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Campaign stands show how a person will lead, or not, in the future
It is unusual to have certainty of how the executive of a government — whether a mayor, governor, or president — will respond to an unexpected crisis. The responses to those crises often become what defines the leadership of that executive. They define a leader’s character. Whether it is an unexpected foreign war, a horrific […]
The electorate is mad, and perfectly happy to be that
With football season upon us, I must confess one of my favorite things about it. I love yelling at the refs. It’s a silly thing to do, since after decades of doing it, I can count the times a football referee has distinctly heard my complaints on one hand. It’s hard to be heard from […]
A year without permits in Indiana, guns still cost us too much
Over the weekend, a racially motivated mass shooting occurred, this time in Jacksonville, Florida. Three Black people were murdered before the white gunman turned one of his guns on himself. The 21-year-old legally purchased both the handgun and AR-15 style rifle he used. After a year of permitless carry in Indiana, handgun licenses and related […]
Campaign toward ‘listless vessels’ makes it hard to win and govern
It was one of countless interviews given by a gaggle of presidential candidates that could have gone largely unnoticed. How does describing a specific sect of GOP voters as “listless vessels” compare to one of the greatest hits of the 2016 campaign, “a basket of deplorables?” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking to the Florida Standard […]
Ohio voters clarify the regional mindset on abortion
What a difference a year makes in the American debate on abortion. In the summer of 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Dobbs ruling, ending the nearly half a century old precedent established by Roe v. Wade that protected a woman’s right to choose. That ruling empowered states to establish their own laws on […]
It’s time we had a serious talk about … chili
There is something that has been bothering me more as I have gotten older. No, it’s not typical old man stuff like electric scooters on the sidewalks, or those mobile bass machines disguised as cars that vibrate everything within fifty yards of them. And I no longer keep a lawn that gives me a chance […]
It’s hard to vilify DEI training without announcing one’s racism
If the average American were to learn about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training through its discussion in the political arena alone, suspicion of it should be expected, and hostility toward it would be understandable. Duh. That applies to just about everything these days. On July 21st, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Jacksonville, Florida […]
Trump’s campaign survival is both like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”
“Barbie” had one hell of a weekend! I’ve never seen so many groups of women out and about, proudly wearing similar pink dresses. What normally would have been wardrobe warfare, was the happiest weekend in America. It was as if Easter, Prom and an abundance of weddings with way too many bridesmaids were all occurring […]
Tuberville and Banks show how GOP politics are not about governing
On November 30, 1996, Ole Miss lost to Mississippi State, 17-0, in one of the oldest football rivalry games in America. It was a home game for Ole Miss, in Oxford, in a game known as the Egg Bowl. The chancellor of Ole Miss at the time, Robert Khayat, went to visit the team’s coaching […]
Social media platforms will only be as valuable as they are reliable
What do people want, really want, from social media platforms? I know what many people say they want, but as is often the case with the content on any given platform, people are often unreliable. Meta’s launch of “Threads” late last week has served as the latest disruption to the world of social media that, […]
Yes, white folks, the U.S. Supreme Court hurt you too
The U.S. Supreme Court really outdid themselves at the end of their session this year. For the top cadre of the American judicial branch — one experiencing its lowest level of public confidence in the history of measuring it — you would think they would try harder. And now that the ink is dry on […]
‘From Property to Partner,’ a new book prepares us for the moment
The great Chicago philosopher of the 1980’s, Ferris Bueller, said: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” While reading the new book, “From Property to Partner: Women’s Progress and Political Resistance,” I found myself thinking about Bueller’s famous quote. No, the book is […]