Many progressives were disappointed in Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WVa) no vote on the build back better act. This is about more than merely scoring political points or infrastructure. This is about programs like the expanded child care tax credit which gives assistance to low income parents like my friend Jennina Rose Gorman. She was interviewedContinue reading “Manchin’s Political Decisions Have Real Impacts on Real People”
Tag Archives: politics
PA Health Behavior Measures Correlate More with Trump % of the vote than with COVID Case Mortality
Last week I posted on COVID Case Mortality and County Health Ranking (CHR) measures. I also posted that there was a stronger correlation between the health behaviors and Trump’s % of the vote than with COVID case mortality. This week I will look at which individual county statistics used by CHR are the best predictorsContinue reading “PA Health Behavior Measures Correlate More with Trump % of the vote than with COVID Case Mortality”
Pennsylvania has Become the First State in the U.S. to Curb the Governor’s Emergency Powers
In the 2021 primary election in Pennsylvania there were 2 constitutional amendments on the ballot to limit the Governors emergency powers in times of a pandemic or natural disaster. The first amendment empowers the state legislature to terminate or extend a disaster declaration with a simple majority without input by the governor. The second amendmentContinue reading “Pennsylvania has Become the First State in the U.S. to Curb the Governor’s Emergency Powers”
Why the New York COVID-19 Nursing Home Scandal Matters
Last week I posted on coronavirus mortality in nursing homes in Pennsylvania. By coincidence, just to the north of PA is the state of New York where it’s Governor, Andrew Cuomo, has come under fire for underreporting the number of deaths in nursing homes there. In the above clip, NY Assemblyman Ron Kim claimsContinue reading “Why the New York COVID-19 Nursing Home Scandal Matters”
Chicken’s Coming to Roost for Trump?
On Jan 6 I posted my reaction to the shocking events at the U.S. Capitol that day. I wondered what would happen to Trump’s approval ratings as his other antics have had minimal effect on them throughout his presidency. Now it seems like I have an answer now that there are three days left forContinue reading “Chicken’s Coming to Roost for Trump?”
How Does Trump Stand for Reelection Now?
Some pundits have written off Trump’s reelection chances due to his handling. They often point to the results of one poll to reinforce that conclusion. I would argue that it is better to look at the aggregate of polls to see trends. The Real Clear Politics (RCP) average of polls includes Republican polling firms likeContinue reading “How Does Trump Stand for Reelection Now?”
Coronavirus and the 2020 Election
Today there is a wealth of statistics being released including the ones that I have compiled here. The official unemployment rate increased from 4.4% in March 2020 to 14.7% in April 2020. The unofficial rate (which some call the true unemployment rate) rose from 8.7% in March to 22.8% in April. The official rate countsContinue reading “Coronavirus and the 2020 Election”
Facebook and Twitter Primaries: Super Tuesday Update
Joe Biden had an impressive win in South Carolina yesterday. The real test for the seven remaining candidates is Super Tuesday in two days with 14 states and two territories voting. This gives a total of 1,242 pledged delegates at stake or 32% of the total pledged delegates. I thought I would take a lookContinue reading “Facebook and Twitter Primaries: Super Tuesday Update”
Socialism is “Uncomfortable”?
In last Wednesday’s debate, NBC anchor Lester Holt asked Senator Bernie Sanders about his network’s poll where 67% of registered voters said that they were either “very uncomfortable” (46%) or “have some reservations” (21%) about a socialist candidate for president. Sanders retorted “who was winning” in that poll (hint it’s Bernie)? Looking at the textContinue reading “Socialism is “Uncomfortable”?”
Iowa: what we know so far
It was scintillating watching C-SPAN’s coverage of the Iowa Caucus in West Des Moines on Monday night. You can see a rebroadcast of it here. In this one caucus room, Bernie Sanders had the most votes in the second round with 99 followed by Elizabeth Warren with 76, Pete Buttigieg with 73, and AmyContinue reading “Iowa: what we know so far”