The GOP Base Still Loves Donald Trump, but the Party’s Funders Want Someone Else
Charles Koch and other big-money GOP donors are showing signs that they’re done with Donald Trump. Only one problem: the base isn’t ready to move on.
85 Article(s) by: Ben Beckett
Ben Beckett is an American writer in Vienna.
The Judiciary Has Never Been Impartial — Something the GOP Has Long Known
The idea that judges are objective interpreters of the law is a polite fiction. With their ability to carry out a far-right agenda through democratic means declining, the GOP is embracing judicial partisanship.
Does the GOP Want a Government Default So It Can Kill Social Security?
Given the programs’ popularity, the only way to break Social Security and Medicare is an economic shock. It’s possible that manufacturing such a shock is behind Republicans’ refusal to raise the debt ceiling.
Far-Right House Republicans Want to Use the Debt Ceiling to Dismantle the Welfare State
The Right plans to seize on the debt ceiling to ram through unpopular ideas. The strategy could force Democrats to choose between government paralysis or draconian cuts to the federal budget — possibly even Social Security and Medicare.
The Speaker Vote Made Republicans Look Weak, but That Won’t Last
Republicans don’t have enough power to pass anything on their own. But they still have plenty of power to cause chaos and, depending on how Democrats react, force terrible budget cuts on the country.
In 2023, Politics Are Probably Going to Stay Stuck. That’s a Good Thing for the Right.
With dueling investigations into Donald Trump and Hunter Biden, low-energy presidential campaigns based on not being the other guy, and maybe a government shutdown, 2023 will see political gridlock. Except in the conservative Supreme Court, that is.
Trump’s Call for the “Termination” of the Constitution Shows He’s Not Even Trying Anymore
Donald Trump’s call to “terminate” the Constitution is every bit as outlandish as we’ve come to expect. But it’s also a political dud, reflecting the low-energy mood that pervades his newly announced presidential campaign.
The Right Could Still Capitalize on Democrats’ Lack of a Substantive Political Vision
Democrats’ midterm strategy was to campaign on issues where they had an edge and little else. If they don’t start to offer voters a meaningful comprehensive vision for the future, Republicans are poised to emerge victorious from the coming period of gridlock.
To Get Unstuck, the Left Should Emulate the Right’s “Swarm” Model
Over the last decade, the American right has developed a successful organizing model that combines national messaging with local mobilizations. The stalled-out left could stand to learn a thing or two.
Defeating the Right’s Assault on Democracy Requires a Robust, Progressive Economic Plan
Voters agree American democracy is in trouble, but they’re divided on why and don’t seem too concerned. The Left needs a strong message condemning right-wing attacks on democracy and connecting the topic to the bread-and-butter issues voters care about.
Republicans Will Never Stop Trying to Destroy Social Security
GOP leaders are threatening to cut Social Security and Medicare if they take back the House this fall. Elected Democrats won’t have the will or power to stop them unless ordinary Americans are willing to put up a real fight.
The Right Might Be Ridiculous, but That Isn’t Stopping Them
The Right’s claims about the country aren’t just wrong, they’re often downright goofy. But conservatives’ complete disconnect from reality is nowhere near enough to dislodge them from power.
Democrats Are in Power, but Republicans Are Still Setting the Political Agenda
Despite Democrats controlling the White House and Congress since 2020, it has largely been the Right that has taken the political initiative and set the terms of the political conversation. Expect that to get worse after November.
Corporations Being “Woke” on Climate Change Is Not the Problem. It’s Also Not the Solution.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis recently decried the efforts of “woke capital” to reduce carbon emissions. Two things are true at once: his attacks are disingenuous, and supposedly environmentally conscious corporations are not going to stop climate change.
Trumpism Won’t Be Defeated by the Judicial System Alone
It’s good that Donald Trump and his cronies are facing increasing legal pressure. But the threat of Trump’s politics won’t go away until we change the conditions that gave rise to them.
Michigan GOP Election Officials Are Attempting to Subvert Democracy in Plain Sight
In Michigan, conservatives are aiming to use technicalities to block popular referenda to protect reproductive freedom and make voting easier. Their efforts are part of a long and increasingly brazen right-wing campaign to restrict democracy.
The Great Replacement Theory Isn’t Going Anywhere
After the mass shooting in Buffalo, don’t expect conservative leaders to stop promoting the “great replacement theory” that inspired the gunman.
Climate-Related Disasters Are Growing. We’re Not Ready for Them.
Climate change is making “natural” disasters like floods far more disastrous for Americans across classes — and our public protections for the victims of those disasters are nowhere near adequate to help them recover.
Don’t Trust the National Security State to Stop the Next Republican Coup Attempt
Whatever the results of the FBI’s investigations into Donald Trump, recent revelations show we can’t trust the national security state to stop the next conservative power grab.
Salman Rushdie’s Stabbing Is an Attack on Free Speech
Salman Rushdie was seriously injured in a stabbing, decades after reactionaries called for his death. He deserves the unqualified support of everyone who values freedom of expression.