So I did indeed spend most of Saturday in San Francisco hanging out with political scientists in town for the APSA annual meeting. Had a fun lunch with Jonathan Bernstein (who organized it), Brendan Nyan and Jonathan Ladd, and it was a special treat when former WaMo publisher Markos Kounalakis showed up as well. Also had coffee with my esteemed friend Harold Pollack, and got to meet a number of others whose work I admire, including Julia Azari, Seth Masket and David Karol.
I kind of got the sense that what I teasingly call the Political Science Fundamentalists (those who believe with the faith of janissaries that party elites control presidential nominations and economic trends control general elections) are feeling a mite nervous about this campaign cycle, as well they should!
Here are some remains of the day:
* Chris Wallace interrupts Dick Cheney tirade on Obama unleashing nuclear Iran by reminding the Dark Lord that Iran’s nuclear program was built up on his administration’s watch.
* YouGov poll shows three-fourths of Republicans believe Trump can win the general election–higher percentage than for any candidate. Who’d a thunk he would have an “electability” argument?
* Republican consultant Liz Mair offers a pretty extensive list of strategies for going after Donald Trump. Too bad for her nobody’s paying her for them, so far as we know.
* At Ten Miles Square, Michael O’Hare attacks cupcake scheduling as the latest thing he hates about college football.
* At College Guide, Daniel Luzer argues that demographics, not “hook-up culture” or dating apps, is responsible for declining rates of marriage among college-educated.
That’s it for Labor Day. We’ll be back for regular blogging in the morning. Let’s close with a tune our friend Blue Girl recommended, from Anne Feeney: “We Do the Work.”
Selah.
