Should journalists give equal time to every side of a particular political or social issue? According to the Pew Research Center, “a little more than half of the journalists surveyed (55%) say that every side does not always deserve equal coverage in […]
Are the political parties realigning?
Yes. Here is Josh Kraushaar at Axios: Shifts in the demographics of the two parties’ supporters — taking place before our eyes — are arguably the biggest political story of our time. The big picture: Republicans are becoming more working class […]
Evangelical roundup for July 13, 2022
What is happening in Evangelical land? Some Southern Baptists don’t believe sexual abuse is a problem. Evangelical giving The chair of the board of the National Association of Evangelicals preaches to global Baptists about racial justice. Kaitlin Schiess on women […]
Trump Is Going Down and He Is Taking Evangelicals with Him
Many of the former president’s court evangelicals have gone strangely silent
George Will rips millennials
Is he right? Here is a taste of Will’s scathing column: Hence the youthful millions who are sour, humorless and disappointed — with America, and everything else less perfect than they. They are fluent in the thin-gruel cant (diversity, inclusion, […]
The mob at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th was following Trump’s orders
For those of you who are not paying attention to the historic January 6th hearings, here is what happened yesterday in the words of Amanda Carpenter, writer for the conservative-leaning The Bulwark: Donald Trump’s defenders can finally drop the idea […]
A Southern Baptist seminary will require a course on sexual abuse prevention and response
As many of you know, the Southern Baptist Convention has a sexual abuse problem. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina is addressing it. Here is the press release: To ensure that students are equipped to prevent and […]
I’m not going to pay for that guy’s kid to be educated
What is the common good? Should a person or couple with no children have to pay taxes to support public education? It seems to have to come this. Here is Michael Tomasky, editor of The New Republic: The Times’ Dan Barry reported on […]
On the Christian Right, some things never change
I am not ready yet to talk about my next book project, but I will share two things that struck me today as I was conducting research. The first story comes from December 2004. In the weeks following George W. […]
Hey Charlie Kirk–you got the wrong Wheaton College!
Remember back in 2011 when NBC News host Ann Curry confused Wheaton College in Massachusetts with Wheaton College in Illinois? This was particularly embarrassing for Curry because she was delivering the commencement address at one Wheaton College but spoke as […]
Commonplace Book #221
Success, with the self-intoxication it inspires, aggravated by the fawning adulation of their followers, can lead the future dictator to an exaggerated opinion of himself and to the false belief that the future of both party and country depends henceforth […]
Fox Corporation board member Paul Ryan was “sobbing” as he watched the January 6th insurrection
This morning I am trying to reconcile two parts of a CNN story on Paul Ryan and the January 6, 2021 insurrection. First there is this: Former House Speaker Paul Ryan was “sobbing” as he watched the January 6, 2021, attack […]
Michael Kazin compares the backlash to the overturning of Roe with the backlash to prohibition.
The Georgetown University historian of the American Left compares the backlash to Dobbs vs. Jackson with the backlash against prohibition in the 1920s. Here is a taste of his piece at The New York Times: Once the dry movement got […]
Michael Moore’s proposal for a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Here is the documentary film maker’s proposal for a 28th Amendment. XXVIII AMENDMENT SECTION 1. The inalienable right of a free people to be kept safe from gun violence and the fear thereof must not be infringed and shall be protected by the Congress […]
Evangelical roundup for July 10, 2022
What is happening in Evangelical land? Do evangelicals believe the Bible is “literally true?” Former World editor Marvin Olasky on Trump and evangelical journalism. Shane is heading to the White House. I hope he is careful about the power of […]
Sunday night odds and ends
A few things online that caught my attention this week: Why write? Where are all the first-generation academics? 19th-century quack medicine Make birth free All history is revisionist history The most pathetic men in America The history we need to […]
Albert Mohler: Christian nationalist
Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, recently interviewed Israeli philosopher Yoram Hazony on his podcast. Hazony is the author The Virtue of Nationalism (2018) and the more recent Conservatism: A Rediscovery. Watch: Some highlights: 7:50ff: Hazony defines a […]
Commonplace Book #220
Do you visualize the Italians of today as nurturing the traditions of Ancient Rome? Don’t delude yourself. A few years ago some Italian historians were arguing about the period in which the origin of their nation should be set. Some […]
Mets retire Keith Hernandez’s number
Number 17 goes up in the rafters alongside the numbers of Jackie Robinson (42), Casey Stengel (37), Gil Hodges (14), Tom Seaver (41), Jerry Koosman (36), and Mike Piazza (31). You know this is a big moment in the New […]
Commonplace Book #219
From the moment when the spark is struck that identifies the leader with the masses the dictator feels his strength increase at dizzying speed. Social identification is precisely that discriminatory process that causes the chosen to emerge from the flock […]