The Electoral Map Does Not Tell The Whole Story
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Most of you by now have seen the electoral map depiction of the 2008 election (h/t fivethirtyeight.com). Advertisement But simply using the map of the United States creates a visual distortion of election results in that the map is based upon land mass and is not weighted for population or other factors. … Read more
Let S. AZ be S. AZ
by David Safier The Phoenix-based Arizona Democratic Party needs to show more respect for Democrats in Southern Arizona during elections. We've developed some savvy pols down here who understand the lay of the land and have some good ideas about how to win elections, but the state party continues to treat us like slightly dim-witted … Read more
Update: So how did we do in this election?
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: I have been busy with post-election debriefings from candidates and consulting with colleagues in the election integrity community about the close elections still undecided and that appear headed for a recount. Before the election I predicted that Democrats would net 20-25 House seats in Congress. In fact, Democrats won 24 seats but lost only … Read more
The South losing political influence
by David Safier Here's a short piece from Kevin Drum on his Mother Jones blog (He used to do the Political Animal blog for Washington Monthly) about the south's diminishing political clout. I hope he's got this right. For many years, the Democratic Party controlled the agenda of American politics and Southerners controlled much of … Read more
Voter turnout
by David Safier A very interesting analysis of voter turnout nationally. Generally, the number of Democratic voters increased while Republicans decreased. But in states that went for McCain . . . Here are a few excerpts. The entire article is worth a read. Turnout in last week's election increased from four years ago but fell … Read more
Can some good come out of this?
by David Safier I tend to scoff at people who talk about good coming out of evil. ("Doesn't it gladden your heart to know that some Germans put their lives at risk to hide Jews in their homes during World War II?" No, it doesn't, when I balance it against the vast majority who condoned … Read more
Social promotion is not the Great Satan
by David Safier Kudos to Rhonda Bodfield for the series of investigative articles she wrote in the Star awhile back about social promotion. It's a topic worth looking into. But in today's article, which slams local school districts for not taking action on her findings, she gets a little carried away with herself. Actually, she gets … Read more
