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GOP Debate Told Nothing New About 2012 Candidates
Tweet Share on Facebook June 14, 2011 Comment (16)President Obama is a "failure." He has done nothing to improve the economy. He’s not a leader. He has no foreign policy.
These were the assessments of the GOP field at their debate Monday night in New Hampshire. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney used the word "failure" so many times, it started to become more a study of elementary political messaging than a smart analysis of the president’s policies and performance. The GOP candidates don’t like Obama. That was obvious. But is it news? And more importantly, is an early debate useful to primary voters if all the primary candidates insist on pretending they are each in a head-to-head with the Democratic general election foe?
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False 'Gay Girl in Damascus' Blog Damages With Lies
Tweet Share on Facebook June 13, 2011 Comment (6)The man at the center of a social media mishap apologized. But the damage he has done will unfortunately endure.
The man is Tom McMaster, a 40-year-old American who made up an Internet blogger named "Amina," who wrote moving and passionate dispatches under the title "A Gay Girl in Damascus." People followed "her;" people believed "her" reportage from Syria, where a brutal government crackdown against a three-month prodemocracy movement has already resulted in the deaths of some 1,300 civilians. And who wouldn’t be sympathetic to a half-American, half-Syrian lesbian living in such a dangerous and repressive state? Who wouldn’t be concerned when—as a "cousin" reported last week—"Amina" was taken away by government security agents?
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The Sports Problem in American Politics
Tweet Share on Facebook June 9, 2011 Comment (1)It occurs to me, as some of us happily come in from the sweltering D.C. heat to watch men race around the ice in pursuit of a large trophy cup, that our political problems are due in part to the fact that our sports values are in all the wrong places.
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Sarah Palin and the Wikipedia War Over Paul Revere
Tweet Share on Facebook June 8, 2011 Comment (23)Politicians and movement leaders have long understood one ironic truth: Repeat a misstatement with enough hubris and fierceness, and people will believe it. But the Internet has added a new danger level to that destructive theme.
Witness the push-back by defenders of Sarah Palin, a could-be presidential candidate who wrongly characterized Paul Revere’s Revolutionary War-era ride. Palin, on a family vacation-cum-"SarahPac" promotional tour, told reporters Revere was warning the British that the colonists would not give up their guns. She said Revere rang bells and shot his gun as a warning. Historians disagree (Revere was actually warning his comrades, not the enemy British soldiers), but Palin fans rushed to edit the online encyclopedia Wikipedia to rewrite history, seeking to turn Palin’s misstatement into historical fact. (Wikipedia has since locked the page on Revere while things calm down.)
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Democrats, GOP Should Relish Minority Rules
Tweet Share on Facebook June 7, 2011 Comment (2)One has to wonder why both major political parties spend so much effort and cash trying to get into the majority. It’s so much more fun—and arguably powerful—to be in the minority.
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Sarah Palin Thinks Paul Revere's Ride Is a 'Gotcha' Question
Tweet Share on Facebook June 6, 2011 Comment (28)It’s clear that Sarah Palin is not the best candidate for history teacher. But her behavior on her family vacation-slash-possible presidential exploratory trip raises questions about whether she’s prepared to be a candidate for the White House, either.
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John Edwards' Indictment Could Set New Campaign Law Standard
Tweet Share on Facebook June 3, 2011 Comment (7)John Edwards, many would agree, is quite a jerk. But is he a criminal?
The former North Carolina senator, Democratic vice presidential nominee and presidential primary contender was indicted today on charges that he funneled money from campaign donors to pay for the coverup of his affair with Rielle Hunter. While someone’s extramarital affairs are arguably no one’s business but that of the individuals involved and their families, Edwards’s relationship, and his handling of it, rise to a new and public level.
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Media Behaving Inexcusably on Weiner Twitter Photo
Tweet Share on Facebook June 2, 2011 Comment (87)Imagine this scenario: A youngish, recently married, female member of Congress learns that someone has sent a tweet to a fraternity house-follower of someone alleged to be her, allegedly from her own Twitter account. Her face is not in the grainy photo, but her breasts are, covered up by a lacy bra. It’s a provocative photo, one that is embarrassing to the congresswoman. She has no idea who would have done such a thing or why.
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Sarah Palin Is Playing the Media Brilliantly On Her Bus Tour
Tweet Share on Facebook June 1, 2011 Comment (14)When did political journalism become a live-action version of Where’s Waldo?
Sarah Palin may or may not be running for president. She is, however, on a "One Nation" bus tour that might be the start of an exploration of a maybe, could-be presidential campaign. Or maybe it’s just an Americana-themed family vacation, complete with local audiences. Or maybe it’s just a way for Palin, who is impressively adept at promoting herself and her home state, to stay in the public eye--either for political purposes or reality TV purposes. [See photos from Palin's bus tour.]
