Joshua Spivak

The path to near irrelevance has been a long one, but ever since the Democrats lost control of the House in 2010, it has been accelerating.

At least 434 recalls were attempted or threatened in 2020— 100 more than in 2019. But the pandemic has both limited and expanded action against officials.

Of all those attempting a return to the highest office in the land, only one has succeeded. The other former presidents who ran ended up as third party spoilers.

As in the Gilded Age, until one party unlocks the magic formula, we can expect the continuation of a take-no-prisoners, bitterly divided political system.

Republicans have served as Defense or War Secretary for more than half of the 40 years of Democratic administrations.

With less than two months to go to Election Day, Biden and the Democrats must keep their eyes on the prize.

The Supreme Court's decision on "faithless electors" is important, but for 2020, it does not end the issue.

Democratic Senators looking to draft substantive laws should not let the potential "joys" of having some power in a future minority role serve as a deterrent to passing meaningful legislation now.

Both Republicans and Democrats should recognize that the platform is simply a potential political millstone traditionally hung around candidates' necks.

In recent decades, Republican vice presidents have come from governor mansions, the private sector or even the CIA. Democrats, however, tend to reach to one particular branch of government for their VP picks.

Iowa and New Hampshire both receive a good deal of attention thanks to their place at the front of the aisle in the nomination process. But there are questions begging to be asked.

Winning primaries in states where Democrats are unlikely to win an election has been a tried and tested strategy for candidates, including Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton.

The law of impeachment does not automatically prevent an impeached and convicted official from running again. Indeed, a number of impeached officials have.

Throwing red meat to the party's base appears to be the focus of the political world, even at the risk of serious long-term blowback.

Instead of running a race based on his personal strengths and defending only his own weaknesses, he'd have also defend someone else's.

So long as the current system remains, third-party candidates can only run as spoilers.

Sanders could damage Clinton's relationship with pro-Israel voters. He has appointed two strong critics of the Jewish state to the drafting committee.

Primaries in Democratic states like California, New York and Illinois may provide his path to victory.

Though Democrats used to be considered the more fractious party, they stand by their man.

A recall election and a battle with public sector unions propelled the governor into the limelight.