The definitive guide to understanding the forces that shape American politics.
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/The_Alm
Buy a hard copy and online access: http://bit.ly/TheAlmanac
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/The_Alm
Buy a hard copy and online access: http://bit.ly/TheAlmanac
Information
- Founded:
- 1972 and published biannually
The Almanac of American Politics Bernie Sanders (I-VT) was the third socialist ever elected to the House (other two were form Milwaukee and NYC's Lower East Side in 1910s). Here's a weird fact about him: VT incumbent GOP Rep. Peter Smith was opposed by the NRA in the 1990 election; Sanders' opposition to gun control helped him win.
The Almanac of American Politics Some background on Thomson, IL, where Gitmo detainees are being reloacted - It's in the 16th district, which is repped by Don Manzullo (R) and is a historical Republican stronghold, although Obama won with 53% here.
The Almanac of American Politics Ike Skelton can be called a true Harry Truman Democrat. He reps the same central west Missouri district (MO-04) where Truman lived and even attended his inauguration in DC at age 17 in 1949.
The Almanac of American Politics Bart Gordon is retiring. His district in rolling Middle Tennessee has been called "the dimple of the universe." It was the base of Andrew Jackson but has a Cook PVI of R+13 today. Al Gore Sr. (1939-53) and Al Gore Jr. (1977-85) both represented it. Gordon, first elected in 1984, was TN's first full committee chairman in 30 years.
The Almanac of American Politics Democratic Rep. Brian Baird (WA-03) is retiring. This southern Washington district has a Cook PVI of EVEN. Bush took 50% and Obama won 53%. This was flannel-shirt country for many years, Democratic since the New Deal days. In the early 1990s, its resource-based economy was threatened by the environmental movement, which gave Republicans an opening.
The Almanac of American Politics John Tanner could have been a senator. In 1992, Governor Ned McWherter (Tanner's cousin) was ready to appoint him to succeed Al Gore when Gore became vice president. But Tanner chose to stay in the House, where he became a major force.
The Almanac of American Politics Rick Perry is an Aggie (the first Aggie governor); Kay Bailey Hutchison is a Longhorn. Both have deep Texas roots. Perry's great-great-grandfather served in the Texas House in the 1890s; Hutchison's great-great-grandfather signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.
The Almanac of American Politics What congressional leader once said "I would rather dance than fight, but I know how to fight"?
The Almanac of American Politics Obama will pardon a turkey from Princeton, NC, which is in the 2nd district, represented by Bob Etheridge, who was actually born in Turkey, NC!
The Almanac of American Politics Little known fact about Charlie Crist: He was general counsel for Minor League Baseball in the '80s.
The Almanac of American Politics Dennis Moore (D-KS-03) is retiring. That's a R+3 district and a fierce battleground between the moderate and conservative wings of the GOP.
The Almanac of American Politics With Alaska in the news today, let's look at some stats from America's 49th state. With 16% of the nation's land area and just .23% of its population, Alaska is a state created by a federal government that it now often resents. In 1980, the year of the Alaska Lands Act, it gave only 26% to Jimmy Carter. In 1992, Ross P...erot won 28% here, his second-best showing in then country.
The Almanac of American Politics Indiana: Home to the Sunday Night Football-winning Colts, geographic center of U.S. manufacturing jobs, and the state that had the biggest swing from 2004 to 2008 (Kerry 39%, Obama 50%).
The Almanac of American Politics Some background on Bart Stupak: He is strongly opposed to abortion rights, and spoke out against them at the 1996 Dem Nat'l Convention. In 2003, he co-sponsored a bill to prohibit cloning that passed the House but stalled in the Senate. In 2006, he supported Bush's veto of the bill to expand embryonic-stem-cell researc...h. His composite liberal rating is 70%, but is 54% on social issues.
