicans are starting to talk about immigration reform, but do they really mean it?

Supreme Court To Review Section Five Of The Voting Rights Act

The Supreme Court has agreed to take on another big case.

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Filibuster Reform On The Agenda In 2013?

Once again, Senate Democrats are talking about filibuster reform, but will they actually follow through?

David Petraeus Resigns As CIA Director, Admitting To Extra-Marital Affair

A surprise Friday resignation at the CIA.

Unfortunately For the GOP, Democrats Have An Electoral College Advantage

The Democratic Party appears to have a lock on a substantial part of the Electoral College. That poses a problem for Republicans.

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The Fight Against Obamacare Died On Election Night

Any chance that the Affordable Care Act will be repealed died with the re-election of Barack Obama. But, there are other fights to come.

The Romney Campaign Was Full Of Poll Denialists

If the Romney campaign looked shocked on Election Night, that’s because they didn’t believe the polls either.

Republicans Need To Understand What Went Wrong If They Want To Win Again

Republicans are trying to figure out what went wrong. Will they learn the right lessons from their loss?