Why the Democrats Can't Govern

The Democrats have met the enemy and they are.....the Democrats?

Popularity and the NES Feeling Thermometer

Phil Klinkner uses the National Election Study data from 2008 to show why Rush Limbaugh is such an attractive target for the Democrats. He's massively unpopular.

Liberal Groups Are Flexing New Muscle in Lobby Wars

The Democrats have an extended party too.

R.N.C. Chairman Apologizes to Limbaugh in Flap Over His Role

It's pretty amazing that the newly installed RNC Chair has to kowtow to a talk radio host. If we're searching for some sort of hierarchy of elites in the extended GOP (and we are), it's clear that Rush Limbaugh is above Michael Steele.

Video of Steele making comments about Limbaugh from D.L. Hughley Breaks the News. However, it's the Republican Party that seems broken.

Rush Limbaugh on Bipartisanship

"Where the hell do we get to compromise when we believe in our principles?"

Newt. Again.

Fits nicely with our readings for the Congress week.

One Side to Every Story

With attempts at bipartisanship, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Deal Struck on $789 Billion Stimulus

But even as Congressional leaders and top White House officials went through the package with a carving knife, it was clear that the three Republicans who agreed to support the bill in the Senate wielded extraordinary power, and along with conservative Democrats in their coalition, had put a firm stamp on the stimulus package.

Democrats target the Weak... Like Jim Sensenbrenner???

The Democrats are doing what all parties do, targeting opponents they think are vulnerable. 28 Republicans in the House of Reps are being pelted with radio ads because of their votes on the stimulus bill. So why then, are they targeting Jim Sensenbrenner in WI-05!? He has about as safe a district as any Republican in the Midwest. What do you think? Do Democrats on Capitol Hill actually think they can win in Waukesha, or are they just trying to make Jim squirm?

The Republican Death Spiral... Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying, and Love Eric Cantor

The Republicans in the House of Representatives now overwhelmingly hail from districts that are safely conservative. With little chance of losing their seats, are those on the far right driving the party's legislative agenda out of the mainstream? In doing so, are they perpetuating their exile by marginalizing moderates who can reach out to independent and dissafected Democratic voters? Do they risk losing even more seats by setting an agenda that members like Jim Gerlach (R-PA) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) cannot rationally vote for?

Geography Is Dividing Democrats Over Energy

Internal strife for the ruling coalition.

Obama’s Partisan, Profane Confidant Reins It In

Has anything really changed?

Welcome to Spring

Get on over to D2L and get ready for learning. More here later.

Illinois Governor in Corruption Scandal

Hmmmm. Maybe giving governors the ability to fill empty Senate seats in a bad idea.

Young voters and everybody else

Andrew Gelman on the youth vote in presidential elections, 1988-2008.

And hey, there's another election today and those crazy Minnesotans are still going at it too....

Lieberman, Lieberman, Lieberman

Ben Pershing:

The Senate is a strange place.... Lieberman is retaining his chairmanship because A) Democrats are now close to 60 votes and need to keep every single one; and B) the Senate is all about personal relationships, and a lot of Lieberman's colleagues still like him and are loyal to him on a personal level, despite what he did in the campaign. Of course, a lot of liberal Democrats think that's ridiculous, but the Senate sometimes seems to pride itself on ignoring public opinion.

President-Elect Starts Taking On Burdens of the Job

No time to wait?

Challenged ballots: You be the judge

What is being argued next door.

Vast Obama network becomes a political football

"[I]t is no simple task to convert an insurgency into a standing army."

More on the transitions underway in both parties here: DNC chair faces $15M debt; fight for RNC boss.

On Howard Dean (DNC Chief Dean to Step Down):

Terence R. McAuliffe, who preceded Dean as chairman, praised the former Vermont governor's performance. "He handled it great," McAuliffe said. "He has done everything expected of the DNC chair. These are tough jobs."

On the GOP side: Can Newt Save the GOP?

Election Reflections

Michael Munger, political scientist (and former co-chair of my dissertation committee), reflects on the challenges running for office as a third-party candidate.