Countdown to '24: What to Expect from the Election

<p>This time next year, Americans will be casting votes in the 2024 general election. State and local races (and issues) will take place in the long shadow of a carefully watched presidential rematch.</p> <p>The 2024 general election follows in a tradition of modern elections dating back to 1964 that are declared (or decried) as the most important of our time. In this episode that comes one year before ballots are counted, longtime political observer and <em class="rte2-style-italic">Governing</em> senior writer Alan Greenblatt joins <em class="rte2-style-italic">TFIC</em> for a wide-ranging discussion of what to expect, and who to watch, in the 365-day countdown.</p> <h4 id="enhancement-0dd29910-7dcc-11ee-b8ef-3348c304754f" class= "rte2-style-brightspot-core-rte-heading-HeadingH4RichTextElement"> SHOW NOTES</h4> <p>Here are the top 10 takeaways from this episode:</p> <ol class="rte2-style-ol" start="1"> <li class="li-cms-list-item-div"><strong class= "rte2-style-bold">“Most Important Election of Our Time”:</strong> Variations of the phrase have become common claims in recent presidential cycles. The 2024 election may well have a legitimate claim on the title. Its origins date back to the 1964 contest between Lyndon B. Johnson and Barry Goldwater, the first election in modern times to be called the most important of our time.</li> <li class="li-cms-list-item-div"><strong class= "rte2-style-bold">Red, Blue and a Side of Purple:</strong> The Biden-Trump rematch at the top of the ticket in 2024 would emphasize the extreme polarization between Republicans and Democrats in a high-stakes election cycle. Abortion rights and crime remain strong rallying points for voters.</li> <li class="li-cms-list-item-div"><strong class= "rte2-style-bold">Downstream Effects:</strong> The 2024 presidential election will influence state and local races, for good or for ill.</li> <li class="li-cms-list-item-div"><strong class= "rte2-style-bold">Prospect of Violence:</strong> Having been denied a completely peaceful transfer of power in 2