Sabato's Crystal Ball

Cheney’s Quail-Gate Makes ‘Feeding Frenzy Hall of Fame’

February 22nd, 2006

Larry J. Sabato, Director, U.Va. Center for Politics

Now that the hub-hub about Dick Cheney’s shooting accident has died down, the Crystal Ball can add a bit of perspective. Quail-Gate was a classic media feeding frenzy, and your author wrote the book on the phenomenon entitled, well, Feeding Frenzy.
Amazingly little has changed since the first edition was published in 1991. [...]

Better Watch a District!

Lest parties pay the price for snoozing in sleeper races come November

February 17th, 2006

David Wasserman and Larry J. Sabato, U.Va. Center for Politics

With upside-down congressional approval ratings showing few signs of rising from the depths anytime soon, 2006 promises to be one of the more volatile (and dare we say, anti-incumbent?) House election cycles in recent memory. So looking ahead to November, how best might Democrats and Republicans prepare to face this specter? For starters, we [...]

The Congressional Shuffle

Dems are catching all the breaks, but can they take it to the House?

February 9th, 2006

David Wasserman and Larry J. Sabato, U.Va. Center for Politics

Fresh off the Superbowl, Americans are once again reminded that every once in a while, an underdog team can come back up from the depths, run the table, and pull off a remarkable victory. This year, congressional Democrats, ever-so-desperate to pick up the 15 seats they need to reclaim the lower chamber this year, [...]

Statehouses Gleam for Democrats in 2006

But all that Glisters is not Gold

February 2nd, 2006

Larry J. Sabato, Director, U.Va. Center for Politics

The Democrats may or may not score real breakthroughs in the houses of Congress in 2006 (see the Crystal Ball Email Archive on the 2006 House and Senate races), bu t it’s undeniable that they have opportunities galore in the Governorships this year. Opportunity is not reality, though, and on prior occasions the Democrats [...]