Outside the Beltway

Thinking about party evolution and behavior going into 2022.

Short-term politics and long-term harm.

The combination of incompetence and a new system have the mayoral race in turmoil.

Yet more evidence that we’re a nation divided.

Yet another thing driving Americans apart.

One party is divided on how to govern and the other is united in not governing.

Even incredibly abnormal Presidents are Presidents.

We need what we aren’t going to get.

“If the conservative cause depends on the populist appeal of one personality, or on second-rate imitations, then we’re not going anywhere.”

Even the smartest designers can’t anticipate all the flaws with the rules they write.

The fact-checkers blew this one and blew it big.

The GOP is actually pretty healthy at the moment, despite some public rhetoric to the contrary.

A quick lesson about American parties.

Here we go again.

Republicans are more partisan—and distrustful of government—than Democrats.

Republicans who admit Joe Biden won the election fair and square are being driven from the party.

Assessing Republican strategic positioning (and the incentives in our system).

On fiscal policy and historical comparisons.

The long shift of population from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt continues—with the unusual exception of California.

More voice, more votes, more representation.

With an appearance by Caitlyn Jenner’s choice of party.

An interesting but uneven debate.

49 percent of Americans lean Democratic, compared to 40 for Republicans. Yet a plurality identify as Independent.

Another entry in the “stunning, but not surprising” category of political observations.

The Watergate conspirator, author, and talk show host was 90.

Nonhierarchical parties strike again.

Empowering authoritarians.

Also some ironic positions on capitalism.

And what GOP opposition says about the party.

The ongoing codependency that is the Trump-GOP relationship.

A story that is both unserious and yet emblematic of our age in a serious way.

The annual gathering showed us what the Republican Party would become years ago.

Yet another reminder about pathologies of US democracy.

There’s more than enough opinion journalism.

The talk radio megastar has died, aged 70.

The disgraced loser remains as popular as ever with his base.

Some reflections

Early analysis merely confirms analysts’ priors.

Some marginal Republican formers are thinking about maybe doing somethingoranother.

An opportunity for unity and a restoration of normal order.

Some political history,

Implications for Alabama and the GOP as well as considerations on the evolution of American politics.

House Democrats have done what their Republican colleagues refused to do.

Not.

Mitch McConnell is testing out his spine again.

Historical precedents fall apart when we’re in a truly unprecedented time.

The Republican Party is not really a thing.

The pivot point in the impeachment charges: two hours of silence.

American political parties are controlled by the primaries.