On the Median Voter

A David Brooks column inspires some thoughts.

David Brooks’ $78 Airport Burger

A joke(?) gone a-rye.

Mar A Lago Mar A Lago

Politics, Law, and the Mar-a-Lago Search

That’s some catch, that Catch-22.

Two Nations, Indivisible

We’re an incredibly divided country but splitting it into two is impossible.

$4 Trillion for Dignity?

The Democrats are apparently selling their omnibus spending package the wrong way.

Tab Clearing

Some interesting stories or columns that I’ll never get around to writing full posts on.

Trump, the Rule of Law, and Normalization

Even incredibly abnormal Presidents are Presidents.

Peak Both-Siderism

David Brooks is the leader in the clubhouse.

A Post-Trump Republican Party

What would a reborn GOP look like and who would vote for it?

Reaction to Letter on Justice and Open Debate Proves its Point

Free speech is not for everyone.

Sanders as the Democrats’ Trump

The similarities are rather obvious. But the differences matter.

Pursuing Impeachment Is A Moral Imperitive

The time for sitting on the sidelines is over. Donald Trump cannot be allowed to get away with his usurpation of power, his disdain for the law, or his continued policies that have damaged the country.

Should NeverTrumpers Become Democrats?

A considerable number of Republican have effectively left our party over Donald Trump. Should we go all the way?

Republican Apocalypse … Now?

David Brooks joins the long line of commenters predicting the GOP’s demise.

Ennui and the Mueller Report

The findings are a dispiriting Rorschach test.

Post-Mueller Recriminations

The mea culpas and I-told-you-so’s are rather premature.

The Death Of The Weekly Standard

Thanks apparently to the fact that it remained unwilling to get in line behind the Trumpidians, the conservative owner of The Weekly Standard has shut the magazine down.

The Conservative Legal Machine

There’s a reason President Trump’s Supreme Court picks are “normal” in a way his national security and economic teams are not.

‘Woke’ Civil War at the New York Times?

Old-fashioned notions of journalistic neutrality are chafing young reporters in the Age of Trump.

No, The 25th Amendment Isn’t The Way To Solve The Donald Trump Problem

A Constitutional coup d’etat is not the way to solve the Donald Trump problem.

Today in Delusional Columns: Impeachment Fantasies

It is Trump’s party now. Impeachment is not coming.

Party Realignment Fantasies

David Brooks thinks American politics “Could get ugly” before the ship gets righted.

The Revolt Against Politics

David Brooks has articulated a frustration many of us share.

Trump Has Massive Lead In New CNN Poll

Donald Trump just keeps leading in the polls, and Republicans keep arguing that it can’t last.

The Bright Side of RFRA

We’re down to debating whether bigots should have to sell cakes to gay people.

Hyperpartisanship Harms American Politics, And American Life

There’s more to life than politics. Unfortunately, there are many Americans who don’t seem to recognize that fact.

The Right Way To View The Bowe Bergdahl Deal

Trying to make some sense out of a week of outrage.

The Drug Warrior’s False Choice

The false choice that is rampant in drug warrior thinking is the main problem when it comes to good policy.

Refer Madness Among The Acela Corridor Crowd

The latest news on the marijuana legalization front has led David Brooks and others to go into a completely pathetic panic.

Is A Stronger Executive The Cure For What Ails American Government?

David Brooks thinks that the problem with American Government is that the Presidency isn’t strong enough.

Republican Political Suicide Over Immigration Reform

David Brooks warns that failing to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill “could be a tragedy for the country and political suicide for Republicans.”

On The Coup In Egypt And The Future Of Democracy

The events of the last week in Egypt raise a whole host of questions.

A Second, Less Republican, Republican Party?

David Brooks has an idea that only David Brooks could love.

A 2013 Reading Guide: Challenge Yourself

For the New Year, how about challenging your ideas just a little bit?

Are Mass Shootings Really On The Rise?

Obsessive media coverage makes us believe mass shootings are far more common than they actually are.

Moderation in a Polarized World

David Brooks tries to “describe what being a moderate means” in a way that most Americans would find puzzling.

How To Fix The Republican Party

Whether Mitt Romney wins or loses, the GOP needs to evolve or be doomed to minority party status.

Rick Santorum: “The Smart People Will Never Be On Our Side”

In Rick Santorum’s brand of conservatism, no smart people need apply.

GOP Foreign Policy Positions Expose Their Claim To Be A Party Of Limited Government As A Lie

The GOP claims to be a party that favors limited government, but its foreign policy positions reveal this to be little more than a lie.

Hating Aaron Sorkin

Alex Pareene’s quip that “Aaron Sorkin is why people hate liberals” has gone viral.

Why Our Columnists Stink

David Brooks is wistful for the noblesse oblige of the elites of yore.

Twilight Of The RINOs?

The GOP Establishment is in crisis, but it has nobody to blame but itself.

America Just As Socialist As Europe

David Brooks points out that, despite the mythology of America as a land of rugged individuals and Europe as a socialist experiment gone wrong, the amount of social welfare spending is roughly the same.

The Republican Candidates And The Separation Of Church And State

The Republican candidates for President are blurring what should be a pretty clear line.

IQ and Income Inequality

Life, it turns out, isn’t fair.

What “Occupy Wall Street” Is Missing

By looking only in one direction, Occupy Wall Street is missing the big picture.

It’s Mitt Romney’s Nomination to Lose

Mitt Romney is once again the clear frontrunner for the Republican nomination.