Why Trump absolutely cannot be trusted

As part of this continuing series, it’s important to take a step back and establish why mobilization of a new kind and on a new scale is necessary. Maybe, we’d like to hope, Donald Trump will not be the disaster some observers fear. We might be tempted to think that Donald Trump’s excesses on the […]

Demonstrations: inspiring and necessary, but not sufficient

Over the past couple of days, we’ve already seen a lot of protests and demonstrations. The ones that are getting the most attention are those in Los Angeles and Portland, big coastal cities where the violence has been most intense. There have been many, many other, more peaceful protests, more fearful and contemplative, like the […]

Where to go from here? First questions; potential answers to come

As with many (read: the majority of voting) Americans, yesterday, Nov. 9, I was a bit despondent about the results of the presidential election. In general, when an election doesn’t go my way, that’s disappointing, but it’s to be expected. This one, though, I think everyone recognizes is different. Liberals David Remnick and Charles Blow, on the […]

Half-right, in a bad way: David Brooks and the founders’ ugly racial legacy

In his Feb. 26 column, “The Governing Cancer of Our Time,” New York Times columnist David Brooks praised the founding fathers in contrast to today’s tea partiers and other zealots for favoring politics over brute force, and compromise over intransigence. He’s partly right in that solving social conflict through politics and compromise is one of […]

Question on George Washington’s Birthday: Would He Be a Good Candidate Today?

There’s nothing like celebrating February 22, George Washington’s birthday, during a presidential campaign year. Mount Vernon, the historical site comprising George Washington’s home and plantation (oh, and the home of 300+ people legally owned by him and his wife, Martha), has been having fun this election cycle, with a tongue-in-cheek “George Washington for President” website, […]