Tag: Historical
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Tales From Nebraska: Virginia Smith
INTRODUCTION TO VIRGINIA SMITH Who was Virginia Smith? Even the most astute modern political analysts probably would not know the answer to that question. Generally, that lack of recognition would be indicative of bad lawmaking or a forgettable career. Despite clear anonymity, placing Mrs. Smith into this category would belie… Read More
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A Detailed Look Back At The 2004 Presidential Election
In July, Split Ticket started a new historical analysis series designed to explain how certain past presidential elections ushered in, or contributed to, realignments of geographic and demographic natures. Our first article touched on the 2000 Presidential Election, a contest now regarded as one of the most consequential, and controversial,… Read More
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Could Maura Healey Make History in Massachusetts?
The September 6th statewide primaries in Massachusetts will be among the last sets of US elections before the November midterms, and the top of the ticket in the Bay State will be a referendum on who voters want to succeed outgoing Republican Governor Charlie Baker. With no Massachusetts Republican even… Read More
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PA Realignment
Introduction Split Ticket recently started a new series studying realignments in specific states. Our first article, touching on New Jersey, determined that traditional down ballot partisan leans continue to weather opposing national trends, albeit to a lesser degree than in years past. This fundamental conclusion regarding “down ballot lag” is… Read More
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Is It Normal For Young Voters To Be This Democratic?
“To be conservative as a young person means that one has no heart, but to be liberal as an old person means that one has no brain”.The above quote is one of the oldest notions in politics, and it conveys the expectation that young voters, who consistently display the most… Read More
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A Detailed Look Back At The 2000 Presidential Election
Introduction The 2000 presidential election was one of the most significant in American history, from the heated campaign between George W. Bush and Al Gore to the Supreme Court’s controversial affirmation of the decisively-narrow Republican victory in Florida. At the time, Democrats were trying to hold onto the White House… Read More
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Quantifying Conservatism
When Brian Kemp launched his 2018 campaign for governor, his first ad caught everyone’s eye. With promises to “blow up” government spending, a massive truck that he claimed would be used to “round up criminal illegals and take ’em home”, and a gun pointed at his daughter’s boyfriend that “no… Read More
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The Driftless Area & South Korea
Introduction Lying at the heart of the American Upper Midwest, the Driftless Area has long been one of the nation’s most interesting political regions. For most of its existence, this expansive swath of territory reliably backed Republican Presidential candidates. Excepting victories by Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson, the… Read More
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Double-Bunkings: Historical Lessons
Introduction Double-bunkings are among the most enjoyable contests that redistricting connoisseurs and political wonks get to cover. There are a three main factors that fuel the mysterious allure that is often associated with them. For one, double-bunkings are the only contests that pit two incumbents of the same party against… Read More