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Cuomo’s Name Is Buried on the Ballot

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Voting early in New York over the weekend was a reminder of just how much ballot design favors the two major parties.

Andrew Cuomo may learn that lesson the hard way.

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It’s ‘Autopsy’ Day for Democrats

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It’s apparently “autopsy” day for Democrats, as two think tanks — the left-leaning Roosevelt Institute and the more centrist Welcome — each released reports dissecting what went wrong in last year’s presidential election.

That’s a healthy exercise for a party that’s struggling with its poor image.

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What Makes This Shutdown Different

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Public opinion on the government shutdown has now calcified along party lines — and that’s the real story.

Neither side is paying a political price anymore.

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How Trump Uses Talk of a Third Term to Keep Power

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Donald Trump’s talk of seeking a third term isn’t just idle provocation — and it would be a mistake to dismiss it as just trolling.

There’s a clear political purpose behind it.

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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The Constitution Won’t Enforce Itself

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President Trump hasn’t exactly been subtle about it.

For years, he’s mused openly about serving more than two terms — long before he even lost re-election in 2020.

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The Populist Who Won’t Step Aside

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Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner (D) has had quite a week — portrayed as everything from a communist to a Nazi in the span of just a few days.

In an earlier era, that would have been enough to end a campaign.

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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Democrats Plot a Power Move in Virginia

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Democrats in Virginia are racing against the clock to pull off a last-minute redistricting effort that could dramatically reshape the state’s political map.

Party leaders in Richmond are preparing to launch a complex, high-stakes constitutional process to redraw the lines.

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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Trump’s Wrecking Ball Presidency

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It shouldn’t be possible for a president to destroy an entire wing of the White House without notice.

Yet that’s exactly what’s happening.

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A Test of the Democratic Party’s Future

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The fight between Janet Mills and Graham Platner isn’t just a Maine story — it’s a proxy war over what kind of party Democrats want to be after 2024.

Should Democrats lean more progressive and more populist, or should they let the establishment guide the way?

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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Why the Government Shutdown Drags On

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Leaked internal Democratic polling finds that Republicans are getting slightly more blame for the government shutdown — 45% to 42%.

But since that’s coming from a partisan poll, it’s fair to assume the public is splitting the blame roughly evenly.

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A Lesson Every Political Aide Learns Eventually

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When I first worked in politics — first for a senator, then for a governor — I was told one thing above all: be very careful when talking to reporters.

You could speak on background or off the record, my boss said, but only if you negotiated the terms in advance. Even then, he warned, there were no guarantees. Once the words leave your mouth, you’ve lost control over them.

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One Recruit Away from Possibly Taking Back the Senate

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Former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) may hold the key to Democrats reclaiming the Senate majority — if she decides to take the plunge.

She’s weighing two options: a bid for Alaska’s open governor’s seat or a challenge to Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK).

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What Trump Doesn’t Get About the Insurrection Act

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President Trump told Fox News he could claim “unquestioned power” by invoking the Insurrection Act — a sweeping assertion that he could effectively override the courts and Congress.

Said Trump: “Everybody agrees you’re allowed to use that and there is no more court cases, there is no more anything. We’re trying to do it in a nicer manner, but we can always use the Insurrection Act.”

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Four Ways Trump Acts Like a King

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A Political Wire reader took issue with the idea that Donald Trump is behaving like a king.

But it took me only a minute to come up with examples that prove the point:

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Peaceful Protests Undercut Trump’s Warnings of Unrest

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Organizers of the “No Kings” protests urged participants to be peaceful — and they were.

Despite Republican warnings of chaos and violence, massive demonstrations across the country unfolded with remarkable calm.

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The Resistance Finds Its Voice

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The opposition to Donald Trump isn’t just visible — it’s massive.

Saturday’s “No Kings” demonstrations were the largest single-day protests in American history, a stunning and peaceful show of civic defiance.

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The Biggest Loser in the Shutdown

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With the House not returning next week, the government shutdown is now on track to become the longest full shutdown in U.S. history.

And the politics remain very complicated.

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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GOP Panic Reveals Fear of Mass Resistance

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The “No Kings” protests this weekend could be one of the biggest political moments of the year.

More than 2,500 events are planned across the country — a massive show of peaceful defiance that has already struck a nerve with Republicans in Washington.

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Talking Points is my analysis of the political landscape, written only for Political Wire members.

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Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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