Beyond Centrism: Identity, Authenticity Drive Voter Choice

Resources

Books

• "Neither Liberal nor Conservative" by Donald Kinder and Nathan Calmo - This book is referenced to support the idea that people do not think about politics in the same ideological terms as political strategists.

Articles & Papers

• "The Value of Moderation in House Elections" by Andrew Hall and Daniel Thompson - This paper is mentioned as having previously found a significant advantage for moderate candidates, but a later retraction stated the case was weaker than initially thought.
• "The Value of Moderation in House Elections" by Michael Barber and Jeremy Pope (Good, 2018) - This paper is cited for its finding that conservative Trump voters became more likely to support a liberal policy if they were told Trump supported it, emphasizing group identity over issue positions.

People Mentioned

• Zoran Mamdani - Mentioned as a newly elected New York City mayoral candidate whose race is seen as a case study for progressive candidates winning.
• Bill Clinton - Referenced in the context of the "New Democrats" and the historical debate about whether Democratic candidates should move closer to the political center.
• Kamala Harris - Her defeat in the 2024 election is cited as a catalyst for the current debate on Democratic party strategy, and her campaign is used as a baseline for analyzing candidate performance.
• Chuck Schumer - Mentioned as a New York Senator who did not back Mamdani, and his low favorability rating is used as an example of how Democratic leadership is perceived.
• Kirsten Gillibrand - Mentioned as a New York Senator who did not back Mamdani.
• Hakeem Jeffries - Mentioned as a top-ranking House Democrat who endorsed Mamdani late in the campaign.
• Donald Trump - His candidacies and policies are discussed extensively as examples that challenge the idea that moderates always win, and his appeal to certain voter groups is highlighted.
• Richard Nixon - His "silent majority" speech is referenced as an example of the historical idea that capturing a moderate majority of Americans wins elections.
• Paul Ryan - Mentioned in contrast to Trump's 2016 campaign, representing a more traditional conservative stance on entitlements and free trade.
• Mitt Romney - His 2012 defeat is mentioned as a point where Republicans re-evaluated their campaign strategy, and his conservative platform is contrasted with Trump's approach.
• Abigail Spanberger - Mentioned as a Democratic candidate for governor in Virginia whose campaign is compared to Zoran Mamdani's.
• Andrew Cuomo - Mentioned by Zoran Mamdani as a former governor who left the working class of New York behind.
• Bernie Sanders - Mentioned as an example of a candidate coded as progressive who offers authenticity and less poll-testing, in contrast to Hillary Clinton's campaign.
• Hillary Clinton - Her campaign is described as rigid and poll-tested, in contrast to candidates offering more authenticity.

Organizations & Institutions

• Democratic Socialists of America - Mamdani is identified as a member of this organization.
• Blue Dog Pack - Mentioned as a group whose super PACs provide funding to moderate candidates.
• Justice Democrats - Mentioned as a group that endorses progressive candidates.
• Associated Press - Mentioned in relation to a NORC poll about public perception of political parties.
• ICE - Mentioned in the context of deporting undocumented immigrants.

Tools & Software

• Blue Sky - Mentioned as a platform where discussions about Democratic candidates' strategies have taken place.

Websites & Online Resources

• Strength in Numbers - Elliot Morris's data-driven news website, which also publishes a newsletter.
• Substack - Mentioned as a platform where discussions about Democratic candidates' strategies have taken place.

Other Resources

• The Welcome Pack - A center-left group that published a report called "Deciding to Win," which concluded that Democrats can win by going more moderate.
• "Deciding to Win" - A report published by The Welcome Pack.
• The Harvard Plan - Mentioned as a podcast series, with the second episode of season two coming out on Friday.