Outside the Beltway

The emergence of a silly talking point.

In addition to winning back the House, Democrats also made gains in Governor’s races.

As expected, the midterm elections ended up being a split result that gives Democrats and Republicans alike reason to celebrate.

The 2018 midterms were mostly about Donald Trump. The results were idiosyncratic.

For better or worse, here are my projections for the midterm elections.

Partisan officials should not be in charge of state election processes, much less their own.

With less than forty-eight hours to go until voters head to the polls, the odds are pointing to a Democratic House and a Republican Senate.

National Republicans are worried that the President’s concentration on hot-button issues could end up backfiring. They should be.

President Trump wants to send more troops than we have in Syria and Iraq combined to the border to deal with a non-existent threat.

With one week to go before Election Day, Democrats seem well-positioned to gain control of the House while Republicans seem likely to hold on to the Senate.

One of the longest-lasting characters on The Simpsons may not be long for this world, but before we write him off perhaps we ought to stop and think.

America’s tradition of unlimited free expression increases the danger of violence.

Authorities have arrested a Florida man named Cesar Sayoc, a 56-year-old Trump supporter, in connection with the wave of bombing attempts directed at critics of the President.

Two more potential explosive devices, addressed to New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, have been discovered by law enforcement.

In the wake of attempted bombing attacks on people he has criticized, the President is blaming the media for poisonous political rhetoric. He needs to look in the mirror.

More explosive devices sent to prominent Trump critics, including Robert DeNiro and Joe Biden, have been located.

Four suspicious packages addressed to prominent political and media figures have been intercepted in the past three days.

Another landmark decision from the Washington State Supreme Court.

A new poll shows a decided turn toward the Democratic candidates for Governor and Senator in Florida, but it may be an outlier.

The Catholic Church’s problems may have just gotten a lot more serious.

With three weeks to go until Election Day, it’s looking like we’ll end up with a Congress divided between Democrats in the House and Republicans in the Senate.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly developing an explanation for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi that defies credulity.

Donald Trump is a coward and an apologist for evil around the world.

For a number of reasons, we may not know the outcome of the midterm elections on Election Night.

A once iconic American retailer appears to be on its last legs.

With four weeks to go until Election Day, Donald Trump and the Republicans are continuing to stoke the divisions laid bare by the Kavanaugh nomination.

September jobs growth fell short of expectations even as the top-line unemployment rate reached a point unseen since 1969.

Despite his ethical issues, Bob Menendez appears to be solidifying his position in New Jersey’s Senate race.

The State of Texas is arguing in Court that a school district can force a student to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. This is a blatant violation of the First Amendment.

Much of what Donald Trump has claimed about how he built his fortune is a lie, and at least part of it originated in his father’s shady efforts to evade taxes.

Republicans intend to “plow through” on the Kavanaugh nomination even after yesterday’s hearing, but it’s not clear that they have the votes to confirm him.

Voter turnout in primary elections in 2018 was significantly above normal levels. especially in Democratic races.

Former President Bush has waded back into politics but don’t expect him to be campaigning for Ted Cruz.

As Hurricane Florence bears down on the East Coast, most people are listening to orders to evacuate, but some people aren’t.

After spending most of his post-Presidency on the political sidelines, former President Bush is hitting the fundraising trail for GOP candidates in Texas and Florida.

With the Democratic Primary just days away, Andrew Cuomo’s Democratic challenger in New York is making headlines thanks to a rather odd culinary choice.

The nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh is, effectively, assured. Democrats should be careful about how much further they push their opposition.

The GOP’s hold on the Bob Corker’s Senate seat in Tennessee may be in jeopardy.

The tough guy actor best known for the “Smokey And The Bandit” movies has passed away at the age of 82.

The first significant post-primary poll of the Florida Senate race shows a dead heat between Governor Rick Scott and Senator Bill Nelson.

A new poll shows Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum with an early, but slim lead, over Congressman Ron DeSantis in the race for Florida’s Governor’s Mansion.

The first day of the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings was much ado about pretty much nothing, but then that can be used to describe a process whose outcome is pretty much foreordained.

Another “progressive” victory over a longtime Democratic incumbent, but this one is a bit different.

An Oregon state agency is suggesting that Walmart’s decision to restrict arms sales to bar people under 21, but over 18, from being able to purchase firearms violates state law.

The confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh begin today, but the outcome seems foreordained.

Author Sam Anderson puts forward a rather strange hypothesis in Politico.

Alex Jones lost a bid to dismiss a lawsuit filed by families of children killed in the Sandy Hook massacre.

Despite the evidence, the President thinks he did a great job handling a disaster in which nearly 3,000 American citizens died.

A new study concludes that the total death toll from Hurricane Maria was vastly higher than previously reported.

Less than twelve hours into the General Election campaign for Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis is already making mistakes.