Washington analysts are misreading voters on Israel and Palestine

December 19th, 20250 U.S. voters’ attitudes towards the Israeli Palestinian conflict have changed, but media commentators and political consultants haven’t figured that out. They are stuck in the past with outdated assumptions about the electorate and as a result continue to operate from an old playbook. A feature article in last week’s Washington...

“Greatest nation” debates aren’t helpful

September 27th, 20230 Is the United States the greatest nation in the world? It’s a natural question to ask, given our penchant for displays of patriotism and our debates about American exceptionalism. But I don’t much like the question. Talking about how American greatness isn’t a very helpful exercise. It doesn’t do anything to make our country...

The indispensable craft of the politician

March 30th, 20180 For the most part, we Americans value expertise. We want our physicians to possess knowledge and experience. We want our lawyers to know the law inside out. We want our clergymen, our engineers, our farmers to bring the kind of proficiency and skill to their work that comes only with familiarity and practice. So here's a...