Can Democrats Go Country?

As North Carolina Democrats elect a state chair this weekend, three divides emerge: young/old, rural/Raleigh and grassroots/headquarters. Two contrasting candidates are 73-year-old incumbent chair Bobbie Richardson, who defends the party’s 2022 performance, and 25-year-old Anderson Clayton (pictured), who says the party should do more at the grassroots and in rural areas. One young Democrat texted…

Read More

What happened? One word: Race

Hillary Clinton’s book scrolls through a long list of reasons why she lost. But the real reason may boil down to one simple fact: race. Specifically, the fact that the President she wanted to succeed – the President who endorsed her and enthusiastically campaigned for her – was black. Plus the fact that her opponent…

Read More

Losers

When you run as the Greatest Winner Of All Time, you’d better win. Especially your first time. So there’s no way Trump can bluff or blame his way out of his health care debacle. He lost bigly. Republicans lost bigly. Paul Ryan lost bigliest. For seven years and through four elections, they promised to ditch…

Read More

Yes they can

I have a simple way of judging a political event. If I know most everybody there, and they’re my age, it’s a flop. If I don’t know many people, and they’re young, it’s a success. Governor Cooper’s Inaugural SnowBall was a huge winner. It was jammed with smart, interesting, idealistic, funny, charming and hard-working young…

Read More

Hope vs Hate

President Obama’s farewell speech drew the lines clearly. His hope versus Trump’s hate. Reason and oratory versus tweets and insults. Building people up versus tearing them down. Bringing us together versus driving us apart. Graceful equanimity in the face of bitter partisan attacks versus a narcissistic imperative to attack any critic, doubter or questioner. Ultimately,…

Read More

Trump(no)care

Today’s paper reports that, if Republicans repeal Obamacare, some 30 million Americans will lose health insurance. Another 10 million will lose subsidies and have to pay more for insurance. Give Donald Trump credit. He may do something President Obama never could do: get Americans to understand and appreciate Obamacare. How’s that Make America Great Again…

Read More

The Happiest Warrior

As this sad, dispiriting campaign winds down, one man looks like he’s having fun: President Obama. You see it when he speaks at rallies, when he chides Trump for “whining” and when he pokes fun at himself in interviews. So here are the imagined ruminations of the President during one of those late nights at…

Read More

End of the Obama era

As President Obama joked on Jimmy Fallon’s show not long ago, “How do you like me now?” Well, pretty good, the polls show. Especially as we ponder what comes next. As Michelle and Barack elegantly and eloquently exit the Democratic convention this week, let’s salute what they brought to the White House: eight years of…

Read More

Howl to the Chief

President Obama is not only one of our greatest Presidents,* but also our funniest. Watch this video of his speech to the White House Correspondents Dinner. No, he doesn’t write all the jokes. But he delivers them well. He skewered journalists, Republicans, Trump, Cruz and himself. You’ve probably read some of his best lines, but…

Read More

Supreme Karma

Here’s a bright-side scenario for Democrats: Because of Justice Scalia’s death and the resulting 4-4 Supreme Court tie. Democrats win big cases like redistricting in NC. Then President Obama nominates a replacement (or a series of them) that Republicans reject, solidifying their reputation as bitter partisans who are willing to hurt America so long as…

Read More