Category: Politics
The Postrider’s 2020 Senate Ratings
The presidential election may be hoarding the spotlight this cycle, but Americans across 34 states will simultaneously determine the fate of the nation’s highest deliberative body, the Senate. With 35 seats up for election, and nearly two-thirds of them controlled ...
Presidential Race Ratings Update: Georgia, Ohio, and Utah
In the month since we released our 2020 presidential election ratings, we’ve been forced to reckon with two major news events for which the full impacts on the presidential election are unclear, but certainly relevant: the death of Justice Ruth ...
Running Mates: Episode 16 – Series Finale – 2020 – Harris v. Pence
In our series finale at the height of the 2020 election, Lars and Michael dive into a year wracked by a presidential impeachment, the coronavirus, and national protests, and explore Joe Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris as his running mate ...
The Postrider’s 2020 Presidential Ratings
Can you believe general election season is just getting started? Yes, with the conclusion of the Democratic and Republican national conventions in August, we’re officially off to the races! Call this election whatever you want: the “most important election in ...
Running Mates: Episode 15 – 2016 – Pence v. Kaine (Part 2)
In the part two of our 2016 election episode, Lars and Michael unpack their running mate choices for Hillary Clinton, argue about whether keeping Senate seats should be a priority, and end with the big conclusions about the vice presidential ...
John Kasich Spoke at the DNC. Will it Matter?
The 2020 presidential election has found former Ohio Governor John Kasich at a crossroads. No, literally; on the first day of the Democratic National Convention, the lifelong Republican delivered a speech while standing at a physical fork in the ...
Running Mates: Episode 14 – 2016 – Pence v. Kaine (Part 1)
In the part one of our 2016 election episode, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton taps Virginia Senator Tim Kaine as her running mate, while reality television star and businessman Donald Trump is nominated by the Republican Party and picks ...
Running Mates: Episode 13 – 2012 – Ryan v. Biden
With America still recovering from the Great Recession, Republican nominee Mitt Romney chooses “mini-Mitt” Wisconsin Congressman and House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan to hit incumbent President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on the big issue of the day: ...
A Last Look at the VP Picks as Biden’s Decision Looms
We’re finally at the precipice of the moment we’ve spent the entire year talking about: presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s vice presidential pick. It’s been a wild year, beginning with a competitive Democratic primary, where we talked about our ...
Running Mates: Episode 12 – 2008 – Biden v. Palin
As unpopular wars rage on, the economy collapses and Lars and Michael delve into Republican nominee John McCain’s miscalculation as he seeks a game changing vice presidential pick in Sarah Palin to counter the historic nomination of Barack Obama, who ...
Running Mates: Episode 11 – 2004 – Edwards v. Cheney
Amidst the War on Terror, President George W. Bush and his VP, Dick Cheney, are up for reelection against Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. In what turns into a presidential contest over their respective military records, patriotism, and foreign policy credentials, ...
An Obituary for NAFTA
This week, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will resolve into the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), ending a 26-year-old pact that was once the largest free trade agreement of its time. In these 26 years — and in ...
Running Mates: Episode 10 – 2000 – Cheney v. Lieberman (Part 2)
In the part two of our 2000 election episode, Lars and Michael discuss who Democratic candidate Al Gore should have put on the ticket instead of Joe Lieberman. They conclude with a broad analysis of the 2000 election, the direction ...
Running Mates: Episode 9 – 2000 – Cheney v. Lieberman (Part 1)
In the part one of our 2000 election episode, the impeached president Bill Clinton’s Vice President Al Gore runs for the presidency and picks Joe Lieberman to try and distance himself from Clinton. Meanwhile, Republicans seek a compassionate conservative and ...
Trump is Considering Hosting Campaign Events at Drive-In Theaters, How Effective Would That Be?
President Donald Trump loves his rallies; big crowds full of spectacle and fanfare where he can go on and on to thunderous applause. He’s continued doing them since his election, keeping the momentum alive and his crowd-roiling skills sharp for ...
Running Mates: Episode 8 – 1996 – Kemp v. Gore
President Bill Clinton and his vice president, Al Gore, are up for reelection and after a bruising midterm two years prior, Democrats have moved decisively to the center. Republicans face a crisis of confidence and their candidate, Bob Dole chooses ...
Catherine Cortez Masto Would Have Been a Great Running Mate for Biden
Unless you’ve been following this website and our obsession with vice presidential picks, you’re probably not very familiar with Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. Cortez Masto’s name started to make headlines after Joe Biden made a pledge to select a ...
Running Mates: Episode 7 – 1992 – Gore v. Quayle
The Cold War has ended and President George H.W. Bush and his vice president, Dan Quayle, are running for reelection in a tough economy. Republicans push Bush to drop Quayle from the ticket but he stays the course to take ...
There are Three New Faces on the VP Tracker, One of Them is Now Biden’s Strongest Running Mate
Veepstakes season may have come early this year, but as you may know, we’ve been tracking the strongest vice presidential picks for all of the potential Democratic candidates for some time. This week, we’ve added a few new names to ...
Running Mates: Episode 6 – 1988 – Bentsen v. Quayle
The Reagan years are coming to an end and his vice president, George H.W. Bush is running for president himself against Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis. Lars and Michael discuss Bush’s pick of young Indiana Senator Dan Quayle as his running ...
What Would the Senate Look Like If We Repealed the 17th Amendment?
This past April marked the 107th anniversary of the ratification of the 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution. As far as amendments go, it’s not exactly one of the better known — people invoke their First, Second, and Fifth ...
Running Mates: Episode 5 – 1984 – Ferraro v. Bush
Walter Mondale figures he needs a game changing vice presidential pick to have any chance against the Reagan-Bush reelection in 1984. Lars and Michael discuss how Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman on a major party presidential ticket, holds up as ...