'The White Lotus' leads limited series nominees at the 2022 Emmy Awards

My interest in covering entertainment awards consists mostly of covering shows that portray history, government, politics, and other social issues, like diversity and representation, or are speculative fiction. While the nominees in the limited series categories do that, they are the ones that have won and will likely win fewer awards at this year's Emmy Awards. That's because the big winner so far and probably the big winner on Monday is "The White Lotus," which is a comedic social satire about a bunch of well-off vacationers and the people making their vacations possible. The show definitely explores class issues and some of the legacy of colonialism, but many of the other nominees, including the other limited series winners at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, do more thorough and serious looks at these subjects and are better examples of speculative fiction.

Since I'm moving on to the Primetime Emmy Awards, I'm letting the Television Academy's videos help tell the story, beginning with 74th Emmy Nominations: Limited Or Anthology Series.

The nominees for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series are Dopesick, The Dropout, Inventing Anna, Pam & Tommy and The White Lotus.

All of these nominees have at least one crime or scandal, real or fictional, at their cores, real in the cases of "Dopesick" (opoid crisis) "The Dropout" (Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos), "Inventing Anna" (Anna Sorokin), and "Pam & Tommy" (the theft and illegal distribution of an infamous sex tape), and fictional in "The White Lotus." Based on what I've seen of the shows themselves as well as the opinions of the critics at Gold Derby, "The White Lotus" is most likely to win.

Next, 74th Emmy Nominations: Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie.

The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie are Colin Firth, Andrew Garfield, Oscar Isaac, Michael Keaton, Himesh Patel, and Sebastian Stan.

The crime theme continues with Colin Firth in "The Staircase" and Andrew Garfield in "Under the Banner of Heaven," who join Michael Keaton from "Dopesick" and "Sebastian Stan" from "Pam & Tommy," but not either of Oscar Isaac and Himesh Patel; "Scenes from a Marriage" is a character study and there isn't enough law left in the world of "Station 11" for there to be crime, although a lot of the action there would be criminal in a world where law and civilization still existed. Based on the critical opinion, I think Keaton will win.

Today's final video from the Television Academy is 74th Emmy Nominations: Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie.

The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie are Toni Collette, Julia Garner, Lily James, Sarah Paulson, Margaret Qualley, and Amanda Seyfried.

Crime continues with Sarah Paulson for "American Crime Story: Impeachment" and Margaret Qualley for "Maid," although the domestic abuse in the latter gets legal but not criminal attention in the story, joining two portrayals of criminals and one of a victim. The contest seems to be between Amanda Seyfried playing Elizabeth Holmes and Lily James as Pamela Anderson, at least according to the editors at Gold Derby, who are picking Seyfried over James eight to five. Joyce Eng is picking Seyfried, so I am, too.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Murray Bartlett – The White Lotus as Armond (HBO/HBO Max)
Jake Lacy – The White Lotus as Shane Patton (HBO/HBO Max)
Will Poulter – Dopesick as Billy Cutler (Hulu)
Seth Rogen – Pam & Tommy as Rand Gauthier (Hulu)
Peter Sarsgaard – Dopesick as Rick Mountcastle (Hulu)
Michael Stuhlbarg – Dopesick as Richard Sackler (Hulu)
Steve Zahn – The White Lotus as Mark Mossbacher (HBO/HBO Max)

The Gold Derby editors unanimously think Murray Bartlett will win and I think they're right.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Connie Britton – The White Lotus as Nicole Mossbacher (HBO/HBO Max)
Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus as Tanya McQuoid (HBO/HBO Max)
Alexandra Daddario – The White Lotus as Rachel Patton (HBO/HBO Max)
Kaitlyn Dever – Dopesick as Betsy Mallum (Hulu)
Natasha Rothwell – The White Lotus as Belinda (HBO/HBO Max)
Sydney Sweeney – The White Lotus as Olivia Mossbacher (HBO/HBO Max)
Mare Winningham – Dopesick as Diane Mallum (Hulu)

The Gold Derby editors also unanimously pick Jennifer Coolidge and I agree.

Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Dopesick: "The People vs. Purdue Pharma" – Danny Strong (Hulu)
The Dropout: "Green Juice" – Michael Showalter (Hulu)
The Dropout: "Iron Sisters" – Francesca Gregorini (Hulu)
Maid: "Sky Blue" – John Wells (Netflix)
Station Eleven: "Wheel of Fire" – Hiro Murai (HBO/HBO Max)
The White Lotus – Mike White (HBO/HBO Max)

Twelve of the Gold Derby editors picked "The White Lotus" to win. Since the one dissenter who chose "Dopesick" isn't Joyce Eng, I'm going with "The White Lotus."



The Gold Derby editors unanimously think "The White Lotus" will win Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, too. If they are right, then "The White Lotus" will win five awards to go with the five it has already won at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards for a total of ten. We'll see Monday night.

Speaking of the Gold Derby editors, watch three of them debate the limited series likely winners in 2022 Emmy Awards slugfest: We debate 'White Lotus' vs. 'Dopesick' for limited, plus variety, reality.

“I was assuming that we would all be on the same page about Best Limited Series,” declares Rob Licuria about what he thinks should be a relatively easy category to predict. "It's one of the most important categories of the night, and as far as I'm concerned, I thought 'The White Lotus' is winning that in a heartbeat! [But] maybe I'm not necessarily on the right path."

He’s joined by fellow Gold Derby senior editor Matt Noble and contributors Charles Bright and Tony Ruiz to debate the most likely winner in the Best Limited Series race along with their picks for the other limited/movie categories, plus their choices for Best Competition Program, Best Variety Sketch Series and Best Variety Talk Series. Above, watch our 2022 Emmy predictions slugfest video on the limited, variety and reality categories.

You can see where I'm getting my opinions.

Follow over the jump for the limited series and TV movie winners at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Colbert and Meyers return from vacation to take closer looks at special master ruling and the rest of August's news

I closed Samantha Bee wins an Emmy after TBS cancels 'Full Frontal' by telling my readers "I have several different ideas about what to write tomorrow, including more about the Emmy Awards. Stay tuned to see which one I choose." I decided to do something I haven't done in a while because Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers were on vacation, compile clips of their monologues. I begin with Colbert asking Why Is Judge Cannon Giving T**** Special Treatment? | Biden Delivers Anti-MAGA Warning.

The judge presiding over the Florida jurisdiction that includes Mar-a-Lago was hand-picked by the former president, while the current president is hitting the campaign trail with a message about the threat America faces from fascists in the GOP.

Meyers had his own take on the news after returning from vacation in Trump’s Month of Mounting Criminal Scandals Intensifies as Biden Surges: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at craven Trump supporters trying to downplay the severity of the federal criminal investigation into the classified materials found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

August is normally a slow news month. Not this year!

The next day the situation went from bad to worse, as Colbert asked How Do We Explain This To Our Allies? | Justice Is Coming For Steve Bannon.

Among the classified documents seized by the F.B.I. at Mar-a-Lago was material on a foreign nation's nuclear capabilities, and former presidential advisor Steve Bannon is facing state indictment in New York.

On the one hand, yikes! On the other hand, I wasn't surprised as Marcy "Emptywheel" Wheeler deduced this from the statute not cited in the affidavit last month.

Note: The Statutory Authorities does NOT include the Atomic Energy Act; that's the section I predicted where we'd find what he's believed to have stolen. So if he stole nuke docs, they are nuke docs about ANOTHER country, not our own.

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) August 26, 2022

Note the date. This is one of the reasons I follow Marcy on Twitter.

I close with Tuesday's cold open, Come On Judge Aileen.



That shortlist could definitely use some work. Yes, it could.

I will continue following these stories and updating my readers. In the meantime, I plan on returning with more on the Emmy Awards tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Samantha Bee wins an Emmy after TBS cancels 'Full Frontal'

I reported bad news in Appeals on ballot proposals expanding voting rights and protecting reproductive rights heading to Michigan Supreme Court: "Another one of my favorite sources is also going away for different reasons, as TBS canceled "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" at the end of July." I have good, if bittersweet, news to report today, as "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Presents: Once Upon a Time In Late Night" won Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last Saturday. Gold Derby uploaded Emmys 2022 backstage: 'Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Presents: Once Upon a Time in Late Night' after the show won.

The TBS program 'Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Presents: Once Upon a Time in Late Night' won Best Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series at the 2022 Emmys. Emmy winners meet the media backstage for a Q&A in the Creative Arts press room.

Allana Harkin also called the win bittersweet, which I thought as soon as I read the news over the weekend, especially coming so soon after I found out about the cancellation, which inspired Deadline to tweet the following image.


For more, watch Samantha Bee's 'Full Frontal' canceled by TBS by The Washington Post.

Samantha Bee of "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" will end her show after seven seasons. Her departure leaves just a few women remaining in the late-night space.

That's depressing. I hope Sam and as much of her cast and crew finds new homes for their talent. I want to keep seeing their takes on current events.

For what it's worth, I completely discounted the chances of this show winning in Desi Lydic, an Emmy-nominated performer, Foxsplains the January 6th Committee Hearings, thinking it would come down to "Between the Scenes — The Daily Show" and "Saturday Night Live Presents: Stories from the Show." This is one case where I'm glad to be wrong. This win is double justice for Bee and her crew, both as a reward for the merits of the show and for being canceled.


Click on What It's REALLY Like Working In Late Night to watch the entire series compiled in one video. Unfortunately, it's age-restricted so I can't embed it. Darn. They're great stories about television, even better than "Saturday Night Live Presents: Stories from the Show." The Emmy voters couldn't resist a good show about show business. As I keep writing about awards shows, electorates matter.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the short form live-action winners.

Barack Obama wins the Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator of 'Our Great National Parks'

After building up his competition, especially Sir David Attenborough, in Barack Obama nominated for Outstanding Narrator of 'Our Great National Parks' at the 2022 Emmy Awards, I listened to his narration in the trailer, then wrote "Wow, that is both beautifully shot and wonderfully narrated. Obama does have a good shot against Sir David!" He did, too, as KENS 5 in San Antonio reported Barack Obama wins Emmy for best narrator in national park series.

Barack Obama previously won Grammy Awards for his audiobook reading of two of his memoirs, “The Audacity of Hope” and “A Promised Land.”

Here is the image Netflix tweeted out to celebrate his win.


Congratulations, Mr. President!

Follow over the jump for the rest of the winners in documentary and nonfiction programming from Deadline.

CNBC and Vox on unionization for Labor Day

Happy Labor Day! This year, I'm looking at the history of labor itself, not the holiday that honors it. I begin at the present moment with CNBC explaining Why Starbucks, Apple And Google Are Unionizing Now For The First Time.

Since December, workers have led a surge of unionization unlike anything this country has seen since the Great Depression. It's happening at arduous workplaces like one Amazon warehouse in New York, but it's also hitting an entirely new sector: retail and big tech. First-ever unions have now formed at more than 200 Starbucks, an Apple store in Maryland, a Google Fiber contractor, REI, Trader Joe's, Kickstarter, and a gaming division of Microsoft. Here's why experts say it's happening now, and why these progressive companies are fighting back against the movements.

One of the contributing factors has been the pandemic.

"It has to do with the pandemic," said Laura Garza, a barista who helped organize her New York City-based Starbucks location, which voted to unionize in April. "It made a lot of workers that continued to work during the pandemic reevaluate what is most important to them. And honestly, it has to go to better pay, livable wage for everybody."

In addition to the pandemic conditions, numerous other factors have collided to create what labor experts call a perfect storm for organizing. The U.S. has seen four decades of stagnant wages. Companies that already had healthy profits before the pandemic made even more money after lockdowns. And there are lots of jobs available without enough applicants to fill them. What's more, the Biden administration is pro-union.

CNBC also mentioned the long-term decline in unionization. Vox examined that in The fall (and rise?) of unions in the US.

We answered a viewer’s question about the decline of unionization.
...
“How come we’ve seen such a decline in unionization in the US?” That’s the question we received from one of our viewers, Cameron when we put out a call for topics to explain. It comes at an interesting time.

Earlier this year, the Amazon Labor Union won its first election at a large warehouse in New York, and more than 200 Starbucks locations have voted to unionize since baristas in Buffalo broke the seal in December 2021. The National Labor Relations Board reports that petitions for union elections are up 56 percent this year compared to 2021.

This level of energy and momentum in the labor movement is remarkable in light of the long, steep decline in union membership rates since the 1950s. Social science has limited tools for establishing what caused that decline, and different experts tend to emphasize different factors. But in the video above, we dig into a few key drivers of low union density in the US relative to other wealthy countries.

Seeing those clips from 1950s documentaries gave me flashbacks to The End of Suburbia, which used at least one of those same clips. In this context, they support the thesis that unionization contributed to the elevation of the working class to middle-class lifestyles and then how unions became the victims of their own success. As I'm fond of mentioning, the point serves as an example for two of Commoner's Laws: Everything is connected to everything else and there is no free lunch. Just the same, as a unionized worker myself, I support the unionization efforts, even if they cost me more at the store. The money will be going to support the workers.

I conclude with one of my holiday traditions, sharing drink recipes for the day. Here's Houston Life on KPRC 2 with 2 easy cocktail recipes for Labor Day Weekend.

If you’re looking for cocktail ideas to spice up your Labor Day Weekend celebrations, you’re in luck! Mixologist Josh Alden with Reserve 101, has 2 easy recipes perfect to entertain guests or simply unwind on your day off.

Listening to the banter between the two hosts reminds me of my snarky observation in Happy National Ice Cream Day, World Emoji Day, and Souther! Souther? Yes, Souther.

I'm beginning to wonder if "It's always five o'clock somewhere" means 5:00 P.M. or 5:00 A.M. to morning show anchors who drink as part of their job. I hope they have designated drivers.

Once again, happy Labor Day!

Part 2 of superhero nominees at the 2022 Saturn Awards — network and cable television

For today's Sunday entertainment feature, I am returning with the superhero nominees for television, as I promised twice. Here are the relevant categories from Deadline's Saturn Awards Nominations: ‘The Batman’, ‘Nightmare Alley’, ‘Spider-Man’, ‘Better Call Saul’ Top List.

Science Fiction Television Series: Network / Cable

• The Flash (The CW)
• The Man Who Fell to Earth (Showtime)
• Supergirl (The CW)
• Superman & Lois (The CW)
• Resident Alien (SyFy / Universal)
• Westworld (HBO)

I wrote "Next year's television nominees will be very interesting" in 'Birds of Prey' and 'The Flash' lead comic-book and superhero movies and television nominees — DCEU and Arrowverse at the Saturn Awards last year, but I didn't anticipate the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films would eliminate Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series altogether and then assign the shows based on comic-books and superheroes to other genres. I also didn't expect them to re-split the television categories so that streaming shows (formerly "new media") had their own separate awards again. Then again, I'm not surprised by that, either. As I wrote in 'Shang-Chi' vs. 'Spider-Man' among movie nominees at the 2022 Critics Choice Super Awards about keeping Best Film Presentation on Streaming Media (they didn't), "I never know with them, and I'm one of their voters!"

That written, I found the category choices the television committee made both revealing and a return to form of sorts. When I looked through the previous winners as research for continuing Blogging the Saturn Awards 1973 -- 'Slaughterhouse Five' and 'Blacula' the first winners, I saw that "Superman" won Best Science Fiction Film in 1979, while "Batman" earned a nomination for Best Fantasy Film in 1991 (the film came out in 1989, so there's a story there).* Superheroes, like horror, span the space between science fiction and fantasy, and some show more affinity for one over the other. Both Superman and Supergirl are aliens and The Flash got his powers through an experiment gone wrong, so they definitely belong more to science fiction than fantasy.

Enough about the category changes and choices. Who would I vote for and who might win? "Superman & Lois" has the most nominations of any show in this category, six, tying it for second with "The Walking Dead," "Stranger Things," and "Severance," all of which are competing in other program categories. In this category, "The Flash" and "The Man Who Fell to Earth" have two nominations and "Resident Alien," "Supergirl," and "Westworld" all have one each. Based on that criterion, I'd say "Superman & Lois" has the inside track to win. It certainly is the best superhero show on network TV; my wife and I enjoy it very much. That doesn't mean it has my vote. I'm inclined to vote for "Westworld" again, although I should watch some of the fourth season before deciding. It might not be as good as "The Man Who Fell to Earth." Either would be the professionals' choice.

Fantasy Television Series: Network / Cable

• DC’s Stargirl (The CW)
• Doctor Who (BBC America)
• Ghosts (CBS)
• La Brea (NBC)
• Riverdale (The CW)
• Shining Vale (Starz)

I concur with the rankings of the shows based on their total nominations, as "Ghosts" earned four nominations, "Shining Vale" has three nominations, "DC’s Stargirl" has two nominations, and "Doctor Who," "La Brea," and "Riverdale" have one nomination each. "Ghosts" and "Shining Vale" are my two favorites and I credit my wife for discovering both of them and getting me to watch them with her. Between the two of them, I like "Ghosts" more and plan on voting for it. Sorry, "DC’s Stargirl" and "Riverdale," the comic-book adaptations in the field. Also, sorry "Doctor Who" and "La Brea," which are really science fiction series that didn't make the cut for that genre's category. I also don't think they'll win, so here's the Twitter image promoting the nomination for "La Brea."


I'm glad to see the production companies and networks promoting their Saturn Awards nominees.

The Television Academy snubbed "Ghosts," but Gold Derby liked the show, interviewing several of the creators and actors. I'm sharing Joe Wiseman ('Ghosts' co-showrunner): The show's large, diverse cast is 'an embarrassment of riches' as the first video.

Joe Wiseman ('Ghosts' co-showrunner): The show's large, diverse cast is 'an embarrassment of riches.' Samantha (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) inherit an old mansion haunted by people who have died there over the course of history. Gold Derby senior editor Rob Licuria hosts this webchat as part of a Meet the Experts panel for showrunners.

I appreciated this as a good explanation of why the show is both fun and interesting.

Follow over the jump for the acting nominations for superhero and fantasy shows, now that "Ghosts" and "Shining Vale" have entered the chat.

Guest acting nominations at the 2022 Emmy Awards — Gold Derby weighs in

I'm finishing up my coverage of the 2022 Creative Arts Emmy Awards nominees today by looking at the guest actor and acting categories and throwing the rest of the remaining nominations at tomorrow's ceremony to the experts at Gold Derby.

I begin with drama nominees first because the drama series best demonstrate my emphasis on looking at portrayals of politics and government in entertainment.


The leading nominee according to Gold Derby editors is Colman Domingo for "Euphoria" with nine number one picks. Next is Alexander Skarsgard for "Succession" with three top picks. Last among the possible winners is Tom Pelphrey for "Ozark" with one. Nearly all the editors have those actors as their top three picks. Even though I haven't watched "Euphoria" yet, I'd go with Domingo not only because he's the overwhelming choice among the experts, but because I'm familiar with his work on "Fear the Walking Dead" and think he's excellent and deserves the recognition. My only qualm is that my favorite editor, Joyce Eng, picked Skarsgard to win. He gave a stellar performance and his character will likely be more important next season, but I'm not sure that will be enough this year.


According to Gold Derby, the leading nominees are Lee You-mi for "Squid Game" with seven top picks and Harriet Walter for "Succession" with six top picks. The editors picked no other nominees first. Although Lee You-mi barely leads and there are a lot of actresses from "Succession" nominated, which might split the vote, I'm tempted to pick Walter because Eng did based at least partly on the potential for vote splitting, I've seen her performance, and she's also nominated in the next category, which shows that the Television Academy's performer peer group likes her. Remember, electorates matter.


Twelve of the thirteen editors picked Jane Lynch for "Only Murders in the Building" to win. Only one picked Laurie Metcalf for "Hacks" and it wasn't Eng, so I'm not letting that sway my opinion. By the way, it could be a sweep in comedy guest acting categories for "Only Murders in the Building" as I wrote in 'Saturday Night Live' earned ten Emmy nominations plus looks back at the 2021-2022 season.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Jerrod Carmichael – Saturday Night Live: "Host: Jerrod Carmichael" as host (NBC)
Bill Hader – Curb Your Enthusiasm: "Igor, Gregor, & Timor" as Igor/Gregor/Timor (HBO/HBO Max)
James Lance – Ted Lasso: "Inverting the Pyramid of Success" as Trent Crimm (Apple TV+)
Nathan Lane – Only Murders in the Building: "The Boy From 6B" as Teddy Dimas (Hulu)
Christopher McDonald – Hacks: "The One, The Only" as Marty (HBO/HBO Max)
Sam Richardson – Ted Lasso: "Midnight Train to Royston" as Edwin Akufo (Apple TV+)

...I suspect Nathan Lane will win for "Only Murders in the Building," especially since he's reprising his role in the second season, which is streaming now.

I got that impression from Eng and Rosen last month and the rest of the Gold Derby editors generally agree with twelve of the thirteen picking Lane and only one predicting Jerrod Carmichael. Since that's not Eng, and I've seen both performances, I'm sticking with Lane.

Follow over the jump for videos of the Gold Derby editors making their predictions.

Appeals on ballot proposals expanding voting rights and protecting reproductive rights heading to Michigan Supreme Court

I closed Biden warns about threats to American democracy in Philadelphia by telling my readers, "Stay tuned for the second installment of today's political news, which will focus on two initiatives that Republicans are keeping off the ballot in Michigan." I begin with WDIV/Click On Detroit's segment Ballot proposals headed to Michigan Supreme Court.

The battle over voting rights and reproductive rights in Michigan is heading to the Michigan Supreme Court. We're talking about two separate ballot proposals after the State Board of Canvassers deadlocked on the vote to put the issues on the ballot, and one of them was filed in the past 15 minutes.

The complaint about the reproductive rights proposal is bogus, as the spaces are there in the source file. Here's to the Michigan Supreme Court not falling for it.

WXYZ covered the situation with both ballot initiatives when it asked What's next for abortion rights?

We're taking a look at what's next for the abortion rights fight in Michigan after the Board of Canvassers deadlocked over the petition to put the measure on the November ballot.

Click on the link to watch the video, which goes into more detail on both ballot initiatives. Unfortunately, WXYZ disabled playback on other sites. Sigh. So much for one of my favorite sources.

Another one of my favorite sources is also going away for different reasons, as TBS canceled "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" at the end of July. Double sigh.

That concludes today's politics double feature. I might return with another double feature tomorrow about entertainment. Stay tuned.

Biden warns about threats to American democracy in Philadelphia

Yesterday was a busy news day, so I'm posting two entries today, beginning with coverage of President Biden's speech in Philadelphia in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the second of three visits to Pennsylvania. "Morning Joe" on MSNBC recapped the address in Biden Issues A Dire Warning About Threats To US Democracy.

The Morning Joe panel recaps President Biden's Thursday prime-time speech on the 'soul of the nation'.

Historian Michael Beschloss rightly points out that the current moment could be as big a threat to American democracy as 1860 or 1940, which happen to be critical years in the last two secular crises according to Strauss and Howe's cyclical framework for American history. The Hedgehog returns and I don't mean Spiny Norman!

ABC News compiled their own highlights video of the speech, Biden speaks on the state of American democracy in prime-time.

"The MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic," President Joe Biden said during his prime-time speech in Philadelphia on Thursday.

A lot of political commenters are having rhetorical fainting fits over the visual symbolism and aggressive tone of the speech, but I'm glad fighting Joe Biden is coming out finally. I suspect the relative lack of energy until very recently was one of the reasons for Democratic-leaning voters' frustration with the Democratic Party that Pew Research found.

Those who lean to the Democratic Party have become more critical of Democratic leaders. When asked why they lean toward a party – rather than identify with it – many leaners say they do not want to put a political label on their views, while nearly as many offer that they are frustrated with the leadership of the party they lean toward. The share of Democratic leaners who cite frustration with the party’s leaders as a major reason for why they do not more closely associate with the party has risen from 28% in 2016 to 40% currently. Over the same period, the share of Republican leaners who express frustration with GOP leadership has declined from 52% to 39%.

Here's the graphic that shows those results.


Notice, it's not policy, but leadership that is causing frustration. That probably plays into the other reasons for the disconnect, like inability to accomplish campaign promises and other Democratic agenda times. I think passing the Inflation Reduction Act and forgiving (some) student loan debt will take care of a lot of that. Biden's approval ratings are already improving, as FiveThirtyEight observed when the site examined What Biden's Rising Approval Could Mean For The Midterms.

In part three of this installment of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, the crew analyzes why Biden’s approval rating has increased by nearly five points since late July. They also look to the future and discuss how this could possibly impact the midterm elections.

Democrats will vote for Biden and other Democrats. What's important is turnout among Democrats and persuading independents. Both of those look hopeful.

Stay tuned for the second installment of today's political news, which will focus on two initiatives that Republicans are keeping off the ballot in Michigan.

Mary Peltola wins first Alaska election for Congress to use ranked-choice voting

I have some special election news for my readers to begin September. MSNBC reported Democrat Peltola Defeats Palin In Special Alaska House Race, NBC News Projects during "All In with Chris Hayes" last night.

NBC News projects Democrat Mary Peltola wins the special election for the Alaska House seat, defeating Sarah Palin.

NBC News Now had more in Peltola Beats Palin In Alaska House Special Election on Joshua Johnson's show.

NBC News’ projects that Democrat Mary Peltola beat Sarah Palin in Alaska’s special election for a U.S. House seat. Peltola will become the first Alaska Native elected to Congress. NBC News’ Jonathan Allen reports.

That's a result that may not have happened with party primaries and first past the post winners, although Mary Peltola still led the first round of voting before second place choices were reassigned. Still, as Jonathan Allen observed, ranked-choice voting works as well to stop someone from winning as to ensure that the genuinely more popular candidate wins. Umichvoter on Twitter created this graphic to show how that happened in the special election.


Yes, the majority of Begich (which Umichvoter misspelled, sigh) voters had Sarah Palin as their second choice, but not enough to push her ahead of Peltola. As someone who has been critical of Sarah Palin for more than a decade, I'm glad they voted that way.

This is only for the remainder of the late Don Young's term. Alaska will do this all over again in November for the upcoming regular term. Stay tuned to see how that turns out.