Democrats were widely expected to take the US Senate when Joe Biden was elected President. While they gained several seats, Republicans remain in charge of the chamber. Democrats have 48 seats now, with the opportunity to get two more in January. Unless they sweep the two races in Georgia, Biden will need Republican support to get anything done. This severely limits what Biden can accomplish.

While extremely small in number, there remain a few Republicans in the Senate who would cross the aisle to vote with Democrats on very specific issues. …

As far as 20th century US politicians go, no one is held in more contempt than Richard Nixon. Nixon has become shorthand for nearly everything reviled about politics. This fact isn’t particularly controversial. Nixon is widely remembered for Watergate, the Southern Strategy and War on Drugs. These three tragedies of US history will forever taint his image. Strangely, this has not applied to a man who was arguably far worse. While Nixon himself is still hated decades after his death, one of his closest advisors is held up as an elder statesman.

Henry Kissinger is the favorite diplomat of the political establishment in both parties. He was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1973, becoming only the third Cabinet official or President in history to do so. Gerald Ford kept Kissinger in his Cabinet. George W. Bush appointed him to a 9/11 commission. Barack Obama and John McCain both cited him as an influence while running for President in 2008. Hillary Clinton publicly expressed admiration for the 56th Secretary of State and touted the Republican’s endorsement in a Democratic Primary in the 2016 campaign. Kissinger is one of the only Cabinet Secretaries in history to command such bipartisan praise. …

Barry Goldwater and the Rise of the Radicals

The year was 1964, and Democrats had just won their 7th of 9 Presidential elections since 1932. The year was a significant one for the broader conservative movement. After 12 years of organizing at the Presidential level, Conservatives had finally taken over the Republican Party, and to most prognosticators the conservative cause was over as soon as it began. Republicans nominated Sen. Barry Goldwater, the conservative ideologue who was adored by movement conservatives. 1964 was a historically bad year for Republicans. President Lyndon Johnson amassed a 23 point victory, winning 44 states. The blowout was so massive that Republicans held only 32 seats in the Senate and 140 in the House. After finally running their candidate, conservatives had lost in a landslide. …

Part 1: Noble Beginnings.

Throughout recent history, Conservatives have arguably been the most dominant force in electoral politics. While Republicans have a major structural problem at the Presidential level, they have a firm grip on power at virtually every other level of government. They hold this power despite their views not being widely shared by the electorate. How did this happen? This series will explore the rise of modern conservatism.

For most of the Republican Party’s lifetime, conservatives weren’t particularly dominant. …

How the Right Seized Power: Noble Beginnings

The following is the first in a multi-part series chronicling the rise of the right wing in American politics, and specifically looks at their takeover of the Republican Party.

For most of the Republican Party’s lifetime, conservatives weren’t particularly dominant. While the GOP is now seen as as essentially the only viable party to be in for conservatives, this was not always the case.

When it first appeared, the Republican Party was actually comprised of progressive reformists. A few of the GOP’s most beloved Presidents have proven the point. …

Will Biden Pursue a “Grand Bargain”?

When Biden enters office, the deficit for Trump’s last year in office could eclipse 4 trillion. This number is not just large, but over double the largest in history. While mostly due to the 2020 Stimulus, Trump’s changes to taxes and military spending, the yearly structural deficit stands at about 1 trillion in times of below average unemployment. A simple budget with no adjustments could balloon to at least 1.2 trillion because of economic conditions.

With a 4 trillion dollar deficit, there will be massive pressure to immediately address it. From nearly all quarters, the overwhelming focus and pressure will be austerity and how much government spending to cut. …

The Four Scenarios of the 2020 Election

The 2020 election is almost over. The contours of the race have been remarkably stable. Democrats have been favored to win since the day after the 2016, while Trump’s base of support has remained more or less constant through every major controversy. Trump’s approval rating has been between 37% and 45% with the only real variation coming from polling outliers. Democrats had an essentially low bar to meet: nominate a candidate that isn’t as hated as Hillary Clinton.

They met that challenge with Joe Biden. (Sanders, Buttigieg, Klobuchar and several others also likely would have). The race has been relatively stable since his nomination. Joe Biden has had a commanding lead and Democrats have been favored in Congress by 2018 levels. …

Why Biden is Likely to Win

With election day quickly approaching, how do things stand? Is Biden in danger of being Hillary 2.0? Is Trump still benefitting from an electoral college advantage? Have the pollsters learned? Here are some answers.

But weren’t the polls were wrong in 2016?

The 2016 election predictions were largely correct, actually. The major problem was when most polled, there was a small error that was applied systemiccally, miscalling the election. It didn’t aquately weight by education level. This was a big deal because Trump did must better with non-college educated whites. An inordinate amount of these types of voters appear in rust belt areas. …