The Republican Party spent much of the 1930s and '40s struggling for relevance. FDR's landslide victory in 1932 created massive Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress, majorities that would stay inconceivably large through his full 12 years in office.

It wasn't until 1946, with President Truman's approval ratings hovering...

As we march closer to a November election that's shaping up to be punishing for Democrats, there's been increasing discussion about a growing redistricting opportunity for the GOP. Many have suggested that if Republicans are able to retake the majority in Congress this fall, they'll be able to maintain that...

I know what you're thinking. It feels like things can't get much worse for the Democrats -- and that if it can, it will. We had so much momentum after 2008, so much hope and excitement, and now, as we march reluctantly toward the midterms, it feels like all of...

It wasn't that long ago that Lindsay Graham seemed like the only voice of reason -- well, comparative reason -- in the Republican Party. Through 2009 and early 2010, even in the face of vicious opposition from within his state, Graham appeared determined to work with Democrats on comprehensive immigration...

We've been talking about the midterms since inauguration. And in the months to come you will continue to hear about 2010 as a Republican year, and how President Obama's agenda is on the verge of a catastrophic derailment. But over the last few weeks, the political landscape has started to...

Tuesday night's election results are certainly no crystal ball. But they do tell us a few important things about the upcoming midterm elections.

Things Change Rapidly
We learned a lesson Tuesday night that we should not soon forget. In an election climate this volatile, things change rapidly. Just weeks...

It's been a pretty amazing week for Democrats. And for those looking for more good news, there is plenty to be had on the horizon. Democrats are still facing an uphill battle in November; without a miraculous economic recovery or a deafening Republican scandal, Democrats are almost sure to lose...

If Barack Obama signs a health care reform bill later this year, today will have been its turning point. For a White House that admitted after Scott Brown's victory that it was facing a new political calculus without a contingency plan, today's summit is a remarkably impressive showing of a...

Last month, the Pew Research Center released a poll that found that only 26 percent of respondents know that 60 votes are required to break a filibuster. No wonder Democratic complaints about Republican obstructionists have thus far failed to catch fire. It's just not all that easy to...

From the moment he was sworn into office, President Obama had a pretty overwhelming task ahead of him. In that month, the economy lost 700,000 jobs. It lost nearly as many the month before. The credit markets had frozen; the financial institutions and auto industry would need undeserved bailouts. Saving...

Over the next 24 hours, there will be plenty written about the ineptitude required to lose a Senate race in Massachusetts as a Democrat. There are simply an endless number of reasons to criticize Martha Coakley today.

That her campaign chose to go dark after the primary rather than running...

Less than ten months out from Election Day, Harry Reid has to confront a hard reality. After he helps pass historic health care legislation, it's time for him to announce his retirement.

Recently, the majority leader was quoted by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann in their new book Game Change...

In the year ahead, national campaign coverage will be focused almost entirely on the Congressional midterm elections. With Republicans poised to win a substantial number of seats in the House, and at least a few in the Senate, much of what happens in November will dictate the extent to which...

There are a number of things the Democrats can do between now and next year to mitigate the losses they are sure to experience in 2010.

1. Pass health care reform before the State of the Union: The biggest no-brainer on the list, the Democrats must pass their...

What Arianna calls timidity, I call patience.

Campaigning is not the same as governing. In 2007 and 2008, Obama never needed Congressional approval for the executive decisions his campaign made. He never had to worry about securing Joe Lieberman's vote. Governing is more complex, certainly less pure, and noticeably...

Dear Senator Lincoln:

As you know, yesterday you were among a small group of Democrats who voted against including a public option in the bill you will report out of the Finance Committee. As you also know, earlier this year, you went on record supporting a public option, only...

I wrote an article on HuffPost a couple of days ago that spoke, among other things, about Barack Obama's ability to mobilize the Democratic base. One commenter responded with this: "With all due respect Mr. Loewe, Obama's base is also furious....with him." Another said: "The author neglects a critical logic....

I keep hearing that the Democrats are totally screwed come November 2010, that the midterms are going to be a bit of a bloodbath. Democrats have an outside shot of losing control of the House, according to Charlie Cook. A one in three chance according to Nate Silver....

Deep breaths, folks. Deep breaths.

During the campaign, we were a lot like this. It didn't matter that Obama was consistently walloping McCain in the polls, or that our most credible political analysts were predicting a landslide. It didn't matter. Everywhere you'd go, wherever Democrats were hanging out, they'd be...

Well, she didn't quit to run for president.

Nobody would do that, could possibly do that, could at any point be told by any person that an idea that crazy might actually work out. It's not just that it's irrational; it's that it's insane. There is no political playbook...