The rhetoric of the past 30 years of the Conservative Era has led to a profound cynicism about the role of Government as an entity for the common good. The very concept of "Of the People, By the People, For the People" has been replaced with "get off my lawn". The irony is that this modern conservative mantra of hatred against "big" government (even though government is the smallest it has ever been, and Democrat Administration preside over larger cuts to the size of Government than do … [Read more...]
VEEP! President Obama selects Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney’s running mate
August 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
In just a few hours, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan will likely be selected to be Mitt Romney's running mate for the 2012 presidential election on the Republican ticket (UPDATE: confirmed!). In almost every way, this represents a game-changing coup - for Barack Obama. The conventional wisdom is that running mates only deliver a percentage point in their home state. The best-case analysis (as per Nate Silver's statistical modeling) is that Ryan will increase Romney's likelihood of winning Wisconsin … [Read more...]
Chick-Fil-A and the lost art of political persuasion
August 3, 2012 By 5 Comments
Having established my theory that faith and politics are in perpetual tension, with each seeking in a strange way to emulate the other upon the American politicoreligious landscape, let's talk about persuasion. Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day has passed us by. Thousands of people who genuinely believe that gay marriage is (to put it mildly) Very Bad a Thing lined up to express their sentiment with an act of economic rebellion, voting with their wallets, to strike a symbolic blow at those they … [Read more...]
a minute of silence for Munich at the Olympics
July 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment
in 1972, 11 Israeli atheletes were murdered by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September during the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. Amkie Spitzer, the wife of one of the murdered athletes, began a petition at Change.org asking for a minute of silence at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics to honor the 40th anniversary of that massacre: Silence is a fitting tribute for athletes who lost their lives on the Olympic stage. Silence contains no statements, assumptions or beliefs and … [Read more...]
the faith of politics
July 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Welcome to Patheos' new Faith and Politics channel! I think the intersection of American politics and religion is a fascinating landscape, because in our founding documents these two realms are decreed to be separate, but in practice they have a strange synergy. Our faith and our politics feed off of and cross-pollinate each other in strange and interesting ways, unique to the world and history. I find the classic Yin Yang symbol of Chinese philosophy to be a fitting symbol for how faith and … [Read more...]
devastating Obama ad on Mitt Romney and outsourcing
July 18, 2012 By 1 Comment
This is probably the most effective ad I have ever seen: But frankly I wonder if it will really make any difference. The target is swing voters in swing states, who have been bombarded with spin from both sides. At this point, people have either made up their minds or are too confused to decide. I think the real tipping point in the polls won't happen until after the debates, which all happen in October. As far as policy substance goes, I found Ezra Klein's observations about Romney … [Read more...]
Why this liberal Obama voter won’t worry if SCOTUS strikes down the ACA
June 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine...." -- Obi-wan Kenobi to Darth Vader The decision is due this Thursday - the Supreme Court is pondering the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") due to the inclusion of an individual mandate, and it's highly probable that the decision will be 5-4 strictly along party lines that the law is overturned, in full or in part. You know, I'm okay with that. This is not a fight I expected - … [Read more...]
Wisconsin recall aftermath: democracy wins
June 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The recall is over, and Scott Walker won. 2.4 million people voted, which was a historic, record turnout, far exceeding 2010 numbers (2.1m) though still short of the turnout for the presidential election in 2008 (2.8m). One of the enduring chants heard by the Wisconsin protesters was, "This what democracy looks like." That was always true, irrespective of the outcome of the recall election. Had Tom Barrett prevailed last night, there would have been well-deserved triumphalism on the part of … [Read more...]
On, Wisconsin!
June 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Today is a historic day for Wisconsin, and the country: the first recall election in the post-Citizens United world. I will have commentary about the significance of the election itself tomorrow, but for today I just want to say: GET OUT AND VOTE! Participate in this amazing exercise of democracy, no matter what side of the fence you are on. If you're liberal like myself, and prefer a Governor who isn't under criminal investigation for corruption, please vote for Tom Barrett for Governor … [Read more...]
why does the State define marriage at all?
May 29, 2012 By 3 Comments
I like to call myself a "conservative Muslim liberal" with the word "Muslim" doing double-duty as a noun and an adjective. On religious matters I tend towards orthodoxy, whereas in politics I am more of an activist. This does makes for some interesting intellectual contortions at times, which is why Whitman's quote about contradictions and multitudes has always resonated with me. For the most part, however, reconciling these identities is intuitive and comes naturally for Muslim Americans of my … [Read more...]
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