…in the Alabama exit polls that should petrify Republicans, a few fairly jump out. A good deal of attention has been paid, and rightly so, to the level of African American turnout, which, at between 28 and 29 percent of the overall electorate, actually exceeded black turnout in 2012, when President Obama was on the […]
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The Election of Doug Jones
The election of Doug Jones portends several hopeful things. First, it shows that under the right circumstances, 30 percent of white Alabamians will vote for a Democrat, even a pro-choice Democrat; and that black anger can be turned into black voter mobilization. We may have a biracial progressive coalition yet. Second, it deepens the schisms […]
Fracking Foes Become Unlikely Allies
Sometimes, when you’ve been in a fight for a long time, you pick up allies so unlikely that your initial response is, “What the hell are they doing here?” So it is, apparently, with the foes of fracking, who’ve long been lobbying state and local governments, and sometimes the feds as well, to put a […]
The Past is Alive and Well in Alabama
“The past is not dead. It’s not even past.” —William Faulkner The past is alive and well in Alabama—the past of Roy Moore, who was removed twice as state chief justice and stands an even chance of going to the U.S. Senate; the past of George Wallace; of Jim Crow; and of slavery. If Jack […]
Throwing Franken Under the Bus
As I wrote yesterday, Democrats made a huge mistake of both principle and tactics by throwing former Senator Al Franken under the bus. They hoped that ousting Franken would create a dramatic contrast with the Republicans’ indulgence of Roy Moore. But Moore continues to deny that he did anything wrong. Who thinks the ouster of […]
So Much for Federalism
As the Republicans see it, the purpose of national government is to rein in states and localities that believe in and enforce a social contract. The GOP tax bills are still to be reconciled with each other, but both have been designed to force Democratic-controlled states to roll back their progressive taxes and, with that, […]
Tom Steyer Raises the Impeachment Flag
Philanthropist and activist Tom Steyer took a fair amount of heat from the Democratic establishment for raising the impeachment flag. But he may well have it right. Trump seems to be getting closer and closer to firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller, as the waters rise around him. His statements are getting more and more reckless, […]
The Metamorphosis of the NYT
In recent years, The New York Times has morphed into something more than our paper of record with occasional mistakes. In its advertisements, particularly in its print editions, it has become the Weekly Shopper of the Very Rich—and not just the New York Very Rich, but, keeping up with the lifestyles of Milllionaires Without Borders, […]
Can Democrats make big gains in the 2018 midterm by running against the Republican tax bill?
Maybe not—but they can take back Congress anyway. Why is tax bill not easy pay dirt, despite its unpopularity? First, it’s complicated as hell. Second, it may not take full effect until after the 2018 midterm election. Third, almost half of working-class Americans will actually get a net tax cut, even though the cut for […]
The Emperor Trump
The Fool Who Plays The King Todd Gitlin As the UN General Assembly readied to vote on a resolution condemning the United States for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital (it passed, 128 to 9), Trump’s Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, is reported by the Times to have written to the members of the General […]

