So often in politics, particularly when it comes to major legislative proposals that become big legislative wins, we think that messaging the whole bill will drive the polls and public opinion. Unfortunately, as Democrats should have learned from the Affordable Care Act (ACA), that assumption can be a big mistake.
In fact, it not only can prove to be a less efficient and effective game plan, it also can leave us open to a dizzying array of focused, if baseless, attacks on indi...
What’s the more effective safety net?
There long has been a debate among social policy advocates and politicians over which makes better policy and is more politically sustainable: universal programs like Social Security and Medicare or targeted ones like Medicaid and food stamps.
The assumption is that universal programs fare better as, by definition, they have more beneficiaries. Conventional wisdom has it that during the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush presidencies, programs focused on the poor were shredded...
Why Democrats are regaining momentum
This summer, high temperature records were shattered across the United States; wildfires burned millions of acres from Oklahoma to Alaska; droughts ravaged Western states, and floods devastated Appalachia. These disasters contributed to a sense of urgency that helped Democrats pass a boatload of bills, including the most sweeping climate change legislation in American history. In the run up to the midterm elections they have regained some momentum.
And the contrast with Congre...
Good news for Democrats continues to build — so now what?
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Hispanics find home in GOP
What do you think of America? Why do you want to live in America? What are your hopes for your family in America?
The answers to these questions provide insights into why many Hispanics are increasingly identifying with the Republican Party. They’ve seen how leaders who arrogantly think they know better than them actually weaken individual freedoms, destroy economic opportunities, and damage what they want for their country.
...
Inflation Reduction Act media tour won’t ease economic turmoil for ordinary Americans
The reports of President Biden’s resurgence are greatly exaggerated. On Tuesday, Biden signed into law the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, which the media are touting as a significant “Biden victory.” The press celebration is just the culmination of a broader public relations effort claiming the Biden presidency is gaining “momentum.”
Yet small businesses on the front lines of the economy tell a very different story of economic turmoil, which this tax-and-spend legislation ...
How this populist Democrat is taking on Ron Johnson in Wisconsin
Wisconsin has experienced its share of political wildcards: being snubbed by Hillary Clinton, handing Donald Trump and Joe Biden victories, and hosting a COVID-19 debacle at the Democratic National Convention.
Now, Democrats are hoping for another surprise in the making: a populist millennial senator.
Democrats have gone all-in on Mandela Barnes, the state’s 35-year-old lieutenant governor, to oust Republican Sen. Ron Johnson (Wis.) as part of their keep-the-Senate s...
Now what’s the matter with Kansas?
Kansas is no swing state. The landlocked expanse of farms and Protestant churches hasn’t supported a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, and hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate since the 1930s. It inspired a 2004 book, “What’s the Matter With Kansas: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America,” that foreshadowed the rise of anti-elite conservative populism that would carry Donald Trump to the presidency.
And yet, in a sense, Kansas is a swing state this year. The stat...
What the Inflation Reduction Act means for health care coverage
The health insurance measures in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will allow millions of Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare, enrollees to keep their coverage — for now. That’s good. But the IRA is the latest chapter in the turbulent 12-year saga of the ACA. As such, it represents another incremental step in the long slog to stabilize and expand health coverage in the U.S. — the only wealthy nation on Earth that doesn’t guarantee its citizens some form of universal hea...
Despite primary ouster, expect to see Liz Cheney even more
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