Paul Ryan Signals His Surrender
In his press conference this morning, Paul Ryan began the process of surrendering the Republican Party to Donald Trump. The key isn’t what he said. It’s what he didn’t say. …
Sadiq Khan Will Not Be Trump’s ‘Exception’
Asked whether his temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States would apply to London’s newly elected mayor, Sadiq Khan, Donald Trump responded, “There will always be exceptions.” (Trump has justified the ban by arguing that the United States doesn’t have a competent border-screening system. His screening system, evidently, is personal whim.) …
GOP Islamophobia vs. U.K. Labour’s anti-Semitism: Spot the Differences
Last week, the Republican Jewish Coalition tweeted an article from the British newspaper, The Daily Mail. The headline declared that the Labour Party “is gripped by anti-Semitism allegations.” Indeed, it is. As it turns out, on this side of the Atlantic, the Republican Party — to which the RJC belongs — is gripped by allegations of bigotry too: bigotry against Muslims. To judge the moral ...
Ben Sasse Is Not the Republican Savior
Kudos to Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse for reaffirming in a widely discussed “open letter” that he won’t support Donald Trump. I just wish the letter weren’t so self-righteously dumb. Sasse, often mentioned as a potential third-party candidate, addresses his missive to the “majority of America” that believes that “both leading presidential candidates are dishonest.” He goes onto declare that neither Trump nor Hillary are “honorable ...
The Democrats Are Built to Win
The bad news is that the Republican Party will now almost certainly nominate the most dangerous presidential nominee in modern American history. The good news is that the Democratic Party is built to defeat him. The reason is straightforward. The Democratic Party has become, to a significant extent, an anti-racist party. The Republican Party has not. …
Trump and the Absurdity of America’s Israel Debate
Last month, with the New York presidential primary only days away, a group of Jewish activists and journalists came to see Donald Trump in his office. Trump surveyed the group and called in reinforcements. “Maybe I can get Jason Greenblatt down here,” he mused. “Jason is a person that has been so good, he’s a lawyer, he’s so incredible and he’s Orthodox.” Turning to campaign ...
Clinton’s Battle Plan
As they look ahead to the general election, some commentators envision a campaign in which Donald Trump attacks viciously and Hillary Clinton makes a virtue of her refusal to stoop to his level. “I think Trump’s method will be to turn on the insult comedy against Hillary Clinton,” declared GOP consultant Mike Murphy earlier this week. “Her big judo move is playing the victim.” Vox’s ...
Donald Trump and the GOP Tradition of Foreign-Policy Incoherence
Making fun of the foreign-policy speech Donald Trump gave yesterday is easy. He said, “‘America First’ will be the major and overriding theme of my administration,” thus borrowing the slogan of those Americans who opposed America’s entry in World War II. Then, three sentences later, he praised America’s victory in World War II. He warned that, “our friends are beginning to think they can’t depend ...
For Jewish BDS Supporters, Personal Morality Trumps Jewish Solidarity
It’s a sign of the shifting American debate over Israel. Liberal Zionists like myself—who oppose Israeli policy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip but support the concept of a democratic Jewish state—are spending more of our time arguing not with the Zionist right, but with the anti-Zionist left. That’s fine. Argument is a proud American Jewish tradition. Excommunication is not. …
Ted Talks, But It Doesn’t Mean Anything
Ted Cruz has a problem. Since he launched his campaign for president at Liberty University more than a year ago, he has aimed to consolidate the right. He has largely succeeded. He has vanquished Scott Walker, Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, and Carly Fiorina, and now he enjoys the overwhelming support of movement conservatives. His problem ...