President News & Analysis

Eight Thoughts After Charleston Debate

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 26, 2020 · 8:54 AM EST

With South Carolina and Super Tuesday looming, and the potential of a second term for President Donald Trump staring the party in the face, seven Democratic candidates didn’t miss an opportunity to attack each other during the debate in Charleston, South Carolina, on Tuesday night. But will any of it…

RIP, Election Night

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 21, 2020 · 9:40 AM EST

It’s time to retire the term “election night.”

The semi-annual national tradition of staying up a few hours past bedtime to know who will control our government is over. From close races to voting by mail to human error, it’s becoming clear that counting votes no longer fits neatly into…

Five Thoughts After the Las Vegas Democratic Debate

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 20, 2020 · 10:35 AM EST

I don’t have a bad Las Vegas-themed pun, just a few thoughts after Wednesday night’s Democratic tussle.

The sharp tone of the debate matched the high stakes. Candidacies are on the line. Aspirations are hanging in the balance. And a second term for President Donald Trump is staring the Democratic…

Presidential Battlegrounds: Pennsylvania

by Ryan Matsumoto February 7, 2020 · 2:29 PM EST

While Hillary Clinton’s campaign has often been criticized for ignoring Wisconsin and Michigan, the reality is that even if she had won those two states, she still would have lost because of Pennsylvania, where she campaigned heavily. As Democrats strategize about how they can reassemble the ‘Blue Wall’, Pennsylvania…

Was Hillary Clinton a Terrible Candidate?

by Nathan L. Gonzales February 3, 2020 · 8:45 AM EST

As much as Donald Trump was hailed by Republicans for winning the White House in 2016, Hillary Clinton and her campaign took plenty of blame from her fellow Democrats for the loss. A closer look confirms that she underperformed a typical Democrat in key states in the race for president,…

Presidential Battlegrounds: Michigan

by Ryan Matsumoto January 24, 2020 · 2:29 PM EST

Michigan was one of the biggest surprises of the 2016 presidential election, voting Republican for the first time since 1988. It was the state where President Donald Trump won by his narrowest margin - just two tenths of a percentage point (10,704 raw votes). As Democrats look to flip states…

Is Trump really the MVP of the GOP?

by Nathan L. Gonzales January 23, 2020 · 10:52 AM EST

After a tumultuous 2018 that saw them lose their House majority, Republicans often seem eager to dismiss those midterm results as typical while pining for the next election when President Donald Trump will top the ballot and drive turnout in their favor.

A closer look, however, shows Trump may not…

The Steyer Boomlet

by Stuart Rothenberg January 21, 2020 · 11:25 AM EST

Once again, there’s a new “hot” candidate. This time it’s billionaire Tom Steyer, who hit double digits in new Fox News polls in Nevada and South Carolina, thereby qualifying him for the CNN/Des Moines Register presidential debate — the last debate before the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses.

Of course, other…

Presidential Battlegrounds: Wisconsin

by Ryan Matsumoto December 19, 2019 · 2:29 PM EST

In 2016, Wisconsin was the state that arguably won President Donald Trump the election. Ranking all the states Trump carried from highest margin of victory to lowest margin of victory, Wisconsin was the “tipping-point state” that gave Trump his 270th electoral vote. As the 2020 presidential election looms on…

2019 Ad Spending Offers Clues to 2020

by Steve Passwaiter December 19, 2019 · 2:28 PM EST

Eye-popping total advertising spending numbers draw the headlines, but the distribution of that spending — looking beyond geographic targeting, and party advantage — can also reveal important insights into the campaign. In particular, where political ad buyers are putting their money can tell us a lot about not only their…