Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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opinion
What George Will and Karl Rove Get Wrong About Populist Conservatism
Are modern conservatives just unthinking rubes who want to be angry? That was the tenor of a discussion Wednesday on the “future of conservatism” featuring former George W. Bush strategist Karl Rove and columnist George Will, who announced that he’d left the Republican Party in 2016. The event was sponsored in part by the Lyndon… -
news
Democrats’ ‘Jim Crow 2.0’ Myth Debunked Again in Georgia Runoff
For James Newton, an African American voter in Atlanta, early voting is a tough sell. “I always vote on Election Day. I like the excitement of it,” Newton told The Daily Signal after voting at a church on Election Day in November. “For me, it’s like showing up to a ballgame. You want all the… -
opinion
4 Charts Expose Feds’ Hypocrisy: Cracking Down on Taxpayers While Own Improper Payments Go Unchecked
The Inflation Reduction Act gives the IRS an additional $80 billion to hire 87,000 more agents with the hope of bringing in about $200 billion in additional tax revenues over the next 10 years. But in 2021 alone, the federal government spent $279 billion of taxpayers' money on improper payments. This glaring double standard—cracking down… -
news
‘I Don’t Trust BlackRock’s Ability to Deliver’: Florida’s CFO to Divest $2B in Investments
Another state on Thursday announced that it would begin divesting its assets currently managed by investment giant BlackRock, accusing it of “[leaning] heavily into Environmental, Social, and Governance standards.” “As Florida’s chief financial officer, it’s my responsibility to get the best returns possible for taxpayers. The more effective we are in investing dollars to generate… -
opinion
Iranian Arms Sales to Moscow Benefit Tehran, Too
Press reports suggest that Iran—in addition to already providing armed drones to Russia—is in the process of transferring short-range ballistic missiles, such as its Fateh and Zolfaghar systems, to support Moscow’s unjust war in Ukraine. If true, that’s deeply troubling. Those expected Iranian ballistic missile transfers to the Kremlin would allow Russia to continue its… -
opinion
Propaganda Trumps Sports for Iran’s World Cup Team
All soccer teams worry about what happens during a match, but Iran’s World Cup team is much more concerned about what happens afterward. Iran’s ruthless rulers reportedly threatened the Iranian players with severe punishment if they criticized the Islamist regime’s ongoing crackdown on political protests. After Iran’s team lost Tuesday to the U.S. team, Iran’s… -
opinion
Why This Graphic Designer Can’t Be Forced to Endorse Same-Sex Marriage
The Supreme Court next week will consider whether Colorado may use a state law to require someone to express someone else’s message. The case to be argued Monday, called 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, concerns graphic artist and website designer Lorie Smith, who also is a devout Christian. Smith’s faith, in fact, was part of… -
opinion
‘Profound Consequences’: Sen. Mike Lee Outlines How Respect for Marriage Act Will Affect People of Faith
This is a lightly edited transcript of remarks Sen. Mike Lee delivered before his amendment to the so-called Respect for Marriage Act was voted on. That amendment failed in a 48-49 vote Tuesday. Shortly after, the Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act. Madame President, today, as popular winds blow against the man and woman… -
opinion
What I Saw Attending College in ‘The People’s Republic of Boulder’
Decades ago, KGB spy Yuri Bezmenov defected to America and exposed a four-step plan the Soviets engineered to bring down the United States: demoralization, destabilization, crisis, and normalization. Demoralization was the first and most critical step, and it involved infiltrating the institutions upon which our society was built. Although the Soviet Union is long gone,… -
opinion
Radical ‘Respect for Marriage Act’ Could Spell End of Religious Tax Exemptions
In just a couple of hours, the Senate is gearing up for a final vote on the misnamed “Respect for Marriage Act.” The vote is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. EST with the full Senate voting on the First Amendment Defense Act amendment from Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and two other amendments from Sen…. -
opinion
Question Fools Don’t Ask of ‘Experts’: ‘What Is the Price?’
What would you think of a person who never asked the price of anything he or she bought? You would assume the person was inordinately wealthy. But if the person wasn’t, you would dismiss him as a fool, and you would certainly never ask this person for advice about how to spend your money. Yet,… -
opinion
Focus on the Family Blamed for Club Q Shooting Despite Jim Daly Condemnation, Suspect’s Nonbinary Identity
Earlier this month, a gunman opened fire at Club Q, a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, killing five and injuring 25 others. Despite the suspect's identifying as "nonbinary" and going by "Mx. Anderson Lee Aldrich" in court documents, many on the Left blamed conservatives and Christians for the attack, and vandals targeted one prominent… -
news
Appeals Court Clears Way for Challenge of California Election Laws
A typically left-leaning federal appeals court based in San Francisco ruled last week that a group advocating election reforms has legal standing to sue over California’s election laws. The decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals clears the way for Election Integrity Project California, along with recent and future congressional candidates in the… -
opinion
True Diversity Is Viewpoint Diversity, and It Allows All of Us to Show Up
Diversity emphases are popping up everywhere from business to academia. One of the top business schools in the country, Wharton, is going to offer a diversity major for students. The Wall Street Journal is reporting more companies are trying new tactics to add greater diversity to their supply chains. As a black woman who immigrated… -
news
Walmart’s Walton Family Funds Drag Queen Shows, Gender Ideology for Kids
Second- and third-generation heirs of Walmart founder Sam Walton’s fortune have funneled millions of dollars into LGBTQ-related causes in their home state of Arkansas. Among other things, these Walton-funded groups and the Walmart Foundation have sponsored local drag shows and story hours for kids; “teens only” events for LGBTQ-identifying youth; and other progressive causes such… -
opinion
How Ex-Addict Found Personal Redemption by Helping Impoverished South Dallas Neighborhood
Daron Babcock was in dark times for his personal life, and his addictions to alcohol and drugs were at their breaking point. “I remember falling on my knees that night and just crying out to God and saying, ‘God, I don’t know you, and I don’t even know if you’re real or not, but if… -
opinion
Investment Fund Boycotts These 29 Companies Hostile to Conservative Values
At a time when many conservatives are fed up with woke corporations and seeking alternatives, Ridgeline Research is offering an investment option that boycotts 29 companies hostile to conservatives. The American Conservative Values ETF (ticker symbol: ACVF) was created to help conservatives avoid putting their money in an index fund, a mutual fund, or another exchange-traded… -
opinion
House Republicans’ Next Opportunity to Drain Swamp by Banning Earmarks
House Republicans will vote soon on whether to bring back the ban on budget earmarks, which are a way for members of Congress to dole out favors using taxpayer money. Ending earmarks would be an excellent opportunity for the new House majority to combat the wasteful and corrupt political culture that has infected the nation’s… -
news
Wyoming Catholic College Opposes Radical Respect for Marriage Act
Another prominent Catholic academic institution is opposing the Democrat-led Respect for Marriage Act. Wyoming Catholic College President Glenn Arbery shared with The Daily Signal on Saturday that the college "supports the USCCB's letter to the Senate against the Respect for Marriage Act, as well as the USCCB's shorter and more recent press statement." "The RMA [Respect for… -
opinion
Understanding Why More Blacks Voted Republican in 2022
Among the key headlines from the 2022 election were gains by Republicans among minority voters. According to the AP VoteCast survey, Republican House candidates got 14% of the black vote, almost twice the 8% of the black vote that Republicans captured in 2020 and 2018. The difference between the percentage of black votes that Democrats…