Archive
Big Legal Win for President, Big Political Win for Republicans
June 28, 2012 · 12:23 PM EDT
Moments after the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the constitutionality of the health care law, observers were already assessing its political implications for the November elections.
The decision “amounts to a massive political win for the incumbent,” wrote Chris Cillizza of the Washington…
Utah Senate: Hatch Finishes Off Challenger
June 27, 2012 · 11:59 AM EDT
Orrin Hatch captured the GOP nomination, and a seventh term in the Senate, on Tuesday by defeating former state Sen. Dan Liljenquist, 67 percent to 32 percent.
Hatch nearly secured the nomination outright at the April convention, but fell just short of 60 percent of the delegates necessary.…
New York House: Rangel’s Last Stand
June 27, 2012 · 11:58 AM EDT
The rumors of Charlie Rangel’s demise were, once again, over-exaggerated., though the longtime Democratic congressman had to beat back a spirited challenge from state Sen. Adriano Espailliat, 46 percent to 39 percent.
Most Democratic observers expect this will be the last time the 82 year-old…
Oklahoma House: Incumbent Sullivan’s Unexpected Loss
June 27, 2012 · 11:57 AM EDT
In one of the most surprising outcomes of this election cycle, Rep. John Sullivan lost in the GOP primary in Oklahoma’s 1st District. Like his colleague in Ohio, Rep. Jean Schmidt, Sullivan didn’t take his primary race seriously enough from the beginning and, by the time he figured out he was in…
Colorado 5: Lamborn Defeats Wealthy Challenger
June 27, 2012 · 11:56 AM EDT
Every incumbent isn’t going to lose and the candidate that spends the most money doesn’t always win. Those are just two lessons learned from the Republican primary in Colorado’s 5th District, where Rep. Doug Lamborn defeated wealthy businessman Robert Blaha, 61 percent to 39 percent.
Early on…
South Carolina House: Rice Measures the Drapes
June 27, 2012 · 11:55 AM EDT
For a race that had plenty of twists and turns in its final month, the runoff in South Carolina’s new 7th District was almost anticlimactic. Horry County Council Chairman Tom Rice (R) and former Georgia state Rep. Gloria Tinubu (D) are now set to face off this fall, and Republicans are heavily…
Senate Majority Still Up for Grabs in November
June 22, 2012 · 11:42 AM EDT
A slew of retirements and a changing presidential election landscape have made for some ups and downs for the two parties in this year’s fight for the Senate. But the basic contours of the cycle remain the same: The Senate is up for grabs in November.
Republicans who last year looked at the…
Barack Obama the Underdog Against ‘Change’ Slogan
June 21, 2012 · 11:45 AM EDT
Back in October, President Barack Obama’s job approval rating stood at 44 percent in the NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey and only 17 percent of voters said that things in the country were “generally headed in the right direction.” Those numbers suggested that the president would lose…
Swing States, Battlegrounds and the 2012 Map
June 19, 2012 · 3:37 PM EDT
Everyone has an opinion about swing states. I figured it was time to explain how I see the presidential map.
My approach isn’t based solely on statistics, though numbers matter a great deal. (I suppose this means that while I admire Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane’s approach to…