President News & Analysis

Donald Trump, Golden Shepherds, and the 2016 Election

by Nathan L. Gonzales December 2, 2016 · 3:00 PM EST

I missed it. The most important election of my kids’ lifetimes and I missed it. I just didn’t see how the Golden Shepherd would defeat the Monarch Butterfly to become the official mascot of their public elementary school.

All the data pointed to a Monarch victory. A majority of the…

Under Next Electoral Map, Trump Would Still Have Won

by Nathan L. Gonzales December 1, 2016 · 9:00 AM EST

Population trends are working against the Republican Party — at least that’s what we’ve been told.

But a combination of the 2016 presidential results and early looks at reapportionment after the 2020 census shows that the short-term changes may not be as dramatic as once believed.

Fifteen states are likely…

Does the Country Even Want to Come Together?

by Nathan L. Gonzales November 14, 2016 · 9:15 AM EST

In the wake of elections, there’s a common refrain and an implicit mandate: “come together.” But unity might not just only be impossible under the circumstances, I’m not convinced most Americans even want it.

“I say it is time for us to come together as one united people,” President-elect Donald…

Ratings Change: Obama State Shifts to Trump

by Nathan L. Gonzales November 7, 2016 · 5:24 PM EST

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton continues to have a narrow but distinct advantage over Donald Trump in the presidential race, but one state that President Barack Obama won twice looks to have slipped away from the Democrat’s reach. 

Obama won Iowa twice with little fanfare, but Trump is well-positioned…

The Presidential Race Someone Has to Win

by Nathan L. Gonzales November 3, 2016 · 3:58 PM EDT

For all the partisanship and polarization in this country, the 2016 presidential race features Republican and Democratic nominees who appear determined to gift the presidency to the other party. 

Just when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton looks like she’s about to open up an insurmountable lead, another story pops…

Democrats Look to Expand Presidential Map

by Nathan L. Gonzales October 21, 2016 · 2:59 PM EDT

Three presidential debates are in the books, and the biggest surprise might be that Donald Trump participated in all of them. In spite of all the media attention, Wednesday’s debate probably didn’t change the fundamental dynamics of the race, and Hillary Clinton will likely maintain her solid advantage.

Before the…

It’s Time for Newspapers to Stop Endorsing Candidates

by Nathan L. Gonzales October 19, 2016 · 2:41 PM EDT

Just when editorial boards are coming off the sidelines to endorse in the presidential race, it’s time to do just the opposite.

After 34 years of not endorsing a presidential candidate, USA Today published “Trump is ‘unfit for the presidency’” on Sept. 30. It’s the first time the paper…

Clinton Tightens Grip on Presidential Victory

by Nathan L. Gonzales October 14, 2016 · 3:29 PM EDT

The 2016 presidential race is stranger than fiction. The already-unprecedented contest took another turn last weekend when audio from a 2005 tape from NBC’s Access Hollywood revealed Donald Trump crudely talking with host Billy Bush about sexually assaulting women.

The comments weren’t surprising to anyone who has been paying attention,…

Republicans’ Agonizing Wait for Latest Diagnosis

by Nathan L. Gonzales October 10, 2016 · 8:38 PM EDT

Less than a month ago, Republicans tabled their “check-and-balance” strategy as Donald Trump creeped closer to Hillary Clinton in the polls. “We were in the ICU, flatlining,” a Republican operative told Roll Call’s Alex Roarty. “We’re still in the hospital, but we’re in the normal room now.”

But now,…

New Presidential Baseline After First Debate?

by Nathan L. Gonzales September 30, 2016 · 3:28 PM EDT

I tried something dramatic during the first presidential debate on Sept. 26- I decided to watch it without being on Twitter. This may sound silly to normal people outside of Washington, but it definitely isn’t normal to leave the primary place of communication for political journalists during one of the…