Tax Us, Daddy?
Plus: Polycules go mainstream, DeSantis pulls out, tackle football lives on, and more...
Election 2024
The Trump Train Rolls Through Iowa
Plus: A listener asks the editors if there are any bad laws that might discourage people from having kids.
Vivek Ramaswamy Leaves the Field
There were times when he seemed like the only person in the field willing to speak some impolitic truth. But he mixed those truths with some of the most godawful positions you could imagine.
Trump Romps Through Iowa Caucuses, Calls for GOP to 'Come Together'
DeSantis appears to be on track to claim second place, a distant 30-ish percentage points behind Trump.
January 6 and Insurrection—a Response to Ross Douthat
On Douthat's reasoning, published in the NY Times, Confederate secession wasn't an insurrection either.
DeSantis, Haley Highlight the Republican Party's Deeply Unserious Approach to Social Security
A decade ago, DeSantis was supporting real efforts at reforming Social Security. Now, he's refusing to even acknowledge the problem.
Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out
Plus: Jacobin tries to read Hayek, Houthis try to strike more ships, S.F. politicians try to order businesses around, and more...
Ron DeSantis Wouldn't Say No to Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza
But he would say no to pro-Palestinian speech.
Haley and DeSantis Pander to Iowans by Praising Ethanol Mandate
Unfortunately, none of the Republican candidates want to scrap the federal ethanol mandates.
Chris Christie Tried To Break Trump's Hold on the GOP. It Didn't Work.
The former New Jersey governor was the only candidate in the Republican primary field with the courage to attack former President Donald Trump.
Most Iowans Don't Care About the Caucuses. You Shouldn't Either.
How do the Iowa caucuses work? The fact that people have to ask every four years shows why this tradition should end.
D.C. Circuit Seems Skeptical of Trump's Alarmingly Broad Presidential Immunity Claim
As one appeals court judge pointed out, Trump's defense could literally let a president get away with murder.
Bedlam in the Country
Plus: Migrant shelter stabbing, Hollywood doom, Cuban spies, and more...
Nikki Haley's Last Stand?
Plus: Which is worse, trashing Nancy Pelosi's office or having sex in a Senate hearing room?
Insurrection, Rebellion, and January 6: Rejoinder to Steve Calabresi [updated with brief further rejoinder]
"Insurrection" and "rebellion" should not be conflated. But the events of January 6 readily meet the criteria for both.
Supreme Court Will Consider Trump Section 3 Disqualification Case
The justices will hear the case on an expedited schedule, and could potentially consider all the issues it raises.
No, Nikki Haley, We Don't Need to Turn Schools Into Airports, the Place Literally Everyone Hates
Schools are already bad enough for kids. Let's not make it worse by taking tips from the people who've insisted you take your shoes off at the airport for 20 years.
DeSantis Wants To 'Eliminate the IRS' and Implement a Flat Tax
DeSantis says the new, single tax rate would mean "lower taxes for everyone" but that only demonstrates that he hasn't thought too deeply about how a flat tax would work.
7 Reasons Trump's Lawyers Say He Is Not Disqualified From Running for President
His Supreme Court petition raises serious questions about how to interpret and apply Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
In 2024, Teens Will Get Pregnant in Driverless Cars
Plus: State officials attempt to ban Donald Trump from 2024 election ballots.
Who Decides Whether Trump Can Run, and What Sort of Evidence Suffices?
Letting state officials determine whether a candidate has "engaged in insurrection" opens a huge can of worms.
Trump Wouldn't Be the First Non-Confederate Barred From Office by the 14th Amendment
The weird story of Victor Berger, the Espionage Act, and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson.
Maine and Michigan Issue Rulings on Trump and Section 3 Disqualification
Maine's Secretary of State ruled that Trump is ineligible for the presidency. The Michigan Supreme Court refused to reconsider a lower court ruling allowing Trump to remain on the GOP primary ballot, because state law doesn't limit primary ballot access to allow only candidates eligible for the office they seek.
More on Criminal Conviction and Section 3 Disqualification [Updated]
My response to conservative political commentator Conn Carroll's argument on this issue.
Vivek Ramaswamy Really, Really Wants You To Know He Thinks January 6 Was an 'Inside Job'
The fourth-place GOP presidential candidate asserts the existence of "clear evidence" of "entrapment," without providing any.
'I Relied on Others,' 'Documents Were Filed in the Wrong Place,' and Other Memorable Excuses
The year's highlights in blame shifting.
Prediction: 2024 Will See Deadly Political Violence in the Streets
And there's still time left in 2023, the way things are going lately in New York.
Why Section 3 Disqualification Doesn't Require a Prior Criminal Conviction on Charges of Insurrection [Updated]
The reason is a combination of the general structure of our legal system and the original meaning of Section 3.
A New Political Bellwether: Osceola County, Florida
Watch Florida's Hispanic communities for clues about the 2024 election.
Trump's Promise to 'Indemnify' Cops 'Against Any and All Liability' Is Absurd for 2 Reasons
Police officers already are routinely indemnified, and suing them for abuse is much harder than Trump claims.
Was the Capitol Riot an 'Insurrection,' and Did Trump 'Engage in' It?
The Colorado Supreme Court's reasoning in deciding that Trump is constitutionally disqualified from running for president seems iffy.
Removing Trump From the Colorado Ballot Won't Make Things Better
You're not going to save democracy by kicking people out of elections.
Colorado Supreme Court Rules Trump is Ineligible for the Presidency Under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment
The Colorado court got this issue right. The case is now likely headed to the US Supreme Court.
Welcome to the Hyperbole Factory
Plus: A listener asks the editors to consider the libertarian argument against shopping local.
Campus Speech Restrictions Come Back To Bite Universities
Plus: A listener asks if there is any place libertarians can go to start their own country or city state.
DeSantis Returns To 'Too Online' Roots With Debate Comments About Trans Kids
While transgender issues dominated Wednesday's debate, polls suggest that the subject is far from the top of voters' minds.
The Most Obnoxious Blowhard in America
Plus: Grimes the urbanist, Matt Taibbi's fight night, crazy AI applications, and more...
Chris Christie Is Right, Trump's Trade War Accomplished Nothing
Nikki Haley says "Trump was good on trade." What?
Chris Christie Defends Parents' Rights and Trans Rights at GOP Debate
"Republicans believe in less government, not more," he said.
DeSantis Gets Sex Trafficking Wrong at GOP Debate
"We're going to build a wall...I am not going to sit there and let sex trafficking go unabated," DeSantis said.
Nikki Haley Opposed Boeing Subsidies at Tonight's GOP Debate. As Governor, She Gave Boeing Millions.
The former South Carolina governor can't decide whether she likes corporate subsidies or opposes them on principle.
Goodbye to George Santos and Henry Kissinger
Plus: an unexpected digression into the world of Little Debbie dessert snack cakes.
How Reason Helps You Stay Sane During Political Brainworms Season
Turns out subjecting presidential aspirants to libertarian-flavored scrutiny is good for journalism! And sanity.
The DeSantis-Newsom Debate Was Really a Debate About COVID
Too bad that was only a small part of the 90-minute affair.
