a presidential historian and conservative commentator, shared his insights on the election results with łÉČËXŐľ Newsradio.

“At least I could say I was right about one aspect of the election,” Medved said. “I had said time and time again, I didn’t think it was going to be close. It was not the kind of election that was set up to be close.”

However, he explained the election went in the opposite direction than he thought it would.

Medved noted that Trump performed better than expected across various demographics.

“President Trump seemed to do better across the board with every group, with every segment of the population,” he explained. “He did better, not only than expected or predicted in the polls, but then he had done in his two previous races for President.”

Donald Trump has sweeping plans for second administration: Here’s what he’s proposed

Reflecting on the broader implications of the election, Medved emphasized the importance of understanding the electorate’s mood.

“Trump understood far better than anybody on the other side did, that the American people were angry, that they were in a bad mood,” he said. “They wanted change. The one statistic that really doomed the Kamala Harris campaign was that idea that some two-thirds of Americans believe we’re headed in the wrong direction.”

Medved also highlighted the economic concerns that played a crucial role in the election.

“It boiled down to the economy,” he said. “Despite the misgivings that they may have about the former president, now incoming president, he really made sense to them when it came to the economy and what they remember in terms of how much better they were doing when he was in office.”

Trump’s campaign promises, including significant changes in immigration policy, resonated with many voters.

“The big emphasis in his campaign was on immigration,” Medved noted. “Priority one is going to be to seal the border.”

Trump promises lasting peace to tumultuous Middle East: Fixing it won’t be easy

Looking ahead, Medved expressed uncertainty about the future political landscape.

“That’s a profound question, and I’m not sure of any answer,” he admitted. “Confident, bold statements, one way or another, should all be reconsidered this morning.”

Medved also pointed out the challenges Trump will face in fulfilling his campaign promises.

“Given the fact that Trump has so many things that he has promised to do on day one, including beginning the roundup of millions of people he says for deportation, I think it’s going to be a period of some fairly intense conflict,” he said.

The historian also touched on the potential impact of Trump’s victory on the Republican Party.

“Trump has just won a mandate, and by the way, he has control of the Senate, so he’ll be able to appoint just about anybody he wants, to any position in his administration,” Medved explained. “There might even be, if he handles it well, some kind of a honeymoon where he’s given a certain amount of latitude by any potential opposition that might have to be centered in the House of Representatives.”

Medved reflected on the broader implications of the election results.

“When you have a country where people continue to be angry about inflation, feel that they are doing worse than they were at the beginning of this year or the beginning of Joe Biden’s term, when they’re still angry at Joe Biden about concealing his cognitive decline and some of the difficulties he had, that all worked, obviously on Trump’s behalf,” he said.

As the nation prepares for Trump’s return to the White House, the political landscape is poised for significant changes.

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, and email him here.Ěý

The data released Wednesday showed Ferguson leading in nearly all voting categories except among conservative voters, where Reichert, as expected, has secured strong support. Among voters identified as left and moderate left, Ferguson holds an overwhelming 96% of support.

Conversely, Reichert captures 91% of the right-leaning and moderate-right vote. Centrists, however, show a slight preference toward Reichert.

Markovich: Why are ballot measures so confusing?

The poll, which surveyed 400 likely voters between Oct. 3 and Oct. 29, has an expected error margin of 4.9% and a median field date of Oct. 16.

In the 2020 election, Governor Jay Inslee defeated his Republican challenger, Loren Culp, by 13.4%, while his 2016 margin over Republican Bill Bryant was 8.8%. Should Ferguson maintain his current lead, he would outperform both prior Democratic victories.

The same survey showed Vice President Kamala Harris leading former President Donald Trump by 18.2% in Washington. The poll underscores Harris’s strong support in this traditionally blue state, where she leads across nearly every demographic category.

Politics: Betting on the election is now available, but don’t try it says the State

Harris is particularly popular among voters on the left and moderate left, securing nearly universal backing at 98%. Trump, meanwhile, finds strength among suburban voters, Republicans and those with some college education, groups that lean in his favor.

Trump’s primary support comes from right and moderate-right voter segments, capturing 92% of his core constituency.

Additionally, he has a slight advantage among centrist voters. However, given Washington’s larger left-leaning population, Harris’s lead has remained firm.

In 2020, President Joe Biden won the state by 19.2%, and in 2016, Hillary Clinton led by 15.7%. Harris’s current 18.2% advantage signals she’s well positioned to carry the state on election day.

Matt Markovich covers politics and public affairs for łÉČËXŐľ Newsradio and MyNorthwest.

But when it came to, arguably, the most consequential choice facing the party, virtually everyone on the debate stage in Milwaukee lined up behind the former president, who declined to participate, citing his commanding lead. Most said they would support Trump as their nominee even if he is convicted of crimes.

Trump, who has been indicted four times this year and must contend with dozens of felony charges, faces a series of cases that range from his handling of classified documents to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his role in making hush money payments to a porn actress and other women.

More on Trump: Ex-president surrenders in Georgia on charges he sought to overturn 2020 election

“Cringe,” is how łÉČËXŐľ Newsradio’s Jack Stine described it on “The Gee & Ursula Show” Thursday. “It was maybe one of the most uncomfortable displays of like, vague Americana with populist rhetoric mixed in there. It was really uncomfortable. I can’t vibe with any of these people. Not a single one of them.”

“Let’s just speak the truth,” tech entrepreneur said during the event. “President Trump, I believe, was the best president of the 21st century. It’s a fact.”

The first question of the debate was, “What are you going to do to make America better?”

“And then it was just populist rhetoric,” Jack said. “And we got to get these big wigs out of Washington, which is appealing.”

Jack wondered how you write that into law. “Can someone tell me the legalese of that?  The president is not a king,” he said. “These people are saying they’re going to come in, and do a bunch of extra executive measures in order to right the country and I as someone who really likes the Constitution, I say to myself, I don’t like any of this.”

The debate itself demonstrated how much power Trump still wields in the party and the reluctance of most Republican White House hopefuls to directly confront him or his norm-breaking activity. And it spoke to the struggle of any single candidate in the crowded field to emerge as a credible counter to Trump with less than five months until the Iowa caucuses formally jumpstart the GOP presidential nomination process.

From former AG McKenna: Unclear if Trump could be banned from ballot

That challenge was particularly acute for Florida Gov.Ěý, who announced his campaign in May to great fanfare but has since struggled to gain traction. He was sometimes eclipsed on Wednesday by lower-polling candidates, including former Vice President , a generally understated politician who demonstrated an aggressive side as he positioned himself as the most experienced candidate on stage.

Pence and former New Jersey Gov.  sparred frequently with Ramaswamy. The goal for almost every candidate was to use the event, hosted by Fox News, to displace DeSantis from his distant second-place standing and introduce themselves to viewers who are just tuning into the race.

“Someone’s got to stop normalizing misconduct. Whether or not you believe that the criminal charges are right or wrong, the conduct is beneath the office of president of the United States,” said Christie, a one-time Trump ally who has since become a fierce critic.

While the candidates repeatedly tangled, most refused to oppose Trump as the nominee, even if he became a convicted felon.

“I saw a bunch of sad people who don’t have the political charisma or the political ability that Donald Trump has, and I saw them effectively raising their hand saying I will be your vice president. That’s what I saw,” Jack said.

“If you are if you are that spineless to say that if someone is duly convicted in the court of law, that you will then based solely on partisanship, pardon that person, then you are no better than anybody that you accuse of tampering with the Hunter Biden investigation. Tampering with the Hillary Clinton investigation,” Jack added. “There is no moral consistency.”

Former Arkansas Gov.Ěý was the only person who clearly refused to raise his hand, indicating he would not support Trump as the nominee if he was convicted.

For his part, Pence defended his decision not to overturn the election in Trump’s favor, a move that ended their strong partnership, saying he upheld his oath to defend the Constitution.

The Vermont senator spent the past week in Arizona, and now is taking his campaign to Washington and other West Coast states that he hopes will help him make up ground after a solid delegate lead built up by Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

“Let us have a record-breaking turnout here in Washington,” Sanders said at KeyArena in Seattle, rallying supporters with many familiar themes.

Clinton has a lead of more than 300 delegates over Sanders from primaries and caucuses following a sweep of five states last Tuesday, so the Pacific Northwest has become important territory for him. Washington state, Alaska and Hawaii hold Democratic caucuses on Saturday, and Washington has the most delegates ultimately at stake with 101.

In Vancouver, Sanders declared to a packed gymnasium that the nation’s economic, campaign finance and criminal justice systems are “rigged” and criticized pharmaceutical companies for rising drug costs.

What riled up the young, rowdy crowd most were Sanders’ comments on health care and his support of gay marriage.

“Ten years ago, if somebody jumped up and said, ‘I think that gay marriage will be legal in 50 states in America in the year 2015,’ the person next to them would’ve said ‘You are nuts, what are you smoking?'” Sanders said.

In Seattle, Sanders applauded the city’s move to incrementally phase in a $15-an-hour minimum wage by 2017 that took effect in April 2015.

Lines outside the stadium were huge before the event, and according to Seattle officials, 5,500 people remained outside during Sanders’ speech and another 1,500 left when they didn’t make it into the stadium. Sanders addressed the overflow crowd outside before his official remarks. Some in line said they had arrived at around 10:30 a.m. for the rally that began around 5:40 p.m.

Inside the arena, Sanders pledged to make it easier for people to vote. He elicited huge roars when addressing a number of issues such as racial justice, his intent to implement universal health care and fight climate change.

“In my view we have a moral responsibility to leave this planet to our children and grandchildren in a way that is healthy and habitable,” said.

Washington is reliably Democratic when it comes to presidential elections. It hasn’t gone for a Republican candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1984.

Vancouver, which has a population of 167,000, has been historically overlooked during presidential campaigns.

__

Orenstein contributed from Seattle.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The party says the billionaire businessman won almost 73 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s caucus. He will get all nine delegates from the U.S. territory.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz came in second with 24 percent of the vote, while Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio finished a distant third and fourth, respectively.

Both the Republican and Democratic parties hold nominating contests in U.S. territories. The residents, however, cannot vote in the general election. The party said a total of 471 people voted.

Trump leads the race for delegates with 469. Cruz has 370, Rubio has 163, and Kasich has 63.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the GOP nomination.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

As part of a nation-wide project by The Associated Press, a week of emails and daily schedules of Gov. Jay Inslee and four leading lawmakers in Olympia were requested to examine what extent they’re free from releasing their communications.

Emails and schedules from the week of Feb. 1 to Feb. 7 were not provided by the offices of Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, D- Seattle, House Minority Leader Dan Kristiansen, R-Snohomish, Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, and Senate Minority Leader Sharon Nelson, D-Maury Island. Inslee’s office released 39 emails and his daily schedules.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

In back-to-back debates just miles apart, Democrats and Republicans painted a dark vision of America, a place where jobs are vanishing, leaders are corrupt and threats loom from across the globe.

Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders described a nation in “real crisis,” with a “rigged economy.” Americans are “a bunch of suckers” who’ve “lost everything,” Republican front-runner Donald Trump said the following night.

Washington is “killing jobs,” as Iranian leaders conspire to “murder us,” warned Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

Gloomy assessments of the country’s future have emerged as a constant refrain of the 2016 presidential contest, as candidates woo a frustrated and anxious electorate.

That insecurity, which pollsters say pervades discussions about economic, domestic and foreign policy issues, is setting the stage for an emotionally-charged general election — no matter who wins the primary contests. Voters, say strategists in both parties, fear the country is on a sharp downward slide and there’s little government can do to save it.

“That eternal optimism that Americans have is at risk right now,” said Republican pollster Neil Newhouse, a top strategist for Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign. “There’s a sense that something has gone awry and we’re no long in control.”

Even though unemployment is at the lowest rate since the 2008 recession, surveys show that a majority of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track, as they have for much of the past dozen years. In polls, respondents say they don’t expect life for their children’s generation to be better than their own.

The last time most Americans said they were “satisfied” with the direction of the country was in January 2004, according to Gallup tracking polls.

Katherine Cramer, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, has been conducting extended conversations about voter attitudes with people in her politically competitive state since 2007.

“Things have definitely gotten worse in Wisconsin in terms of the overall mood,” she said. “It’s become a different place. People are more on edge, more distrusting of each other and their government.”

The most successful candidates have tailored their messages for the times, leaving behind the kinds of optimistic slogans that defined the campaigns of most recent presidents.

Cruz frequently warns that the nation is standing at the edge of an abyss, and it must “awaken the body of Christ” to pull back. At Thursday’s debate, Trump declared that “our jobs are going to hell.”

Even Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, known for offering a more toned-down evaluation of the country, offered a dim outlook. “Every institution in America has been failing us for the last 20 or 30 years,” he said.

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, who often criticizes Trump’s slogan of “making America great again,” acknowledges some of the grimmer realities — even while trying to set herself apart as a leader who could unify the country. While she used to argue that the country is “already great,” now she vows to make it “whole”– an implicit acknowledgment that things have perhaps gone awry.

Democrats — and even some Republicans — believe voters will demand positive messages of renewal once the campaign enters the general election.

“At some point you’ll have to say ‘here’s how I’ll take the nation forward, not just make this a wrestling mud match’,” said Republican pollster Ed Goeas, who’s working on efforts to defeat Trump.

But much of the worry stems from economic stress, a situation unlikely to change dramatically for most people before the fall elections. While a booming stock market and low interest rates helped the wealthiest sliver of the country, many Americans have yet to recover the ground lost in the recession.

The typical U.S. household earned $57,153 at the end of last year, according to Sentier Research. That total — after adjusting for inflation — is slightly below incomes in January 2000, meaning that much of the country has endured rising education and health care expenses without much in the way of pay raises.

“The roots of this mood are more economic but it’s compounded by looking at gridlock in Washington,” said Democratic pollster Geoff Garin, a strategist for a super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton’s candidacy. “For people who feel that they are still struggling eight years after the crash, their patience has run out.”

That frustration has been channeled into a long list of grievances. Democrats decry greedy Wall Street traders and lead-poisoned water, lax gun laws and a failed criminal justice system. Republicans blame undocumented immigrants, political correctness and foreign terrorists for what they often depict as a country in decline.

At Democratic debates in Miami and Flint this week, Clinton fended off questions from immigrant families separated for years by deportation and parents worried about lead-poisoned water and mass shootings.

“Your government at all levels have let you and your children and the people of Flint down,” Clinton told a woman, who described being unsure if she will ever use the water in her hometown again.

Republicans, meanwhile, argued over lost jobs, threats from abroad and even the divisiveness of their own campaigns.

“They have anger that’s unbelievable,” Trump said of his supporters. “There is some anger. There’s also great love for the country. It’s a beautiful thing.”

___

Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Scott Bauer contributed to this report.

___

Follow Lisa Lerer on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/llerer

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Find out how our KTTH talk show hosts are voting in the 2014 Election.

I-594: Background checks for firearm sales and transfers

Michael Medved- No. Initiative 594 would add layers of bureaucracy and inconvenience to law-abiding gun owners while doing little or nothing to stop criminals or the mentally ill from getting guns.

David Boze- No. The sloppy language regarding “transfers” has proponents arguing that they can “fix” this later. I’m not convinced it was all that sloppy.

Ben Shapiro- No. The 18-page law is far too broad and far too vague. Many law abiding citizens could do jail time thanks to this proposition.

I-591: To prohibit government from confiscating guns from citizens without due process

Michael Medved- No. It doesn’t make sense to tie Washington state gun policy to federal standards. Conservatives should give states more ability to make their own decisions, not less.

David Boze- Yes. The background debate isn’t about keeping people safe from violent people who have guns, but an ideological opposition to guns. There are other things to do for the money that would likely be more effective in helping to prevent violent crime.

Ben Shapiro- Yes. Local attempts to curtail Second Amendment rights will deprive Americans of their constitutional liberties.

I-1351: To direct the legislature to allocate funds to reduce class size and increase staff

Michael Medved- No. Class size isn’t the problem for students in our state. Inflexible bureaucracy regarding teachers and educational policy is.

David Boze- No. Staff support has increased dramatically over the last couple of decades. Enough of these unfunded mandates. Vote no. The Republican Majority Coalition is working on these issues anyway.

Ben Shapiro- No. We are spending plenty of cash on education at this point and this proposition is yet another attempt to create an unfunded mandate the state Supreme Court will then require money to fund.

Seattle Citizen Petition No. 1: To create a transportation authority to build a monorail

Michael Medved- A thousand times no. The only purpose of expanding the monorail would be to make the Central Link light rail look a bit less absurd by comparison.

David Boze- If all other light rail projects are cancelled, I could roll with something like this. But they are not and this would just be another waste of cash.

Ben Shapiro- Idiocy. The monorail project already ate over $147 million over the last decade. Reviving it is pure silliness.

Seattle Transportation Benefit District-Proposition No. 1: To authorize a $60 car license tab fee and 0.1 percent sales tax to help fund Metro in Seattle

Michael Medved- No way! Better idea: cut all spending on light rail and use the money to expand bus service.

David Boze- Tim Eyman may not be Seattle’s favorite guy, but car owners would do well to remember that there will never be an end to tab increases unless you draw a line.

Ben Shapiro- Absolutely not. We are already subsidizing bus riding to the tune of millions. If people want bus service, let them pay fair rates.

Proposition 1A and 1B: Should either of these preschool measures be enacted into law? Which one?

Michael Medved- No. Neither proposition deserves support. 1A adds mind-numbing bureaucracy while 1B adds both mind-numbing bureaucracy plus out-of-control government spending and a tax increase. Both are destructive, but 1B is even more ridiculous.

David Boze- I’d vote no on either. However, if felons are not already prohibited from providing childcare, I think it’s grossly irresponsible of the Council. My guess is that it’s attached to trigger your emotion and cloud the issue of cost and effectiveness. How much “enhanced training” does one need to care for children? And do we need to hire an organization to “facilitate communication between the City and childcare workers?” I thought the important communication was between parents and childcare workers? This looks like a political slush fund masquerading as social benefit. Prop 1B is another promise of a new program when the city has not kept up with its essential maintenance. New government studies just came out calling into question the effectiveness of these programs, yet we’re being told they’re the silver bullet for education. Well, they’ll cost plenty of silver, but they will not lead to long-term student success.

Ben Shapiro- Both of these propositions are horror shows. Proposition 1A is slightly less worse than Proposition 1B, given that it provides an unfunded mandate rather than immediately raising taxes and providing a basis for further increases in taxes.

The legislature eliminated, without a vote of the people, agricultural excise tax preferences for various aspects of the marijuana industry, costing an estimated $24,903,000 in the first ten years, for government spending. This tax increase should be repealed or maintained?

Michael Medved- Maintain. Pot grows don’t need or deserve special tax breaks.

David Boze- If I had to vote today, I’d vote to maintain. After all, according to so many proponents, the whole point of legalizing dope was supposed to be getting tax money from it.

Ben Shapiro- Repealed. Taxing marijuana will only continue to encourage the black market pot industry.

The legislature imposed, without a vote of the people, the leasehold excise tax on certain leasehold interests in tribal property, costing an estimated $1,298,000 in the first ten years, for government spending. This tax increase should be repealed or maintained?

Michael Medved- Maintained. The tribes already receive too many give-aways and special breaks, while afflicting the public with their predatory casinos.

David Boze- If I had to vote today, I’d vote to maintain. But I’ll reserve the right to change my mind by Election Day.

Ben Shapiro- Repealed. Increasing taxes for government spending is always foolish.

Suzan DelBene vs. Pedro Celis

Michael Medved- Of course, Pedro Celis is preferable to one of the most liberal members of Congress: Suzan DelMoney. He will succeed in D.C. as he’s succeeded in every task he’s ever faced.

David Boze- If you like Obama policies, you’ll love DelBene. I’d vote Celis. His life story is compelling and he’s a charming, accomplished, serious man, but his campaign has been rough.

Ben Shapiro- Pedro Celis

Clint Didier vs. Dan Newhouse

Michael Medved- Dan Newhouse will be a strong, conservative addition to the GOP caucus. Clint Didier would play a divisive, destructive role and provide a juicy target for Dems to pick off in 2016.

David Boze- As a result of the state’s “top two” primary system, we have two Republicans running at the same time. Didier is a charismatic man. His campaign for governor ended with his unfortunate joint attack on Dino Rossi, which showed while he had the passion, charisma and work ethic to be a formidable candidate, he did not yet have the judgment to be an effective political leader. I like Mr. Didier and believe his heart is in the right place, but I haven’t seen him try to broaden his appeal. I have friends supporting his campaign. But based on the mailer I received, he’s running as though he needs to denounce Republicans In Name Only more than he needs to broaden his appeal for a general election. When Mr. Didier did not get the endorsement of retiring Congressman Doc Hastings, his reaction was, again, less than gracious and impolitic. Speaking hotly about restoring freedoms and fighting for liberty is not the same as actually leading people in a direction you want them to go. Congress could use a shake-up, but those who lead it must be wise or they will find themselves way out front with no one behind them. Mr. Newhouse is endorsed by the NRA and is in “substantial agreement” with Human Life PAC (Didier got their endorsement). If I lived in that district, I’d vote Newhouse.

Ben Shapiro- Dan Newhouse

David Reichert vs. Jason Ritchie

Michael Medved- Dave Reichert has grown into a superb representative for his district and for the conservative cause. I’m proud to support him.

David Boze- In a chaotic world, I picture Reichert as sheriff running after the thugs destroying Seattle during the WTO riots when the Seattle PD was frozen by the liberal Seattle establishment. These days, the world is run by the equivalent of the Seattle liberal establishment and I’d prefer to have some guys like Reichert standing by to help save the day.

Ben Shapiro- Dave Reichert

Pam Roach vs. Cathy Dahlquist

Michael Medved- Cathy Dahlquist will be a far more constructive voice for conservative principles and help build a long-term GOP majority in the Senate.

David Boze- WOW! What an ugly race! Pam Roach has long been the state’s #1 political character. I’ve been the recipient of her best and worst sides and they are far apart. Her fans love the fact that she’s a fighter. The problem is, she’s swinging so chaotically, she ends up exhausting even those on her own side. Politically, she’s survived countless accusations related to her volatile temper, but this looks like the race she just can’t win. (Democrats + Republicans mad at Roach = defeat). Dahlquist is a respected state representative, has received support from the NRA (as has Roach), and would be a solid member of the Senate Majority Coalition. I thought some of Dahlquist’s attacks on Roach to be a bit of a stretch and her commercials with Democrat Chris Hurst to be painful. Then again, Roach has more than her share of difficulties. My head says to vote Dahlquist, but my heart says vote Roach. I’ll leave it to you to figure out which I’d give the upper hand when marking my ballot.

Ben Shapiro- Pam Roach

Denny Heck vs. Joyce McDonald

Michael Medved- A vote for Denny Heck is a vote for Nancy Pelosi. Go for McDonald.

David Boze- Denny “give ’em” Heck was a great TVW host, but the fact that he’d vote Pelosi as leader is all you need to know. Plus, Republicans have a solid, talented, and accomplished candidate in Joyce McDonald. She’s a former legislator, a member of the Pierce County Council, and a red-headed Scot! So in her we have a fighter and someone who knows our finances are out of order! I just wish McDonald had the financial support to give Heck a run for his money.

Ben Shapiro- Joyce McDonald

Will Republicans take control of the Senate?

Michael Medved- It’s very, very close, but very my best guess would be that when the dust settles, there are 52 Republican senators, 46 Democratic senators, and then the two Independent senators who caucus with the Democrats: Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

David Boze- They certainly should. Polls seem to indicate that they’ll pick up enough seats. But I do think that, unlike the Democrats, who have a more united agenda once they get power, Republicans tend to be a more split coalition. There shouldn’t be wild expectations about what Republicans can accomplish. They still have to get a president’s willingness to sign something, so I don’t expect a major shift in the gridlock. I do think the Republicans will win the Senate.

Ben Shapiro- Yes, but by a slim margin.

Official Voter’s Guides:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Think of Tuesday night’s presidential debate as a championship fight rematch.

Republican challenger Mitt Romney won the first bout, as President Barack Obama failed to counterpunch.

Then came what’s known in boxing as the undercard, the vice presidential debate. Incumbent Joe Biden came out swinging at the opening bell, although GOP challenger Paul Ryan counterpunched just as hard. Obama-Biden supporters were relieved.

The Obama campaign promises the president will be more aggressive Tuesday. But this time the candidates and the moderator won’t be the only people in the ring when the 90-minute debate begins at 9 p.m. EDT.

Q. Why is that?

A. Continuing a format that began 20 years ago, this is the “town hall” debate where people representing a cross-section of America get to ask the questions.

Q. Can people in the audience simply raise their hands and be called upon at random?

A. No. That’s one thing that changed since the first presidential town hall debate in 1992, when questions and questioners weren’t screened beforehand.

Q. So how does the screening work?

A. The Gallup polling organization picks about 80 uncommitted voters. Those voters will work with moderator Candy Crowley of CNN, and she decides who in the group will get to ask a question. Crowley said she and a small team of helpers will try to get as broad a range of questions as possible and nobody else will know the questions in advance.

Q. How did Gallup choose the participants?

A. They were recruited as part of a random sample of all residents living in Nassau County, N.Y. Each resident contacted was asked a series of questions. Those who met the criteria as uncommitted voters were invited to participate.

Q. Will the candidates be seated?

A. They’ll have chairs, but will spend most of their time as close as possible to the audience, walking around and looking directly at the questioner. Think of it as trying to connect with citizens who are there to represent millions of Americans watching on television.

Q. How will the audience be seated?

A. The group of 80 will be in three rows of circular risers facing the candidates, with an open space in the middle. Off camera, there will be a larger audience in the arena at Hofstra University in Hempstead on New York’s Long Island.

Q. In the presidential and vice presidential debates so far, one candidate got the first question and the other candidate had the last word. Will that change Tuesday night?

A. Yes. There are no opening and closing statements. Romney gets the first question. Each candidate is supposed to have two minutes to respond, after which Crowley will facilitate a two-minute discussion. If the earlier debates are an indication, don’t expect the candidates to stick to those strict time limits.

Q. Wasn’t there an attempt to limit the moderator’s role in this debate?

A. Yes. The two campaigns came to an understanding that Crowley’s role should be limited, so that she wouldn’t use the discussion period to introduce a new topic or rephrase a question.

Q. Will that affect the debate?

A. No. The campaigns left two crucial entities out of the agreement: Crowley and the Commission on Presidential Debates, which runs the debate program. Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., co-chairman of the commission, said: “I don’t care what it says since we’re not party to it.”

Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.