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
Against American Mobocracy
In his 1838 Lyceum Address in Springfield, Illinois, a 28-year-old Abraham Lincoln spoke on “the perpetuation of our political institutions.” The speech was eerily prescient, coming 23 years as it did before then-President Lincoln presided over a nation tragically brought into a grisly Civil War—the ultimate test of that “perpetuation”—by the assault on Fort Sumter…. -
opinion
I’m Indian American. What I Think When Republicans Are Accused of Racism.
Are Republicans a bunch of racists? That’s certainly the narrative that the corporate media is pushing as hard as it can. The context this time is the tragic killing spree in Buffalo, New York, carried out by a mentally deranged racist whose online manifesto includes a whole slew of racist and antisemitic conspiracies. Are those… -
opinion
Left’s Obsession With Race Coverage Fosters More Racism
The overt racism and antisemitism written in the Buffalo shooter’s 180-page “manifesto” has been rightly denounced by civilized people. The usual questions are being asked. These include, how did he get the gun after he was admitted to a hospital last year for symptoms of mental illness? Another question: Why did President Joe Biden go… -
opinion
Destroying the Altar of ‘Woke’
We’ve heard the clever quips “woke-a cola” and “go woke, go broke” to describe traditional American companies and institutions diving headfirst into politics in order to score points with the radical left. Everywhere we look, forces are shoving us to the left, and it often feels like we don’t have a vote. But now, we… -
news
San Francisco Archbishop to Pelosi: Do Not Receive Communion
According to a new letter released by San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will no longer be allowed to receive the Eucharist at Mass in her home diocese. “A Catholic legislator who supports procured abortion, after knowing the teaching of the Church, commits a manifestly grave sin which is a… -
opinion
Carbon Border Tax Is Outside the Venn Diagram of Compromise
For years, the idea of a carbon tax has been a nonstarter for Americans in both parties. And for good reason—while it would raise a pretty penny for a federal government addicted to spending, a carbon tax would weigh down American consumers and businesses, for no environmental benefit. Given that nearly 80% of Americans’ energy… -
opinion
Pumping Up Prices
The price of gas keeps rising. “The reason for that is because of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war,” President Joe Biden said. But that’s impossible. Most of the price rise came before Putin attacked Ukraine. So some politicians simply blame “corporate greed.” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse accuses the oil industry of collecting “excess profit.” Sen. Elizabeth… -
opinion
Black Conservatives Convene for a ‘New Birth of Freedom’
Recent remarks by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, noting the institutional damage caused by the leak of Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion on Roe v. Wade, have gotten exhaustive coverage in the press. But, not surprisingly, the venue where Thomas made these remarks has gotten little attention by these same journalists. The event was a convening… -
opinion
Unfriendly Skies: Flight Attendants Fired for Opposing Radical Equality Act Sue Alaska Airlines
Two flight attendants are fighting back after Alaska Airlines fired them because they dared to question the validity of the proposed federal Equality Act in a company forum. First Liberty Institute on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Marli Brown and Lacey Smith on grounds of religious discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity… -
news
Network News Ignores Biden’s ‘Ministry of Truth’ and Its Quick Demise, Study Finds
Although they’re in the First Amendment business, network newscasts largely ignored the rise and fall of a federal government board that raised red flags about the potential targeting of speech. The Biden administration put its Disinformation Governance Board on “pause” Wednesday, and the panel’s controversial executive director, Nina Jankowicz, stepped down as head of that… -
opinion
SWIFT Sanctions Unlikely to Threaten US Dollar
The U.S. and key allies announced in March sanctions on a number of Russian banks using SWIFT, the inter-bank payment system relied on by nearly every bank on Earth. This led to concerns of Russia evading the sanctions by using the Chinese alternative, the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System, better known by its acronym, CIPS. In… -
opinion
Let Students Study for Final Exams, Not Worry About College Board Politics
It’s final exam season, so middle school and high school students are feverishly preparing. In case students needed one more thing to worry about, some in the media are warning that students’ hard work studying for end-of-year tests may not even count—for political reasons. A recent statement from College Board, creator of Advanced Placement courses… -
opinion
Price Controls on Fuel Would Be Disastrous for Americans
In classic Washington style, liberals in Congress are advancing a bill that most assuredly would make a bad situation much worse. In response to soaring fuel prices, liberals seek to shift blame away from Bidenflation and onto producers through the so-called Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act. A more appropriate title would be the “Driving… -
news
Left-Wingers at Lecterns: Most College Graduation Speakers Are Liberals, Survey Finds
Don’t plan on hearing from a conservative speaker at your college commencement this spring. This year, just three of the top 100 colleges ranked by U.S. News and World Report are hosting conservative commencement speakers, while 53 are hosting left-of-center lecturers, according to the Young America’s Foundation 2022 Commencement Speaker Survey. The remaining colleges and universities are not tallied in the… -
opinion
In Battle Between Religious Liberty vs. LGBTQ Rights, One Case Declares Clear Winner
The Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which (wrongly, in my view) expanded the coverage of a federal statute—Title VII—prohibiting sex discrimination in employment to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and transgender status, was the legal ricochet heard ’round the world. But multiple questions remained after the Supreme Court issued that… -
opinion
Now-Abandoned Disinformation Board Was Insult to Free Society
The Biden administration didn’t create a Ministry of Truth. We don’t have governmental ministries here in the United States. That’s a British thing. We have departments and boards. The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it’s putting a “pause” on its new Disinformation Governance Board. The new agency, announced in April, was to operate under… -
news
New Florida Law to Prohibit Protests at Private Residences
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Monday aimed at protecting the privacy of the state’s residents by prohibiting protests and picketing outside private residences. The bill takes effect Oct. 1 and bans any protesting at personal dwellings with the intent to “harass or disturb” the resident. Violators will be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor and will be subject to a possible 60… -
news
2022 Bradley Award Goes to Glenn Loury, Wilfred M. McClay, and Chen Guangcheng
Economist Glenn Loury, historian Wilfred M. McClay, and human rights activist Chen Guangcheng are this year’s recipients of the annual Bradley Prize, awarded to those who further American exceptionalism. The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, a philanthropic organization committed to traditional American values, presented the awards Tuesday night during a ceremony at the National Building… -
opinion
Liberals Don’t Think They’re Divisive?
In the wake of the horrible Buffalo, New York, supermarket shooting, liberal journalists lunged at the opportunity to blame the mass murder on conservative and Republican messengers. On CNN, S.E. Cupp was especially egregious in accusing the right-wingers of “amplifying” a “white replacement theory,” claiming the Democrats expected the influx of immigrants (largely illegal) would… -
opinion
We Have a Duty to Protect the Unborn
Life is the single most precious gift given to us by our Creator. It was no accident that Thomas Jefferson listed it ahead of “liberty and the pursuit of happiness” in the Declaration of Independence. It’s so foundational that it precedes all other rights. And for that very reason, every institution of government has a…