Tribalism and fundamentals at work

Tribalism and fundamentals at work

For years, I used to tell people who said, “Well, I vote for the person not the party,” that once that person is elected, they vote with party in Congress or the state legislature. Now, that message has clearly sunk in and while I might have been right, I wish I...

Ted Budd is a threat to democracy

Ted Budd is a threat to democracy

So Ted Budd refuses to commit to accepting the election results in November. When asked why, his campaign manager “claimed without evidence that Cheri Beasley, the Democratic nominee and a former State Supreme Court justice, might try to disenfranchise voters,”...

The Power of Women’s Outrage is Real

The Power of Women’s Outrage is Real

Furnifold Simmons, the son of a slave-driver and the master of white supremacy in Jim Crow North Carolina, had a woman problem. His marriage was strong and no one, at least no racist, questioned his ethics, but thousands of his (white) female constituents had suddenly...

Dark fantasies

Dark fantasies

Every so often, an event captures the imagination of conservatives that lays bare how deeply bigotry is ingrained in the movement. This month, it’s been mermaids and Hobbits. When Amazon Prime introduced Black actors playing Hobbits, conservatives screamed,...

Deep state Lindsey Graham?

Deep state Lindsey Graham?

Yesterday, Lindsey Graham announced that he is introducing a bill to ban abortion across the country after 15 weeks. He took Republicans by surprise as many GOP candidates are trying to downplay the issue in their races. Candidates in swing states immediately...

How to Beat Mark Robinson

Politics usually revolves around multiple axes. Philosophical conflict, fiscal priorities, disagreements on America's role in the world, and the very nature of society coexist on the interlocking planes of political dispute. But once every few generations, policy...

Misreading history

Misreading history

As I mentioned in a blog post last week, the John Locke Foundation is making a movie. It’s a love story set in Wilmington at the time of the 1898 massacre and coup. According to Amy O. Cooke, CEO of the JLF, “One group not thrilled with our project is the...

Telling the Truth on the GOP

Telling the Truth on the GOP

After Joe Biden’s speech in Philadelphia last week, Republicans screamed, probably a bit too loudly. They were outraged, calling Biden “divisive” and accusing him of “pitting his fellow Americans against each other.”  They had never heard a President of the United...

The starting bell

The starting bell

Happy Labor Day! It’s that time of year to remember that if you enjoy the weekend, thank the labor movement. If you believe in the 40-hour work week and overtime pay, thank the labor movement. If you are glad we have child labor laws, thank the labor movement. If you...

A country under threat and a media out to lunch

A country under threat and a media out to lunch

I watched Joe Biden’s speech twice last night. Not because I was so moved by the address, but because fixing dinner interrupted me in the middle of it. I thought it was good speech—and appropriate. I also thought it would be controversial because Biden told the truth...

Affirmative action for Republicans

Affirmative action for Republicans

Yesterday, the John Locke Foundation's Carolina Journal wrote a piece bemoaning the lack of Republican professors at UNC-Chapel Hill. Of course, the implication is that conservatives don’t have voices on college campuses. The other implication is that universities...