election history

Does Obama Secretly Want Ahmadinejad to Beat Mousavi?

Opinion - June 16, 2009

A moderate leader in Iran would hurt the U.S.'s case against the country's nuclear program, some say. more >>

Young Downscale Voters Didn't Show Up At Polls in 2008 Elections

By Michael Barone - Michael Barone - March 17, 2009

Voters under 30 made up 22 percent of the potential electorate but only 10 percent of voters. more >>

Barack Obama's Election Gives Us a Rarity: a Positive Instantly Historical Moment

By Robert Schlesinger - Robert Schlesinger - November 4, 2008

Savor it while it lasts, for reality will impose itself upon us soon enough. more >>

President-Elect Barack Obama: an End to the GOP’s Southern Strategy

By Bonnie Erbe - Bonnie Erbe - November 4, 2008

After nearly four decades, the Democrats have overcome the Southern Strategy. more >>

The 2008 Election Is Not the Greatest Ever

By John Aloysius Farrell - John A. Farrell - November 3, 2008

It's too soon to tell, but this year might make the top five. more >>

Past & Present: Harry Truman's 1948 Comeback Campaign

By Robert Schlesinger - Opinion - October 30, 2008

Harry Truman managed the greatest political comeback ever, Robert Schlesinger writes. Find out how. more >>

Pollsters Track Obama-McCain Contest Almost Hourly, but How Did Campaigns Work Before Polls?

By Amanda Ruggeri - Nation & World - October 28, 2008

Early measures of public opinion like straw polls were creative but often inaccurate. more >>

In Case of Election Crisis, Congress Needs to Be Prepared

By Jerry H. Goldfeder - Opinion - October 15, 2008

Another Hurricane Katrina? A terrorist attack? We need to prepare now for the worst possibilities. more >>

Before TV and the Internet—When Radio Was the First Electronic Medium

By Anthony Rudel - Opinion - October 9, 2008

Before TV and the Internet, radio revolutionized American politics, writes Anthony Rudel. more >>

The Most Consequential Elections in History: Ronald Reagan and the Election of 1980

By Kenneth T. Walsh - Nation & World - September 25, 2008

Reagan gave conservatism a pleasant face and an appealing voice. more >>

The Most Consequential Elections in History: Lyndon Johnson and the Election of 1964

By Kenneth T. Walsh - Nation & World - September 17, 2008

Johnson's overreaching in Vietnam was seen by Americans as an expensive mistake. more >>

The Most Consequential Elections in History: Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Election of 1932

By Kenneth T. Walsh - Nation & World - September 10, 2008

FDR led America to victory in World War II. more >>

John McCain and the Truman Playbook

By Robert Schlesinger - Robert Schlesinger - September 4, 2008

Is the Arizona senator about to make the same leap that the old Missouri haberdasher did? more >>

The Most Consequential Elections in History: Woodrow Wilson and the Election of 1912

By Kenneth T. Walsh - Nation & World - September 3, 2008

Wilson was one of the most brilliant and cerebral presidents. more >>

Data Points: Historical Convention Bounces

Nation & World - August 29, 2008

Past conventions have typically resulted in a 5-point bounce for presidential candidates. more >>

Democrats and Labor: A Beautiful Friendship

By John Aloysius Farrell - John A. Farrell - August 28, 2008

It's been one hundred years since the Democrats and the unions allied to help the common man. more >>

Past and Present: William Jennings Obama? Once Again, Democrats Meet in Denver to Nominate a Skilled Orator

By Michael Kazin - Opinion - August 28, 2008

Some things have changed for the Democrats since 1908, Michael Kazin writes, and some have not. more >>

The Most Consequential Elections in History: Theodore Roosevelt and the Election of 1904

By Kenneth T. Walsh - Nation & World - August 27, 2008

Roosevelt expanded the power of the presidency and demonstrated the power of the "bully pulpit" more >>

The Edgiest Democratic Convention Since 1988

By Michael Barone - Michael Barone - August 26, 2008

We can see where the Obama campaign is going with this convention. more >>

Past and Present: The Lincoln-Douglas Debates, 150 Years Later

By Allen C. Guelzo - Opinion - August 21, 2008

At stake was a U.S. Senate seat—but also the definition of democracy and the future of the country. more >>

The Most Consequential Elections in History: Andrew Jackson and the Election of 1828

By Kenneth T. Walsh - Nation & World - August 20, 2008

Jackson's term changed the way Americans thought of the presidency. more >>

The Most Consequential Elections in History: Thomas Jefferson and the Election of 1800

By Kenneth T. Walsh - Nation & World - August 13, 2008

Jefferson's election confirmed the emergence of a two-party system in American politics. more >>

The Most Consequential Elections in History: George Washington and the Election of 1789

By Kenneth T. Walsh - Nation & World - August 6, 2008

It seemed very clear to the Founders, and to the public, that he was the man to lead the new nation. more >>

The Most Consequential Elections in History: Abraham Lincoln's Victory in 1864 Led to the End of the Civil War

By Kenneth T. Walsh - Nation & World - July 30, 2008

Lincoln's victory in 1860 triggered the Civil War, and his victory in 1864 allowed him to win it. more >>

Barack Obama's Berlin Speech: Popular Today, but What Will History Say?

By Robert Schlesinger - Opinion - July 25, 2008

Many speeches have been received one way but are remembered quite differently. more >>