Outside the Beltway

Don’t blame the primary author of The Federalist for our current mess.

We’re getting weird policies almost nobody is asking for.

Legal analysts are skeptical.

Being against something just isn’t enough.

“Red States” and “Blue State”

As tired as we may be of him, his nominating electorate appears ready for another round.

“The GOP” is not a singular unit.

More on the US party system.

An aggressive but expected move.

Some thoughts on polling and the news since 2016.

The anti-McCarthy holdouts have no end game.

Electoral Count Act reforms are “hidden” in the bipartisan budget bill.

The ball is now in Merrick Garland’s court.

The January 6 Committee is expected to make a minimum of three referrals.

Her emphasis on turnout has helped other Democrats but she’s a two-time loser.

The late Chief Justice was right; his successors are wrong.

The will of the majority can prevail even in a skewed system.

A reminder of how things (specifically the party system as a whole) have changed.

The margins for 2024 are likely to be slim. But that hides a larger story.

We used to (usually) know the results on Election Night because the outcomes were clearer.

The Needle is Broken

Is the President governing like he means it?

It’s easy if you try.

Would bypassing politicians altogether make the system more just?

A revealing comparison of Republican districts that deny and don’t deny the 2020 outcome.

And a reminder of the role of political parties.

Roberts may not like it, but SCOTUS is political and does have a legitimacy problem.

More details from the Alaska special election.

No one should draw conclusions about RCV from the AK special election.

A repeat of 1860 can’t happen. But something even worse could.

American parties are coordination problems with shared branding.

Is it time to call the whole thing off?

“America can survive the demagogues themselves, it’s their audience that will kill us.”

Are plurality winners less legitimate than popular vote losers?

A theory floated in Bush v Gore could radically change American elections.

What should conservatives who can’t support the party of Trump do?

More intraparty support numbers.

Assuming they had the votes, should Democrats carve out yet another exception?

Here we go again . . . .

How long can the unsustainable be sustained?

This will just reinforce minority rule in the US.

They’re taking their eye off the ball.

The obstacles to fixing the problem are many.

Ezra Klein discusses the dynamics of American conservatism in historical perspective. Plus, he helps illustrate a key problem that we have in thinking about American politics (IMHO).

At least not right away. But it’s quite possible by 2040.

The apparently eminent demise of abortion rights has reignited an old debate.

When doing the right thing is the wrong thing.

A follow on from yesterday.

The incumbent should win easily but turnout is low and the consequences dire.

More willingness to subvert the election.