Search query: virginia

The GOP is trying to redesign its nomination process aiming to rein in the recent rash of extreme nominees who keep losing winnable races. These fringe nominees have secondary effects as well. Many blame the duration of the government shutdown on moderate Republicans fearing tea party primary challengers. So how can the GOP regain its balance and find its center? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db6Syys2fmE Go basic. Look to the voting method itself. Our choose-one method, plurality voting, lim

Last week, both Illinois and Hawaii passed same-sex marriage making them the 15th and 16th states to do so. Overall, 2013 has been quite a year for the LGBT community. These last two states just seem to put the icing on the proverbial cake. It all comes on the heals of the 2012 election where voters in three states (Maine, Maryland, and Washington) approved same-sex marriage and rejected a ban on it in the state of Minnesota. So, what has transpired during the year? Rhode Island, Delaware, Mi

“Off-year” elections, like those in 2013, tend not to get a lot of attention, especially from voters. There are not a lot of big races around the country, and turnout is usually far lower than in presidential election years. This year’s low-turnout election shows why certain lawmakers’ recent push to make voting harder is badly misplaced. Strict photo identification requirements, an antiquated registration system, and felony disenfranchisement laws keep Americans from participating by complicati

Independent voters like to do their thinking outside the narrow confines of false dichotomies and established paradigms. They don’t like their choices made for them, they’re weary of a debate that never seems to go anywhere, and they’re bored of the made-for-television drama that partisan politics has become. But if you’re an Independent voter, you can declare your independence in other areas too. Independent voters can also be: Independent Savers Independent voters don’t have to save for t

You don’t need to be a highly-paid, highly-respected political analyst like Michael Barone or James Carville to understand basic truths about a particular election. In fact, it might actually be better if you’re not part of the political class. Then you pretty much can’t help, but see the forest, as opposed to the individual trees on which most political types focus. So, it was just after Democrat Terry McAuliffe was declared victor over Republican Ken Cuccinelli in the Virginia governor’s rac

Secession, a word common 150 years ago, is once again gaining steam in several states. In the quest for a government that is more representative of the people, groups of different ideologies want to break away from the majority. However, this separatist movement is unlike the days leading up to the Civil War; it is bloodless and involves regions of states separating from the state itself. Rural areas want to disconnect from urban areas; conservative groups want to break away from governments th

After months of personal attacks and divisive rhetoric, Democrat Terry McAuliffe will become Virginia's 72nd Governor. According to the Virginia State board of elections the former Democratic Party Chairman defeated Republican Ken Cuccinelli and Libertarian Robert Sarvis, 48 percent to 45.5 percent and 6.6 percent, respectively. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CDohsX-slo McAuliffe will replace the current Governor, Bob McDonnell, who soured with voters after apologizing for improperly receivin

http://youtu.be/-CDohsX-slo Virginia's gubernatorial contest is the election to watch in 2013 Not only is it attracting more national media attention on the Democratic and Republican candidates, but the third party candidate, a Libertarian, is turning it into a more competitive campaign for the GOP. Virginia is not such a red and blue state anymore.As a result of an election process that rewards hardline partisans, the race for Virginia governor is a typical scenario of two "polar opposite" can

A full complement of commissioners presided over the Federal Eelection Commission's open meeting on Thursday, marking the first time the regulatory body was fully staffed since Cynthia Bauerly stepped down in February. Lee E. Goodman, a lawyer with a background in campaign finance, and Ann Ravel (pictured right), the former head of California's electoral watchdog, took their seats on the bench for the first time. The mood was cautiously optimistic as both of the new commissioners spoke about the

New VPC study reveals that unmarried women, people of color and young voters delivered victories in 2012, but more than 21 million might stay home in 2014 Candidates that can energize this bloc of voters can upend conventional wisdom during the midterms Washington, D.C. – A new analysis of likely voters shows that the Rising American Electorate (RAE) holds the key to electoral success in 2014, according to the Voter Participation Center and pollster Celinda Lake. Mid-term elections frequently