Category Archives: Primaries

In Defense of South Carolina: Institutions Matter

Posted on January 12, 2012 by

We all know the story of the 2000 Republican presidential primary in South Carolina.  John McCain won New Hampshire by double digits, leading a massive increase in campaign donations, campaign volunteers and press.  In response, the Bush campaign went negative in South … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Electoral Institutions, Primaries | 8 Comments

Should Ron Paul “Pray for Rain” on the 3rd?

Posted on December 27, 2011 by

A common elections adage is that Republican candidates should “pray for rain” on election day.  The logic is that rain suppresses voter turnout among unlikely voters (who, in turn, disproportionately identify as Democrats).  The other day Mike Huckabee extended this logic to … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Primaries | 1 Comment

Does Iowa Matter?

Posted on December 17, 2011 by

In the mist of an extremely long presidential primary and campaign – as long or longer than I can remember – conversations always reach this question: “Who cares about Iowa?” Obviously campaign fatigue has already hit 10 months out from … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Electoral Institutions, Primaries, The Presidency, Voting Behavior | Leave a comment

Dodging the Ryan Budget: Republican Schadenfreude

Posted on June 23, 2011 by

Politico notes that the Ryan budget is quickly becoming a litmus test for Republicans.  The trick, David Catanese argues, is catering to conservative primary voters while dodging the unpopular Ryan budget for the general election. Across the Senate election map, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Congressional Absurdity, Elections, Primaries | Leave a comment

Visualizing Mitt Romney’s 2007 and 2011 Presidential Announcements

Posted on June 5, 2011 by

Here are two word clouds of Mitt Romney’s 2007 and 2011 presidential announcements (I used wordle.com).  The returns were limited to the 20 most frequently used words with “common” English words removed.  I also condensed “America” and “American.”  First,  Mitt’s 2007 … Continue reading →

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