April 12, 2016 — Scott Johnson

Ratched returns to the asylum

Featured image As I mentioned last month, Norman Mailer took a now-famous look at the Democratic convention that nominated JFK for president in the November 1960 Esquire essay “Superman comes to the supermarket.” Jay Rosen recalled it here. As Rosen noted, the title “intend[ed] to say that the man of the hour, Kennedy, was about to send a powerful (and erotic) jolt into mainstream America — if he won the election.” Nurse »
April 11, 2016 — Steven Hayward

Librules R *So Smart*

Featured imageEveryone knows the old saying, “If you’re so smart, how come you’re not rich?” Everyone except liberals, that is. One of the things I love about liberals is how much smarter they are than everyone in the business world. Amory Lovins has been telling us for nearly 40 years now about how his “soft energy” paths are so much superior—and cheaper!—than hydrocarbon or nuclear energy. Every day I expect to »
April 11, 2016 — Steven Hayward

The Joke’s On Democrats

Featured imageThere’s a big ruckus going on over an attempt at edgy racial humor between Bill de Blasio and Hillary Clinton Saturday evening, as the New York Times reports. Mayor de Blasio makes a joke about being on “C.P. time,” which is shorthand for “colored people’s time.” Hillary tires to bail him out, suggesting it stands for “cautious politician time.” But the real crime here is how stiff and unfunny Hillary »
April 11, 2016 — Steven Hayward

Climate Change Hits the Snooze Button

Featured imageOne reason I’ve been writing much less about the climatistas here lately is that the subject has become such a crashing bore. Don’t take my word for it—just ask the lefty Media Mutters for America, the site David Brock curates to whine on Hillary’s behalf. Media Mutters has a new study out bemoaning that the major TV network news broadcasts are losing interest in climate change, despite the UN Paris »
April 11, 2016 — Steven Hayward

World Apology Tour, 2016 Edition

Featured imageIn the news right now is a report that Obama is considering a stop at Hiroshima at some point in the coming months to apologize for our ending World War II decisively there in August of 1945. The New York Sun nails the matter in an editorial today: It would be wrong of Mr. Obama to go to Hiroshima if his aim there is to apologize. There is no doubt »
April 11, 2016 — Steven Hayward

Academic Absurdity of the Week: Vegansexuality Studies!

Featured imageIt’s only Monday, but we have the clear winner for the academic absurdity of the week, from Feminism & Psychology, another must-read journal: Vegan Sexuality: Challenging Heteronormative Masculinity through Meat-free Sex Annie Potts, New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies Jovian Parry, New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies, Abstract The terms ‘vegansexuality’ and ‘vegansexuals’ entered popular discourse following substantial media interest in a New Zealand-based academic study on ethical consumption that »
April 11, 2016 — Paul Mirengoff

A modest proposal

Featured imageA political shakeup is occurring in my neck of the woods. Our congressman, leftist Chris Van Hollen, is running for the Maryland Senate seat that Barbara Mikulski will vacate. He’s opposed by radical leftist Donna Edwards. Rep. Edwards, an African-American, has a reputation for poor constituent services. Her predecessor Albert Wynn was no star in this department. My daughter, who interned for Rep. Connie Morella, tells me that Wynn’s constituents »
April 11, 2016 — Scott Johnson

Birth of a rape culture

Featured imageWhere “rape culture” exists, silence must be imposed to protect a favored minority. See, e.g., Heather Mac Donald’s great City Journal column “When pieties collide.” Silence must be imposed not only to protect the minority, but also to advance the transformation of the West by Third World peoples, as Mac Donald says. Where “rape culture” does not exist, it must be invented in the service of a good (i.e., fascist »
April 11, 2016 — Scott Johnson

Not really presidential

Featured imageIt’s good to have President Obama on record regarding Hillary Clinton’s insecure private email system for her official business as Secretary of State. In his interview with Chris Wallace broadcast on FOX News Sunday yesterday, Obama explained that the classified information on her server wasn’t really classified and that the Top Secret information on the email server was not “really top secret top secret.” FOX News has posted the transcript »
April 10, 2016 — Paul Mirengoff

Trump’s message

Featured imageDonald Trump has a powerful message for the American public. It’s even more powerful when delivered by a guy with normal hair who isn’t orange: »
April 10, 2016 — Scott Johnson

From the Colorado GOP convention

Featured imageJohn Fund calls the Colorado GOP convention the scene of a political revolution. A Power Line reader writes with this first-hand report: I thought you might be interested in a report on the Colorado state Republican convention. I attended the convention as a floor delegate from my local precinct in Arvada, Colorado. My wife and I also attended the dinner and VIP fundraiser the night before. At the dinner/reception I »
April 11, 2016 — Paul Mirengoff

Is corruption thicker than socialism?

Featured imageAspects of the campaign financing practices of New York City mayor Bill de Blasio are under federal corruption investigation, the New York Times reports. The investigation centers around two businessmen with ties to de Blasio — Jona Rechnitz and Jeremy Reichberg. Federal agents reportedly have interviewed roughly 20 senior New York Police Department officials as part of an examination of the ways Rechnitz and Reichberg wielded influence in New York »
April 11, 2016 — Steven Hayward

Boston Globe United

Featured imageWhen thinking about the Boston Globe faux-edition attacking Donald Trump, remember that if a conservative non-profit organization—let’s hypothetically call them something like “Citizens United”—published the same thing, liberals would want it to be illegal. Of course, as Trump rightly pointed out in response, the Boston Globe is a “non-profit” organization (heh), but in the liberals’ worldview it is perfectly fine for a “newspaper” to produce a partisan hit piece on »
April 11, 2016 — Scott Johnson

Ian McEwan crosses the line

Featured imageThe prominent novelist Ian McEwan is generally among the bien pensants, though he has previously betrayed a vulnerability to guilty thoughts. He is actually a repeat offender when it comes to violating the proliferating orthodoxies enforced in the circles to which he belongs. Today McEwan presents as a case study. McEwan demonstrates how easy it is to transgress against the rapidly evolving orthodoxies of the increasingly fascist left. Spiked editor »
April 10, 2016 — Paul Mirengoff

The wages of EU overreach

Featured imageLast week, Holland voted against an EU trade agreement that facilitates trade and cooperation between Ukraine and Europe. I’m often happy when the EU loses a referendum, something of a regular occurrence albeit usually without consequences, as Andrew Stuttaford notes. In this case, there is no cause for joy. Ukraine faces an existential threat from Russia. The West has done little militarily to help. The least the EU can do »
April 10, 2016 — Paul Mirengoff

Can Obama get Garland on the Court without Senate confirmation?

Featured imageGregory Diskant, an accomplished New York lawyer, argues in the Washington Post that President Obama could appoint Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court without the Senate having confirmed the nomination. How is this possible? Because, says Diskant, the Senate could be deemed to have waived its “advice and consent” role on a Supreme Court nomination if it “fails to act” on the nomination within a “reasonable” time. Diskant’s argument »
April 10, 2016 — Steven Hayward

Can Hillary Escape the Chevy Chase Curse?

Featured imageIt was a popular legend back in 1976 that Chevy Chase’s relentless mocking of Gerald Ford on Saturday Night Live helped cost him the election against Jimmy Carter. I doubt this is true; more likely a typical Hollywood/pop culture self-flattery along the lines of “Woodstock ended the Vietnam War” or something. But there’s no doubting that Hillary Clinton continues to be the favorite punching bag of SNL right now. And »