National Democrats
Say it ain’t so, Joe
Don’t do it, Joe. Don’t run for President. A Biden candidacy has appeal. Democrats would have a happy-warrior version of Donald Trump, an authentic character who campaigns with joy, gusto and an unfiltered mouth. A warm, genuine human being who has seen tragedy and suffering, yet soldiered on. But he will lose. He will be…
Read MoreThe 24-Hour News Cycle
With the dawn of 24-hour news cycle and the instant ‘Tweet’ reporters need a new story every five minutes and, it turns out, even a Republican Primary with nineteen candidates and Donald Trump, all talking at once, can’t fill the bill. The reporters need more so they’re straining to turn Hillary versus Bernie Sanders into…
Read MoreThe great Mt. McKinley freakout
At this point you suspect President Obama is just messing with Republicans’ minds: “How can I drive the crazies crazier?” You can see him relaxing on the Truman Balcony one evening, nursing an extra-dry Grey Goose martini and looking forward to his Alaska trip. Suddenly it hits him: “I’ve got it! I’ll change the name…
Read MoreThe Uber-Alpha-Male
Long ago, in the land we live in today, when enemies threatened, men named Douglas MacArthur, George Patton and John Wayne killed them – whether the enemy was named Hirohito, Hitler or Liberty Valance. Times changed. Small towns with old-fashioned values vanished, devoured by booming secular cities. Newspapers were replaced by Facebook, Twitter, and Internet…
Read MoreThe faith of Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter certainly wasn’t our best President, but he’s clearly one of the best human beings to be President. At the core of his goodness is a powerful Christian faith that has sustained him throughout his life, even as it complicated his political life. My then-N&O colleague Ferrel Guillory was one of the first reporters…
Read MoreThe Flying Insult
John McCain said Donald Trump’s supporters were ‘crazies;’ Lindsey Graham said Trump was a ‘jackass;’ Trump called Graham an ‘idiot’ and McCain a ‘dummy’ and said McCain ‘wasn’t a war hero.’ Then, a couple of days later, when the Last Socialist (Bernie Sanders) and Democratic Governor Martin O’Malley got up to speak at the National…
Read More‘She’s better than Bill!’
That was the enthusiastic assessment of one wise old Democrat after Hillary Clinton’s fundraiser in Raleigh last week. Another attendee, who never has stars in her eyes and has been skeptical, was won over by Clinton’s message and presence. Which raises two questions: First, will she run better in North Carolina than Bill? Second, will…
Read MoreThe Press Event of the Year
It’s about the last thing President Obama needed: At the end of his Presidency he’s on a sentimental journey to Kenya to visit his father’s homeland and, when he arrives in Nairobi, he’s going to be greeted by 5,000 naked anti-gay Kenyan protestors. Now there is a right way and a wrong way to do…
Read More$8.3 Million Each
Here’s all you need know about the President’s plan to defeat ISIS: Right now, he’s training 60 rebels in Syria to whip ISIS. The cost? $500 million. Or $8.3 million per rebel. Meantime, after we’ve lost two wars (in Afghanistan and the first war in Iraq) he’s decided to cut the size of our army…
Read MoreA Blessing in Disguise
According to PEW Research, during the past two Congresses 19,709 bills were introduced – and only 3% were enacted into law. Which sounds pretty abysmal. But stop to think about it: How much more harm could Congress have done if they’d passed, say, 4%?
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