Back when American conservatism was actually a body of thought, and not just an apologia for Donald Trump’s racism and narcissism, conservatives liked to warn against the unintended consequences of governmental activism. That said, some of the most catastrophic unintended consequences of governmental activism to have befallen us came from the governmental activism of conservatives […]
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Will Democrats Snatch Defeat Out of the Jaws of Victory?
So let’s see. We have two old white guys, one of them still the darling of the party’s young left and the other standing for what remains of the party’s center. Elizabeth Warren, meanwhile, is in many ways a far more creative radical than Sanders, but if he has a lock on the hearts of […]
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Just What the Democratic Presidential Field Needs: Two (2) Colorado Centrists
It was a bare two weeks ago that former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced he was seeking the Democratic nomination for president. Now comes Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, who told The Washington Post’s James Hohmann in an interview published today that, Hohmann writes, “he’s inclined to run for president and will decide in a matter […]
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Truth Time for Trump’s Turtle
Senate Majority Mitch McConnell has been the most loyal of the Trump loyalists. But in his home state of Kentucky, where he is up for re-election in 2020, McConnell is running behind in the polls. About 33 percent of Kentucky voters approve of the job McConnell is doing, while some 56 percent disapprove. Lately, McConnell […]
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Trump’s Very, Extremely, Seriously Bad Week
This was the week that Trump’s senate supporters began deserting him big time, on the Wall (12 Republican Senate defections), on support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen (7 defections) and most ominously, on Special Counsel Mueller’s report, which both parties want made public. This is how it works. Support is solid, until it starts […]
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Beto: The Tabula-Rasa-for-President Candidate
Among the gazillion Democrats now running for president, former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke, who announced his candidacy today, is the most unformed. His brief tenure in the House gives few clues as to his politics, though he did support centrist Democrat Seth Moulton’s challenge to Nancy Pelosi for House Democratic leader in 2016. His relatively […]
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This Just In: Rich People Game College Admissions for Their Kids (Stop the Presses!)
So 50 very wealthy people did everything from pay test takers to bribe coaches to fake athletic records to get their kids into college. Are we shocked—shocked? Anyone who has been paying attention knows that this scandal is just a grotesque extreme of business as usual. Rich kids get to attend better high schools, get […]
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Wanted: A Few Great Young Journalists.
Since 1997, the Prospect has sponsored what’s been called “the best starter job in journalism.” It’s called The American ProspectWriting Fellows program—and we have two openings for the fall. Fellows get to spend two years with the magazine, work closely with our editors, and publish a wide range of articles, from print feature pieces to […]
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When “Moderate” Democrat is a Euphemism for Naïve Democrat
Yet another Democrat has joined the presidential scrum: former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper. And here’s what this self-described “extreme moderate” had to say when announcing his candidacy: Ultimately I’m running for president because I believe that not only can I beat Donald Trump, but that I am the person that can bring people together on […]
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Can This Party Be Saved?
Okay, Dems: In one ring of the circus we have a major internal war over Anti-Semitism. Absolute defenders of Israel-right-or-wrong will have to get used to the fact that there are legitimate criticisms to be made. And at the same time, critics of Israel need to take more care to avoid triggering stereotypes. Is that […]
