Without a doubt, President Obama ran a tighter, more effective campaign. Over the summer, President Obama pummeled Governor Romney as a Wall Street executive detached from the problems of Middle Class Americans. Subsequently, Romney emerged from the summer averaging a weak 43 percent favorability among voters, his public image tarnished. In contrast, heading into the … Read more
I’d like to draw your attention to a subset of voters whose influence on political figures is too often overlooked. This subset, of course, is famous rappers. I would like to present an argument that most[1. Probably not most. Maybe one.] of the actions of politicians are inspired, if not directly caused by, the lyrics … Read more
And they are those who are afraid of little girls? They seem, fittingly to dislike education and enlightenment. They claim to be following the commands of God, Who commands us to seek learning! That is one command they blithely ignore. Kishwar Naheed, Pakistani Poet The shooting of Malala Yousufzai, a young student activist and blogger … Read more
Judging the effectiveness of both campaigns necessitates the use of a historical lens. Historically, incumbent candidates are difficult to oust—only Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush lost re-election bids since 1960. Yet, the American economy under Obama has stagnated and anemic job growth has created a level playing field that has negated a large part … Read more
On November 7, we’ll know for sure whether Chicago or Boston ran the better campaign. For now, I’ll call it as I see it: though I’m no fan, it was Mitt Romney’s operation in Boston. Romney’s campaign knew its issue—the U.S. economy. The campaign framed the election as a referendum on Obama. This was a … Read more
On November 6, Americans will flock to their town halls and local voting booths to cast their votes for the next president. But if history is any indicator, the number of citizens casting their ballots will be relatively low compared to the total population. Here are a few ways to put that number into perspective: … Read more
Once a year around this time, hundreds of criminals send videos of themselves breaking the law to the IRS. The perpetrators – church leaders from all over the United States – are simply celebrating a lesser-known religious holiday, “Pulpit Freedom Sunday”. By giving sermons that explicitly support a presidential candidate, these preachers are protesting the 1954 … Read more
Michael Lewis’ 2003 best-selling novel Moneyball has redefined the legacy of Oakland Athletics manager Billy Beane. In movie form, Beane had the dubious honor of being played by Brad Pitt (Peter Brand, who was played by Jonah Hill, wasn’t so lucky) but has seen his team struggle since the rest of the league caught up … Read more
The Supreme Court’s latest term kicked off on October 1, and in the midst of all-nighters and mojito nights, every college student should pay attention to these issues surrounding our highest judicial body. 1. Affirmative Action Summary and Background: One of the Court’s biggest cases this upcoming year is Fisher v. Texas. Abigail Fisher, a white … Read more
Once a year around this time, hundreds of criminals send videos of themselves breaking the law to the IRS. The perpetrators – church leaders from all over the United States – are simply celebrating a lesser-known religious holiday, “Pulpit Freedom Sunday”. By giving sermons that explicitly support a presidential candidate, these preachers are protesting the 1954 … Read more