How Did Progressive Measures Like Medicaid Expansion Pass In Deeply Red States? Strip Away The Partisan Labels
This election delivered wins on more liberal ballot measures even in states where voters elected politicians with deeply conservative views. The dissonance could show a way forward for advocates looking to focus on policy rather than politics. “Americans want everyone to make a living wage and be able to go to the doctor when they got sick," said Jonathan Schleifer, executive director of the Fairness Project. "Ballot initiatives shows there’s an agenda that can bring people together across party lines.”
The Washington Post:
From Medicaid To Minimum Wage, Even Red State Voters Backed Progressive Measures
The electoral dissonance underscored that the issues people vote on at the ballot box don’t always align with the candidates they vote for. The outcomes also highlight the approach advocates took in trying to get the ballot measures passed — namely, by not associating them with either party. “Americans are far more generous than our politics suggest,” said Jonathan Schleifer, executive director of the Fairness Project, a three-year-old nonprofit organization that has used ballot measures to circumvent deadlocks in legislative and executive branches of government. The group backed several minimum-wage and Medicaid-expansion measures that passed Tuesday. (Dennis and Weigel, 11/7)
The Associated Press:
Many Red State Voters Embrace Liberal-Backed Ballot Measures
Even in deep-red states, voters embraced an array of liberal-backed ballot measures in Tuesday's election — expanding Medicaid, targeting gerrymandering, boosting minimum wages, legalizing marijuana use. The results heartened left-of-center activists, who see a path going forward for circumventing Republican-controlled legislatures. With the new Congress deeply split along partisan lines, the outcome ensured that the states will serve as pivotal battlegrounds for social issues heading toward the next election in 2020. (Crary, 11/7)
Los Angeles Times:
The 'Blue Wave' Down-Ballot? Where Democratic Candidates Faltered, Many Liberal Measures Found Success
Party identification is one of the most powerful forces in politics, with many people voting strictly on party lines when it comes to choosing their politicians. But ballot measures, while often pushing policies favored by one party more than another, don’t come with “D” or “R” labels. Voters can make their choices without feeling like they’re casting their ballots for one party or another. Most Americans “aren’t particularly ideological,” said Lilliana Mason, a government professor at the University of Maryland and author of a recent book, “Uncivil Agreement,” about identity in politics. (Pearce, 11/7)
