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The Democratic Strategist

Political Strategy for a Permanent Democratic Majority

Political Strategy Notes

New PPP poll has Trump leading pack of GOP prez candidates in NC with 16 percent, with Jeb and Huck 4 and 5 points back, respectively (both within m.o.e.). A key swing state, NC also has one of the fastest-growing Latino populations.
Jamelle Bouie notes at Slate.com that Scott Walker is deploying a more subtle form of immigrant-bashing than Trump, and adds that “As of October, notes Latino Decisions, just 32 percent of Latino voters would consider a vote for Jeb Bush, just 35 percent would consider a vote for Sen. Marco Rubio, and just 24 percent would consider a vote for Sen. Ted Cruz.”
Andrew Perrin and Maeve Duggan have an interesting report at Pew Research Center, “Americans’ Internet Access: 2000-2015. As internet use nears saturation for some groups, a look at patterns of adoption.” Among their findings, which political ad-makers may find of particular interest, “Older adults have lagged behind younger adults in their adoption, but now a clear majority (58%) of senior citizens uses the internet…African-Americans and Hispanics have been somewhat less likely than whites or English-speaking Asian-Americans to be internet users, but the gaps have narrowed. Today, 78% of blacks and 81% of Hispanics use the internet, compared with 85% of whites and 97% of English-speaking Asian Americans…Those who live in rural areas are less likely than those in the suburbs and urban areas to use the internet. Still, 78% of rural residents are online.”
Patrick Healy and Maggie Haberman make a case in their NYT article that “Hillary Clinton’s Economic Agenda Aims at a Party Moving Left.” The hope is that “Mrs. Clinton is revealing her natural political self: a blend of progressive and pragmatic, an apostle of government policy as a force for change, and a more left-of-center leader than her husband.”
Dare we hope that Republican SC State Rep. Jenny Horne’s moving — and successful — appeal to remove the Confederate battle flag from the state capitol will herald the beginning of more decency on racial justice issues in the GOP?
The Upshot’s Nate Cohn crunches polling data and concludes that, to win the nomination, Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign should focus more on the “less liberal and less educated Democratic voting blocs, whether white, black or Hispanic.”
David Byler explores “the reason for GOP Down-Ticket Dominance,” including demographic, structural, mid-term turnout and gerrymandering factors, at Real Clear Politics.
“The Fed’s charter was amended in 1978 by the Humphrey-Hawkins bill to give it what is known as the “dual mandate.” Unlike other central banks, the Federal Reserve is charged with maintaining both price stability and high employment. It is a sign of how far right the Republican Party has moved that this latter goal has now become controversial…While some Republicans have introduced legislation to remove employment from the mandate, political prudence has kept them from putting it on the floor. Blaming Obama because unemployment has not fallen fast enough is hard enough in the face of the numbers, without explicitly repudiating a national pro-jobs goal. Instead, they seek its de facto elimination by denouncing any actions the Fed takes to execute it as not only mistaken but illegitimate.” — from “The Republican War on Wages” by former Rep. Barney Frank.
Silver spooner Jeb Bush says Americans, who are already working an average of 47 hours per week, according to the Gallup poll, should work “longer hours.” Oliver Willis tweets in response: “yeah. im gonna need you to come in on the wknd. me? no, going to the family compound for some r+r.”

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