Statewide polarization, a 50-state strategy, and why it all matters
One of the hallmark projects of Howard Dean's tenure at the DNC roughly a decade ago, the 50-state strategy was a source of vigorous debate in Democratic circles from its inception. The internal squabbling over the strategy is beautifully crystallized in this 2006 piece by Matt Bai. Largely abandoned (at least financially) for the past five years, there has been talk of resurrection, both from the DNC and the Clinton 2016 team.
A new study by the team at SmartPolitics will add some interesting fuel to that discussion. The study notes that nearly two-thirds of the states in the union are currently entrenched in long partisan streaks in terms of who they've supported in presidential elections. What's more, the majority of the states have backed the same party for the White House since Bill Clinton's initial victory in 1992.
On the surface, this would seem to play a bit of hell with the 50-state strategy. But a deeper look reveals a more complicated picture. Keep reading as we try to decipher it.