MOST RECENT ARTICLES BY:

Ed Kilgore

  1. vision 2020
    Will Trump Screw Up Republican Efforts to Hang On to the Senate?Most Republicans want to move on, and fear the crucial Georgia Senate runoffs will become a referendum on Trump’s efforts to contest his defeat.
  2. politics
    Michigan Legislators Spurn Trump’s Bid to Overturn Election ResultsThe president summoned the state’s Republican legislative leaders to the White House. They didn’t tell him what he wanted to hear.
  3. vision 2020
    Georgia Certifies Biden Win, But Republican Infighting ContinuesBrad Raffensperger and Brian Kemp will help end the 2020 election, but the party’s split could get worse as crucial Senate runoffs approach.
  4. contested election
    Trump’s Hold on the GOP Rank and File Continues to Be AmazingHe convinced millions to vote in person, then convinced millions more than the partisan split in voting methods he engineered proves massive fraud.
  5. politics
    Perdue Hit With More Allegations of Shady Stock TransactionsHe bought stock in a submarine company, helped it out in the Senate, then made a windfall. And the news comes as he fights for his political life.
  6. 2020 elections
    Which House Races Still Aren’t Called?A narrowed Democratic margin in the House could swell or shrink as the last four races are eventually called.
  7. contested election
    Rudy Melts Down Over Trump and ‘Voter Fraud’ During Insane Press ConferenceThe president’s legal team alleged a vast conspiracy to install Joe Biden, bankrolled by “communist money.”
  8. democrats in disarray
    The Election Should Reduce, Not Increase, Democratic InfightingGiven the likely balance of power in the Senate, there’s less for party to fight about than it expected.
  9. georgia senate runoffs
    The Hypocrisy of Republican Attacks on Raphael Warnock’s SermonsWarnock and the Black preaching tradition he represents are not “unpatriotic.” They draw from the same inspiration as Christian conservatives.
  10. redistricting
    Democrats Face a Redistricting DisasterDemocrats missed many targets for flipping legislative chambers. Only the rise of independent commissions to draw maps is limiting the damage.
  11. election reform
    Alaska Voters Approve Two Major Election ReformsBallot Measure 2 gives Alaska a top-four nonpartisan primary system and (like Maine) ranked-choice voting. It could be good news for Lisa Murkowski.
  12. vision 2020
    Who Could Lead Trumpism Without Trump?There are several paths Republicans could take to maintain Trump’s political appeal without all the baggage.
  13. 2020 elections
    Is Black Voter Turnout a Problem for Democrats in Georgia?Yes, Black voter turnout should be higher. But that’s not an excuse for southern Dems to return to their old habit of focusing on white conservatives.
  14. presidents
    Trump Wouldn’t Be the First President to Try a ComebackAnd it’s a lot harder than it looks.
  15. lame-duck session
    Lame-Duck Session Begins With Low ExpectationsLeadership elections should confirm the status quo, and there will likely be another stopgap spending bill with limited COVID-19 stimulus.
  16. vision 2020
    How Georgia Became the Ultimate Battleground StateGeorgia Democrats have slowly come back after brief successes under Carter and Clinton. But in the January Senate runoffs, they have their big chance.
  17. vision 2020
    The End Is Here: Last Two States Called in the Presidential ElectionTeam Trump may rage perpetually, but with Georgia falling to Biden and North Carolina to the president, the real-life election is over.
  18. coronavirus stimulus
    Does Biden’s Election Help or Hurt Prospects for a Stimulus Deal?It’s unlikely anything will happen before the two Georgia runoffs determine Senate control, unless everything goes haywire.
  19. vision 2020
    Was Joe Biden the Most Electable Democrat After All?We’ll never know if one of Biden’s rivals might have done better in 2020. But his narrow win suggests Democrats need to build a stronger coalition.
  20. 117th congress
    Who Will Hold Power in the Next Congress?Depending on what happens in Georgia’s Senate runoffs, Democrats will have either a narrow path for governing or a tough row to hoe.
  21. vision 2020
    Trump’s Antics Strengthen the Case for Nationalizing Election RulesThis year’s chaotic postelection environment shows how a scofflaw like Trump can exploit a decentralized and disorganized system.
  22. contested election
    How Long Can Trump Keep Contesting the Election?Republicans could bring the president’s madness to an end, but there are a series of deadlines that may force the issue.
  23. ballot initiatives
    Progressives Suffered Big Losses on California Ballot IssuesProgressives intentionally timed some crucial ballot initiatives for 2020, but a tide of “no” votes left them high and dry.
  24. vision 2020
    Biden’s Popular-Vote Win Is Beginning to Look More ImpressivePercentage-wise, he did better than any Democrat not named Obama in a half century.
  25. poll position
    Should We Stop Paying Attention to Election Polls?Polls are like democracy: bad except as compared to all the alternatives.
  26. supreme court
    Roberts and Kavanaugh Signal They May Save ObamacareTwo members of the Supreme Court’s conservative bloc indicate even if part of Obamacare is declared unconstitutional, the bulk of it will survive.
  27. vision 2020
    Was Late Shift to GOP About Polling Error or Late Deciders?We won’t know for a while, but the most likely answer right now is “both.”
  28. vision 2020
    Trump’s Only Credible Legal Strategy Won’t Be EnoughIt’s possible the Supreme Court will accept Republican efforts to disallow late mail ballots in Pennsylvania. But there aren’t enough votes to matter.
  29. vision 2020
    Biden Had One Job and He Did ItBiden took advantage of all Trump’s self-inflicted political wounds and now looks to be a necessary if limited transitional president.
  30. 2020 elections
    Alaska’s Slow Ballot Count Adds to Senate UncertaintyThere’s a chance an Alaska U.S. Senate election could matter a lot. But thanks to local customs, we won’t know for a good while.
  31. 2020 elections
    2020 Was a Disaster for Democrats Trying to Take Over State HousesAn ambitious and expensive effort to bust up Republican power in the states fell flat.
  32. 2020 elections
    Senate Control Will Now Be Decided by Two Runoff Elections in GeorgiaWe may have never seen anything like the intensity these runoffs will generate, particularly among Democrats trying to give Biden a chance to govern.
  33. vision 2020
    Trump Scrambles for Legal Strategy to Stop DefeatA flurry of lawsuits from Team Trump may, at the very best, delay the inevitable.
  34. 2020 elections
    Republicans Make Shocking Gains in the HouseDemocrats were expected to win several seats, but will instead lose a handful. Nancy Pelosi now faces a potential revolt.
  35. vision 2020
    The Perpetually Frustrated Dream of the South Turning BlueThere remain signs of optimism for long-suffering southern Democrats, but 2020 was in most respects bitterly disappointing.
  36. vision 2020
    What Donald Trump Wants the Supreme Court to Do to Help Him WinTrump may ask the Supreme Court’s conservative majority to kill ballots postmarked by Election Day but received later.
  37. 2020 vision
    Election Day Ends With Trump Catching Up, Biden Still FavoredPolls weren’t entirely correct and the president got a last-minute surge. Is it enough?
  38. vision 2020
    What to Watch for on Election Night: An Hour-by-Hour GuideHere’s when we’re likely to know if we’re looking at another Trump upset, a Biden landslide, or a fight that goes into a turbulent overtime.
  39. 2020 vision
    Pelosi’s Grip on the House Will Tighten After the ElectionDemocrats should win more seats led by another suburban surge, this one possibly centered in Texas.
  40. vision 2020
    How Likely Is a Premature Trump Declaration of Victory?Trump needs a win or a draw in several close states, including Pennsylvania, before he can think about claiming victory or contesting the results.
  41. poll position
    There’s an Outlier Poll for Whatever You Want to Hear Right NowPolling averages in presidential and Senate races are fairly stable, but you can cherry-pick surveys going in all sorts of directions.
  42. supreme court
    How the Supreme Court Has Already Tinkered With the 2020 ElectionThe Court has deferred to state decisions about mail-ballot deadlines and other election issues, with some conservatives clearly wanting to intervene.
  43. poll position
    COVID Resurgence May Keep Trump From Closing the Gap With BidenAs Trump urges voters to stop dwelling on his handling of the pandemic, COVID-19 is making an attention-grabbing comeback, especially in the Midwest.
  44. coronavirus stimulus
    Will We Get a Second Round of COVID-19 Stimulus Checks?Negotiations were slowly making progress after repeated Trump flip-flops, then time ran out for a pre-election deal. Early 2021 remains the best bet.
  45. vision 2020
    Will Anyone Possibly Be Able to Call the Presidential Race on Election Night?Why you should be extra-skeptical of pundits (and the president) making declarations on November 3.
  46. politics
    Hopes for a Stimulus Deal Before the Election Are DeadThe economy is on its own until January or later.
  47. vision 2020
    How Trump Failed to Make This a ‘Choice’ ElectionCOVID-19 and Joe Biden’s nomination screwed up Trump’s original campaign strategy, and he never adjusted.
  48. supreme court
    Trump’s Justices Show How They Might Help Him in Contested ElectionGorsuch defends Republican state legislatures’ power over election disputes. Kavanaugh echoes Trump’s attacks on mail-in ballots. Be very afraid.
  49. vision 2020
    Why the Size of Biden’s Lead Still MattersThere’s the down-ballot impact, the possibility of polling error, and the need to keep Trump from declaring victory based on early returns.
  50. covid-19 stimulus
    Another Day of Overtime Stimulus Talks Ends With No DealBoth sides are accusing the other of “moving the goal posts,” but in the end, it’s Trump who needs a preelection announcement.
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