Posts by Doug Mataconis

Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Roy Moore Leads GOP Field To Challenge Doug Jones In 2020

Roy Moore has not said that he’s running for Senate again in Alabama, but he’s already threatening to up-end the race for the GOP nomination.

Notre Dame Cathedral Hit By Major Fire

A major, destructive fire hits one of the most historic churches in the world.

Trump’s Campaign Raises $30 Million

The President’s re-election fund-raising is off to a fast start.

Tiger Woods Pulls Off Masters Win After 11 Year Drought

Ending an eleven-year drought, Tiger Woods is back on top at a major tournament.

What Exactly Does Beto O’Rourke Believe In?

So far, Beto O’Rourke’s campaign has been far more about image than substance.

Democratic Voters Really Want To Beat Donald Trump

It’s still early in the 2020 cycle, but Democratic candidate are finding rally attendees focused on one thing. Beating Donald Trump.

Trump’s 2020 Message Is Clear, And It’s Not A Healthy One

The tone and content of President Trump’s 2020 campaign is already quite apparent.

Do Democrats Have A Shot At Unseating Lindsey Graham?

Democrats in South Carolina seem to think they have a shot at beating Lindsey Graham in 2020. I wouldn’t be so sure of that.

On A Personal Note

Checking in after an extended absence.

It Sure Looks Like Beto O’Rourke Is Running For President

Beto O’Rourke hasn’t officially said that he’s running for President, but he’s certainly sending all the signals you’d expect from a Presidential candidate.

Democrats Pick Milwaukee For 2020 Convention

For their 2020 convention, Democrats are headed to the Midwest.

The Trump Administration’s Goals For North Korea Talks Are Out Of Step With Reality.

The Trump Administration still doesn’t have realistic goals for its negotiations with North Korea.

Trump Wants Another $8.6 Billion For His Border Wall

President Trump will ask for $8.6 billion for his border wall in his Fiscal Year 2020 budget. He’s unlikely to get it.

Roy Moore “Seriously Considering” Running For Senate Again

Disgraced former Chief Justice of Alabama Roy Moore is apparently “seriously considering” running for Senate in 2020.

On Personal Liberty And Vaccination

Mandatory vaccination laws raise personal liberty issues that ought to be taken seriously, but in the end, public health concerns weigh heavily in favor of laws mandating vaccination.

Spring Forward? Fall Back? Let’s Just Pick A Time And Stay There

It’s that time of year again, and once again people are asking if it isn’t time to drop the whole ritual of changing time every six months altogether.

Despite Donald Trump, America’s Institutions Are Prevailing

It’s been a rough two years under Trump, but America’s institutions are surviving.

Majority Of Americans Oppose Trump’s ‘Emergency’ And His Border Wall

More polling evidence that the public does not support Trump’s emergency declaration or his wall.

Battle Against Latest Ebola Epidemic Not Going Well

The response to the latest outbreak of the Ebola Virus has both succeeded and failed in several response.

Paul Manafort’s Sentence, Justice, And The Question Of Race

The relatively light sentence that Paul Manafort received is raising eyebrows. Hopefully it will lead to a long-overdue debate on sentencing reform.

SpaceX Crew Dragon Test Flight Ends With Spot-On Splashdown

The first test flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon appears to have been an all-around success.

Judge Finds Trump Administration Broke Law With Citizenship Question On Census

A second Federal Judge has found that the Commerce Department violated the law when it moved to put a question about citizenship on the 2020 Census form.

Chelsea Manning Jailed For Refusing To Comply With Grand Jury Subpoena

Chelsea Manning is in jail for refusing to comply with a Grand Jury subpoena apparently related to an ongoing investigation of Julian Assange and Wikileaks.

Trade Deficit Hits Record Levels Despite Trump’s Tariffs

Notwithstanding President Trump’s tariffs, America’s trade deficit hit a record level last year.

February Jobs Numbers Fall Far Short Of Expectations

Job growth in February was far below estimates, but we did see some solid wage growth and other signs that we’re approaching what economists refer to as “full employment.”

Paul Manafort Dodges A Bullet On Sentencing

Paul Manafort walked into court yesterday facing the possibility of 20 years in prison. He came away with a much better outcome.

Marijuana Legalization Becoming Consensus Issue Among 2020 Democratic Candidates

Democratic candidates for President are quickly voicing support for marijuana legalization.

The GOP’s Blind Loyalty To Trump Is Likely To End Up Costing Them

Republicans are blindly loyal to this President in a way we have not seen before. They are likely to end up paying a price for that.

DNC Excludes Fox News From Hosting A 2020 Primary Debate

As it has since 2007, the Democratic National Committee is barring Fox News from hosting a debate featuring the party’s candidates for President.

Another Study Rebuts The Claim That Vaccinations Cause Autism

A decade-long study once again establishes that there is no link between childhood vaccination and autism.

The Saudis Tortured An American Citizen, Trump Looked The Other Way

The Saudis tortured an American citizen, but the Trump Administration doesn’t care.

North Korea Rebuilding Missile Testing Site

In the wake of the failure of the Hanoi Summit to reach any agreement at all, North Korea appears to be returning to old form.

Trump Intervened To Get Ivanka Trump A Security Clearance

For the second time in a week, reports indicate that the President intervened to get a family member a security clearance.

Michael Bloomberg Not Running For President

For the fourth time since the 2008 election cycle, Michael Bloomberg flirted with the idea of running for President. For the fourth time, he declined to do so.

U.S. Measles Cases Hit Another High

Measles cases in the United States are surging thanks to the lies spread by the anti-vaccination movement.

Justin Trudeau’s Image Tainted Amid Growing Scandal In Canada

There’s a political scandal brewing in Canada just as that nation starts looking ahead to elections later this year.

Trump Continues To Lie, The Truth Continues To Die

The President continues to lie at an astounding rate that only seems to be getting worse. Does anyone care?

In Response To Criminal Charges, Netanyahu Looks To The Right For Support

With criminal charges and an election hanging over his head, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is looking to the political right for support and survival.

Fox News And The Trump Presidency: State Run Media, Or A Media Run State?

A new report demonstrates that the relationship between Fox News Channel and the Trump Administration is much closer and more pervasive than previously believed.

Hillary Clinton Not Running For President Again

We won’t have Hillary Clinton to kick around anymore.

Trump Cancels Korean Military Exercises, Gets Nothing In Return

Once again, President Trump gets taken for a sucker by the North Koreans.

Majority Of Americans Oppose National Emergency To Fund Border Wall

Most Americans oppose the President’s use of a national emergency to get funding for his border wall, but don’t expect that to cause him to change his mind.

Trump’s Job Approval Bounces Back From Post-Shutdown Lows

President Trump’s job approval numbers have recovered from the lows they hit in the wake of the government shutdown.

Senate Appears Poised To Block Trump’s National Emergency

There appear to be enough votes in the Senate to pass the resolution disapproving President Trump’s border wall “emergency,” but there’s not enough Republican support to override an expected veto.

John Hickenlooper, Former Colorado Governor, Enters Presidential Race

Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper is the latest entrant into an already crowded Democratic field.

Roy Moore Not Ruling Out Another Senate Run

Roy Moore, who lost a Special Election to replace Jeff Sessions in 2017 after being hit with allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault, isn’t ruling another bid for the same seat.

House Passes Measures To Strengthen Gun Background Checks

Last week, the House passed two bills to strengthen the laws regarding background checks for guns, but they’re not likely to even make it to the floor of the Senate.

Trump Delivers Bizarre, Incoherent, Red Meat Speech At CPAC

In a two-hour rant before an adoring crowd of CPAC sycophants. President Trump displayed everything wrong with him and his Presidency.

Crew Dragon Launch A Success For NASA And SpaceX

A successful launch for SpaceX and NASA and a successful beginning to the return of American manned spaceflight.

Is Joe Biden Out Of Step In An Increasingly Hyperpartisan America?

In what was basically a throwaway line, Joe Biden said something nice about Mike Pence. The reaction from his fellow Democrats says a lot about our current political culture, and none of it is good.