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Paul Waldman

Paul Waldman is a contributing editor for the Prospect and the author of Being Right is Not Enough: What Progressives Must Learn From Conservative Success.

Recent Articles

More On Caring Less

Paul WaldmanJun 11, 2010

Yesterday, I weighed in on a mini-debate about the way people say "I could care less" when what they actually mean is "I couldn't care less." I even suggested that if you encounter someone using this phrase, you should politely explain to him that he's an idiot. This no doubt struck some people as unnecessarily judgmental. Well, today Think Progress gives us some news:

Why the Recession Isn't As Painful in Massachusetts

Paul WaldmanJun 11, 2010

As you may recall, Massachusetts has a health care system (courtesy of Mitt Romney!) that's a lot like the one Congress passed a few months ago. Today, Ezra Klein points us to a study showing how the recession has been less painful there than in other places. Even though unemployment in Massachusetts has more than doubled, the number of people without insurance didn't go up at all.

You Could Care Less About This Post

Paul WaldmanJun 10, 2010

At last, my own personal linguistic pet peeve - the use of the phrase "I could care less," when what the speaker actually means is exactly the opposite, "I couldn't care less" - is getting some long-overdue attention in the blogosphere. Kevin Drum, whom I ordinarily hold in high esteem, appears to believe that when it is employed, the speaker is doing so sarcastically, as when a teenager says, "Yeah Mom, going antiquing with you sounds like lots of fun." Unless Kevin is himself being sarcastic when he says this, he just couldn't be more wrong.

The Tea Party's Days Are Numbered

Paul WaldmanJun 10, 2010

Josh Green tells us that coverage of the oil spill has driven the Tea Party out of the news. That's to be expected, but what we've seen in recent days is that the rest of the country is starting to grasp what we lefties have been saying all along: these people are kind of crazy.

Luck Will Out

TAP talks to filmmaker Jeffrey Blitz about his new documentary on the lottery, and how luck and hard work interact in America.

Paul WaldmanJun 10, 2010
Jeffrey Blitz (Big Beach Films)

In his new documentary film Lucky, director Jeffrey Blitz explores what happens when lightning strikes -- in the form of a winning lottery ticket. The film, a fascinating exploration of the effects of sudden wealth, raises questions about American society, our relationship to money, and how we define our identities in the modern world.

Blitz was nominated for an Academy Award for his 2002 documentary Spellbound and won an Emmy last year for directing an episode of The Office. He also directed the 2007 feature film Rocket Science. Blitz spoke to the Prospect about his film, the lottery, and the nature of luck. Lucky will be shown on HBO in July.

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