American Left
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Two Cliches
The first cliche being repeated ad nauseam by the incoming Biden people is "We've got a lot of work to do." The second is "What unites is far stronger than what divides us," or words to that effect. So regarding the first, assuming that the Dems don't get at least 50 in the senate, what
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Two Different Worlds
“With the ascension of Charles I to the throne we come at last to the Central Period of English History …, consisting in the utterly memorable Struggle between the Cavaliers (Wrong but Wromantic) and the Roundheads (Right but Repulsive).” ― W.C. Sellar, 1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England Listening to this morning's
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Biden’s Gettysburg Speech
I appreciate what he's trying to do in addressing the toxic divisiveness of our current politics, and I hope that a speech like this does, in fact, appeal to the nation's better angels. But it's unlikely it will have much effect on Republicans in Congress. And if he is as committed to bi-partisanship as he
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This Moment is Different
I know plenty of Trump supporters, and I know many of them to be people of integrity in important areas of their lives. Indeed, some are friends I cherish. But if there is a line Donald Trump could cross that would forfeit the loyalty of his core supporters—including, and in some respects especially, white evangelical
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State of the Race 2
After last night's debate I feel more optimistic about Warren. Her mistake earlier was to compete with Bernie to own the progressive wing of the party. Bernie clearly had a stronger stake there, and Warren failed. But in her attempt to do so, especially in the debate where she came across as a Bernie wannabe
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Quote of the Day: Ross Douthat
Trump’s authoritarian tendencies are naked on his Twitter feed, but Bloomberg’s imperial instincts, his indifference to limits on his power, are a conspicuous feature of his career. Trump jokes about running for a third term; Bloomberg actually managed it, bulldozing through the necessary legal changes. Trump tries to bully the F.B.I. and undermine civil liberties;
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State of the Race 1
Bernie Sanders' position in this cycle is a lot like Trump's in the last one. He has a solid, impassioned base of support that is dwarfed by the majority which is split among the rest of the field. Trump won because the opposition to him could not unify around another candidate to oppose him. This
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The Archetypal American Divide: Andrew Jackson v. John Quincy Adams
Although Andrew Jackson defended his own authority with resolute determination, he did not manifest a general respect for the authority of the law when it got in the way of the policies he chose to pursue. This character trait, already apparent in his military career, continued to manifest itself during his years in the White