News & views.
A collection of stories about data, public opinion and politics and news about our firm.
Lessons from a California land-grab
Razor-sharp reporter Gil Duran has a must-read article on the "bumbling and villainous" effort to build a new city in rural California. The effort would be laughable—and not just for its name, California Forever, which Duran likens to a celebrity cemetery—if it weren't a possible beachhead for a libertarian movement to create "network states" outside the reach of democratic nation-states.
A strange bedfellows campaign to change the sugar industry
The No Big Sugar campaign is putting a spotlight on the misdeeds of this industry, which is as politically shrewd as it is arcane. These misdeeds offend stakeholders from the free-market right to the social justice left, plus a range of American industries in between—and that's the main source of the coalition's strength.
Underestimating Joe Biden
Underestimating President Biden is one of the most important features of American politics today. You cannot understand his presidency or the 2024 campaign without accounting for it.
A Rare Opportunity for Bipartisan Action
We're proud to help lead a growing, bipartisan campaign to reform the industry in the interest of public health, the environment and job creation. Reach out if you're interested in learning about the strange bedfellows strategy at the heart of the effort.
Political Overreach and the Virginia Governor's Race
Overreach. A phenomenon so predictable it should be considered a physical law of politics. What causes it? One common factor is misreading election results.
Four more years for New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell
It affirms one's belief in democracy when voters reward public officials for leading with character and making decisions without regard for political cost. Such is the case for New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who was re-elected last month with a solid 65 percent of the vote.
The New York City Mayor's Race and Ranked Choice Chaos
It's been more than two weeks since New York City Democrats voted for mayor, but only last night did the AP called the primary election for Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. We are very proud to have worked for Ray McGuire, the business leader turned candidate who put jobs and the city's economy at the center of the public debate.
A Healthy Democracy Should Reward Tough Calls
Consider as a counterpoint Liz Cheney, ousted by her peers from a Republican leadership role in the House of Representatives. We will be watching her re-election with a keen eye, hoping Wyoming voters reward her tough call and leadership.
2024 and the Essence of President Biden
A great deal has been made of how difficult it will be for Trump wannabes like Senator Tom Cotton or former Governor Nikki Haley to energize Republicans the way the former president did in 2016 and 2020. Less attention has been paid to President Biden and the winning coalition he built last year. That should change.
A Provocative Take on Swing Voters
The conventional view of the American electorate and presidential campaigns is that roughly 55 percent of eligible voters turn out to vote and that election winners are determined by the 15 percent of "swing voters" who switch between parties. This is an outdated, Beltway-centric view, according to Bitecofer in a recent Politico profile.
Medicare-for-all and the Path to Public Judgment
Did Medicare-for-all damage Elizabeth Warren's presidential prospects? It's still early, but the case is growing stronger that her proposal to replace existing health care plans with an expansion of Medicare has diminished her support.
Asking the right question in 2020
There are two ways to remove a sitting president, an election or impeachment. The latter is getting all of the attention at the moment, but given the current “red wall” in the U.S. Senate, that option does not look very likely, so let’s step back and take a sober look at one simple question we all should be asking ourselves over the next 13 months. Does Donald Trump deserve re-election?
Presidential Politics and the Electoral College
How does the Electoral College affect where presidential candidates spend their time? This graphic from National Popular Vote Inc. distorts the size of the states based on the number of general election events they host
Navigating the 2020 Democratic Primary Landscape
You’re the campaign manager for one of the Democratic candidates for president. You’ve called an end-of-summer strategy retreat for your top advisors. As your colleagues gather, you sit down to sketch your view of the landscape, with five months until the Iowa Caucus. The stakes are high, so take a deep breath. Here are a few points to keep the group focused on what counts.
Should Voters Pick the Vice President Directly?
What's the single most important thing Americans can do to get our national government to work more effectively? Elect the vice president. This is the argument vice.run, a new national reform campaign, is making across the country.
Why is Everyone Running for President and not Mayor?
Most American mayoral elections feature a single candidate, running unopposed, says Melissa Marschall of Rice University, who studied a cross-section of 2016 municipal elections. How do we explain this lack of interest in managing cities, especially in a time when American mayors are leading on critical issues like climate change?
A Climate Change and Leadership Breakthrough in New Orleans
Times are changing, and the case is growing that mayors should be at the center of all decision-making for their constituents. Cities should control their own destinies, goes the argument – and Mayor Cantrell is making a compelling case.
What Business Leaders Can Learn from the Amazon-NYC Saga
The debate over Amazon's NYC expansion continues, with the latest salvo a show of support from a group of business, civic and labor leaders. Rather than focus on the deal's death and possible resurrection, we distill three key findings to help other companies grow in cities.
Digital Lessons from the Midterms
Our friends at Bully Pulpit Interactive have put together a must-read set of strategy takeaways from the midterm elections. Among them: video content must be digital-first.