Washington Monthly

03/14/2024

"Memo to Pollsters: Stop Including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr." -- Bill Scher argues that candidates should not be included in national polls until they prove their ability to get on most state ballots

And Cornel West and No Labels, too, until they have proven their viability by getting on more state ballots

03/04/2024

Fifty years ago, months before Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, a small group of White House staffers quietly planned for the ascension of Gerald Ford. Not even Nixon or Ford knew.

Heath Brown tells the story of the secret Ford transition:

Fifty years ago, months before Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, a small group of White House staffers quietly planned for the ascension of Gerald Ford. Not even Nixon or Ford knew.

02/29/2024

“Nightmare in America” -- Bill Scher shows how Biden '24 can draw from the Reagan '84 TV ad campaign to attack Trump

In 1984, Ronald Reagan’s reelection campaign ran a series of ads that evoked how different life felt in America compared to under his opponent’s administration four years prior. Today, Joe Biden should do the same.

02/28/2024

"How to End Republican Exploitation of Rural America"

-- Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman, in an excerpt from their new book "White Rural Rage," map out a strategy for a new rural voter movement

The authors of the upcoming book “White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy” explain how rural voters can build a national political movement and improve their local economies.

01/04/2024

"Al Sharpton Stands Up for Israel" -- A remarkable profile from Sharpton biographer Jamal Watson

If you’re surprised that the civil rights leader and MSNBC host has broken with the left on Hamas, you haven’t been paying attention.

12/31/2023

Our final articles of 2023

David Masciotra on “Doppelgänger” https://washingtonmonthly.com/2023/12/29/the-paranoid-style-of-naomi-klein/

Garrett Epps & James Zirin on Trump/14th
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2023/12/26/the-wrong-reasons-to-keep-trump-on-the-ballot/

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2023/12/27/will-trumps-disqualification-turn-on-whether-an-1869-case-was-wrongly-decided/

Peter Shane on Trump’s immunity https://washingtonmonthly.com/2023/12/26/trumps-laughable-claim-of-immunity

Happy new year!!!

Whether presidents may be charged with crimes while in office is a difficult question; whether former presidents may be charged is not.

12/23/2023

“I am worried about the 91 criminal charges against Donald Trump and worried he will not be brought to trial on any of them.” — James D. Zirin

The facts are against him but if he appeals the federal cases brought by Jack Smith, the special counsel, he just might.

12/22/2023

"A Trump Coup Trial Primer" -- Everything you need to know ahead of the most monumental test for the rule of law in American history, from Jonathan Alter & Cliff Sloan

Everything you need to know ahead of the most monumental test for the rule of law in American history.

12/22/2023

How should the Supreme Court handle Colorado's decision to throw Trump off the ballot? Bill Scher has some advice:

Or it could destroy it if the conservative justices restore him to the state’s ballot and let him delay—and possibly quash—the legal cases arrayed against him.

12/04/2023

Don't be fooled. Nikki Haley "is as fierce an opponent of legal abortion as any Republican," says Margaret Carlson

The former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina governor is having a moment, but as her abortion hustle shows, there is no there there.

11/14/2023

A short history of Democratic pre-election bed-wetting, in today's Substack newsletter: https://washingtonmonthly.substack.com/p/a-short-history-of-democratic-pre

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10/12/2023

Two analyses of the political fallout following Hamas's assault on Israeli civilians:

Bill Scher explains why Trump is attacking Netanyahu: https://washingtonmonthly.com/2023/10/12/why-is-trump-trashing-netanyahu/

Jonathan Alter questions whether Netanyahu can survive accountability for the intelligence failure https://washingtonmonthly.com/2023/10/11/will-netanyahu-survive-the-fallout/

In the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel, the news from Israel will get worse.

10/01/2023

"It’s Good to Be a Judge. For Some, a Little Too Good." -- new from James D. Zirin

09/29/2023

"regardless of the methodology, pollster, or publication, horse race polls— more formally known as 'trial heats,' which ask respondents whom they intend to vote for—are worse than useless"

-- Michael Podhorzer on "Mad Poll Disease"

Horse race polls are opinion journalism, not science. Stop following them, and start turning out the vote.

09/28/2023

"The Real Debate Last Night Was in Michigan (and Biden Might Be Winning It)" -- Bill Scher explores how Biden and Trump are battling over electric vehicles

While Donald Trump claims electric vehicles will destroy the US auto industry, Joe Biden is better positioned to help auto workers win the future.

09/25/2023

What happens if a presidential nominee gets convicted, gets sick, or dies before Election Day?

Marc Novicoff digs into the RNC and DNC rules:

The DNC and RNC have rules, but they don’t cover every contingency for replacing a presidential nominee.

09/17/2023

“Should Progressives See Sohrab Ahmari as Friend or Foe?”

In his new book, the alum of The Wall Street Journal and New York Post editorial and editor of Compact magazine condemns unfettered corporate power and embraces the New Deal.

by Anita Jain

In his new book, the alum of The Wall Street Journal and New York Post editorial and editor of Compact magazine condemns unfettered corporate power and embraces the New Deal.

09/14/2023

"A Shutdown Will Be the GOP’s Fault, and Everyone in Washington Knows It" -- Bill Scher examines the failed politics of government shutdowns

Speaker McCarthy knows government shutdowns are for losers, so will he do what it takes to stop the one heading our way?

08/25/2023

"A Trump Victory Would Create a Constitutional Crisis" -- David Atkins warns what will happen if we elect a convicted felon

If Republican primary voters can’t put the country first, it will be up to the rest of us.

08/18/2023

The great Jennifer Taub tells Matthew Cooper why the grand jury indictment is brilliant and why the Fulton County, Georgia, DA is the "Badass Barbie of prosecutors.”

What happens next with the Georgia indictment of Trump? Legal scholar Jennifer Taub discusses what’s likely to happen and why District Attorney Fani Willis is the “Badass Barbie” of prosecutors.

08/18/2023

Dean Phillips's case for challenging Joe Biden is d***y, writes Bill Scher. He has the data to prove it.

To lure a credible Democratic challenger into the race, the dissident Minnesota congressman misrepresents the polls and peddles superficial ageism.

08/16/2023

At some point soon, a Democratic or Republican White House will defy the Supreme Court as Alabama did under George Wallace and is doing now with redistricting. Garrett Epps explains.

The precedent-smashing, highly political Roberts Court is likely to trigger outright defiance by the left and right. Just look at Alabama’s failure to comply with a recent Court ruling.

08/14/2023

“Ukrainians living in regions illegally annexed by Russia are being forced to accept Russian passports—in effect, to renounce their Ukrainian citizenship—or face punishing consequences,” reports Lauren Wolfe in the Monthly.

The effort to eradicate Ukrainian identity in areas Moscow has “annexed” violates international law and might cross the line into genocide.

08/14/2023

LAST WEEK AT THE MONTHLY ⬇️

“Ohio’s rejection of Issue 1 proves that protecting abortion rights is a political winner. It’s also proof that attacking transgender rights is a political loser,” argues Bill Scher.

Anti-abortion conservatives tried to win the referendum battle by scaring parents about transgender policies in schools. They failed.

08/10/2023

From Tasers to interrogations, police aren't getting the training they need for how to handle juveniles. Strategies for Youth, a non-profit, has ideas and data on the problem and how to fix it.

Few officers get the training to deal with youth, from interrogations to physical restraints to arrests. There’s a better way.

08/09/2023

"While the courts in 2020 rejected Trump’s election fraud claims, the incentives were wrong. It wasn’t just that Republicans had become authoritarians; they seemed to pay no price for doing so." Jonathan Alter on the Trump indictments as deterrence.

This is not a free speech case, a state-of-mind case, or a hard-to-win case, and it will likely be tried before the election.

08/07/2023

Ron DeSantis's MAGA-lite economic program is a mess. Robert Shapiro, whose Monthly pieces have gotten everything right about the economy, explains.

Most everything the Florida governor promises in his new plan—higher growth, more energy production, easing inequality—is already happening under the Democratic president.

08/07/2023

LAST WEEK AT THE MONTHLY ⬇️

The great Jennifer Taub explains why Trump's defense won't work in court, what Jack Smith did right, and what Merrick Garland did very wrong to the Monthly’s Matthew Cooper.

Legal scholar Jennifer Taub on Trump’s chances of beating the January 6 charges, what Jack Smith did right, Merrick Garland did wrong, and the road from here.

08/04/2023

Biden isn't the first post-war president with a strong economy but not getting credit. Hear what he has in common with Reagan, Clinton from Bill Scher.

Ask Clinton or Obama. Americans need to see their economic fortunes rise over a long period before they start thanking the president.