Republicans in the North Carolina legislature are moving forward with legislation that is fanning the culture war flames. The state Senate has just passed SB 49, also known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights. Supporters say it gives parents a voice in their children’s education. Critics say the bill targets the LGBTQ+ community. It bans […]
Where does North Carolina stand in the national culture war? Read More »
“Say what you mean and mean what you say,” unless you want to keep everyone guessing. Alas, vague is in vogue, the better to sow confusion about not-so-honorable intentions — and get your way in the end. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has mastered this dark art, most recently as he ordered thoughtful discussions of African
The insidious power of keeping it vague Read More »
It’s called the “pivot.” It’s that moment when a politician who has been playing at the fringes for primary purposes tacks to the center, just in time for the general election, the better to appeal to independents and moderates who might be turned off by red-meat rhetoric. A particularly clumsy execution of what should be
You can’t ‘pivot away’ from sick stunts and cruelty Read More »
Censoring what you say and do? Trembling in fear that you are being surveilled, with your words and actions reported to “the state”? Looking over your shoulder in case a government-sponsored militia decides to swoop into your precinct as you attempt to cast a ballot, just to guarantee you’re not trying anything “funny”? If that
It couldn’t happen here, unless it already is Read More »
CHARLOTTE, NC — The United States of confusion – at least that’s one way to describe the way we run our elections, with each state responsible for its own elections system. That doesn’t cause much controversy when the margin of victory or defeat is wide enough, so a few thousand votes one way or another
The State of America’s Election System Read More »
OPINION — Donald Trump is a celebrity president, more interested in declaring a “great victory” after the 2018 midterms than in vowing to bring the country together. As he sparred with the media Wednesday and bragged about outdoing Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and famous folks who stumped for the other side, he did his best Rodney
Did the Politics of Division Work? Yes and No Read More »
OPINION — Remember the time when Trent Lott got in a heap of trouble for remembering the time? It was 2002, and the Senate Republican leader representing Mississippi was waxing nostalgic for what he considered the good old days at a 100th birthday celebration for South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond. Carried away by the moment — and in
Midterms Show We’re Not Any Closer to a Post-Racial America Read More »
