The paradox of the 2016 election was that the political party that won the White House was doomed to frustrate and disappoint the hyper-partisans most invested in their success, and faced quite probably catastrophic losses in 2018. Republicans' 2016 victory is shaping up to be a disaster for them in terms of policy advances. Except... Continue Reading →
5 States and 215 Counties Switched from Obama to Trump
The 2016 election was decided by five counties in two states, Florida and Michigan, Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio says. Trump under-performed in Texas, Arizona, and Georgia, but it made no difference. If Trump lost Macomb County in Michigan, a traditionally Democratic suburb of Detroit which famously went for Reagan, and these four counties in Florida --... Continue Reading →
3 States and less than 100,000 Votes Determined 2016 Presidential Election
Donald Trump carried Pennsylvania by about 72,000 votes; Wisconsin by 26,000 votes; and Michigan by 12,000 votes. If these three states had gone the other way, Clinton would have won. Clinton did not campaign once in Wisconsin during the general election. Only 112,000 votes gave us President Trump. In the final count, the election was decided... Continue Reading →
Political Profiles of the States, Swing States and Tracking Polls
Ballotpedia has published political profiles of each state, courtesy of the Almanac of American Politics 2016. Reading these profiles are essential to fully understanding American politics. The largest states lean heavily toward one candidate: New York, Illinois (Chicago), the Northeast and the West coast states (California, Washington, Oregon) are generally considered Democratic or Clinton territory;... Continue Reading →