Political Commentary

Most Recent Releases

September 7, 2023How the Other Half Votes: The United States, Part Two By Kyle Kondik
Trend from 1996-2020 shows a much larger partisan gap between bigger and smaller counties, with 2000 and 2016 as key contributors.KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE— The presidential voting gap between the nation’s most populous counties and the rest of the nation has nearly tripled from 1996 to 2020.
— The 2000 and 2016 elections were the biggest contributors to this gap.
— While there is nearly a 40-point difference between the top and bottom halves, the gap did not grow from 2016-2020.

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_john_stossel/debating_a_democrat/1709103-1-eng-US/debating_a_democrat.jpg" />
                
                            September 6, 2023Debating a Democrat By John Stossel
Colorado has a popular Democratic governor, Jared Polis.

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_daniel_mccarthy/what_trump_does_for_democracy/1709066-3-eng-US/what_trump_does_for_democracy.jpg" />
                
                            September 5, 2023What Trump Does for Democracy By Daniel McCarthy
Pauline Kael knew she wasn't a representative American.

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_stephen_moore/biden_s_killing_the_american_dream_of_homeownership/1709049-1-eng-US/biden_s_killing_the_american_dream_of_homeownership.jpg" />
                
                            September 5, 2023Biden's Killing the American Dream of Homeownership By Stephen Moore
In boasting about Bidenomics two weeks ago in Milwaukee, President Joe Biden declared that his policies are "restoring the American dream." Then he went into his creepy whispering mode and assured us "it's working."

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_michael_barone/the_tom_and_daisy_buchanans_north_of_richmond/1708684-1-eng-US/the_tom_and_daisy_buchanans_north_of_richmond.jpg" />
                
                            September 1, 2023The Tom and Daisy Buchanans North of Richmond By Michael Barone
"These rich men north of Richmond, Lord knows they just wanna have total control." So goes the refrain of singer and songwriter Oliver Anthony's suddenly famous song. "Wanna know what you think, wanna know what you do, and they don't think you know, but I know that you do."

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_john_stossel/control_versus_choice/1708486-1-eng-US/control_versus_choice.jpg" />
                
                            August 30, 2023Control Versus Choice By John Stossel
COVID cases are up. Hospitalizations climbed 24% last week.

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_daniel_mccarthy/ramaswamy_a_trump_versus_trump/1708367-1-eng-US/ramaswamy_a_trump_versus_trump.jpg" />
                
                            August 29, 2023Ramaswamy: A Trump Versus Trump? By Daniel McCarthy
In 2016, Donald Trump faced the strongest Republican presidential field in decades.

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_stephen_moore/why_won_t_covid_lockdown_artists_admit_they_were_wrong/1708342-1-eng-US/why_won_t_covid_lockdown_artists_admit_they_were_wrong.jpg" />
                
                            August 29, 2023Why Won't COVID Lockdown Artists Admit They Were Wrong? By Stephen Moore
COVID mania just won't go away. The deadly strains of the virus have been gone for two years now, and yet the recent outbreak of a mild flu-like variant is again stoking panic on the Left.

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_michael_barone/republican_debate_whatever_happened_in_the_debate_fundamentals_could_still_matter/1708020-1-eng-US/republican_debate_whatever_happened_in_the_debate_fundamentals_could_still_matter.jpg" />
                
                            August 25, 2023Republican Debate: Whatever Happened in the Debate, Fundamentals Could Still Matter By Michael Barone
Having completed the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign cycle, it's tempting to focus on minor but perhaps momentarily decisive details, such as whether Ron DeSantis was wise to outsource strategy to a committee that he's legally barred from communicating with or whether it was wise for Trump campaign spokesmen to not be allowed in the Fox News spin room.
August 24, 2023The Atlas of Post-Dobbs Abortion Ballot Measures: Part Two By J. Miles Coleman
Comparing ballot issues to partisan races in VT, CA, MT, KY, and state halves.KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE— Vermont and California were two blue states where the pro-abortion rights sides of 2022 ballot measures ran considerably ahead of Democratic nominees for statewide office.
— Also in 2022, voters in Kentucky and Montana defeated GOP-backed abortion-related ballot questions; the results of those votes may provide something of an electoral roadmap for Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) and Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT).
— The pro-abortion rights side has generally run ahead of Democratic candidate performance recently, although there are now examples from several states of Democratic candidates doing better than the ballot issues in a variety of heavily minority areas.
— In each of the seven states that have held abortion-related ballot measures since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling, the pro-abortion rights side has outperformed Biden more In the counties that make up lesser-populated “bottom half” counties in these states.

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_john_stossel/bad_choices/1707701-1-eng-US/bad_choices.jpg" />
                
                            August 23, 2023Bad Choices By John Stossel
The betting odds say the next election will likely be a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_daniel_mccarthy/take_rich_men_north_of_richmond_seriously/1707582-1-eng-US/take_rich_men_north_of_richmond_seriously.jpg" />
                
                            August 22, 2023Take 'Rich Men North of Richmond' Seriously By Daniel McCarthy
You don't need a college degree to understand what's happening in our country.

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_stephen_moore/why_has_biden_declared_war_on_natural_gas/1707565-1-eng-US/why_has_biden_declared_war_on_natural_gas.jpg" />
                
                            August 22, 2023Why Has Biden Declared War on Natural Gas? By Stephen Moore
Natural gas is the world's wonder fuel: cheap, abundant, made in America, reliable AND clean burning.

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_michael_barone/single_women_are_the_odd_men_out_politically/1707345-1-eng-US/single_women_are_the_odd_men_out_politically.jpg" />
                
                            August 18, 2023Single Women Are the Odd Men Out, Politically By Michael Barone
America's political parties are the oldest and third-oldest in the world, and they have competed for votes among a population that has been diverse since colonial times. 
August 17, 2023The Atlas of Post-Dobbs Abortion Ballot Measures: Part One By J. Miles Coleman
Comparing ballot issues to partisan races in KS, OH, and MI.KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE— Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decisions last year, seven states have held abortion-related ballot issues, and abortion rights advocates have won all seven contests.
— In Kansas and Michigan, the pro-abortion rights side broadly outperformed the winning Democratic nominees for governor.
— In Ohio, last week’s Issue 1 ballot question, which was cast as a proxy vote on abortion rights, followed a similar pattern, roundly outperforming now-former Rep. Tim Ryan’s (D) showing in last year’s Senate race.

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_john_stossel/college_rip_off/1707163-1-eng-US/college_rip_off.jpg" />
                
                            August 16, 2023College Rip-Off  By John Stossel
It's August. Many young people head off to college.

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_daniel_mccarthy/how_america_kills_its_own/1707077-1-eng-US/how_america_kills_its_own.jpg" />
                
                            August 15, 2023How America Kills Its Own By Daniel McCarthy
America is an aging society, but this is no country for old men.

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_stephen_moore/is_it_time_to_ban_electric_vehicles/1707033-1-eng-US/is_it_time_to_ban_electric_vehicles.jpg" />
                
                            August 15, 2023Is It Time to Ban Electric Vehicles?  By Stephen Moore
The New York Fire Department recently reported that so far this year there have been 108 lithium-ion battery fires in New York City, which have injured 66 people and killed 13. According to FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, "There is not a small amount of fire, it (the vehicle) literally explodes." The resulting fire is "very difficult to extinguish and so it is particularly dangerous."

                    <img src="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/_aliases/wide_266/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_michael_barone/which_states_attract_outsiders_and_which_don_t_21st_century_version/1706869-1-eng-US/which_states_attract_outsiders_and_which_don_t_21st_century_version.jpg" />
                
                            August 11, 2023Which States Attract Outsiders and Which Don't -- 21st Century Version By Michael Barone
Let's take a time out from reports of indictments and threats of impeachment, from nostalgia for the 1940s days of American scientific creativity and ability to get big things done fast ("Oppenheimer") and the 1950s days of American popular culture appealing to every cultural subgroup without the trigger warnings and apologies for past national misdeeds.
August 10, 2023Ohio’s Issue 1 Smackdown By Kyle Kondik and J. Miles Coleman
The left scores another win in an abortion rights proxy fight; apparent turnout and persuasion edge drives Democratic success.KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE— The pro-abortion rights/Democratic side won yet another fight related to abortion rights on Tuesday night, this time in red-trending Ohio.
— Turnout was robust and likely advantaged the Democratic side. Voter participation was relatively poor across Appalachia, a once-competitive area that has become extremely Republican in recent years.
— Issue 1 seemed particularly unpopular in some usually red suburban counties, although we have to remember that ballot issues and partisan races are different and that Republicans are still in a strong position in Ohio.