Politics
New redistricting move proposes big changes to Virginia Senate districts
On Monday, the Virginia Senate narrowly passed (20-19) a new redistricting bill that will dramatically change the boundaries of the current Senate districts drawn just two years ago. The plan, passed by Senate Republicans on a party-line vote when a Democratic…
Lower turnout in 2012 makes the case for political realignment in 2008
Now that most states have finalized and submitted their official election results (yes, it does take that long), we can take a closer look into state and local turnout rates for the 2012 presidential election.But first, an overview of the…
National Turnout Rates and Rankings
For 2012 election-related commentary, please see these recent posts : Forget Ohio, it’s all about Virginia…and demographics Virginia Votes 2012 Virginia Votes 2012: Turnout across localities Lower turnout in 2012 makes the case for political realignment in 2008 As an…
Red State, Blue State: Demographic Change and Presidential Politics in Virginia
Today, the Cooper Center released a new report on demographic shifts in Virginia and how they will impact the upcoming election. Co-authoring this publication has provided me with the opportunity to connect some of the different topics highlighted in this blog…
Update: First derivative Virginians
Quinnipiac University released its latest poll of Virginia’s registered voters and the news is not good for Obama. Since 2011, Obama has led Romney in all trial heat match-ups that Quinnipiac released for the commonwealth, sometimes with leads well outside…
The Individual Mandate stays, but what about Medicaid? Insights for Virginia
Today’s Supreme Court ruling has upheld the central piece of the Affordable Care Act, the individual mandate, but has deemed part of that act unconstitutional when it comes to another major piece, the Medicaid expansion.Under the Act, Medicaid will expand to…
We like you…but could you please stop robbing us :)
The recent debate and negotiations this week in Congress over student loans has me fuming. The primary question is whether or not to increase interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans, loans that go to students from families that earn less…
Update: Romney’s economic advantage in Virginia?
Quinnipiac University released it’s latest poll of Virginia’s registered voters with President Obama holding a 47 to 42 percent lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney in a match-up. Obama has maintained a consistent lead over Romney in all Quinnipiac polls since…
The nation’s changing political topography
For 2012 election-related commentary, please see these recent posts : Forget Ohio, it’s all about Virginia…and demographics Virginia Votes 2012 Virginia Votes 2012: Turnout across localities Lower turnout in 2012 makes the case for political realignment in 2008 After posting Climbing…
Racial attitudes, the generation gap, and the political perfect storm
Over the past few weeks I’ve been watching closely the recent efforts by the National Journal to prominently showcase stories, polls, and news events that highlight demography and population change. With a particular focus on politics, the “Next America” project, beginning…