FreedomWriting

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Split Decision

Posted on 9:22 AM by Unknown
You know, history really does repeat itself. Not precisely, though. You have to look for it, but patterns certainly seem to emerge.

More than two years ago — when Democrats had held Congress for a little more than a year and Republican George W. Bush was in his final year as president — I wrote about the virtue of divided government.

On that occasion, I was offering my take on a column written by political analyst Charlie Cook for the National Journal, in which he also wrote about the disparity between the popular vote and the electoral vote. While I do believe the Electoral College should be scrapped — or, at the very least, revised — that's not what I want to discuss in this post.

In April 2008 — which, it is worth noting, was several months before the economic meltdown virtually guaranteed Democratic victories that fall — Cook said both parties had "self–destructive tendencies." If either controlled both the legislative and executive branches of government, it was like a "ticking time bomb; it's only a matter of time before it explodes and the party loses, and loses big."

That time appears to be at hand for Democrats who were so cocky after the 2008 elections. Everyone seems to be in agreement on that point. The disagreement, at this stage, centers on how extensive the losses will be — whether the Democrats will, in Cook's words, "lose big."

I can picture their spinmeisters, already working on the party's excuses for whatever lies ahead. I'm sure racism will be a prominent one. It's a very handy excuse for this president, one that hasn't been available to any of his predecessors — although I'm sure some variant of it has been applicable to a few (i.e., John F. Kennedy, who was not the first Catholic presidential nominee but was the first Catholic to be elected — and could conceivably have used anti–Catholic bigotry if he had lived to run for a second term).

But, even though racism is likely to be used as an excuse for congressional losses, is it valid? In some instances, perhaps it is. But not in most.

Well, two years ago, I wrote something that I still believe: "I've seen more efficiency under a divided government. Each side gets some of what it wants sometimes. But when one party controls the White House and the Congress, things get sloppy, inefficient — and expensive."

I've seen nothing in the last two years that refutes that. Precisely the opposite, in fact. Divided government promotes the art of compromise. Everyone gets involved. No one feels left out — and, consequently, feels the need to obstruct everything the majority tries to do because you just might need some of those folks on the next issue — and you have a realistic chance of winning over some of them — and you don't want to risk alienating them.

When voters elected Barack Obama president and, at the same time, expanded Democrats' majorities in both houses of Congress, there was much rejoicing.

I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I had serious doubts about the collective wisdom. In the aftermath of the economic meltdown, I felt the voters were having a (probably justifiable) tantrum against Republican rule, and I felt torn over the prospect of installing a one–party government to replace another one–party government.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am second to no one in my utter disdain for the George W. Bush administration (well, both Bush presidencies, actually, but let's stick to the most recent one).

And the only electoral decision in which all voters participate is the election of the president. Senators and representatives are chosen, as always, by states and districts.

No "decision" was made in 2008 to give huge majorities to the Democrats, just as no decision was made nearly a decade before that to turn over control of both the White House and the Congress to the Republicans. It's just how it worked out.

And I worried in 2008 that it would make things worse. Democrats seemed to have forgotten how disenfranchised they felt when Republicans controlled the national debate — and how that led the Democrats to become more energized about taking back what they had lost.

In such an adversarial environment, neither side ever seems to be willing to budge even an inch. Isn't that what we've seen in Washington in the last 18 months? Isn't that what we saw in Washington five years ago, in first the Terri Schiavo affair and then the Hurricane Katrina experience?

Not sayin' either side was right or wrong. Just sayin'.

As I say, I felt torn on Election Night. On the one hand, I felt that someone whose very existence would be politically sensitive — such as the first black president — would need to have many members of his party in Congress in order to get anything accomplished.

On the other hand, I have seen one–party rule at several times in my life, and it never really seems to work. The party that is in power always gets too carried away with itself and sees "mandates" where they frequently don't exist. That lends an aura of credibility to everything they do.

And there is often a sense that the party in power knows best, and that clearly seems to have been a problem in the first couple of years of the Obama presidency.

Poll after poll after poll after poll has shown that Americans are worried about unemployment.

I'm going to repeat that, with added emphasis, because I really believe it is important.

Poll after poll after poll after poll has shown that Americans are worried about unemployment.

Now, you may argue — and not without some justification — that the opinions expressed in polls are not written in stone — and they aren't. But, when a topic consistently lands in the top spot of polls about the most pressing problems facing America today, that seems like, at the very least, a hint that it's something that Americans want to address. And a lot of them really want to address the jobs issue.

As George Carlin used to say, even in a fake democracy, people ought to get what they want once in awhile if only to feed the illusion that they're really in charge. In this case, they ain't been getting it — unless Obama and the Democrats were doing things behind the scenes to promote job creation while they were publicly barnstorming the country for health care reform.

But, if that is what they were doing, they missed an opportunity to get some visible credit for their efforts — credit they might wish they had when the voters go to the polls in November. As it is, the Democrats seem to be hoping — like Herbert Hoover at the dawn of the Great Depression — that the market will correct itself. That's not likely to be a winning strategy in 2010.

Because, unless something really dramatic happens, it is unlikely that we will see the kinds of improvements that will reverse the Democrats' fortunes in November's midterms.

It isn't that the voters blame the Democrats — but it would be terrific if they would stop obsessing about blame and focus on strategies for encouraging job creation. The five–figure job gains we've seen lately would have been great a few decades ago. They might even have been marginally acceptable a few years ago. But, since the end of 2007, we've seen waves of six–figure job losses that seemed like they would never end.

And they've left a path of destruction in their wake that is staggering.

As the voters see it, the Democrats are the ones who are in charge. If the voters aren't convinced that they're thinking outside the box in an all–out pursuit of an answer, they'll look for that leadership elsewhere. The Republicans may not be exactly what they want — but what other option do they have?

Well, anyway, I started thinking about all this when I was reading an article today by another political analyst for whom I have a great deal of respect, Michael Barone, one of the authors of what has been the best political reference for nearly 40 years, the "Almanac of American Politics," which is published by the National Journal every other year.

Barone also contributes to the Washington Examiner, where today he suggests that this year's midterms may resemble the ones in 1966.

"Some compare 2010 to 1994, when Republicans picked up 52 House seats and won majorities in both houses of Congress for the first time in four decades," Barone writes. "Others compare this year to 1982, when Democrats picked up 26 House seats and recaptured effective control of the House two years after Ronald Reagan was elected president."

As I say, though, Barone's focus today is on 1966, two years after Lyndon Johnson and the Democrats swept the elections of 1964. 1966, Barone writes, "was a year when a Democratic president's war in Asia was starting to cause unease and some opposition within his own party, as is happening now."

And, he continues, "it was a year of recoil against the big government programs of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. The 89th Congress, with 2–1 Democratic majorities, had passed Medicare, federal aid to education, anti–poverty and other landmark legislation."

The key to Republicans' success in 1966, Barone suggests, was that they "actually won the popular vote for the House in the North (defined as the other 36 states) by a 51% to 48% majority. They have only done so since in three elections, in 1968 (a virtual carbon copy of 1966 in House races), in their breakthrough year of 1994 and in the post–9/11 year of 2002."

Recent poll results indicate, Barone continues, that it could happen again this year. Generic polls asking voters which party they would support in their local House race show "Republicans ahead by a historically unprecedented margin."

And, writes Barone, "[i]f those numbers hold, and if they turn out to underpredict Republican performance in the popular vote, as they have in the past, that could mean that Republicans would win a popular vote plurality or majority in the North."

Can't happen, you say? Hmmm, tell that to Massachusetts Sen. Martha Coakley and then tell me what her response was. Coakley was an exception, you say? A terrible candidate? OK. Gotcha. How about checking back with me in a month or so, after most states have held their primaries, and tell me how things are looking?

We should also have a couple more jobless reports in by that time.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Posted in 1966, 2010, Congress, Democrats, divided government, Michael Barone, midterms, polls | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Good Riddance to the Night Stalker
    "I love to kill people. I love to watch them die. I would shoot them in the head and they would wiggle and squirm all over the place an...
  • Message: I Care
    "You cannot be president of the United States if you don't have faith. Remember Lincoln, going to his knees in times of trial and t...
  • Was Gettysburg As Decisive As Historians Say?
    "If I had had Stonewall Jackson at Gettysburg, I would have won that fight." Robert E. Lee I think I was in ninth grade when I was...
  • Spilling the Beans
    A pretty convincing case can be made that what happened 40 years ago today was what marked the beginning of the end for Richard Nixon. Three...
  • The Randomness of Life
    I took this picture of Mom's grave this morning. See that dark marker in the center? That's where she is buried. A couple of days ag...
  • Prosperity Is Just Around the Corner
    I am a concerned American. I am concerned for many reasons, and I have been concerned for a long time. The debt ceiling crisis that is consu...
  • Goodbye and Good Luck
    Five years ago, I was a John Edwards supporter. I had one of his bumper stickers on my vehicle, and I believed he was the best hope for the ...
  • 'I Gave Them a Sword'
    Thirty–five years ago today, journalist David Frost and former President Richard Nixon sat down for the first of the Frost–Nixon interviews ...
  • In Pursuit of Peace in the Middle East
    "The Framework for Peace in the Middle East and the Framework for the Conclusion of a Peace Treaty Between Egypt and Israel were two ma...
  • Myth America
    I think the origin of the phrase "women's liberation" can be traced back 50 years, maybe more, but it may not have been widel...

Categories

  • 14th Amendment (2)
  • 16th Street Baptist Church (1)
  • 1787 (1)
  • 1789 (1)
  • 1861 (2)
  • 1863 (1)
  • 1867 (1)
  • 1869 (1)
  • 1876 (1)
  • 1881 (1)
  • 1886 (1)
  • 1896 (2)
  • 1912 (3)
  • 1913 (2)
  • 1916 (1)
  • 1923 (1)
  • 1927 (1)
  • 1934 (1)
  • 1936 (1)
  • 1937 (3)
  • 1940 (1)
  • 1942 (1)
  • 1945 (3)
  • 1946 (1)
  • 1948 (2)
  • 1950 (1)
  • 1952 (1)
  • 1953 (1)
  • 1956 (3)
  • 1960 (1)
  • 1960s (3)
  • 1961 (6)
  • 1962 (2)
  • 1963 (6)
  • 1964 (5)
  • 1965 (1)
  • 1966 (2)
  • 1967 (3)
  • 1968 (11)
  • 1968 Democratic convention (2)
  • 1968 Republican convention (1)
  • 1969 (3)
  • 1970 (2)
  • 1971 (2)
  • 1972 (17)
  • 1973 (10)
  • 1974 (4)
  • 1976 (10)
  • 1977 (1)
  • 1978 (2)
  • 1980 (14)
  • 1981 (4)
  • 1982 (4)
  • 1983 (3)
  • 1984 (4)
  • 1986 (3)
  • 1987 (3)
  • 1988 (6)
  • 1988 Democratic convention (2)
  • 1988 Republican convention (1)
  • 1989 earthquake (1)
  • 1990 (1)
  • 1991 (4)
  • 1992 (8)
  • 1993 (3)
  • 1994 (5)
  • 1995 (3)
  • 1996 (7)
  • 1997 (2)
  • 1998 (4)
  • 1999 (1)
  • 2000 (3)
  • 2001 (1)
  • 2002 (1)
  • 2004 (2)
  • 2005 (3)
  • 2007 (1)
  • 2008 (13)
  • 2009 (1)
  • 2010 (10)
  • 2012 (57)
  • 2013 (1)
  • 2014 (1)
  • 20th Amendment (1)
  • 20th century (1)
  • 22nd Amendment (1)
  • 24-hour news (1)
  • 26th amendment (1)
  • 60 Minutes (1)
  • abortion (1)
  • absence (1)
  • Academy Awards (1)
  • acceptance speech (9)
  • accidents (1)
  • acquittal (3)
  • addiction (1)
  • Adlai Stevenson (1)
  • afterlife (1)
  • age (1)
  • age discrimination (2)
  • AIDS (1)
  • air travel (1)
  • airplane (1)
  • Al Neuharth (1)
  • Al Qaeda (1)
  • Alabama (4)
  • Alan Shepard (1)
  • Alaska (3)
  • alcoholism (1)
  • Alexander Butterfield (2)
  • alien (1)
  • alternate reality (1)
  • Amelia Earhart (2)
  • American exceptionalism (1)
  • American Experience (1)
  • American way (1)
  • amusement park (1)
  • Angela Corey (1)
  • Anita Hill (1)
  • Ann Coulter (1)
  • Ann Richards (2)
  • anniversaries (1)
  • anniversary (33)
  • anonymity (1)
  • Anousheh Ansari (1)
  • Anthony Shadid (1)
  • Anthony Weiner (2)
  • Anwar Sadat (1)
  • AP style (1)
  • apartheid (1)
  • Apollo 11 (1)
  • Apollo 13 (1)
  • Apollo 17 (1)
  • approval ratings (10)
  • April (1)
  • Argentina (1)
  • Ari Fleischer (1)
  • Arizona (4)
  • Arkansas (31)
  • Arkansas Arts Center (1)
  • Arkansas Democrat (1)
  • Arkansas Gazette (5)
  • Arkansas Post (1)
  • armed forces (1)
  • armistice (1)
  • Arthur Bremer (1)
  • Artur Davis (1)
  • Aruba (1)
  • assassination (3)
  • assassination attempt (2)
  • Associated Press (2)
  • astronaut (2)
  • Atlanta (1)
  • Atlantic City (1)
  • atomic bomb (1)
  • Auschwitz (2)
  • authorship (1)
  • auto crash (1)
  • aviation (1)
  • ballot (1)
  • Baltimore Sun (1)
  • Barbara Boxer (1)
  • Barry Switzer (1)
  • baseball (1)
  • Baskin-Robbins (1)
  • Batman (2)
  • Battle of France (1)
  • battleground states (1)
  • Bay of Pigs (1)
  • BBC (2)
  • beatification (1)
  • behavior (1)
  • Benedict XVI (4)
  • Benghazi (4)
  • Berlin (2)
  • Berlin Wall (2)
  • Betty Ford (3)
  • Bible (1)
  • bicycle trip (1)
  • Biden (7)
  • Big Tex (1)
  • Bill Clinton (27)
  • Bill Fulbright (1)
  • Bill Halter (1)
  • Bill Maher (1)
  • Bill Murray (1)
  • Bill of Rights (1)
  • Billy the Kid (1)
  • birthday (12)
  • birthdays (1)
  • black voters (1)
  • blame (1)
  • Blanche Lincoln (2)
  • blockade (1)
  • blog (1)
  • blogger (1)
  • blogs (1)
  • bluffing (1)
  • Bob Dole (6)
  • Bob Herbert (8)
  • Bob McDonnell (1)
  • Bob Meriwether (1)
  • Bob Newhart (1)
  • bombing (5)
  • book (1)
  • Boston Globe (1)
  • Boston Marathon (3)
  • Boynton v. Virginia (1)
  • bra burning (1)
  • Brady Johnson (1)
  • Branch Davidians (1)
  • break-in (1)
  • breast cancer (2)
  • broadcasting (3)
  • broccoli (1)
  • brokered convention (1)
  • Brown v. Board of Education (1)
  • budget (1)
  • budget compromise (1)
  • budget cuts (1)
  • budgets (1)
  • Burst of Joy (1)
  • Busch beer (1)
  • Bush (20)
  • busing (1)
  • Busted (1)
  • C word (1)
  • Cabinet (1)
  • cable TV (1)
  • California (6)
  • Camp David (1)
  • campaign (6)
  • campaign announcement (1)
  • cancer (4)
  • capitalism (2)
  • Cardiff Giant (1)
  • Carr Van Anda (1)
  • cartoon (1)
  • Casablanca (1)
  • Casey Anthony (2)
  • Catholic church (3)
  • Catholicism (1)
  • caucuses (2)
  • CBS (2)
  • cell phones (1)
  • Census (1)
  • centennial (4)
  • Central Park (1)
  • centrism (1)
  • Challenger (1)
  • Challenger disaster (2)
  • change (1)
  • Charles Blow (1)
  • Charles Colson (1)
  • Charles de Gaulle (1)
  • Charles Duell (1)
  • Charles Percy (1)
  • Charlie Brown (1)
  • Charlie Cook (2)
  • Cher (1)
  • Chicago (3)
  • Chicago Tribune (1)
  • Chicken Little (1)
  • childhood (1)
  • childhood friend (11)
  • Chile (1)
  • China (3)
  • China Syndrome (1)
  • Chris Christie (1)
  • Chris Matthews (1)
  • Christian Science Monitor (1)
  • Christianity (1)
  • Christine O'Donnell (1)
  • Christmas (4)
  • Christmas Eve (1)
  • cigarette labels (1)
  • cigarettes (2)
  • cigars (1)
  • citizen journalism (1)
  • civil rights (6)
  • Civil War (6)
  • civilian courts (1)
  • Clarence Thomas (1)
  • classic rock (1)
  • classmate (1)
  • Clayton Williams (1)
  • Clement Moore (1)
  • Clint Eastwood (1)
  • Clinton (6)
  • closure (1)
  • CNN (7)
  • CNN.com (1)
  • CNNMoney.com (1)
  • Coca-Cola (1)
  • cold case (1)
  • Cold War (3)
  • Colin Powell (1)
  • Colorado (3)
  • Columbia Journalism Review (1)
  • Columbine (1)
  • column (3)
  • commencement (1)
  • Commentary (1)
  • commercial (1)
  • Commodore 64 (1)
  • common cause (1)
  • community activism (1)
  • community college (1)
  • compromise (1)
  • computer football (2)
  • computers (1)
  • concealed weapons (1)
  • Confederate History Month (1)
  • confirmation hearing (1)
  • Congress (16)
  • congressional power (1)
  • Connecticut (1)
  • conservatives (1)
  • conspiracy theories (2)
  • Constitution (6)
  • Constitution Day (1)
  • consumerism (1)
  • convention (8)
  • Conway (7)
  • Corazon Aquino (1)
  • corruption (1)
  • crash (1)
  • credit rating (1)
  • Creepy Crawlers (1)
  • crime (3)
  • crises (2)
  • cruise missiles (1)
  • crying in the snow (1)
  • Crystal Ball (1)
  • Cuba (2)
  • Cuban missile crisis (1)
  • Custer's Last Stand (1)
  • D.B. Cooper (1)
  • Dad (2)
  • Daily Kos (1)
  • Dale Bumpers (1)
  • Dallas (14)
  • Dallas Morning News (2)
  • Dallas Times Herald (1)
  • Dan Quayle (7)
  • Dan Rather (1)
  • Dana Mize (1)
  • Daniel Inouye (3)
  • Daniel Schorr (2)
  • David Brooks (1)
  • David Frost (1)
  • David Gergen (1)
  • David Johnson (1)
  • David Koresh (1)
  • David Letterman (1)
  • David Pryor (2)
  • David Shribman (1)
  • death (17)
  • deaths (1)
  • debate (5)
  • debt ceiling (8)
  • dedication (1)
  • deficit (1)
  • deficit debate (1)
  • Delaware (1)
  • delegates (1)
  • Democrat (2)
  • Democrats (55)
  • demonstrations (1)
  • dentist (1)
  • depression (1)
  • desegregation (1)
  • Detroit (1)
  • developmental writing (1)
  • Devil's Den (1)
  • Digital Journal (1)
  • diplomacy (1)
  • disappearance (1)
  • Disneyland (1)
  • Dispatch News Service (1)
  • divided government (1)
  • Doctors Trial (1)
  • Dodi Fayed (1)
  • Dog n Suds (1)
  • domino theory (2)
  • Donald A. Redelmeier (1)
  • Donald Luskin (1)
  • Donald Trump (1)
  • Doobie Brothers (1)
  • Doonesbury (1)
  • Dorothea Lange (1)
  • Dorothy Kilgallen (1)
  • double-dip recession (1)
  • Doug Wilder (1)
  • Douglas Schoen (1)
  • Dr. Frank Ryan (1)
  • driving (2)
  • drugs (1)
  • Dukakis (3)
  • e-mail correspondence (1)
  • Eagles (1)
  • Earl Spencer (1)
  • earthquake (2)
  • east coast (1)
  • East Room (1)
  • Easter (1)
  • eastern Europe (1)
  • Ecclesiastes (1)
  • economics (1)
  • economy (27)
  • Ed Muskie (2)
  • Ed Rollins (1)
  • editorial (1)
  • Edward R. Murrow (2)
  • Egypt (5)
  • Eisenhower (10)
  • Eleanor Clift (1)
  • Eleanor Opitz (1)
  • election (4)
  • elections (2)
  • Electoral College (2)
  • elementary school (1)
  • Eli Whitney (1)
  • Elizabeth Colbert Busch (1)
  • Elizabeth Edwards (3)
  • Elizabeth Scalia (1)
  • Elton John (1)
  • Emily Dickinson (1)
  • endorsement (2)
  • enemies list (3)
  • energy (1)
  • England (2)
  • English (2)
  • entrepreneurship (1)
  • Environmental Working Group (1)
  • eras (1)
  • Erin Brockovich (1)
  • ESPN (1)
  • Estes Kefauver (1)
  • Etch A Sketch (1)
  • Eugene Robinson (2)
  • eugenics (1)
  • Europe (1)
  • executions (1)
  • executive order (1)
  • experience (1)
  • explosion (1)
  • Facebook (4)
  • faith (4)
  • faithless electors (1)
  • far right (1)
  • farewell address (1)
  • fatality (1)
  • fatty foods (1)
  • Fawn Hall (1)
  • FBI (2)
  • FDA (1)
  • FDR (10)
  • federal response (1)
  • Feingold (1)
  • FEMA (1)
  • Ferdinand Marcos (1)
  • Ferraro (2)
  • film footage (1)
  • financial reform (1)
  • fire (2)
  • First Amendment (3)
  • first lady (2)
  • flight (1)
  • Flight 93 (1)
  • Florida (6)
  • food (1)
  • Food Network (1)
  • foreign policy (1)
  • Fort Sumter (2)
  • Fourth Amendment (1)
  • Fourth of July (2)
  • Fox News (2)
  • France (1)
  • Francis Church (1)
  • Frank White (1)
  • Frasier (3)
  • Free Man in Paris (1)
  • free press (2)
  • Freedom 7 (1)
  • freedom of speech (2)
  • freedom of the press (4)
  • Freedom Riders (1)
  • French Revolution (1)
  • friend (2)
  • Friendship 7 (1)
  • Froma Harrop (1)
  • frontrunner (1)
  • funeral (2)
  • Gabrielle Giffords (3)
  • Gallup (10)
  • game (1)
  • Gandhi (2)
  • Gannett (1)
  • Garret Hobart (1)
  • gas prices (6)
  • Gazeta de Buenos Ayres (1)
  • Gene McCarthy (2)
  • general election (1)
  • generic Republican (1)
  • Gennifer Flowers (1)
  • George Carlin (2)
  • George Custer (1)
  • George H.W. Bush (15)
  • George Marshall (1)
  • George Orwell (1)
  • George Pickett (1)
  • George Romney (1)
  • George Santayana (1)
  • George Wallace (6)
  • George Washington (1)
  • George Zimmerman (2)
  • Georgia (2)
  • Gerald Ford (17)
  • Gettysburg (2)
  • Gianni Versace (1)
  • Gingrich (1)
  • goat roast (1)
  • gold (1)
  • Golden Gate Bridge (1)
  • Goldwater (1)
  • Good Friday (1)
  • good old days syndrome (1)
  • Gore (4)
  • government (1)
  • governor (3)
  • governor's race (2)
  • governor's races (1)
  • governors (1)
  • graduate school (1)
  • grandmother (2)
  • Grant (1)
  • Grant Ujifusa (1)
  • gravitas (1)
  • Great Britain (1)
  • Great Depression (1)
  • Great Society (1)
  • Gregory XII (1)
  • Groundhog Day (1)
  • Guantanamo (1)
  • Gulf of Mexico (6)
  • Gulf oil spill (9)
  • gun control (2)
  • guns (3)
  • H.H. Holmes (1)
  • H.R. Haldeman (7)
  • hate crimes (1)
  • hate speech (1)
  • Hawaii (1)
  • headline (1)
  • health care (8)
  • Health.com (1)
  • hearings (1)
  • heart attack (1)
  • heart surgery (1)
  • heat (3)
  • heat wave (1)
  • Heath Shuler (1)
  • Heinrich Himmler (1)
  • Helen Gahagan Douglas (1)
  • Helen Thomas (1)
  • Henry David Thoreau (1)
  • Henry Livingston (1)
  • Henry Wallace (1)
  • Herald Sun (1)
  • Herb Kohl (1)
  • Herbert Hoover (1)
  • Herman Cain (2)
  • Herman Talmadge (1)
  • heroism (1)
  • high school (1)
  • hijacking (1)
  • Hillary (2)
  • Hindenburg disaster (1)
  • Hiroshima (2)
  • historic firsts (1)
  • history (178)
  • Hitler Youth (1)
  • hoax (1)
  • holidays (1)
  • Holocaust (2)
  • homecoming (1)
  • homicide (1)
  • honesty in politics (1)
  • hooding (1)
  • Hosni Mubarak (1)
  • hostages (1)
  • Hour of Lead (1)
  • House (13)
  • Houston (2)
  • Howard Kurtz (1)
  • Hubert Humphrey (3)
  • human experimentation (1)
  • humidity (1)
  • humorous headlines (1)
  • Hurricane Irene (1)
  • Hurricane Katrina (3)
  • I Have a Dream (1)
  • Ian Fleming (1)
  • ice (2)
  • ich bin ein Berliner (1)
  • icy road (1)
  • Idaho (2)
  • illegal (1)
  • Illinois (1)
  • immigrant (1)
  • immigration (1)
  • implosion (1)
  • inaugural address (1)
  • inauguration (2)
  • independents (2)
  • Indiana (1)
  • Indians (1)
  • indictments (1)
  • Inherit the Wind (1)
  • International Holocaust Remembrance Day (1)
  • internet (4)
  • interview (2)
  • interviews (2)
  • investigation (1)
  • Iowa (2)
  • Iowa caucus (2)
  • Iran-Contra hearings (1)
  • Iraq (2)
  • Iraq War (1)
  • IRS (1)
  • Israel (2)
  • Italy (1)
  • Jack Germond (2)
  • Jack Ruby (1)
  • Jackie Kennedy (1)
  • James Bond (1)
  • James Cagney (1)
  • James Garfield (1)
  • James Longstreet (1)
  • James McCord (2)
  • James Sherman (1)
  • Japan (3)
  • Jared Loughner (2)
  • Jari Askins (1)
  • Jaws (1)
  • Jay Cost (1)
  • Jeb Magruder (2)
  • Jefferson (1)
  • Jennifer Levin (1)
  • Jerald terHorst (1)
  • Jersey Shore attacks (1)
  • Jerusalem Post (1)
  • Jesus Christ Superstar (1)
  • JFK (15)
  • JFK assassination (6)
  • Jim Guy Tucker (1)
  • Jim Leavelle (1)
  • Jim Mattox (1)
  • Jimmy Carter (24)
  • Jindal (1)
  • job creation (2)
  • job gains (2)
  • joblessness (10)
  • jobs (7)
  • jobs report (2)
  • Joe Manchin (1)
  • Joe McCarthy (1)
  • John Adams (1)
  • John Anderson (1)
  • John Bell Hood (1)
  • John Boehner (4)
  • John Buford (1)
  • John Dean (9)
  • John Demjanjuk (1)
  • John Edwards (3)
  • John Ehrlichman (5)
  • John Glenn (1)
  • John Lennon (2)
  • John McClellan (1)
  • John McIntyre (1)
  • John Mitchell (4)
  • John Paul I (1)
  • John Paul II (4)
  • John Paul Stevens (2)
  • John Pemberton (1)
  • John Roberts (1)
  • John Sirica (2)
  • John Tyler (1)
  • John Ward (2)
  • Johnny Carson (2)
  • joint session of Congress (1)
  • Jon Stewart (1)
  • Joni Mitchell (1)
  • Joplin (1)
  • Joran van der Sloot (1)
  • Joshua Chamberlain (1)
  • journalism (51)
  • Journalist Day (1)
  • Jules Witcover (4)
  • July 20 (1)
  • June 18 (1)
  • jury duty (1)
  • justice (2)
  • Justice Department (2)
  • Justice Jim Johnson (3)
  • KAL Flight 007 (1)
  • Kansas (1)
  • Kansas City (2)
  • Kate Middleton (2)
  • Kent State (1)
  • Kentucky (2)
  • keynote address (1)
  • Kim Phúc (1)
  • kiss (1)
  • Kissinger (1)
  • Korea (1)
  • Kristen Breitweiser (1)
  • Ku Klux Klan (2)
  • labels (1)
  • Labor Day (2)
  • Labor Department (1)
  • landslide (1)
  • language (1)
  • laptops (1)
  • Lara Logan (1)
  • Larry Sabato (3)
  • laughter (1)
  • law (2)
  • Lawrence McDonald (1)
  • LBJ (16)
  • leadership (5)
  • Lee Atwater (1)
  • Lee Harvey Oswald (2)
  • left at the altar (1)
  • legislation (1)
  • Lena Dunham (1)
  • Lend-Lease (1)
  • liberal (1)
  • liberals (1)
  • Libya (4)
  • life expectancy (1)
  • likely voters (2)
  • Lil Musial (1)
  • Lincoln (7)
  • Lincoln Memorial (1)
  • Lindbergh (2)
  • Liselotte Pulver (1)
  • literacy (1)
  • Little Bighorn (1)
  • Little Rock (2)
  • Little Round Top (1)
  • Liz Carpenter (1)
  • Lloyd Bentsen (2)
  • Log Cabin Democrat (1)
  • logic (1)
  • Long Island (1)
  • low expectations (1)
  • Lowell Weicker (1)
  • luck of the Irish (1)
  • Lucy (1)
  • M*A*S*H (1)
  • Madison (1)
  • Maine (1)
  • Manchester Boddy (1)
  • Manchester Union Leader (1)
  • Marathon (3)
  • March on Washington (1)
  • Margaret Sanger (1)
  • Margaret Thatcher (1)
  • marijuana (1)
  • Marissa Alexander (1)
  • Mark Sanford (2)
  • Mark Twain (1)
  • Martin Luther King (3)
  • Mary Fallin (1)
  • MASH (1)
  • Massachusetts (2)
  • master's degree (1)
  • Maureen Dowd (1)
  • McCain (3)
  • McGovern (10)
  • media (4)
  • medical experiments (1)
  • memorial service (2)
  • memories (2)
  • Menachem Begin (1)
  • mentor (1)
  • Miami (1)
  • Michael Barone (5)
  • Michael Gauldin (2)
  • Michele Bachmann (4)
  • Michigan (1)
  • Middle East (1)
  • midterms (29)
  • Migrant Mother (1)
  • Mike Culpepper (2)
  • Mike Wallace (1)
  • milestone (1)
  • military tribunals (1)
  • Minuteman hamburgers (1)
  • miracles (1)
  • Miss America (1)
  • missing person (1)
  • Missouri (1)
  • mistakes (1)
  • mistrial (1)
  • Mitch McConnell (1)
  • Mitt Romney (23)
  • MLK Day (1)
  • Moammar Gadhafi (1)
  • Mom (13)
  • Mondale (7)
  • Monica Lewinsky (2)
  • Monroe (1)
  • Montana (1)
  • Monty Python (1)
  • moon walk (1)
  • mosque (1)
  • mother (1)
  • Mother Teresa (1)
  • Mount St. Helens (1)
  • movie (3)
  • movie theater (2)
  • MSNBC (2)
  • murder (2)
  • music (2)
  • Muslim (1)
  • Muslims (1)
  • Mussolini (1)
  • my goddaughter (2)
  • My Lai (1)
  • My Man (1)
  • mystery (1)
  • myths (1)
  • N word (1)
  • NAACP (1)
  • Nagasaki (1)
  • Nancy Pelosi (2)
  • NASA (4)
  • Natalee Holloway (1)
  • Nate Silver (1)
  • national convention (2)
  • National Day of Prayer (1)
  • National Defense University (1)
  • National Guard (1)
  • National Institute for Civil Discourse (1)
  • National Park Service (1)
  • National Review (1)
  • Nazis (4)
  • NCAA Tournament (1)
  • neighbor (1)
  • Neil Armstrong (1)
  • Nelson Mandela (1)
  • Nelson Rockefeller (1)
  • Nevada (2)
  • New Christy Minstrels (1)
  • New Covenant (1)
  • New Hampshire (4)
  • New Mexico (2)
  • New Orleans (1)
  • New York (2)
  • New York Daily News (1)
  • New York Post (2)
  • New York Sun (1)
  • New York Times (17)
  • New Yorker (1)
  • news (2)
  • newspaper (2)
  • newspaper war (1)
  • newspapers (5)
  • Nick Ut (1)
  • nicotine (1)
  • Night Stalker (1)
  • Nikki (1)
  • Nixon (52)
  • Nobel Prize (1)
  • nominating speech (1)
  • nomination (4)
  • nonviolence (1)
  • Norman (1)
  • North Carolina (2)
  • North Dakota (1)
  • Northeast (1)
  • Northwest Orient Airlines (1)
  • not guilty verdict (1)
  • NPR (3)
  • NTSB (1)
  • nuclear energy (1)
  • nuclear reactors (1)
  • nuclear weapons (1)
  • Obama (168)
  • obesity (1)
  • obituaries (3)
  • obituary (24)
  • Occupy Wall Street (1)
  • Ohio (4)
  • Oklahoma (3)
  • Oklahoma City (4)
  • old friends (1)
  • Oliver North (1)
  • Oliver Stone (1)
  • Olympe de Gouges (1)
  • Olympia Snowe (1)
  • One Two Three (1)
  • orbit (1)
  • Oregon (2)
  • Orteig Prize (1)
  • Osama bin Laden (4)
  • Our Sunday Visitor (1)
  • Oval Office speech (2)
  • P.T. Barnum (1)
  • Pacific Northwest (1)
  • Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (1)
  • Pakistan (1)
  • Palin (9)
  • papacy (2)
  • papal conclave (1)
  • paparazzi (1)
  • parachute (1)
  • pardon (2)
  • Paris (2)
  • parking meters (1)
  • party affiliation (1)
  • party unity (1)
  • Pat Buchanan (2)
  • Pat Caddell (1)
  • Patrick Caddell (1)
  • patriotism (1)
  • Patti Davis (1)
  • Paul Conrad (1)
  • Paul Krugman (1)
  • Paul Revere (1)
  • Paul Ryan (4)
  • Paula Deen (1)
  • pay for content (1)
  • PBS (1)
  • peace (2)
  • Peanuts (1)
  • Pearl Harbor (1)
  • Peggy Noonan (2)
  • Pennsylvania (1)
  • People Power (1)
  • performance (1)
  • Peru (1)
  • Peter Benchley (1)
  • Pew Research Center (1)
  • Philippines (1)
  • photograph (3)
  • photographer (1)
  • Phyllis (10)
  • picket (1)
  • Pittsburgh (1)
  • Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (1)
  • plane crash (1)
  • Planned Parenthood (1)
  • Plessy v. Ferguson (1)
  • poem (1)
  • polarization (1)
  • policy (1)
  • political commercial (1)
  • political correctness (1)
  • political phrases (1)
  • Politico (1)
  • politics (8)
  • Politics Daily (2)
  • polls (10)
  • pope (3)
  • Pope Francis (1)
  • Pope-elect Stephen (1)
  • popularity (1)
  • population (1)
  • poverty (1)
  • predictions (1)
  • prep school (1)
  • Prescott Daily Courier (1)
  • presidency (148)
  • presidential campaign (5)
  • presidential debates (3)
  • presidential decisions (1)
  • presidential election (13)
  • presidential elections (2)
  • presidential nomination (4)
  • presidential rankings (1)
  • presidential succession (1)
  • presidents (1)
  • Presidents Day (1)
  • press (2)
  • press conference (2)
  • press conferences (1)
  • primaries (8)
  • primary (2)
  • prime minister (1)
  • Prince Charles (2)
  • Prince William (2)
  • Princess Diana (3)
  • priorities (1)
  • prison (1)
  • prison camp guard (1)
  • Prison Fellowship (1)
  • proofreading (1)
  • proposed ban (1)
  • protest (2)
  • protest vote (1)
  • psychiatry (1)
  • pubic hair (1)
  • public service announcement (1)
  • Pulitzer Prize (2)
  • questions (1)
  • Quran burning (1)
  • race relations (1)
  • racism (2)
  • Randy (1)
  • Randy Sparks (1)
  • ransom money (1)
  • rape (1)
  • Rasmussen (1)
  • Ray Thornton (1)
  • Raymond Carver (1)
  • read my lips (1)
  • Reagan (38)
  • Reagan revolution (1)
  • Real Clear Science (1)
  • recession (2)
  • recovery (1)
  • Recovery Summer (1)
  • redistricting (1)
  • reflections (1)
  • registered voters (2)
  • religion (5)
  • repeal (1)
  • Republicans (54)
  • resignation (1)
  • retirement (1)
  • reunion (1)
  • Reuters (2)
  • revolution (2)
  • Rich Lowry (1)
  • Richard Ramirez (1)
  • Richardson (1)
  • Rick Perry (2)
  • Riverside Church (1)
  • robbery (1)
  • Robert Altman (1)
  • Robert Byrd (2)
  • Robert Chambers (1)
  • Robert E. Lee (2)
  • Robert Kennedy (2)
  • Robert Shrum (3)
  • Rockefeller Republicans (1)
  • roller coaster (1)
  • rolling blackouts (1)
  • Romney (4)
  • Rose Mary Woods (1)
  • Ross Perot (1)
  • rough sex (1)
  • Roy Reed (1)
  • royal family (1)
  • royal wedding (2)
  • rumor (1)
  • running mate (5)
  • Ruth Marcus (1)
  • sacrifice (1)
  • Saddam Hussein (1)
  • Sal Veder (1)
  • Sally Ride (3)
  • Sam Dash (1)
  • Sam Ervin (4)
  • same-sex marriage (1)
  • Samuel Johnson (1)
  • San Diego (1)
  • San Francisco (2)
  • Sandra Day O'Connor (1)
  • Santa Claus (1)
  • Santorum (1)
  • Sara Teasdale (1)
  • Sargent Shriver (2)
  • Saturday Night Live (2)
  • scandal (2)
  • scandals (1)
  • scapegoat (1)
  • school violence (3)
  • seatbelts (1)
  • second term (2)
  • secretary of state (1)
  • security (1)
  • segregation (1)
  • Senate (20)
  • Senate Watergate Committee (2)
  • sentencing (1)
  • Sentinel (1)
  • September 11 (4)
  • serial killer (2)
  • sesquicentennial (2)
  • Seward's Folly (1)
  • sex abuse scandal (1)
  • sexual assault (1)
  • Shannon Stone (1)
  • sharks (1)
  • shaving (1)
  • Shea Allen (1)
  • Shirley Sherrod (1)
  • shooting (7)
  • shootings (1)
  • Short Cuts (1)
  • sic semper tyrannis (1)
  • siege (1)
  • Siena College survey (1)
  • Sigmund Freud (1)
  • Silly Putty (1)
  • silver lining (1)
  • Six Flags Over Texas (2)
  • small business (1)
  • SmartMoney.com (1)
  • smoke-free (1)
  • smoking (4)
  • smoking gun (2)
  • social Darwinism (1)
  • socialism (1)
  • Society of Professional Journalists (1)
  • soft drinks (1)
  • Sonny Bono (1)
  • South (5)
  • South Africa (1)
  • South Carolina (3)
  • Soviet Union (2)
  • Soviets (2)
  • space (8)
  • space shuttle (2)
  • space travel (2)
  • special election (1)
  • speculation (1)
  • speech (8)
  • speeches (2)
  • Spirit of St. Louis (1)
  • Spiro Agnew (2)
  • sports (2)
  • St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1)
  • St. Patrick's Day (1)
  • staff (1)
  • stamp prices (1)
  • Stan Musial (1)
  • standoff (1)
  • State of the News Media (1)
  • State of the Union (2)
  • Steve Davidson (1)
  • Steve Kornacki (1)
  • Stewart Udall (1)
  • stigma (1)
  • Stockdale (2)
  • stocks (1)
  • Stonewall Jackson (1)
  • straw poll (2)
  • street (1)
  • Strom Thurmond (1)
  • Stuart Rothenberg (3)
  • study (2)
  • suicide (1)
  • summer (1)
  • Summer Olympics (1)
  • Super Bowl (2)
  • Super Pacs (1)
  • Super Tuesday (2)
  • Supreme Court (9)
  • surveillance (1)
  • Susan Estrich (2)
  • Syria (3)
  • T.S. Eliot (1)
  • Tammy (1)
  • tank ride (1)
  • tape gap (1)
  • tapes (1)
  • taping system (1)
  • Tar Baby (1)
  • taxes (2)
  • Tea Partiers (2)
  • teaching (3)
  • technology (1)
  • Ted Stevens (1)
  • Telegraph (1)
  • Tennessee (1)
  • term limits (1)
  • Terri Schiavo (1)
  • terrorism (10)
  • Terry Jones (1)
  • Texas (10)
  • Texas Stadium (1)
  • Texas State Fair (1)
  • text message (1)
  • Thanksgiving (2)
  • The Almanac of American Politics 1994 (1)
  • The American Interest (2)
  • The American Spectator (1)
  • The Blue Marble (1)
  • The Brethren (1)
  • The Daily Show (1)
  • The Guardian (1)
  • The Long Recall (1)
  • The Making of the President 1964 (1)
  • The Making of the President 1968 (2)
  • The New Review (1)
  • The Night Before Christmas (1)
  • The Oklahoman (1)
  • The Rothenberg Political Report (1)
  • The West Wing (1)
  • theft (1)
  • Theodore H. White (12)
  • Theodore Roosevelt (3)
  • There Will Come Soft Rains (1)
  • Thirteen Days (1)
  • Thomas Jefferson (2)
  • Thought Police (1)
  • threats (1)
  • TIME (3)
  • time travel (1)
  • Times Square car bomb (1)
  • Titanic (3)
  • Toad Suck Daze (1)
  • tolerance (1)
  • Tom Dewey (2)
  • Tom Eagleton (3)
  • Tom Petty (1)
  • Tommy Thompson (1)
  • Tonight Show (1)
  • tornado (2)
  • tragedy (1)
  • Trang Bang (1)
  • transatlantic flight (1)
  • transcripts (1)
  • transparency (1)
  • travel (1)
  • Trayvon Martin (1)
  • trial (2)
  • triangulation (1)
  • tributes (1)
  • Truman (6)
  • Truman Capote (1)
  • ts (1)
  • TSA (1)
  • tsunami (1)
  • Tucson (2)
  • TV (5)
  • TV reporter (1)
  • TWA Flight 800 (1)
  • tweeting (1)
  • twins (1)
  • tyrants (1)
  • U.S. (2)
  • U.S. News and World Report (1)
  • U.S. Postal Service (1)
  • unemployment (25)
  • unemployment benefits (4)
  • United Kingdom (1)
  • unity (1)
  • University of Arizona (1)
  • University of Arkansas (1)
  • University of North Texas (1)
  • unsinkable (1)
  • USA Today (3)
  • Valentina Tereshkova (1)
  • values (1)
  • Vermont (2)
  • vice presidency (5)
  • vice president (1)
  • vice presidential debate (3)
  • vice presidential nomination (3)
  • Vicksburg (1)
  • video (1)
  • Vietnam (14)
  • Vilonia (2)
  • Virginia (6)
  • Virginia Tech killings (1)
  • volcano (1)
  • voters (4)
  • voting machines (1)
  • voting rights (1)
  • WAAY (1)
  • Waco (1)
  • Walker Report (1)
  • Wall Street (2)
  • Wall Street Journal (2)
  • Walter Cronkite (1)
  • Walter Russell Mead (1)
  • Wannsee Conference (1)
  • war (5)
  • war on terrorism (3)
  • Warren Commission (1)
  • Warren Harding (2)
  • wars (1)
  • Washington (2)
  • Washington Examiner (1)
  • Washington Post (13)
  • watchdog (1)
  • water (1)
  • Watergate (16)
  • Watergate hearings (8)
  • weather (7)
  • West (1)
  • West Berlin (1)
  • West Virginia (3)
  • Westboro Baptist Church (1)
  • Westworld (1)
  • White House (2)
  • White Star Line (1)
  • Whitney Houston (1)
  • Wilbur Mills (1)
  • William Calley (1)
  • William Henry Harrison (1)
  • William Howard Taft (1)
  • William Manchester (1)
  • William Saxbe (1)
  • William Seward (1)
  • Willie Horton (1)
  • wimp factor (1)
  • Windham Hill (1)
  • Winston Churchill (1)
  • winter (2)
  • Winthrop Rockefeller (2)
  • Wisconsin (4)
  • withdrawal (1)
  • women (3)
  • women's liberation (1)
  • Woodrow Wilson (3)
  • Woodward and Bernstein (4)
  • World Series (1)
  • World Trade Center (1)
  • World War II (4)
  • writing (1)
  • written language (1)
  • Wyoming (1)
  • Yarnell's ice cream (1)
  • year in review (1)
  • youth vote (2)
  • Zapruder film (1)

Blog Archive

  • ►  2013 (65)
    • ►  September (8)
    • ►  August (9)
    • ►  July (15)
    • ►  June (10)
    • ►  May (7)
    • ►  April (5)
    • ►  March (6)
    • ►  February (2)
    • ►  January (3)
  • ►  2012 (100)
    • ►  December (3)
    • ►  November (4)
    • ►  October (8)
    • ►  September (6)
    • ►  August (10)
    • ►  July (11)
    • ►  June (12)
    • ►  May (10)
    • ►  April (11)
    • ►  March (11)
    • ►  February (10)
    • ►  January (4)
  • ►  2011 (172)
    • ►  December (8)
    • ►  November (7)
    • ►  October (8)
    • ►  September (11)
    • ►  August (20)
    • ►  July (20)
    • ►  June (16)
    • ►  May (12)
    • ►  April (19)
    • ►  March (20)
    • ►  February (15)
    • ►  January (16)
  • ▼  2010 (163)
    • ►  December (15)
    • ►  November (13)
    • ►  October (11)
    • ►  September (10)
    • ▼  August (21)
      • Prioritize, Prioritize
      • Don't Tweet and Drive
      • The Gold Standard
      • On Your Own
      • Who Will Be the Last One Standing?
      • Bullets and Ballots
      • Future Shock
      • When You Promise Change, You'd Better Deliver
      • Phyllis' Opus
      • Shilling For Your Dollars ... And Votes
      • The Carousel of History
      • Ted Stevens Dies in Plane Crash
      • A Unique Day in American History
      • A Few Random Thoughts
      • Mysterious Ways
      • Goodbye, Old Friend
      • When Everything Changed
      • Here We Go Again
      • Tips for a Regular Guy
      • Split Decision
      • Advising Obama
    • ►  July (14)
    • ►  June (14)
    • ►  May (19)
    • ►  April (28)
    • ►  March (18)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

Unknown
View my complete profile