Political Wire

  • Front Page
  • Members
    • Subscribe
    • Members FAQ
    • Sign In
    • Exclusive Analysis
    • My Favorites
  • Resources
    • Political Calendar
    • Political Job Hunt
    • Political Dictionary
    • Electoral Vote Map
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Archives for Democrats

Labor Shortage Hits Democratic Campaigns

June 23, 2022 at 7:37 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Democratic candidates nationwide are struggling mightily to hire enough qualified people to run their campaigns, according to interviews with party political operatives, a staff shortage many of them say is the worst — and most frustrating — in recent memory,” the Miami Herald reports.

“In an election year when Democrats are already grappling with high inflation and an enthused Republican Party, the hiring troubles amount to a behind-the-scenes headache when the party can least afford it.”

The job listings are pouring in at Political Job Hunt.

Filed Under: Democrats

Midwest Democrats Push Primary Calendar Shakeup

June 19, 2022 at 7:13 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Midwestern states are battling to be bumped up to a coveted early slot in the Democratic presidential nominating calendar, jumpstarting what election watchers say could be a big shakeup ahead of the 2024 election,” The Hill reports.

“Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois are among the states hoping to exert more influence and help diversify a lineup — led by the largely rural and predominantly white states of Iowa and New Hampshire — that many Democrats say doesn’t represent the party’s true strength.”

Filed Under: 2024 Campaign, Democrats

Democrats Have Stopped Listening

June 17, 2022 at 11:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Ed Luce: “As Ruy Teixeira, a veteran political scientist, says: the Democratic brand is ‘somewhere between uncompelling and toxic to wide swaths of American voters, who might potentially be their allies.’ The fact that Teixeira is saying this ought to make Democrats take notice. He was co-author of the seminal book, The Emerging Democratic Majority, which argued that racial trends would make Democratic rule inevitable. This remains an article of faith among election consultants. Yet Texieira has changed his mind. How could Democrats be alienating the people it needs to win?”

“A big part of the answer is that they have stopped listening to ordinary voters.
This would be less of a problem were the party’s leadership a cross-section of US society. But its upper echelons are dominated by a white college-educated activist class that is used to talking with itself. The days of knocking on the doors of potential new voters are largely over. Since Barack Obama’s time, Democrats have been wedded to a digital model that downplays old-fashioned engagement. This detaches the party from reality.”

Filed Under: Democrats

Unlock Political Wire for more.

Join for as low as $6 per month. Learn more.

Already a member? Sign in here.

 

The Simple Math of Voter Turnout

June 16, 2022 at 12:30 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Ruy Teixeira: “Start with this: when Democrats persuade a voter to switch sides, that nets two votes for the Democrats (one less for the Republicans, one more for the Democrats). When Democrats turn out one more voter to vote Democratic that is, of course, a net of only one vote for them.”

“But it’s really worse than that. Typically, Democrats think of increased base turnout in terms of turning out more voters from various pro-Democratic demographic groups—young voters, black voters, Hispanic voters, college-educated whites, whatever. But not all the voters in these groups favor the Democrats so mobilization of more voters from a given group may well net less than one vote per additional voter. For example, looking at current Congressional ballot preferences, Democrats might net only a third of a vote for every additional Hispanic or young voter, six-tenths of a vote from every additional black voter and just a sixth of a vote from every additional college-educated white voter.”

“The math looks even more unfavorable when the following is considered: Democrats tend to assume that nonvoters from a given demographic are the same politically as voters from the same group… except they don’t vote. But a mountain of political science evidence shows that’s not so.”

Filed Under: Democrats, Political Strategy

Tickets Didn’t Sell for Kamala Harris Fundraising Event

June 15, 2022 at 1:58 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Tara Palmeri: “Vice President Kamala Harris was slated to host the Democratic National Committee.’s major money-hauling event, the annual Women’s Leadership Forum, on May 25 and 26—a natural fit given that she’s the highest office-holding woman in American history. And when the invites were sent out on May 5, it was hyped as an incredible opportunity to mingle in-person after two years of virtual events and meetings.”

“But the event was rescheduled at the last minute for autumn, when the event is traditionally held, after the D.N.C. couldn’t sell enough tickets, I’m told.”

Filed Under: Democrats

Democrats Have a Big Hispanic Voter Problem

June 15, 2022 at 1:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Ruy Teixeira: “It is hard to avoid the conclusion that Democrats have seriously erred by lumping Hispanics in with ‘people of color’ and assuming they embraced the activism around racial issues that dominated so much of the political scene in 2020, particularly in the summer.”

“This was a flawed assumption. The reality of the Hispanic population is that they are, broadly speaking, an overwhelmingly working class, economically progressive, socially moderate constituency that cares above all, about jobs, the economy and health care.”

Filed Under: 2022 Campaign, Democrats

Adam Schiff Mulls Leadership Run

June 15, 2022 at 8:14 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), chair of the House Intelligence Committee, will visit the districts of more than 10 Frontliners and Democratic candidates in June and July, an attempt to continue to build support for a potential leadership run and help keep seats in Democrats’ hands, Punchbowl News reports.

Schiff is “a prolific fundraiser, which is a huge plus in a party leadership race. He’s second in House Democratic fundraising, trailing only Pelosi.”

Filed Under: Democrats, House of Representatives

Newsom ‘Frustrated’ with Democratic Party

June 13, 2022 at 7:09 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

California Gavin Newsom (D) said he is frustrated with “what is going on with the Democratic Party” on a national level, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Filed Under: Democrats

Why Do Democrats Suck at Messaging?

June 6, 2022 at 12:27 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Vanity Fair runs an excerpt from Dan Pfeiffer’s new book, Battling the Big Lie.

“The Question comes in many forms, but it always boils down to some version of: Why do Democrats suck at messaging? The Question was usually, but not always, asked politely. Sometimes it came with a series of ideas. Politics is one of those endeavors where everyone thinks they are qualified to have an opinion. And the people successful enough to write checks big enough to attend these events are generally not the sort of people who experience self-doubt.”

Battling the Big Lie: How Fox, Facebook, and the MAGA Media Are Destroying America
Battling the Big Lie: How Fox, Facebook, and the MAGA Media Are Destroying America
  • Amazon Kindle Edition
  • Pfeiffer, Dan (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 324 Pages - 06/07/2022 (Publication Date) - Twelve (Publisher)
Check Price on Amazon

Filed Under: Democrats

Bonus Quote of the Day

May 24, 2022 at 9:58 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The national Democratic Party has done a terrible job talking about what we’ve accomplished and what we’re fighting to accomplish. Nobody is more aggravated than I am with the national Democratic Party, that we didn’t fight harder to extend those child tax credits for working people in this state.”

— Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), quoted by Politico.

Filed Under: Democrats

New York City Bids to Hold Democratic Convention

May 24, 2022 at 8:31 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Eight years after New York City’s failed attempt to host the Democratic National Convention, Mayor Eric Adams is giving it another shot,” Politico reports.

“The Democratic mayor is entering a national contest with his counterparts from Chicago, Atlanta and other cities to host the presidential nominating convention in 2024.”

Filed Under: 2024 Campaign, Democrats

The Two Parties Are Either ‘Weak’ or ‘Extreme’

May 22, 2022 at 11:16 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

CBS News Poll: “For starters, the Democratic Party — which controls Congress and the presidency — is not seen by a majority as either ‘effective’ or ‘in touch,’ which are, no doubt, important measures for a party in power. The Democratic Party is more apt to be described as ‘weak,’ a label applied by a slight majority of Americans, than it is ‘strong.’”

“The Republican Party, for its part, is described by a slight majority as ‘extreme,’ a term Americans apply to the GOP more so than to Democrats, though neither really escapes the label. Independents are more likely to call the GOP extreme.”

Filed Under: Democrats, Republicans

Elon Musk Doubles-Down on Pledge to Vote Republican

May 20, 2022 at 12:13 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Elon Musk blasted Democrats on Twitter while doubling down on his vow to vote for Republicans in the next election.

Said Musk: “In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party. But they have become the party of division and hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican.”

He added: “Now, watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold…”

Former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau responded: “Hey man, if you want to support a bunch of electric vehicle-hating climate deniers, that’s on you.”

Filed Under: Democrats

Is the Democratic Party Giving Up Already?

May 19, 2022 at 11:53 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Jonathan Chait: “The Democratic Party has a lot of problems right now. Many of these problems lie outside its control: A global wave of inflation and continuing waves of coronavirus infection have prevented the recovery Joe Biden imagined when he took office last year, and the party’s slender majority gives it very narrow room to maneuver legislation through Congress.”

“That said, Democrats still have some room to improve their situation. They retain their congressional majority until January, and Joe Manchin has expressed his willingness to negotiate a bill to raise taxes on the rich and fund at least some new programs, including support for green energy. And yet their main response to a looming political and policy catastrophe appears to be fatalistic acceptance.”

Filed Under: Democrats

New York Democrats Turn Against Each Other

May 18, 2022 at 8:43 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “The once-a-decade congressional redistricting process is almost always an exercise in raw political power, particularly in a state like New York, which this year must shed a seat overall to account for population losses.”

“But if New York’s redistricting cycle began this year with an attempt by Democrats to marginalize Republicans, it now appears destined to end in intense infighting among Democrats as the Aug. 23 primary approaches — thanks to a ruling last month by the state’s highest court declaring the Democrat-led Legislature’s maps unconstitutional.”

Filed Under: Democrats, Redistricting

Democrats Question Whether Maloney Can Run DCCC

May 18, 2022 at 6:50 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“House Democrats could find themselves picking sides in a deeply uncomfortable primary this summer: their campaign chair versus a Black freshman. And a growing swath of the caucus is blaming its midterm chief, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, for the predicament,” Politico reports.

“Maloney’s decision to abandon a newly redrawn version of his current swing district — and instead run for a seat that includes most of Rep. Mondaire Jones’ turf — is raising private concerns from across the party that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chief has put himself in an inappropriate scenario: leading the party’s midterm strategy while potentially battling a fellow member.”

Punchbowl News: “Tensions are running so high that several members have approached Democratic leaders and said they’d call for Maloney to step down if he decides to go ahead and challenge Jones, a 35-year-old progressive. That would be a disaster for Democrats as they head into the heart of what’s going to be a very tough election cycle for them.”

Filed Under: 2022 Campaign, Democrats

Biden’s ‘MAGA Republicans’ is a Meh-Ga Slogan

May 17, 2022 at 5:09 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Walter Shapiro: “Democrats are ensnared in the campaign consultant trap. The president’s party is animated by the belief that some political phrasemaker will invent the magic five or six words that will transform the 2022 election.”

“Sorry, politics doesn’t work like that anymore, if it ever did…”

“We have long exaggerated the power of campaign consultants in both parties to cloud the minds of voters. In high-profile races, most TV ads cancel each other out. And it’s hard to think of any slogan in any off-year election in this century that made a difference.”

Filed Under: Democrats

The Democratic Party Is Very Unpopular

May 16, 2022 at 5:36 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new NBC poll found the Democratic Party with a net favorability rating of -19.

That’s lower than the Republican Party at -11, Vice-President Kamala Harris at -17, and Donald Trump at -16.

Filed Under: Democrats

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 48
  • Next Page »


Classified Ads

☑️ Get 25% off any shared eCommerce or Managed WordPress hosting plan at WP Engine.

July 1

☑️ The Almanac of American Politics 2022 is the gold standard of accessible political information, relied on by everyone involved, invested or interested in politics in America.

July 1

Place an ad.

Your Account

Sign in

Latest for Members

  • Reaction to the Surprise January 6 Hearing — Part II
  • Reaction to the Surprise January 6 Hearing

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.

Copyright © 2022 · Goddard Media LLC | Privacy Policy

Political Wire ® is a registered trademark of Goddard Media LLC