Oct 22, 2015 | Elections - Presidential (2016), Vice President Biden
Published: The Good Men Project (October 22, 2015) To paraphrase a famous line from "The Dark Knight": Joe Biden is the president we deserve, but not the one we need. I've written quite a bit about Biden over the course of my career because - as a PhD student focusing on American political history - I can't help but admire such a quintessential throwback. We live in a time of "authenticity"...
Oct 21, 2015 | Arts and Entertainment, Elections - Presidential (2016), Immigration, mic, Race and Racism
Published: The Daily Dot (October 21, 2015) Donald Trump is a racist blowhard who shouldn’t step foot anywhere near theWhite House—but that doesn’t mean he also shouldn’t be allowed on TV. The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda recently denounced Republicanpresidential candidate Donald Trump’s forthcoming appearance on Saturday Night Live. Referring to his “bigoted comments” about undocumented...
Oct 20, 2015 | Elections - Presidential (2016), History, mic, Vice President Biden
Published: The Good Men Project (October 20, 2015) As America prepares for Joe Biden’s decision on whether or not to run for president next year, it is perhaps appropriate to reflect on the impact his choice will have on the office he currently holds – the vice presidency of the United States. In one sense, Biden’s legacy as vice president is already secure. While scaling back the excesses that...
Oct 17, 2015 | Democrats, Elections - Presidential (2016), Extremism, Liberalism, mic, Political Parties
Published: Salon (October 20, 2015), The Good Men Project (October 17, 2015) Is the term “socialist” losing its stigma? There are two examples from last week's news cycle that shed some light on that question. At the beginning of Tuesday’s Democratic presidential debate, Anderson Cooper challenged Sen. Bernie Sanders on the Vermont liberal’s willingness to describe himself as a democratic...
Oct 16, 2015 | Elections - Presidential (2016), Gun Control, mic
Published: Salon (October 16, 2015), The Daily Dot (October 14, 2015) Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) waffled during last night’s debate when he was asked about his gun control record, and despite the candidate’s widespread online popularity—especially on Reddit—the Internet definitely took note. Although Sanders wasn’t the only Democrat on that stage with a record of opposing gun control...
Oct 13, 2015 | Class Issues, Economic Policy, Elections - Presidential (2016), mic, Science and Technology
Published: The Daily Dot (October 13, 2015) On last Sunday’s Meet the Press, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) found himself in a familiar position—namely, defending his $1 trillion economic plan. Sanders’ program, known in the Senate as the Rebuild America Act, consists of two major parts: A system of Medicare for all and investments in fixing our “crumbling...
Oct 13, 2015 | Centrism, Democrats, Elections - Presidential (2016), Extremism, Liberalism, Political Ideologies, Political Parties
Published: The Daily Dot (October 13, 2015), The Good Men Project (October 13, 2015) In tonight’s Democratic presidential debate, Bernie Sanders will take his first big step in avoiding the fate that befell another Vermont liberal, former Gov. Howard Dean, whose candidacy tanked after the public got a negative first impression of him following his defeat in the Iowa caucuses. Part of this will...
Oct 8, 2015 | Elections - Presidential (2016), Foreign Policy, Jewish Experiences, mic
Published: The Good Men Project (October 8, 2015) When you’re a Jewish person who is willing to criticize the State of Israel, you quickly discover three things: To many other critics of Israel, the authenticity of your position will be constantly questioned. Indeed, whereas a non-Jewish critic of Israel can easily acknowledge that the situation is complicated, a Jewish critic is often held in...
Oct 1, 2015 | Conservativism, Elections - Presidential (2016), Extremism, mic, Republicans
Published: The Good Men Project (October 1, 2015) While promoting The Hunger Games: Mockinjay - Part 2, Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth both expressed justifiable disdain at the prospect of Donald Trump winning next year's presidential election. "If Donald Trump becomes president, that will be the end of the world," the Academy Award-winning actress reportedly said. "I'll back you up on...
Oct 1, 2015 | Elections, Elections - Other, mic, Pennsylvania
Published: Network (October 1, 2015) Though the 2016 presidential field gets most attention, Pennsylvania voters should elect well-qualified Democratic nominees Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht to Pennsylvania’s highest court this November to block partisan attempts to neutralize our impact next year. Likewise, prospects for a responsibly managed Northampton County depend on...