Have you heard about the “no-go zones”? If not, just ask the uncle you dread seeing at Thanksgiving; by now he’s already gotten a dozen chain e-mails about them. Despite having been widely debunked, this little nugget of misinformation is showing remarkable resilience. In and of itself that’s nothing new; one poll earlier this month […]
Blog: Paul Waldman
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Sarah Palin Achieves Peak Palin, and It’s Spectacular
View image | gettyimages.com I know a professor who can turn to a teaching assistant on the way down to the classroom and ask, “What’s today’s class about?” and then upon hearing the answer, walk in and give a flawless and fascinating three-hour lecture without notes, and without a hint of hesitation or uncertainty anywhere […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
A Republican Sister Souljah Fantasy
This weekend, no fewer than eight potential Republican presidential candidates, along with some party media stars like Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, and Donald Trump, will head to Des Moines for the Iowa Freedom Summit, an event organized by anti-immigrant nincompoop and member of the U.S. House of Representatives Steve King. In my Plum Line Post […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Chart of the Day, Anti-Clinton Sexism Edition
This comes from Aaron Blake at the Washington Post: The fact that fully 24 percent of Republicans say that Clinton’s gender makes them less likely to vote for her is pretty striking. Of course, the number of Republicans who were going to vote for Clinton anyway is tiny. Blake has an explanation for why this […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Marco Rubio Moves Ahead With Campaign for Vice President
View image | gettyimages.com For the last couple of months, I’ve been skeptical about whether Marco Rubio is actually going to run for president. The most important reason is that he’s up for re-election in 2016, and in Florida you aren’t allowed to run for two offices at the same time. (Rand Paul is facing […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Photo of the Day, Bipartisan Outreach Edition
White House photo by Pete Souza “OK, here’s how this is going to work. I’m going to do a bunch of stuff that not only will you hate but will also make you look bad, while you whine and complain. But I’m going to do it anyway, because I’m the guy with the big office. […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Let’s Stop Pretending On Israel
So John Boehner knew how he could get back at Barack Obama: by inviting Benjamin Netanyahu to come before Congress and unload on the administration over its negotiations with Iran, which both Republicans and Likudniks find insufficiently belligerent. In my Plum Line post today, I suggest that maybe this is a good thing, if it […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Santorum ’16 Will Be Neither Kinder Nor Gentler
Flickr/Gage Skidmore Mike Huckabee used to say “I’m a conservative, but I’m not mad about it,” a line that always got a knowing chuckle. But let’s say you like Huckabee’s uncompromising social conservatism, but you aren’t so keen on supporting a candidate for president in 2016 who’s personally friendly and affable. Is there someone out […]
Posted inEconomic Policy
The Bread Bags of Empathy
Imagine going to the doctor and saying, “My back is killing me. I can barely move. What can you do to help me? Should we do an X-ray? Physical therapy? Medication?” And the doctor responds, “Yeah, I hurt my back once. It was awful. So I know exactly what you’re feeling. Anyway, thanks for coming […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Photo of the Day, Republican of Tomorrow Edition
View image | gettyimages.com Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) rehearses her response on behalf of the GOP to President Obama’s State of the Union address. Odds of a subtle yet unmistakable reference to hog castration are currently running at 1-4.
