The Permanent Campaign

This is the archive page for The Permanent Campaign, which is no longer actively sending. Sarah Isgur, a veteran of national campaigns and the hard-knocks world of political communications, provided insight into strategy and mechanics of political campaigns with some behind-the-scenes flavor along the way.

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Issue Polling Is Still Bad

Plus, who’s headed for the debate stage?

Dobbs Didn’t Matter

Also: Why can neither political party do math?

Trail Tales

And what they tell us about the campaigns.

Arraignment Day: The Legal and the Political Cases

What to look for from the courts and how Donald Trump’s indictment might—or might not—affect the race for 2024.

Who Are the GOP Swing Voters?

Plus: Why is my car made for men?

When Campaigns Infect Congress

How we got to the possibility of Biden invoking the 14th Amendment to solve the debt-ceiling crisis.

The Narratives Are Taking Hold

Neither side thinks it can lose in 2024.

The Party Centrist Extinction Is Upon Us

What will become of Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema?

Biden’s In (the Race), Trump Is Out (of the Debates)

The incumbent announces his reelection bid, while Trump says he isn’t going to debate his GOP opponents.

Rise of the Independents

But not of third parties.

Partisans vs. the Rule of Law

Plus, Joe Biden is a surprisingly strong incumbent.

Another Great Migration?

How will post-COVID population trends shape our politics?

Voters Will Have the Final Say on Alvin Bragg

Will the Manhattan district attorney come to regret his investigation of Donald Trump?

The Sweep: What We Can Learn From Candidate Questionnaires

And what to make of the responses to Tucker Carlson’s questions for GOP candidates.

The Sweep: The Politics of a TikTok Ban

Plus: What can we learn from a survey of GOP county chairs?

The Sweep: Twitter Bots for Trump

Fake accounts can have real consequences.