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
Public Pressure on Corporate Sponsors Succeeds in Getting ‘Drag Kids’ Performance Canceled
Organizers of the Sept. 9-11 Boise Pride Festival canceled a “Drag Kids” performance after public pressure prompted multiple sponsors to pull their support. The event advertised drag performances by children “from ages 11-18,” which conservative sleuther Christopher Rufo uncovered on the Tuesday before the event. The Boise Pride Festival was presented by Albertsons (a Safeway-affiliated grocery chain). Its sponsors included Fred… -
opinion
Smearing Your Opponents Is No Way to Run a Republic
Name-calling on the internet is nothing new. Enduring attacks based on biased or discredited sources is so common online it’s practically the price of admission for anyone seeking to contribute to the free market of ideas. So trolls and hecklers are hard to avoid. But when reputable sources and institutions mimic their tactics, we have… -
opinion
The Queen’s Reach
London—Watching BBC and Sky News coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, one is struck by the adjectives used by reporters, commentators, and people interviewed outside Balmoral Castle and Buckingham Palace: sense of duty, virtue, integrity, service. What astounds is that these and other character traits the late queen exhibited were once considered normal… -
news
DeSantis Touts Florida’s Successes, Paints Stark Contrast With Blue States
AVENTURA, Florida—Florida has become a “refuge of sanity in a world gone mad.” That was the assessment of Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., in remarks Saturday evening at the third National Conservatism Conference here in this city north of Miami. DeSantis’ speech focused on the core theme of how Florida has become a bastion of liberty—a… -
opinion
California Dream Could Become a Nightmare
“Well, they’re out there a-having fun In that warm California sun.” —1964 song by The Rivieras California has become an example of what a state looks like when it is controlled by a single party—in this case Democrats—who are trying to impose a green energy secular religion on their people. State officials have banned the… -
opinion
California Legislature Passes Bill Giving State Custody of Out-of-State Minors Seeking Trans Surgeries
On Aug. 31, the California state Senate passed a bill that would allow courts in California to take custody of minors from out of state who come to the Golden State seeking gender transition surgeries and cross-sex hormones, even if these actions go against the wishes of the minors’ parents. Legal experts and children’s advocates warn that… -
opinion
New Disease Erases Democrats’ Memories of Their Post-2016 Attack on Democracy
Strategic amnesia is a new syndrome that lets Democrats forget their being guilty of the same behavior for which they demonize Republicans—especially when the GOP is innocent as charged. Strategic amnesia is, essentially, what happens as psychological projection ripens over time. Strategic-Amnesiac-in-Chief Joe Biden embodied this neurosis during the Snarl Heard ’Round the World—his corrosive,… -
opinion
Reflections on Calm Before Storm of 9/11—and Peace of Providence After
Sept. 11, 2001, dawned in Washington as the most beautiful day of that year and one of the most beautiful days I have ever experienced. I left my home in Northern Virginia early that morning. The route to the White House was always inspiring because of its historic evocation along the way—driving around the Lincoln… -
opinion
Welcome to Two-Tiered America
Last week, this column focused on the eye-opening recent revelations from Missouri and Louisiana’s lawsuit, still ongoing, that exposes the depth and breadth of the collusion between the Biden regime and the oligarchs of Big Tech. Those lightly redacted documents, made public via a Twitter thread from Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, shine a spotlight… -
opinion
Our Elected Representatives Are Terrible Stewards of Taxpayer Dollars. Here’s a Better Path Forward.
The shopping spree is a fun concept. The winner of a game show or sweepstakes gets five minutes to race through a store piling high a shopping cart with all the goodies they can get their hands on. Inevitably, the prizewinner gravitates toward the big-ticket items to get the most bang for someone else’s buck…. -
opinion
What I Noticed Was Missing at James Madison’s Montpelier Home
In the past few months, I have written much about James Madison’s Montpelier, our fourth president’s home and now museum. A great deal of my writing has been descriptive, detailing the exhibits at Montpelier and evidencing whose influence has been impactful. I piled fact upon fact, relying on research and primary sources and letting much… -
opinion
Welcome to the Green New Deal, California
If California, our most populous state, were its own nation, it would rank as the world’s fifth-largest economy and boast the highest average household income (outside a handful of “countries” like Monaco or Luxemburg). And, yet, the governor is begging its citizens to stop using their appliances, turn off their lights, and keep their thermostats… -
news
Democrat Mom Accuses Educators, Therapist of Driving Her Autistic, Gender-Confused Child to ‘Catastrophic Ruin’
After educators and a therapist drove her high-functioning autistic, gender-confused daughter to a mental breakdown, a California mother is speaking out about the “trauma” and “catastrophic ruin” that gender ideology has caused her family. Vera Lindner (not her real name) says she worries that other parents’ children will be led down a path of delusion. … -
opinion
Without Religion, New Book Contends, Conservatism Doesn’t Exist
Conservatism has a long and storied history. It evolved with various times and places, and adapted to fit the needs of rising generations. But one thing has remained consistent in conservatism throughout the ages, says Yoram Hazony, president of the Herzl Institute in Jerusalem and chairman of the Edmund Burke Foundation. Conservatism and religion are… -
opinion
Kiwi Farms Was Deplatformed. Why Are Leftist Harassers, Doxxers Treated Differently?
Leftists across the internet cheered Saturday as tech platform Cloudflare announced it would no longer allow online forum Kiwi Farms to use its service. Kiwi Farms had been described as a “hate site,” allegedly for harassing transgender people, doxxing political opposition on the left, and saying “mean” and “bigoted” things about certain sexual and racial minorities,… -
news
Clinton, Bush, Obama Didn’t Leave With Classified Information, National Archives Says
Donald Trump’s immediate predecessors as president didn’t take classified information upon leaving the White House, the National Archives and Records Administration told The Daily Signal. The typically history-focused agency—charged with holding White House documents and other government records under the Presidential Records Act—was thrust into a political firestorm last month when the FBI raided the… -
opinion
‘Seven Decades of Service’: British Policy Expert Reacts to Queen’s Passing, Explains What’s Next for Monarchy
Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday. She was 96 years old. Queen Elizabeth II was the longest reigning monarch in British history, serving as the sovereign of the nation for 70 years. Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation, and a foreign policy researcher for former British Prime Minister… -
opinion
Showing Strength in Face of Growing Threats Key to Preventing Another 9/11
As we approach the 21st anniversary on Sunday of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 innocents, it’s important to reflect on the lives lost, the courage displayed by the first responders and civilians who helped people, and the impact that fateful day has had on the lives of so many Americans. The loss,… -
news
California School District Hosts LGBTQ Club for 4-Year-Olds
A California school district is hosting a LGBTQ club for kids as young as 4-years-old, according to the school website. Los Angeles Unified School District kicked off its first “Rainbow Club” meeting of the year on Wednesday, a club targeting LGBTQ elementary school students, according to the school’s website. The club, aimed at students as young… -
opinion
The Latest Jobs Numbers Seem Impressive, Until You Look Closer
The latest Labor Department employment report shows the economy added 315,000 jobs in August, ordinarily a healthy increase and sign of a robust economy. Sadly, the devil is in the details, which shows that the labor market is running on fumes. The report, like the economy as a whole, looks good from afar but is…