Can Michael Steele lead blacks to the Republicans? The recent election of Michael Steele, the first African-American chairman of the Republican National Committee, may be taken to symbolize the necessary modernization of the Grand Old Party, or merely cynical tokenism at its worst. Steele’s victory ended a racially charged contest in which one candidate, Katon … Read more
How Obama is riding out the Democratic storm of scandals From Tom Daschle’s taxes, to Charlie Rangel’s apartments, to Rod Blagojevich’s hair, scandals have recently shaken the Democratic Party. Yet polls show that President Obama and the Democratic brand remain relatively untarnished by this long train of embarrassments. His widespread pre-existing popularity has certainly helped … Read more
The power of Limbaugh, and what Obama plans to do about it Amid the turmoil that historians may label the Battle of the Stimulus, Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) did something unthinkable, at least for a Republican congressman: he publicly rebuked Rush Limbaugh. The conservative faithful did not look kindly on Gingrey’s comments, and he soon … Read more
Midterm elections already loom Each election cycle seems to begin the day its predecessor ends. Since the midterm elections will affect President Obama’s ability to enact major pieces of his long-term agenda, it is already worthwhile to start examining the outlook for November 2010. The president’s party ordinarily loses congressional seats in the midterm elections. … Read more
Emptying pockets, shifting concerns Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “The future of this republic is in the hands of the American voter.” John McCain and Barack Obama would most certainly agree. This November, American citizens cast their votes to decide the course that the nation is to take over the next four years. In a … Read more
Does the federal government have too free a hand? In 1792, the United States faced a financial crisis as the price of government bonds plummeted nearly 25% in a two-week span. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton acted quickly, buying hundreds of thousands of dollars of government bonds and asking banks to accept bonds as collateral for … Read more
Pressing issues may eclipse the push for change in Washington The 2008 Presidential election buzzed with discussions of change, as the candidates referred to it as a motto or a scapegoat, a pathway or an excuse. The American electorate has become excited about the concept of changing Washington by cleaning up the political process. More … Read more
Congressional campaigns hinge on local issues This year’s election season was a tough one for Republicans running for Congress. Throughout the summer, leads in national polls and in underlying dynamics allowed Democrats to shape the tenor of many races. Yet history shows that national advantage often transfers to the ballot box in unexpected ways. While … Read more
Crucial crossroad, or more of the same? Every election cycle, we are told that the future of the Supreme Court, and particularly the future of abortion jurisprudence, is at stake. This election-centric view infects the mainstream media, which routinely publish October headlines like “This time, Roe v. Wade really could hang in the balance,” as … Read more
Social issues move off center stage At the 1992 Republican National Convention, conservative media personality Pat Buchanan fired the opening salvos of the ongoing national culture war, declaring, “There is a religious war going on in our country…it is a cultural war, as critical to the kind of nation we will one day be as … Read more