Dana Goldstein

The conservative drive for California to assign its electoral college delegates proportionally has collapsed due to lack of organization, the L.A. Times reports. It would be disastrous for individual states to abandon the winner-take-all system one by one, as it would put the winner of those states at a severe, unfair disadvantage nationally. If we […]

It strikes me as woefully deficient that the exam’s vision of African American history is limited to one question about the slave trade. And in case you were curious about the “correct” responses to some of the more subjective questions below: Our economy is a “capitalist economy” or “market economy.” Americans can participate in their […]

The civics exam immigrants must pass to become American citizens has been revised for the first time since 1986, and the new questions will go into effect next year. The Bush administration wanted the test to be more challenging, but the revision also pays more attention to diversity, the achievements of women, and current events. […]

That’s a 40 year low, according to Newsweek. And only 9 percent of elementary school teachers are male. It’s true that children — especially many at-risk kids — benefit from a positive male influence in their lives. I remember how exciting it was the summer before fifth grade to learn my teacher would be a […]

Going over last night’s debate in my head one more time, I can’t help help but focus on Tim Russert‘s oddly confrontational and, as I said last night, rather inane moderating style. From his repeated, failed attempts to trip up Hillary with references to her husband’s administration, to his harping on John Edwards about his […]

What strikes me about the sex statistics you cite, Kate, is that they really upturn the stereotype that promiscuity is primarily responsible for the spread of HIV/AIDS in the developing world. Indeed, in Zimbabwe, for example, women’s access to prenatal care is a stronger determinant of a population group’s HIV infection rate than the prevalence […]

The candidates were just asked “Red Sox or Yankees?” The preceding question asked them to quote their favorite bible verse. Biden answered: “Jesus‘ warning about the Pharisees.” I think he meant to critique fundamentalism. Obama and Richardson cited the Sermon on the Mount. Clinton said the Golden Rule. Gravel fumbled, “Love. That love is the […]

But she’s holding her own. He gives her a hackneyed scenario about a ticking-time bomb terrorist attack and the question of whether to torture a detainee. When she says “hypotheticals are dangerous,” Russert replies that the scenario was told to him by “William Jefferson Clinton.” Hillary raises her eyebrow and says Bill Clinton’s not on […]

Obama dodges the question of whether “turning the page” means “turning the page on Bush, Clinton, or both.” He speaks slowly and cautiously about working alongside independents and Republicans on issues like universal health care. Does Hillary think it’s dangerous to have only two families in the White House over two decades? “I thought Bill […]

…Since back in the day, Hillary points out. Word. She won’t negotiate with people who won’t protect the future of the program. Obama says privatization is a bad idea that will “put people’s retirements at the whim of the stock market.” —Dana Goldstein