Seth Masket
Lessons from 2020 (that I can't yet prove)
Some political lessons we can learn from 2020, even if we don't have all the evidence yet.
MISCHIEFS OF FACTION
Reflections on Parties and Their Place in Politics
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Seth Masket
- Oct 23, 2020
- 4 min
For Democrats, There Is No Margin Big Enough To Sleep Well
2016 was traumatizing for many Democrats, who won't trust a polling lead again for years to come
Seth Masket
- May 18, 2020
- 5 min
Parties pick Vice Presidents, and they're not bad at it
The VP nominee process looks a lot like the one party reformers have been pushing for the presidency
The Staff
- May 1, 2020
- 10 min
The Extremely Visible Primary for the Vice Presidential Nomination
Azari and Masket look at an unusually public campaign for the vice presidential slot and what that tells us about parties.
The Staff
- Apr 17, 2020
- 7 min
Are Parties Weak or Strong, Part II
Part II of whether the parties are weak or strong, with a look at the end of the 2020 nomination contest and Biden's strengths as a nominee.
The Staff
- Apr 16, 2020
- 10 min
Are Parties Weak or Strong, Part I
Julia Azari and Seth Masket argue over whether parties are strong or weak, focusing on Kamala Harris' withdrawal.
Seth Masket
- Mar 4, 2020
- 4 min
The Carolina Comeback in Light of 2016
The Dems did in three days what the GOP failed to do in all of 2015 and 2016: coordinate on a candidate.
Hans Noel
- Mar 4, 2020
- 3 min
Is the Party Deciding?
After Joe Biden won the South Carolina primary, a lot of power players in the Democratic Party have come to his aid. Rivals Pete...
Seth Masket
- Feb 19, 2020
- 5 min
Fine, Dems are in Disarray. Here's Why.
The normal calculations a party makes when deciding on a nominee have been short-circuited this cycle.
Hans Noel
- Feb 5, 2020
- 14 min
The Iowa Caucuses look crazy from a distance, but you should see them up close...
This year, I took a group of Georgetown's best students to Iowa to see the nation's first caucuses unfold. (I'm taking groups to New...
Seth Masket
- Feb 3, 2020
- 3 min
At the end of the invisible primary
As the invisible primary comes to an end, a look at how much work the party has already done.
Julia Azari
- Jan 29, 2020
- 5 min
Bernie Sanders is the logical successor to the Trump presidency
As the Iowa caucuses approach, there’s been lots of talk on the internet about whether Bernie Sanders can win. He’s gained support in the...
Seth Masket
- Jan 27, 2020
- 4 min
The Case for Covering Bernie Differently
Sanders has significant strengths, but may have a harder time than other candidates in translating those into a majority of delegates.
The Staff
- Dec 3, 2019
- 4 min
Not all Democratic primary voters are as “woke” as your Twitter feed
Many engaged Democrats debate the merits of the large field of presidential candidates on social media, and this conversation can...
Seth Masket
- Nov 12, 2019
- 4 min
Who gets the nomination will tell us a lot about how strong the party is
What would each nominee tell us about the strengths of the party?
Jennifer N. Victor
- Sep 18, 2019
- 3 min
Second choice data from Democratic voters shows Warren with an advantage
The 2020 Democratic primary process is heating up. The field of Democrats is already winnowing, and there are a lot of data-driven tea...
Seth Masket
- Sep 12, 2019
- 3 min
Don't look now, but the DNC got powerful
The DNC never had the kind of power that its critics accused it of abusing. Now it does.
Seth Masket
- Aug 20, 2019
- 4 min
Identity, Ideology, and Electability
Voters tend to see women and people of color as more ideologically extreme even when they're not.
Seth Masket
- Aug 15, 2019
- 3 min
A party-orchestrated departure
Hickenlooper's withdrawal shows the heavy hand of the party working to steer him toward a Senate race.
Hans Noel
- Aug 14, 2019
- 4 min
What can 2016 tell us about 2020?
It may be that 2020 teaches us more about 2016 than the other way around. What if Trump hadn’t run, or what if hadn’t received the intense b