‘This is not who we are’: Actually, the Capitol riot was quintessentially American

… There’s no disputing that the assault was remarkable. But “un-American” is the wrong adjective. A better way to make sense of the news of the past few days — not only the violent occupation in Washington but also the historic Senate victories by Democrats in Georgia — is as […] Read more »

The Southern state where Black voters are gaining in numbers, but not power

… If Georgia is the epitome of the “New South,” Mississippi remains very much still the old South: a conservative stronghold where the GOP is composed almost exclusively of white voters, and the Democratic Party of Black voters. At first blush, Mississippi would seem to be fertile terrain for Democrats. […] Read more »

A divided nation asks: What’s holding our country together?

Elections are meant to resolve arguments. This one inflamed them. Weeks after the votes have been counted and the winners declared, many Americans remain angry, defiant and despairing. Millions now harbor new grievances borne of President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud. Many Democrats are saddened by results that […] Read more »

After a year of pandemic and protest, and a big election, America is as divided as ever

The year 2020 brought extraordinary and unexpected challenges that tested the strength of basic institutions, demanded courage and sacrifice in the face of a raging pandemic, underscored racial and economic inequities, and produced the biggest turnout of voters in the history of U.S. elections. In the end, America was as […] Read more »

The Trade: Meet the New Red Dog Democrats

… Over the last four years, some people who have traditionally been with the Republicans are finding that they were traded to a new team. And vice versa. Everyone intuitively knows that has happened, but for various reasons, many in the Washington political class don’t seem willing to accept the […] Read more »