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Political Commentary

Most Recent Releases

September 11, 2025

Why So Many Young Voters Are Turning Radical By Brian Joondeph

Rasmussen Report’s new survey of voters under 40 paints a stark picture. Most believe the economy is unfair to them, and a majority would even support a law to confiscate Americans’ “excess wealth” (second homes, luxury cars, boats) to help young people buy a first home. Fifty-five percent endorse that idea, but just 38% oppose it. Only 29% of individuals under 40 are homeowners, and many feel “stuck,” lonely, or in crisis. 

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September 11, 2025

State Supreme Courts: Retention Elections in PA, an Open Seat in WI, and Much More By Louis Jacobson

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE

— In most cases, state supreme court elections get little attention, but they can have important impacts on policy.

— There will be one state with closely watched state supreme court elections in 2025: Pennsylvania. Then, in 2026, elections are currently scheduled for 31 states, although that number could change depending on retirements or deaths.

— In addition to the 2025 races in Pennsylvania, the 2026 contests likely to attract attention are in Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, and possibly Alabama and Kentucky.

September 10, 2025

Stop the IRS's Stealth $700 Billion Tax Increase By Stephen Moore

        President Donald Trump has done an admirable job at defanging the IRS, which was converted into a weaponized agency targeting Democrats' political enemies.

September 10, 2025

Wasted Land By John Stossel

        The federal government owns about a third of America.

September 9, 2025

Who's Accountable for Autopen Pardons? By Daniel McCarthy

        There are too many politicians in America today who think a man like Decarlos Brown belongs on the streets and not behind bars or in a padded cell.

September 5, 2025

Britain, Land of the Unfree By Michael Barone

        When the Irish comedian Graham Linehan arrived at London Heathrow Airport this past weekend, he was greeted by five armed British police officers who arrested him for -- get this -- three rude tweets.

September 4, 2025

Minimum Wage Hikes – Compassion or Economic Folly? By Brian Joondeph

A new Rasmussen Reports survey reveals that 40% of Americans now believe the minimum wage should be at least $15 an hour, up from 36% a year ago. That’s a strong sentiment. After all, who doesn’t want working Americans to earn more? But compassion and sound economics are two very different things.

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September 4, 2025

The 2025-2026 Gubernatorial Races: Rating Changes in Virginia, Iowa, and Maine By Kyle Kondik and J. Miles Coleman

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE

— As the post-Labor Day sprint to the November gubernatorial races begins, we are upgrading Democrats in Virginia, moving that race to Likely Democratic. New Jersey remains as Leans Democratic.

— For the 2026 races, open seats in Iowa and Maine get more competitive in our ratings.

— Republicans should be able to easily win a new seat in Missouri as the result of a new proposed gerrymander, the latest development in the fast-moving redistricting wars.

September 3, 2025

Moral Panic? By John Stossel

        "Mental health is declining," says psychologist Jonathan Haidt. 

September 2, 2025

Trump's Share-the-Wealth Retirement Plan Will Help All Americans By Stephen Moore

        The Elizabeth Warrens of the world have long complained about how the rules in Washington and on Wall Street are rigged in favor of the rich.

August 29, 2025

Governance by Threat, Not Constitutional Order By Michael Barone

        The Constitution of the United States lays out a complex scheme of governance that has mostly worked for the 237 years since it became effective with the ratification of the ninth state, New Hampshire, in 1788.

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August 28, 2025

Notes on the State of Politics: Iowa Special Elections, Utah Redistricting By J. Miles Coleman

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE

— In Iowa, Democrats continued to rack up special election overperformances by flipping a Trump-won state Senate seat that is based in Sioux City.

— Democrats have broken the GOP’s supermajority in the state Senate, although Republicans still hold comfortable majorities in both chambers of the legislature.

— A judge threw out Utah’s current House map, a GOP gerrymander, ruling that it does not fit with the guidelines set by a 2018 voter-approved state ballot issue.

— A fairer map of Utah would probably have one blue seat and three red ones, instead of four red ones, though Utah Republicans may try to delay a new map’s implementation.

August 27, 2025

Who Will Protect the Kids? By John Stossel

        Some parents abuse their kids.

August 26, 2025

Europe Is Dying -- Are We Next? By Stephen Moore

        Let's start with a very simple truism: You can't have prosperity without people.

August 26, 2025

Trump's Industrial Policy Is Realism, Not Socialism By Daniel McCarthy

        Is it Comrade President now?

August 22, 2025

Will Trump Help Ukraine Stop Russia's Westward Drive? By Michael Barone

        The extraordinary pair of meetings in the past week -- the Trump-Putin summit in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday and Donald Trump's hosting of the leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Finland, as well as the NATO alliance and the European Commission -- were prompted by the latest iteration of a continuing source of instability over hundreds of years.

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August 21, 2025

State Attorneys General: The Top Races to be “Top Cop” By Louis Jacobson

KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE

— This cycle, 31 states will hold elections for attorney general—one in 2025 (Virginia) and the rest in 2026.

— Currently, the GOP holds 28 attorney general offices to 22 for the Democrats (counting an independent in Hawaii who was appointed by Democratic Gov. Josh Green).

— Our analysis suggests that seven AG races this year are currently competitive, including five Toss-ups. Democrats will largely be playing defense: All five seats in the Toss-up category are currently held by Democrats, with at least two of them open-seat races.

August 20, 2025

A New Addiction! By John Stossel

        I am addicted!

        To my phone.

        I check an email and before I realize it, I'm watching TikTok videos: lions fight hyenas, military dads reunite with kids, athletes do amazing things ...

August 19, 2025

Is Gavin Newsom the Democrats' Answer to Trump? By Daniel McCarthy

        Gavin Newsom wants to be the new Donald Trump.

August 19, 2025

'Drill, Baby, Drill' Is Working By Stephen Moore

        Well, so much for the vaunted renewable energy "transition" to save the planet. This was always a fable. We get 80% of our energy from fossil fuels, and with Donald Trump now in the White House, that ratio is rising, not falling.