Are we becoming less polarized? Or maybe we really weren't that polarized to begin with:
But Fiorina argued in a book, "Culture War?", that the notion of a polarized America was a myth to begin with. The true polarization, he said, was always in the politicians - offering starkly different choices to voters - and in the media, eager to portray a conflict and more exposed to political junkies in New York and Washington.
Former Indiana U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton, writing in the Indianapolis Star on foreign policy. I'm not sure I agree completely with his breakdown of "idealists" and "realists," but I think he's right in suggesting that:
I hate to even mention a show that exists in an alternate reality where Democrats still run the White House, but I have to admit that more than once I've wished the political debates I've had to endure were more like the one depicted on "West Wing" Sunday night.
This is a long, thoughtful essay about how the Republicans need to deal with the reality of being a party not just of the country club but of Sam's Club. There is a lot both to agree with and disagree with, but the premise seems plausible. Here's the heart of the argument:
The good news is that the Web in general and blogs in particular will make the next presidential election more available to all of us:
Previously, those of us living outside of Iowa or New Hampshire were largely left out of the process. The blogosphere helps dissipate this geopolitical claustrophobia.
The power of the Internet has led the Pew Center's Michael Cornfield and others to say that we should now speak of a much more visible "virtual primary."
Indiana isn't the only state whose legislature is being challenged for invoking the name of Jesus:
"As a matter of historical fact, the exact prayers given in the first Congress explicitly referred to Jesus Christ," according to a 50-page legal brief the county filed Tuesday.
If a public education is supposed to be a collaborative effort between parents and the society at large (and some of us still hold on to this belief), what are we to make of this ruling, which basically tells parents they have no say in the matter?
Northeast Indiana's U.S. Rep. Mike Pence has become a star of the small-government-conservative movement. Now he's among those championing private property rights. I don't think we could do much better than having him as House Majority Leader.
Some editorial opinions can be agreed with, some disputed. This one, in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, is simply despicable in the way it talks about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas:
In losing a woman, the court with Alito would feature seven white men, one white woman and a black man, who deserves an asterisk because he arguably does not represent the views of mainstream black America.
It shouldn't be too surprising if the poll numbers are true that Gov. Daniels' approval rating is among the 15 worst in the country:
In fact, more Hoosiers currently "disapprove" of the job Daniels is doing -- 50 percent -- than "approve," at 44 percent, according to a 600-person poll released by SurveyUSA Thursday. Six percent of respondents were "not sure."
