ArcaMax

Joe Biden won't be showing up in Milwaukee for the Democratic Convention. Donald Trump may give his acceptance speech from the White House instead of before cheering delegates in Charlotte, North Carolina. Without the customary galas, this presidential campaign will be the equivalent of a birthday celebration without a cake.

Not that it really ...Read more

In 2016, the libertarian magazine Reason polled a few dozen staff, contributors and allies on who would get their votes for president. Almost all planned to cast a ballot for Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson. I was alone in stating a firm intention to vote for Hillary Clinton, for three simple reasons: "She's sane, informed and competent."...Read more

Health care policy has been a major issue for a long time. It played a big role in Barack Obama's 2008 election victory, his entire presidency and the 2010 GOP takeover of the House of Representatives. Repealing Obamacare was a Republican priority before and after Donald Trump became president. The debate on "Medicare for All" dominated the 2020...Read more

A majority of Americans live in suburban areas, but not for long. No, they won't be moving. But the places where they live will cease to be suburbs. At least that's what a certain fear-mongering president would have them believe.

Donald Trump has said that Joe Biden's housing plans would "totally destroy the beautiful suburbs." On Thursday, the...Read more

Not long ago, President Donald Trump was talking about sending active-duty military troops to suppress riots in American cities. That threat brought not only criticism from retired generals but resistance from his defense secretary, Mark Esper. But Trump has found another way to bring the hammer down.

Last week, federal law enforcement agents...Read more

Let me get a show of hands: How many of you do not want schools back in session for in-person classes as soon as it's safe? How many of you think exclusive remote learning is by far the best way to educate kids? How many of you would rather keep teachers and students home for a long time to come?

Hmm. I'm not seeing any hands. That's odd...Read more

I have some bad news for anyone concerned about the economy. Very bad news. Donald Trump tweeted Monday, "The Economy is coming back fast!" Tuesday, he proclaimed: "Things are coming back, and they're coming back very rapidly. A lot sooner than people thought."

This is an unmistakable signal that the economy is not coming back rapidly and may ...Read more

If you are not a regular watcher of the Tennis Channel, it may surprise you to learn that the sport is back. Reruns of prehistoric Grand Slam finals have given way to live coverage of top professionals in exhibition tournaments that none of the players seem to treat as mere exhibitions.

Did I say top professionals? A June team event in ...Read more

Thirty years ago, African Americans were on a trajectory toward equality with whites. Civil rights laws had broken down barriers that had impeded Black people. Their educational attainments were on the rise. The racial wage gap had shrunk. It was reasonable to expect that by 2020, something close to economic and social parity would be achieved. ...Read more

If Joe Biden takes my advice and chooses Susan Rice to be his running mate, then there will be criticism from people who opposed the Iraq War. That's because if you Google "Susan Rice" and "Iraq War," you will find several sources, including Wikipedia, that say she supported it. Let me try to save critics and journalists from that error by ...Read more

Liberals got a big victory on abortion rights Monday thanks to Chief Justice John Roberts, but don't think they're not ungrateful. "John Roberts is not your friend," announced the leftist weekly The Nation. "No one should be fooled," huffed a New York Times editorial. "The current court is as hostile to reproductive freedom as it ever was."

He'...Read more

In the category of "famous last words," my favorite has always been what Union Army Gen. John Sedgwick said when urged to take cover from Confederate sharpshooters. "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance," he replied, and then fell dead from a rifle shot.

Mike Pence is guilty of a similar miscalculation. Writing in The Wall Street ...Read more

In the history of political campaigns, no topic has a higher ratio of punditry to significance as the choice of running mates. It provides a refreshing break after the long race for the presidential nomination; it typically features many possible contenders; and it fills airtime on news and talk shows.

For all the attention it gets, the ...Read more

Donald Trump had a bad week. He went to West Point to make himself look like a strong leader but raised doubts about his health when he struggled drinking water and descending a ramp. His first Supreme Court appointee wrote the opinion in a case upholding gay and transgender rights.

The court also struck down Trump's effort to deport ...Read more

The injustices of the present are forcing a confrontation with our past -- a past wreathed in nostalgia and myths that conceal grim realities. The Civil War ended 155 years ago, but only recently have Americans begun renouncing flags, statues and monuments paying homage to Southern traitors. Other symbols of racist oppression are also under ...Read more

You may have seen it: a black and white American flag with one stripe highlighted in blue. The Thin Blue Line flag is used meant to show solidarity with the police. As Thin Blue Line USA says, it "represents all who faithfully serve and protect. A line that separates order from chaos, and a line that represents all who serve and all who stand ...Read more

Poor Joe Biden. On one side, he is being pressed by progressives who are rallying behind the slogan, "Defund the police." On the other side, he faces withering blasts from Donald Trump, who vows to uphold "law & order, not defund and abolish the police."

This squeeze comes during a moment of intense national turmoil. Biden can't make a move ...Read more

For most of the 21st century, American presidents have been busy proving that the U.S. military cannot bring peace and stability to Iraq and Afghanistan. But that does not stop the current president from believing it can bring peace and stability to American cities.

On Monday, Donald Trump made it clear that his tiny quota of patience was ...Read more

The list of places where citizens have turned out to protest the killing of George Floyd is long and varied. Not just Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and other big cities, but cities whose names are unfamiliar to most people.

Galesburg, Illinois. Opelika, Alabama. Keene, New York. Sandusky, Ohio. Abilene, Texas. Fontana, California....Read more

It is impossible to justify the violence, looting, arson and vandalism that took place in Minneapolis and other cities after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. Smashing windows, torching buildings and plundering stores do nothing to improve police behavior or help the African American community. They amount to useless destruction....Read more