Archive for 2017
Creating a Myth
One can’t help feeling Ned Barnett down at the News and Observer was a little relieved when he read the Duke professor’s report. ‘Only 1 in 4 of Trump’s voters were working class people,’ Ned wrote quoting the professor. ‘The claim that working class voters elected Trump is a myth.’ Unfortunately, there was a bit…
Read MoreContradictions
A frustrated Donald Trump called Jim Comey a no-good liar but, in the next breath said Comey’s testimony proved he hadn’t colluded with the Russians. The words of a liar proved he was innocent, Trump said. Next Trump’s lawyer said he was filing a legal complaint against Comey for leaking ‘privileged information.’ But Trump, himself,…
Read MoreAmerican Pie
In 1967, H. Rap Brown supposedly said, “Violence is as American as cherry pie.” Our nation was born in violent revolution. Fourscore years later, Americans killed each other in a bloody civil war. Throughout the century, white Americans and Native Americans massacred each other. In the 20th Century, we won two world wars. We fought…
Read MoreBig Time College Sports
When an outspoken critic of UNC’s ‘athletic scandal’ decided he’d teach a course called ‘Big Time College Sports’ it was bound to rub some people the wrong way. Jay Smith, a professor of French and European History, wrote Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham about his new class and asked if he could bring his students over…
Read MoreRoy’s long game
A Democratic warrior read that Governor Cooper’s job-approval rating is 61 percent. And the Republican legislature’s reelect rating is only 30 percent. So, he asked, “Why isn’t Cooper whacking the Republicans harder every day?” First, it’s not his style. He’s not one to bang his shoe on the lectern. And Cooper is playing a long…
Read MoreWaiting to Know
Each looked into a camera and each said the other was a liar. Comey said Trump, sitting in the Oval Office, asked everyone to leave the room but him then, when the door closed behind the Attorney General, turned to face him and said, I hope you’ll let go of the investigation of Mike Flynn.…
Read MoreGeorgia 6: The Debate
Karen Handel stood in front of the cameras looking grumpy and, beside her, Jon Ossoff looked pleasant but far too young to be on that stage. He said, You’ve got Super PACs. You’re a politician. She said, You’ve got Super PACs too. You’re Nancy Pelosi’s pawn. He said, I’m Independent. She said, How can you…
Read MoreSvengali or Bumbler?
Was Michael Flynn Svengali? Donald Trump’s back door conduit to the Russians? To get them to help him defeat Hillary? And if Flynn was Svengali does he now know – as David Axelrod has hinted – Trump’s worst secret? Is he whispering to Trump, Protect me or I’ll tell all? Does that explain Trump’s stubborn…
Read MorePolitical imports from Russia, the UK and France
Three overseas political stories either could, should or shouldn’t have an impact on American politics. Russia Trump & Co. are so set on smearing Comey, Democrats are so set on impeaching Trump and Republicans are so set on saving their skins that the Big Story from Comey’s hearing whizzed right past us. The Russians did…
Read MoreTrump’s (non)voters and Democrats’ (non)message
Two good political reads bust up two big political “truths”: (1) white working class voters elected Trump, and (2) Trump’s negatives will be enough to elect Democrats. Trump’s non(voters) Nicholas Carnes, an assistant professor of public policy at Duke University’s Sanford School, co-authored “It’s time to bust the myth: Most Trump voters were not working…
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