Praxis

The Religious Right Loves Vladimir Putin More Than Donald Trump Does

One of the most notable but mostly uncovered political developments in recent years has been how enthusiastically many Religious Right leaders have embraced Russia’s anti-democratic president, former KGB official Vladimir Putin. It seems even more remarkable that the Republican Party’s presidential nominee has been lavishing praise on Putin even as Russia maneuvers to diminish America’s influence in the world. As president, Putin has consolidated his power through attacks on the independent media, the persecution of political opponents, and restrictions on civil society. He has annexed…

Gary Johnson: Don’t Forget About Kelo and Property Rights

In a recent interview, Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson said thatKelo v. City of New London is a key case for evaluating potential Supreme Court nominees: “Would you have any litmus tests for a Supreme Court justice on cases like Kelo, for example, cases that really matter to libertarians, libertarian principles?” Benson asked. “Yeah I think Kelo is one that really does stand out,” Johnson responded. “Although we don’t have litmus tests, but Kelo really stands out as a litmus test, in my opinion.” In…

Clinton PAC: Fox News Anchor Has Conflict of Interest as Presidential Debate Moderator

Media Matters founder David Brock is demanding that the Commission on Presidential Debates remove Fox News anchor Chris Wallace as moderator of the final presidential debate in October. Brock, a staunch ally of Hillary Clinton who also founded pro-Clinton Super PACs Correct the Record and American Bridge 21st Century, argues that Wallace has a conflict of interest because of his relationship to former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes. Former Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes is reportedly informally advising Donald Trump and helping him…

The Politics of Tomorrow Isn’t Right vs. Left, It’s Managers vs. Verbalists

Since the Cold War ended, U.S. politics has seen a series of insurgent candidacies. Pat Buchanan prefigured Trump in the Republican contests of 1992 and 1996. Ralph Nader challenged the Clinton wing of the Democratic Party from the outside in 2000. Ron Paul vexed establishment Republicans John McCain and Mitt Romney in 2008 and 2012. And this year, Trump was not the only candidate to confound his party’s elite: Bernie Sanders harried Hillary Clinton right up to the Democratic convention. What do these insurgents have…

U.S. House Seats Almost Never Change Parties

With Election Day 2016 a little over two months away, many political analysts are projecting Democrats to gain seats in both the House and Senate. But winning the 30 seats they need to wrest control of the House from the Republicans is generally seen as a longer shot than the four or five Senate seats they’d need to lead that chamber (depending on whether or not Hillary Clinton is elected president and Tim Kaine, as vice president and president of the Senate, has a tie-breaking vote). Shifts of that…

Donald Trump Might Be Even More Popular Than Polls Show

Months after his campaign was widely expected to collapse, billionaire Donald Trump continues to enjoy wide leads over his challengers in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. The long length of time that he’s led the field has finally gotten Republican officials to take the prospect of his candidacy seriously. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the organization assigned to elect members of the party to the U.S. Senate, recently wrote a private memorandum (which of course was leaked) to candidates advising them on what…

Republicans Are Courting the Jewish Vote But Are They Doing It Wrong?

On Thursday, 13 of the 14 GOP candidates for president stopped by the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual meeting, each boasting of how he or she was the best choice for adherents of the oldest Abrahamic religion. As would be expected, awkward pandering was a top priority on the agenda. “Last night, I was watching ‘Schindler’s List,’” announced former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore. It was the highest compliment a politician could give, almost a direct reference to a 2013 Pew Research poll which indicated that 73…

Regardless of Who the GOP Nominates, Hillary Clinton Will Be a Formidable Opponent

All eyes are on the Republican nomination contest right now for good reasons: There are a record number of candidates and Donald Trump is starting a dumpster fire every few days. Despite that, however, it’s worth considering how a general election scenario might play out for the GOP candidates as they are likely to face former secretary of state and senator Hillary Clinton. If you ask the average Republican voter who could win, it appears that more than a significant majority believe Donald Trump is…

In Threeway Race, Donald Trump Has Edge Against Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz

The race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination is finally beginning to look a bit more conventional. After weeks in which the leading candidates, Donald Trump and Ben Carson, appeared able to flout all the rules of politics, Carson’s support appears to be declining as many had expected. Since the end of October, the former surgeon’s national support has declined 35 percent. In Iowa—a state in which evangelical Republicans have a much-larger presence than others and where Carson has polled best—Carson has relinquished first place…

Understanding the present is the key to the future