Obviously, Donald Trump winning the GOP nomination would be a terrible turn of events for the Republican Party and the modern conservative movement. The Republicans are serious under dogs in the presidential election this year regardless of who they nominate.  The electoral math, turnout in presidential years, the state of the economy and foreign affairs, all favor the Democratic nominee, though these advantages only tell part of the 2016 story and can be over-valued. The real ace-in-the-hole for the Democratic nominee is the clarity of the institutional partisan stakes in 2016, and the persistent power of “party identity,” which remains the principle driver of voters’ political and electoral calculations.

Now that he is all but assured the Republican Party nomination, it’s time to take stock. How will GOP nominee Donald Trump shape his party of choice? The early indicators are troubling.

As criticism mounts about the Massachusetts Republican Party's Barely Legal fundraising campaign, it's Governor Charlie Baker who is most at risk. He can start by reading the fund raising letters before they go out.

The Grand Prix is out and the chorus of boos rains down on the stodgy, old Boston way of doing business. Strange, given that Boston is a preeminent global city. And that may be a bigger cause of lament than a cancelled weekend of car racing along city streets.

GOP eminence grise Ron Kaufman is no doubt trying to pay homage to Ronald Reagan by following Reagan’s 11th commandment: though shall not speak ill of a fellow Republican.

When Amazon stood for the purity of the not-so-hidden hand of the market, and Mayor Marty Walsh stood for morality, Mayor Walsh won. But it's never that simple.

Thomas Frank does an amateurish job bashing the Massachusetts Democrats. Could he be right anyway?

Need to make a self-interested policy sound like an altruistic contribution to the public good? A dark money investment can buy you a glowing research study, from the Department of Dubious Research.

Hillary Clinton's refusal to release her Goldman Sachs speeches reveals one thing: there's plenty America's oligarchs don't want us to see. We're all at the kid's table.

Democratic activists want party leaders to oppose Governor Baker, loudly and consistently. They’re not likely to get what they want.