Markell Punches the Hippies

Markell Punches the Hippies

19 Comments
Governor Jack Markell (D) has written a rather lengthy piece last week in "The Atlantic" entitled "Americans Need Jobs, Not Populism." The title alone enrages me because, since when were jobs and populism mutually exclusive? This is a long article, because the Governor's article was long. But it is necessary. The Governor recognizes that income inequality is a problem, and that an active government is necessary in fighting that problem. But he won't fund that active government, and still advocates policies that inflame inequality. All the while engaging in the use of strawmen, false categorizations, and triangulation.

The Weekly Addresses

The President released his Weekly Address a little early this week (yesterday) to honor the anniversary of V-E day, which was yesterday. Governor Markell recognizes National Small Business Week, and highlights statewide efforts to support small businesses and entrepreneurs, including the Small Business Focus Program and Small Business Assistance Program.
Friday Open Thread [5.8.15]

Friday Open Thread [5.8.15]

2 Comments
Dylan Byers: “On Nov. 8, 2016, Clinton will start — start — with a minimum 247 of the 270 electoral votes she needs to win. If you give her Colorado and Virginia — which many political strategists would, given the Hispanic population in one and the rising influence of the northern-centered population in the other — she’ll start with 269. That means Clinton doesn’t need Ohio or Florida. She just needs one small state like Iowa, Nevada or New Hampshire to put her over the edge. And because she’s got a boatload of money and no viable primary challenger, she’ll have plenty of time and resources to lock up at least one of those states.” “In order to shift the map, the Republican nominee would have to find a way to win Colorado and/or Virginia. That means winning over Hispanics, which will be a difficult task for a nominee who has spent a months-long primary trying to win over the conservative grass roots. It also means winning over enough members of Virginia’s white working class to counter the more populated liberal-urban centers in the north. Not impossible, of course, but hard.”
Markell Continues the Social Progressive Dance

Markell Continues the Social Progressive Dance

2 Comments
He is a curious mix, our Governor. Later on today I shall have my tome-like response to Governor Markell's thesis on Third Way Politics in the Atlantic last week. The Governor's third way politics is unique. He champions progressive policies on the social level (if you exclude education and marijuana from that definition) to hide the fact that he is no progressive economically or educationally. Anti-Discrimination law, Civil Unions, Marriage Equality, and now the repeal of the Death Penalty.
Wednesday Open Thread [5.6.15]

Wednesday Open Thread [5.6.15]

6 Comments
Jay Bookman at The Atlanta Journal Constitution:
When Pamela Geller** and her allies organized an “art show” in Texas around the concept of anti-Mohammed cartoons, offering a $10,000 prize, they were hoping to provoke a reaction. They got it. [...] But let’s be honest. The nut cases at either end of the spectrum are each other’s best allies, prodding and provoking each other in hopes of creating a maelstrom that sucks everybody else into their war. Because then they win. The more anger, fear and other thought-throttling emotions they can stir, the more recruits they will find for their own cause. And if it also generates recruits for the other side, that’s fine too. Because that too moves us closer to the religious war that they itch to foment.