In response to widespread social distancing being used to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, I plan to increase the frequency of my posts. And with the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination contest having effectively ended, I will not post nearly as often about American politics. Rather, I will describe how my family and … Continue reading Dispatches from Brookline: Social Distancing and Home Schooling I
Author: Matthew Berger
I am a data geek, history researcher, writer and househusband with academic training in political science (BA, Yale; MA, Harvard), biostatistics (MA, Boston University) and epidemiology (PhD, BU). I published Interrogating Memory: Film Noir Spurs a Deep Dive Into My Family History...and My Own in 2022. As of July 2026, I seek a publisher for its completed follow-up, The West Philadelphia Story: An Immigrant Jewish Journey. I plan a third book on my idiosyncratic GenX life. My musical trinity is Genesis, Miles Davis and Stan Ridgway. A liberal Democrat, I know a healthy democracy demands cross-partisan cooperation. I grew up just outside Philadelphia, and I live just outside Boston, where my wife and children keep me happy, sane and grounded.
2020 Democratic primaries on March 17, 2020: My final polling update
[Update, 4:02 pm EST on March 17, 2020: Ohio did postpone its Democratic presidential primary, though all votes cast early will still count toward the final result--and will be extended until June 2, when in-person voting will occur. Swayble (C+ rating from FiveThirtyEight.com) released polls of the four states scheduled to hold primaries today. The … Continue reading 2020 Democratic primaries on March 17, 2020: My final polling update
2020 Democratic primaries on March 10: My final polling update
[Updated at 4:00 pm EST to account for late polls] On March 10, 2020, six more states will hold primaries to help select the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee, bringing the total number of such contests to 24. Table 1 lists these states, sorted by poll closing times, and the number of pledged delegates each state … Continue reading 2020 Democratic primaries on March 10: My final polling update
2020 Super Tuesday contests: My final polling update
[Ed. note: A few hours after I published this, a complete set of Super Tuesday polls was released by Swayable (C+) and Data for Progress (B-/C+), as well as a Spry Strategies poll (C-/D+) of North Carolina. I did not update each state's final WAPA, though I did update the projected distribution of pledged delegates.] … Continue reading 2020 Super Tuesday contests: My final polling update
2020 South Carolina Primary: How did my final polling averages fare?
Given the extremely volatile polling for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination now that voting has commenced, I will not provide global monthly updates for the next few months. Instead, I will focus on the first handful of primaries and caucuses: Iowa on February 3, New Hampshire on February 11, Nevada on February 22, South Carolina … Continue reading 2020 South Carolina Primary: How did my final polling averages fare?
2020 South Carolina Primary: Final Polling Update
From 7 am to 7 pm EST on February 29, 2020, polls will be open in South Carolina for that state’s Democratic presidential primary. This election follows similar contests in Iowa and New Hampshire in which United States Senator (“Senator”) from Vermont Bernie Sanders and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg fared very well, … Continue reading 2020 South Carolina Primary: Final Polling Update
2020 Nevada Caucuses: How did my final polling averages fare?
Given the extremely volatile polling for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination now that voting has commenced, I will not provide global monthly updates for the next few months. Instead, I will focus on the first handful of primaries and caucuses: Iowa on February 3, New Hampshire on February 11, Nevada on February 22, South Carolina … Continue reading 2020 Nevada Caucuses: How did my final polling averages fare?
Ranking every Marvel Cinematic Universe film
My memory is slightly fuzzy on this point, but I believe I had already heard of the excellent British comedy Coupling the night I happened upon the hysterical Series 4 episode “Nightlines” sometime in late 2004 or early 2005; the show first aired on May 17, 2004. Despite being completely unfamiliar with any of the … Continue reading Ranking every Marvel Cinematic Universe film
2020 Nevada Caucuses: Final Polling Update
At 10 am Nevada time (1 pm EST) on February 22, 2020, Nevadans who did not already vote between February 15 and 18 by submitting a ranking of their three top choices to be the 2020 Democratic nominee will gather in nearly 2,100 meeting places to support their preferred candidate(s). While about 84,000 Nevadans caucused … Continue reading 2020 Nevada Caucuses: Final Polling Update
2020 New Hampshire Primary: How did my polling averages fare?
Given the extremely volatile polling for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination following the start of primary and caucus voting, I will not provide global monthly updates for the next few months. Instead, I will focus on the first handful of primaries and caucuses: Iowa on February 3, New Hampshire on February 11, Nevada on February … Continue reading 2020 New Hampshire Primary: How did my polling averages fare?
Just Bear With Me... 