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Roy Moore’s Loss Doesn’t Tell Us Much About Alabama
While Jones’ victory does have major implications for US politics, much of the media makes a mistake by taking the result of a slim margin and extrapolating it as a bellwether for the entire state or nation.
US Political Parties are Gnarly Coalitions–This Means They Can Be Rebuilt
A pretty amazing new study from Pew Research shows that the parties are fragile coalitions, full of very deep disagreement. This fragility means many very interesting things could happen in the future… and that your stereotypes of each party may not make sense.
Highlighting Hope for Real Reform: Missouri
We’ve already talked at great length about political polarization in the US: why it’s bad, where it comes from. It’s a pretty bleak landscape to be honest. Culturally this is hard to change. Calling for civility won’t work, because the incentives are wrong. But we’ve talked about ways to fix these incentives. They are structural changes.
Luckily, they’re starting to happen. Let’s take a look at Missouri.
Mis-Applying the Overton Window
I’ve heard a few discussions that used the Overton Window as a theoretical tool to support certain ways of behaving politically. But do people really understand the Overton Window well enough to wield it wisely?
A Theory on Trump’s Electoral Upset by The Guy That Invented Modern Polling
I got to meet Pat Caddell, who has worked in presidential offices and campaigns since the Carter Administration. He has done a combination of personal interviews, polling, and soul-searching to get a sense of why Trump won the election when, in his words, Trump had no real strategy, few solid positions, and very little in the way of a campaign at all.
Why The Electoral College Revolt Was Doomed
There was much ado about the Hamilton Electors, a pack of Electoral College Electors trying to get the College to elect a Republican alternative to Trump. Despite unprecedented public support and pressure, the Hamilton Elector movement went out with a mighty fizzle. It was probably doomed from the start.
The Electoral College: WHY!?
But seriously, why on earth do we have the Electoral College? Something about having to travel in carriages?
It’s a question a lot of people are asking after an election with a pretty big gap between the popular vote and the outcome.
So why on earth does it exist? What’s the point? Is it fulfilling its purpose? What alternatives are there, and how would we get to them?
Learn all this and more, including why you don’t kill your admirals, on today’s episode!
The Trump-olution
“I’m gonna drain the swamp.”
Love him or hate him, Donald Trump’s rise and agenda are a political revolution.
But revolutions are hard, even after you win. Most have failed miserably. What will it take for Trump to fulfill his vision, rather than fall apart?
An Open Letter to Trump Voters
This isn’t a hate letter: it’s a love letter. So do keep reading.
You did it.
Understanding (Many) Trump Supporters, and Moving On
This post is for those who, regardless of the outcome, want to move forward as a country. This is for those who know there is a deep wound to heal, and they need to be part of it.