2020 Election

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• SOURCE: Boston Globe
  2/10/20
  

  Senators hail their emperor, but Trump’s no shoo-in for a second term

  by Niall Ferguson

  The eventual Democratic nominee will have at least some chance of beating Trump.

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• SOURCE: Washington Post
  2/9/20
  

  The Democrat who cried (maybe) in New Hampshire and lost the presidential nomination

  The “Canuck letter” was part of the dirty-tricks campaign waged by Nixon’s Committee to Re-Elect the President and helped turn the 1972 race for the Democratic nomination upside down.

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• 2/9/20
  

  JFK's New Hampshire Primary Hope Resonates Today

  by William Lambers

  The day before the 1960 New Hampshire presidential primary, candidate John F. Kennedy talked about America's great hope for disarmament. Speaking at the University of New Hampshire, JFK said "No hope is more basic to our aspirations as a nation" than disarmament.

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• 2/9/20
  

  Should the Democratic Presidential Candidates Announce Their VP Picks Now?

  by Joel K. Goldstein

  History suggests that these well-intended proposals rest on mistaken judgments about the way the vice-presidential selection system now operates, exaggerate the benefits of the proposed reforms, and underestimate the difficulty of implementing those remedies.

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• SOURCE: Washington Post
  2/4/20
  

  Torched sheds and ‘snap’ votes: The Iowa caucuses have been a hot mess for a century

  By the turn of the century, political leaders from opposing parties grew weary of the shenanigans and more or less began begging for ballot systems — not in tweet storms, but by writing letters to their local newspapers.

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• SOURCE: Washington Post
  2/2/20
  

  Losing Iowa doesn’t always spell disaster — just ask Bill Clinton or Donald Trump

  Over the years, several candidates who fell short in the Iowa caucuses went on to win their party’s nomination.

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• SOURCE: The Conversation
  1/29/20
  

  Beware the brokered convention that breaks up the party

  by Calvin Schermerhorn

  They are rare – the last one happened in 1952 – but when they do occur, they can be perilous for the party involved.

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• SOURCE: The Atlantic
  1/28/20
  

  Why I Fear a Moderate Democratic Nominee

  by Ibram X. Kendi

  Some Democrats are afraid of nominating a progressive, but a moderate may be more likely to ensure Trump’s reelection.

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• 1/19/20
  

  Jimmy Carter and The Myth That Gave the Iowa Caucuses Their Political Power

  by Wallace Hettle

  Carter focused on the state and did well in the caucuses, which set him, an unknown, on the path to the nomination. Presidential hopefuls have flocked to the state ever since. However, Carter’s story is not quite that simple. 

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• SOURCE: NY Times
  1/9/20
  

  It’s 1856 All Over Again

  by Steve Inskeep

  Immigration. Race. Demographic change. Political demagogy. That year’s presidential race had it all. What can it tell us about 2020?

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• SOURCE: The Daily Beast
  1/2/20
  

  Yes, Bernie Sanders Could Be the Nominee—and It Would Be an Epic Nightmare for Democrats

  by Ronald Radosh

  Sanders is where he is today in part because no one has really attacked him. But just wait until Republicans spend a billion dollars painting him as an extremist.

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• SOURCE: NPR
  1/6/20
  

  A Historical Look At Whether A Democrat Can Win By Playing To The Progressive Base Featuring Michael Kazin

  Featuring historian Michaael Kazin. 

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• 12/19/19
  

  Reform or Revolution: England’s Lessons of 1688 for Today and Tonight's Democratic Debate

  by David Walter Leinweber

  As we go forward into the holidays, and then a contentious election, the English example in 1688 continues to provide an important lesson. We can cherish our history and institutions, while still being clear-eyed about necessary changes.  

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• 12/15/19
  

  What Joe Biden and Franklin Roosevelt Have in Common

  by James Robenalt

  And how it explains the differences between FDR and Donald Trump. 

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• SOURCE: NBC News
  12/8/19
  

  Cruel primary history lessons Joe Biden won't want to hear

  What happens in the early states, where the former VP is trailing, offers clues about how the nomination might turn out.

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• 12/8/19
  

  An Extinct Species: The Liberal Republican

  by Donne Levy

  As both parties have unified, those whose views are not considered mainstream enough have been sidelined or eliminated. This shift has meant the extinction of the liberal or moderate Republican.

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• SOURCE: Slate
  11/25/19
  

  Queer Like Pete

  by Jim Downs

  Buttigieg is getting slammed for being a type of gay man America doesn’t understand.

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• 11/24/19
  

  Democrats Should Welcome Michael Bloomberg Into the Primary Race

  by Robert Brent Toplin

  He could be a promising alternative if Trump looks competitive in 2020.

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• SOURCE: Politico Magazine
  11/11/19
  

  History Says Bloomberg 2020 Would Be a Sure Loser

  Almost every four years, there’s a last-minute panic candidate for the presidency. They never win.

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• 10/20/19
  

  A Democratic GUT-Check: A Grand Unifying Theory of Democratic Victories

  by Jeff Bloodworth

  The preceding century of Democratic presidential politicking reveals that “electability” is not milquetoast, split the difference centrism. Historically, Democrats win when they adhere to a grand unifying theory (GUT).