Arkansas
How Syrian-Americans Are Uniting As Their Homeland Fractures
Among the greatest fears sparked by the ongoing conflict in Syria is that the country will soon be irreconcilably divided, with sectarian groups implacably pitted against one another in an open civil war. Indeed, there’s no doubting that the Syrian population comprises various ethnic and religious groups, each with its own grievances. But at a rally attended by hundreds of Syrian immigrants last Saturday, I heard a very different message about the Syrian-American community. READ MORE >>
Does Romney Have a 'Southern Problem'?
After just barely pulling out a win in Ohio, Mitt Romney has “won Super Tuesday” by most media accounts. But even with his successes (wins in Virginia, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Idaho, and a decent shot in Alaska), you’ll likely hear some people echo a recent claim by Newt Gingrich: that Romney can’t be confident of the nomination if he can’t win anywhere in the South. READ MORE >>
Gaming The Baseline
The latest Republican budget-cutting trick is to end the longstanding practice of indexing the baseline for discretionary spending to inflation. In plain English, this refers to the practice of defining the previous year's spending level (the "baseline") as last year's spending plus a cost-of-living increase. The idea is that if you don't factor in inflation then, practically speaking, you are forcing cuts to government services. READ MORE >>
During the 1960 West Virginia primary, John Kennedy campaigned in tandem with Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. to claim that he—and not liberal stalwart Hubert Humphrey—was the rightful heir to FDR. The biopic shown at the 1992 Democratic Convention showcased difficult-to-locate footage of Bill Clinton shaking hands with JFK at the White House in 1963 as an Arkansas delegate to Boy’s Nation. READ MORE >>
The Great Granite State Getaway
Another Step Toward Immigration Reform?
The idea that immigrants, especially those highly educated in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, can help our economy recover from the recession by creating jobs and contributing to our tax base has gained a lot of momentum. Places like Detroit, Dayton, and Cleveland are actively wooing immigrants to help stem population loss, revitalize neighborhoods, an READ MORE >>
A Third-Party Candidate in 2012? Probably Not.
Could Rick Scott Hand Florida to Obama?
Turning FEMA Around
Jesus and Jefferson
God’s Own Party: The Making of the Christian Right By Daniel K. Williams (Oxford University Press, 372 pp., $29.95) From Bible Belt to Sunbelt: Plain-Folk Religion, Grassroots Politics, and the Rise of Evangelical Conservatism By Darren Dochuk (W.W. Norton, 520 pp., $35) READ MORE >>
