Mark Schmitt: All Publications, Events and Press

On Our Own

Ron Tang — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:29:00 -0400

Interviewing Rick Perlstein, author of the mega-book Nixonland, Mark Hemingway of National Review lamented recently that "liberal or popular historians don't seem to be very interested in conservative history and ideology."

Perlstein answered politely, but the correct response would have been, "What planet are you living on?" Indeed, the legend of the rise of the right -- as told by and to the left -- has become the defining narrative of our political experience. I shouldn't admit this, but I probably… more

Did Hillary Crack the Working-Class Code?

Ron Tang — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:29:00 -0400

The tragedy of Hillary Clinton's campaign for the presidency is that only after she had effectively lost the Democratic nomination did she find a language and message that gave people a reason to vote for her beyond the claim that her nomination was inevitable. By that point, though, the day-to-day proxy war with Barack Obama was so relentless that even her supporters may have missed the subtle argument and language that could be her lasting contribution to progressive politics.

While Clinton… more

Mark Schmitt in Financial Times | 'Obama Must Win Hearts of Rival's Supporters'

Communications — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:17:00 -0400

New America in the News:

...[N]ot everyone agrees Mr Obama needs to rely on Mrs Clinton for victory. Mark Schmitt, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, said it was not clear her political endorsement would sway voters.

"Obviously those are voters he needs to reach, but it is an open question whether they are reached by her vouching for him, or by him reaching them [with his own message]," Mr Schmitt said...LINK

Mark Schmitt in the New Republic | 'McCain's cynicism'

Communications — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:17:00 -0400

New America in the News:

...Apropos my question about McCain's cynicism, Mark Schmitt has an interesting piece in The American Prospect arguing that conservatism has been so discredited that McCain's only hope of winning will be a kind of right-wing identity politics that pits "Americans" versus "others," with Obama playing the role of chief "other..." LINK

Battle Of the Budget Slide Shows

Ron Tang — Fri, 30 May 2008 02:14:00 -0400

"Saving our future requires tough choices today" may be a banal sentiment, but it's not an easy one to challenge. That is the headline on the "Fiscal Wake-Up Tour," a slide show created by David M. Walker, formerly head of the Government Accountability Office. In hopes that it will be to the long-term budget deficit what Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" slide show has been to climate change, Pete Peterson has set aside a billion dollars out of his recent… more

Can Identity Politics Save the Right?

Ron Tang — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:03:00 -0400

There are two points at which a political party or an ideological faction can find its voice and begin to claim power. One, of course, is when it is at the height of confidence and electoral success, like Ronald Reagan's conservatives in 1981. The other is when it has hit bottom, when there's nothing more to lose, no constituencies to feed, no illusion that anything in the current strategy is working, no excuse for caution.

The Republican Party today is certainly… more

What Does Not Change

Ron Tang — Wed, 21 May 2008 10:50:00 -0400

The presidential primary process, over the years since Eugene McCarthy "won" New Hampshire by losing it in 1968, has evolved into such an elaborate analysis of expectations and sequence that, this year, it has finally imploded on itself. Every other Tuesday brings a new analysis of whether Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama has done better or worse than expected, is closing the gap or widening it. New measures are invented weekly -- this week, a version of the popular vote… more

Mark Schmitt in Financial Times | "Obama Focuses on Battle with McCain"

Communications — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:25:00 -0400

New America in the News:

Full article

. . . "Because of Florida's higher age profile, the state will be difficult for Obama in a general election," says Mark Schmitt, a political analyst at the New America Foundation. "But Obama will also open up other states, such as Colorado, that have a younger age profile, which would probably be beyond Senator Clinton's reach." . . .

Mark Schmitt on Bloggingheads.tv | "The Future with Obama"

Communications — Tue, 13 May 2008 07:30:00 -0400

New America in the News:

Bloggingheads.tv / New York Times

Mark Schmitt of the New America Foundation, left, and Noam Scheiber of The New Republic discuss whether Barack Obama should pick Hillary Clinton as his running mate.

Maverick Or Maneuverer?

Ron Tang — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:05:00 -0400

Ever since "authenticity" became the quality we most value in our politicians, its converse, "hypocrisy," has been the political vice of which we are most conscious. Thus, those who have noticed that Sen. John McCain enjoys a reputation as a "maverick" who "stands up to special interests" while leading a campaign that is operated and funded entirely by lobbyists have seen this as a contradiction. Is McCain a hypocrite, or perhaps a divided soul, with the angelic maverick voice of… more

What's the Matter With Bitterness?

Ron Tang — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:42:00 -0400

Behind the controversy over whether Sen. Obama's description of rural Pennsylvanians as "bitter" about their economic circumstances was condescending, there is another argument, one that's been lurking, unspoken, since the beginning of the Democratic campaign. It's a debate about the legacy and meaning of the last 16 years of the Democratic Party, and both candidates have said some highly provocative things, putting cards on the table that they've been holding for months.

First, Sen. Clinton. In the "Compassion Forum" Sunday night,… more

Goodbye, Mr. Penn

Ron Tang — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:12:00 -0400

I suppose I should feel vindicated that Mark Penn's downfall as "Chief Strategist" of Senator Clinton's presidential campaign came on a question of conflict of interest involving one of his other elevated titles, that of "Worldwide President and CEO" of the public relations giant Burson-Marsteller.

After all, a little over a year ago, I noticed that the Burson-Marsteller website featured a division promising "a comprehensive communications approach for clients when they face any type of labor situation," which is a polite… more

Obama-ism Without Obama

Ron Tang — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:52:00 -0400

Whether he becomes president this year, sometime in the future, or never, Barack Obama will surely stand as a distinctive and surprising figure in our political history. Yet as the lens pulls back, individuals who at first seem uniquely transformative almost always come to be seen, more modestly, as reflections of their times, as products of trends and choices not of their own making. When Ronald Reagan was turning American politics on its head in 1980 and 1981, we saw… more

New America Foundation Releases New Report on Public Opinion and Political Culture

Communications — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:09:00 -0500

Today the New America Foundation's Next Social Contract Initiative and Pollster Cliff Zukin released new findings on how public opinion shapes national values and informs the potential for policy reform, particularly in the areas of health care, education, taxes and economic security. The new report, entitled "The American Public and the Next Social Contract: Public Opinion and Political Culture in 2007," is available here.

"The report notes that there is an increasing acceptance of the need for mutual support and an active role for government, coupled with continuedfield.These tensions shed light on the perpetual interplay between the enduring American values of independence, opportunity and security." skepticism of government programs," said Mark Schmitt, Senior Fellow with New America Foundation who also wrote the foreword in the report. "But as [Zukin] points out, the data show a deep commitment to the 'golden value' of equality and opportunity. Americans favor self-reliant entrepreneurs over gargantuan corporations, but they mistrust the government to set a level playing

The report identifies core values characterizing the American public, based on an extensive review and comparison of available survey data. It says that Americans value individualism and self-reliance and that any new social contract must take these core values seriously.

The paper also identifies three noteworthy changes in the political culture of late:

There has been a significant change since 1994 in social attitudes and values, with the country moving to the left.
Younger Americans are different from older generations in that they see a more expansive role for government, are less suspicious of the motivations of public officials, and view the government as able to solve problems. They are also less ideological and judgmental.
We feel less confident about America's power in the world.

The report concludes with an assessment of public opinion and lists keys to success for making progress on the reform agenda such as the New America Foundation's Next Social Contract. Those conclusions and the complete report are available here: http://www.newamerica.net/files/NSCZukinPublicOpinion.pdf.

The Next Social Contract Initiative aims to reinvent American social policy for the twenty-first century. Through a program of research and public education, the initiative will explore the origins of our modern social contract, articulate the guiding principles for constructing a new contract, and advance a set of promising policy reforms. For more information: http://www.newamerica.net/issues/next_social_contract.

The New America Foundation is a nonprofit, post-partisan public policy institute whose purpose is to bring exceptionally promising new voices and new ideas to the fore of our nation's public discourse. Relying on a venture capital approach, the Foundation invests in outstanding individuals and policy solutions that transcend the conventional political spectrum. Headquartered in our nation's capital, New America also has offices in California and New York. More information is available at www.newamerica.net.

Please direct media inquires to Erin Drankoski, 202-997-8727, Drankoski@newamerica.net.

"Future of American Politics" Event on C-SPAN

Communications — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:20:00 -0500

New America in the News:

The first panel spoke on the changing political culture in the United States and how it will affect the next social contract. Panelists focused on the growing demand for post-partisanship, teamwork, and tolerance among younger voters. The second panel discussed political institutions and elections, including the past political era, which began in 1978, and the possible shape of the new political era that panelists believe is beginning. The third panel discussed possible policies in the next political era? Some topics… more

The Next Era of American Politics

Communications — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:00:00 -0500

A New America Event
02/29/2008 - 11:00am

Phillip Longman began by framing the core question of the event: are we in a transformative political moment, and what would that mean? Even after a decade of debilitating partisanship, Rovian strategists and Netroots bloggers continue to exacerbate political polarization. Yet, with the likely nominations of John McCain and Barack Obama, observers of all political stripes have sensed the prospect of a political sea-change. Whether it is a government unified around a bold progressive majority, a resurgent and transmuted conservatism,… more

Our Senate Problem

Ron Tang — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

"The most troublesome task of a reform President," wrote Henry Adams, is "bringing the Senate back to decency." Adams was writing about the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, which began with an Obamaesque promise of national reconciliation and reform but was dragged into scandal by the senatorial kleptocrats of the day.

The Senate has changed since then -- its members are elected now, though no less likely to be millionaires -- but it's still true that the Senate is where ambitious… more

Michael's Poor Almanac

adminn — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:23:00 -0500

The Almanac of American Politics is not the only brick-heavy biennial profile of members of Congress, their districts, and their voting records. Congressional Quarterly's competing volume, Politics in America, has its merits, but the Almanac has always been what reporters scan before interviewing a member of Congress. The reason is simple: Any such book is written by committee, but the Almanac reads like it's not. Its distinctive selling point is an attitude and voice.

Since the very first Almanac, published in… more

Cool Warriors

adminn — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:17:00 -0500

According to a widely held theory of American politics, Democrats and liberals are doomed whenever foreign policy and national security are the primary concerns of voters. After all, Bill Clinton -- the only two-term Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt -- won his elections at a time when foreign policy and national security mattered less than at any time since the 1930s. As soon as the world crashed back into our lives on September 11, 2001, Republicans regained… more

Mark Schmitt in National Journal's Blogometer | 'Preacher Vs. Warrior?'

Communications — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:27:00 -0500

New America in the News:

The Preacher Vs. The Warrior? (The Hotline - National Journal) Meanwhile, TAPPED's Mark Schmitt offers Obama some advice: [Obama] is falling into the tendency that many 'wine-track' candidates do of talking about his candidacy as if it were some sort of other-worldly cause: 'something happening,'...'it's about you,' etc.