Jonathan Bernstein is a political scientist who writes about American politics, especially the presidency, Congress, parties and elections.
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Jonathan Bernstein
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Will Zombie Marco Rubio Win in 2016?
Why the press needs to stop burying presidential contenders before the primaries start. Read more
AP Photo/Lior Mizrahi, Pool
But What Does Iran Mean for 2016?
An effort to squash this debate before Politico starts it. Read more
AP Photo/The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
How Republicans Lost the Chance to Win Obamacare
Conservatives had the chance to test their favorite health-care ideas in state-run exchanges. They decided bullying Obama was a better use of their time than ideological consistency instead. Read more
Who’s on First? Under Boehner, It’s Always the Senate.
Forget about the Hastert Rule. The House speaker has his own, which is going to make it difficult for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and a handful of other legislation to pass. Read more
Long Live the Kludge
Sure, we could have a more efficient government if we got rid of those pesky checks and balances. But we’d have to give up the citizen efficacy that is our Constitution’s enduring special sauce. Read more
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File
Mission Affordabled: Why Obama’s Website Problems Aren’t “His Iraq”
Democrats will let the president’s signature legislation die a painful death if Healthcare.gov isn’t fixed soon. Which is exactly why Obama is racing to fix this mess like Bush never did with his signature war. Read more
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Four Reasons We Don’t Need to Count Down to a January Shutdown
Ted Cruz is threatening to court government meltdown when we hit the next budget deadline next year. Here’s why it’s unlikely to happen. Read more
Why Madisonian Democracy Still Can't Have It All
Defending the United States' great experiment in governance from the haters Read more
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Dancing with the Shutdown Spin that Brought You
When the shutdown is over and the victors are proclaimed, remember that narratives and messaging aren’t to thank. They were set to win before this war even started. Read more
AP Photo/Molly Riley
John Boehner Has Speaker Tenure for Life—If He Wants It
The factors making Boehner’s life a living hell are external to his personal quirks and failings. Anyone else would have the same problems. Read more
The Day after Shutdown
Well, that happened. Here's the step-by-step guide to how Congress and the White House end this mess. Read more
If Obama Wants the GOP’s Help in Syria, He Must Deal with Torture First
Why the lingering shadows of the Bush administration are making across-the-aisle deals on foreign policy impossible. Read more
AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Information Sharing Is Caring
Why Obama and Congress need to talk it out on Syria. Read more
All the Pretty Little Districts
Why you need to stop whining about gerrymandering Read more
#FF Polling
Twitter may be able to predict elections just as well as the polls, but we use survey research for way more than just that. Read more
AP Photo/Mel Evans
Governor, You’re No Rudy Giuliani
Chris Christie is a viable candidate for 2016, but it's no sure bet this early in the game. Read more
AP Photo/Charles Dharapak
Majority Power Play
What took Senate Democrats so long to make progress on confirming executive-branch nominees? Read more
AP Photo
Is Obamacare a Republican Job Creator?
The GOP is terrified that social safety nets are creating an army of Democratic zombie voters. In reality, the exact opposite could be true. Read more
AP Photo/Henry Griffin
Three Things You’ve Got Wrong about the Filibuster
As the Senate continues battling about executive-branch nominations and nuclear options, here are a few filibuster myths that need deflating. Read more
AP Images/Evan Vucci
The ACA's Obamacare Problem
The law is going to make health care better for many Americans. A lot of them just won't realize it's the same thing as the Obamacare they hate. Read more
