How to make a difference in politics: A practical ...

A democratic Republic such as ours is a large and complex system. So the very first thing you should give up is the idea that you will quickly and easily make a huge impact. I know it is disappointing, but the system isn’t quickly or easily changed, and that is ultimately good thing. That said, there are three paths along which you can, over time, make a difference: activism, operative, and elected office. Let’s take these...

So you want to replace your Congressman (yourself)

Advice for those considering running for Congress. To get elected you have to run a campaign. Running a campaign is like starting a small business, one that is funded entirely by donations. You have to hire a team, fundraise, give them direction, fundraise, open offices, fundraise, figure out marketing, fundraise, create posters and flyers, fundraise, make ads, fundraise, run ads, fundraise… Oh, and there is a lot of...

Why congressional Republicans are hesitant to take...

There are four main reasons why congressional Republicans are hesitant to take on Trump. The first is simple tribal loyalty. He identifies as a Republican, he ran as a Republican, and he was elected as a Republican. And—the Tea Party excepted—the Republican Party of the last several decades has been very hesitant to move against other Republicans. You can argue that a similar dynamic exists among Democrats, and you would be...

Don’t Expect Political Compromise Any Time S...

As long as districts remain gerrymandered, the best bet for any House Democrat currently in office is to follow the GOP roadmap (obstruction). After all, they will face increasing pressure from the left. For statewide races (Senate) red states will remain red, blue states will remain blue. Only a handful will be up for grabs, so only those handful of politicians in those purple states face any real pressure to look like they...

Why I don’t trust our society to run nuclear...

The social problem with nuclear power is this. If some fool blows up the economy (or if a perverse structure of incentives drive a whole herd of bankers to blow up the economy) we all suffer for a few years, or even decades. But our grandchildren will be ok. If the same dynamic leads to a full reactor meltdown somewhere, then you could have 1% of the US uninhabitable for the next ten millennium (to say nothing of premature...

What we don’t know about Flynn

So some people are still asking what’s the big deal about Flynn talking to the Russians after the election but before the inauguration. There are essentially three reasons why this matters. The first is the “one President at a time” norm that has been broadly observed up until now. The second is that it was not cleared. And the third is that it could indicated the Flynn – and possibly others – have been compromised. We need a full investigation.

On Republican talking points about Flynn

So House Republicans are pushing the talking point, “Why were Michael Flynn’s calls being monitored? Recording American citizens’ telephone calls is deeply disturbing.” This from the group that recently reauthorized the Patriot Act (which authorized the NSA to listen in all all sorts of American’s phone calls). But mass surveillance aside, Flynn was talking to the Russian Ambassador. On the...

Defund the agencies and fire them all

Genius comment of the day: “Defund the agencies and fire them all.” From a Trump supporter upset about the leaks on Flynn. So, that’s the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, and the DIA. And possibly the Justice Department as well. Yea, we’ll be in great shape without the entire national security apparatus. Putin applauds you. Motto for Trump supporters: “It is much easier to suggest solutions when you know...

Voters want bi-partisanship?

According to a recent poll, most voters want Democrats to work with Trump. At least that is what the headline said; I’m not sure about the methodology or sample size, but it seems plausibly representative. Sure, most voters favor a bi-partisan approach in theory. They elected Obama on that very premise (“…not Red America and Blue America, but the United States of America”). But voters also elect...

Why Trump’s Experience is not helping him

So Trump, the CEO guy (or at least he plays one on TV) is having a rough time managing the federal bureaucracy. Which really shouldn’t be any surprise, since his previous experience was essentially running a lifestyle brand. He did some real estate development, not very successfully, and most of his actual profit in recent years came from brand licensing (most of those “Trump” towers around the world—in Turkey, India,...

Changing the US Constitution

Something to pay attention to that I don’t hear a lot of conversation about. Changing the US Constitution can be initiated by the legislatures of 2/3 of the states and is effective when ratified by the state legislatures of 3/4 of the states. That is, the legislatures of just 38 states can, together, change the Constitution. Right now Republicans control 32 state legislatures. They need six more states and they can...

Wiretapping Flynn

So House Republicans are pushing the talking point, “Why were Michael Flynn’s calls being monitored? Recording American citizens’ telephone calls is deeply disturbing.” This from the group that recently reauthorized the Patriot Act (which authorized the NSA to listen in all all sorts of American’s phone calls). But mass surveillance aside, Flynn was talking to the Russian Ambassador. On the...