Wayne Grudem, the theological guru, has created a firestorm by publishing an argument in favor of voting for Donald Trump. While I respect Grudem, I have three major problems with this advocacy. First, Dr. Grudem minimizes Trump’s weaknesses, which causes him to put too much faith in what Donald Trump might accomplish (Part 1). Second, […]
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As we are reminded in Hamilton; An American Musical, after they won the Battle of Yorktown to finish the War for Independence, American soldiers sang, while the redcoats were forced to listen to, a common drinking song of the day, The World Turned Upside Down. It was especially significant because it underscored the existence of […]
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Missives from the Morass: July 21
21 Jul 2016
Well, I thought it might be historic. It is, and the party nominee has not even taken the floor yet. Ted Cruz finished second in the G.O.P. nomination campaign and was booed off the floor of the convention last night. John Kasich, the host Governor and also a presidential candidate, has not darkened the door […]
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Missives from the Morass: July 17
18 Jul 2016
My soundtrack for the drive up to Cleveland was Hamilton: An American Musical. My oldest daughter, Madelaine, is an evangelist for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s masterwork. The writing is vibrant, the music is beguiling, the vocal performances are remarkable, and the emotion generated, even by the soundtrack (after all, I am not wealthy enough to afford the […]
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The Conservative Soul for a Supreme Court Seat?
19 May 2016
“Why, Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world . . . But for Wales!” Thomas More, Act 2, A Man for All Seasons Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the presidency, yesterday released a list of Supreme Court prospects that might fill Antonin Scalia’s vacated seat. The […]
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All of Trump’s Men
18 Mar 2016
“During all that time I didn’t see Willie. I didn’t see him again until he announced in the Democratic primary in 1930. But it wasn’t a primary. It was hell among the yearlings and the Charge of the Light Brigade and Saturday night in the back room of Casey’s saloon rolled into one, and when […]
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Trump: The Cultural Costs of the New Normal
23 Feb 2016
Donald Trump (R-NY) is working his way toward the Republican presidential nomination. His opponents may still derail him, of course, but his sustained performance–he has been the front-runner since August–suggests there is a sizable portion of the Republican electorate that sees Trump as not only tolerable, but preferable. Exit polls reveal several possible explanations. Voters […]
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Trump Wins SC, Now Clear Front-runner
20 Feb 2016
Donald Trump decisively won (33%) the South Carolina Republican presidential primary on Saturday, seizing the standard as the G.O.P.’s front-runner. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, as I write, are battling for second and third (with 22% each), while Jeb Bush (8%), John Kasich (8%) and Ben Carson (7%) rounded out the field. Given the results, […]
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New Hampshire and the Debate Hypothesis
09 Feb 2016
By any reasonable measure, Marco Rubio struggled, mightily, during parts of the G.O.P. debate on Saturday night. Chris Christie savaged the Florida Senator for his inexperience and his reliance on canned talking points. Rubio responded, to a degree, with canned talking points, thereby demonstrating Christie’s basic critique that Rubio is an empty suit, similar to […]
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Iowa Results: Why They Matter and Why They Don’t
02 Feb 2016
Iowa, a slice of the heartland, has spoken, but not in a single, predictable voice. Iowa’s exalted place as America’s first presidential nomination contest is more an accident of history than a badge of merit. But, every four years we gather, at the bottom of the mountain and await our tablets, carved upon by our […]