Thomas Sowell: Random Thoughts On The Passing Scene

Insights derived from wisdom.     The great boxing champion Joe Louis once said about one of his opponents, who was known for his speed: "He can run but he can't hide." In the Congressional elections this year, many Democrats are running away from Barack Obama, but they can't hide their record of voting for Obama's agenda more than 90 percent   ... MORE

The People Now Realize: America Is Out Of Control

by Wynton Hall.  A devastating new Politico poll reveals voters believe America has spun off its axis and is "out of control." "An overwhelming majority of voters in the most competitive 2014 elections say it feels as if events in the United States are 'out of control' and expressed mounting alarm about terrorism, anxiety about Ebola and harsh skepticism ... MORE

Thomas Sowell: Local Or National Elections?

The stakes are high.     Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill once said, "All politics is local." That may have been true in Tip O'Neill's day, but some elections are decisively on national issues — and the Congressional elections this year are overwhelmingly national, just as the elections of 1860 were dominated by one national issue, namely slavery.     ... MORE

Dear Barack Obama: You Suck. Love, The Voters

by J.D. Tuccille.     Americans with their eyes on national politics are more likely to intend their midterm votes as messages of opposition to President Barack Obama than as support, according to Gallup. Almost a third of voters, at 32 percent, are using their ballots as a Bronx cheer for the White House, compared to the 20 percent sending love   ... MORE

Marijuana Legalization Likely To Be Expanded In November

by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos.    Even more states could vote to legalize marijuana this year, as pro-pot advocates look to capitalize on changing voter attitudes to replicate their recent successes in Colorado and Washington state. The legalization question is coming before voters in very different areas of the country, both politically and      ... MORE

Thomas Sowell: Irresponsible Choices

So now we want the first woman president?  The latest Gallup poll indicates that 14 percent of the people "moderately disapprove" of Barack Obama's performance as president and 39 percent "strongly disapprove." Since Obama won two presidential elections, chances are that some of those who now "strongly disapprove" of what he    ... MORE

Has the ‘Libertarian Moment’ Finally Arrived?

by Robert Draper.     “Let’s say Ron Paul is Nirvana,” said Kennedy, the television personality and former MTV host, by way of explaining the sort of politician who excites libertarians like herself. “Like, the coolest, most amazing thing to come along in years, and the songs are nebulous but somehow meaningful, and the lead singer kills himself to   ... MORE

Incumbents Should Be Tossed To The Curb, But Won't Be

by David Harsanyi.       90% will be re-elected. Even in the most catastrophic year for congressional incumbents, 90 percent of them will win re-election—and most of them will do so rather easily. Many of them, in fact, won't even have to run a campaign. This fact might be somewhat obscured lately, what with all the talk of the impending        ... MORE

Star Parker: In Today’s America, “Mainstream” Means Left

America has no center today.      Just when Tea Party obituaries were being sounded around the country, Washington fixture of 42 years, Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran, loses to upstart Tea Party candidate Chris McDaniel. And one week later, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, in the blockbuster of this year’s political season, is booted out of  ... MORE

Tea Party Upstart Sends House Majority Leader Packing

The winds of change begin to blow.   The Tea Party should plaster photos of Mark Twain all over their homes. "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated," Twain said after two erroneous obituaries. Far more death notices were filed in the past year about the Tea Party — before Tuesday night brought one of the more stunning election     ... MORE

Initiative Seeks To Legalize Pot In Nevada

by Sandra Chereb.      A pro-marijuana group hoping to ride a wave of mounting acceptance for cannabis filed an initiative petition Wednesday seeking to legalize recreational pot use in Nevada. The measure backed by a group called Campaign to Regulate Marijuana would allow adults 21 and older to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana. It also sets up   ... MORE

Alexander Bolton: Is Rand Paul Plausible In 2016?

Can principles also be practical?  Can Sen. Rand Paul really become the 45th president? His curly hair and slight frame aren’t a Hollywood casting agent’s idea of a commander in chief. But the freshman Republican senator from Kentucky rejects established norms; he’s on a declared mission to redefine the presidency and his own party.  ... MORE

Steve Chapman: A Democratic Dilemma On Legalizing Pot

Should they attack the GOP's achilles heel.   Legalizing marijuana is an issue made to order for the Democratic Party. A majority of Americans now supports the idea, and so do two out of three Democrats. Two states have done it, and several more may vote on it in 2016. The party could put the issue to use against Republicans, who have    ... MORE

Gallup Poll Predicts Democrat Midterm Wipeout

by Chriss Street.     The prospects of hope and change. According to the Washington Post, President Obama has been hammering at Democratic fundraisers for the past few months that his party always gets “clobbered in midterm elections.”  Although the midterm elections are usually regarded as a referendum on the sitting president's        ... MORE

Thomas Sowell: Republicans And Blacks

School choice could be the key.        Recently former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice added her voice to those who have long been urging the Republican Party to reach out to black voters. Not only is that long overdue, what is also long overdue is putting some time — and, above all, some serious thought — into how to go about doing it.  ... MORE

Barry Farber: My Fear Of GOP Overconfidence

This is miserable casting.     You’ve got no business expecting me to do Clark Gable’s work. But nobody else is doing it, and it must be done. In an early scene in “Gone With the Wind,” before the Civil War started, a big party was rocking Tara, the plantation inhabited by Scarlett O’Hara. In the library, a gaggle of Southern cadets from a military academy  ... MORE

Thomas Sowell: Facts and Factions

A question of power.      At a time when polls show public opinion turning against the Democrats, some Republicans seem to be turning against each other. Even with the prospect of being able to win control of the Senate in this fall's elections, some Republicans are busy manufacturing ammunition for their own circular firing squad.   ... MORE

Why Rand Paul Will Be The Next President

by Brent Hatley.      What if liberty is a prime consideration? You have probably seen all of the ridiculous speculating about the GOP nomination in 2016. This is still speculating, but my sincere hope is you don’t think it’s ridiculous too. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is laying the foundation for his presidential bid in concrete and steel. First, forget about   ... MORE

David Haranyi: Why Democrats Are Losing Voter Trust

Inside the numbers.       According to many experts, Republicans are expected to hold the House and could even take the U.S. Senate. This seems to be a perplexing turn of events for many in the media. "Poll: Democrats' advantage on key issues is not translating to a midterm-election edge," reads the headline of a piece in The Washington   ... MORE

Mark Hendrickson: The State Of The Disunion

Govt aggression against Americans is rampant.      Americans are deeply divided in 2014, suggesting that this year’s elections will be another bitter clash. One major fault line that divides us is that many Americans view the federal government as their benefactor while others perceive it as a grave threat to their well-being.      ... MORE