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
Lesson From Virginia Election: Education Can Be Winning Issue for Republicans
“I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.” That was the message parents in Virginia got from former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who was seeking a comeback, in their 2021 gubernatorial election. As it turns out, parents thought otherwise. That’s a major takeaway in Republican businessman Glenn Youngkin’s victory this week over… -
news
‘Don’t Mess With Our Kids’: Nikki Haley Celebrates GOP Wins, Warns Republicans Against Arrogance
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley celebrated Republican electoral victories in Virginia on Wednesday, cautioning the GOP not to become arrogant, but rather to focus on the tasks at hand. “This is parents’ way of telling government: Don’t mess with our kids,” Haley said Wednesday at The Heritage Foundation as she delivered the annual Margaret Thatcher… -
opinion
Virginia Election Outcome Was About Education. Here Are 4 Actions Youngkin Should Take to Address Parents’ Concerns.
Glenn Youngkin’s victory in the Virginia gubernatorial race is an indisputable vindication of the values-based case for school choice and parental empowerment. Voters had two clear and diametrically opposed paths from which to choose. One path labeled parents who were concerned about critical race theory being taught in the classroom as racists. It forced them… -
opinion
Biden’s Climate Policy a Titanic Disaster in Waiting
Rather than spending trillions that we do not have and making promises that cannot be kept, Congress and the administration should focus on implementing policies that reduce regulatory barriers to energy innovation, streamline permitting and regulatory reviews, and promote pro-growth tax policy. President Joe Biden’s approval ratings are more underwater than the Titanic. With rising… -
opinion
Under Biden’s Scheme, Taxes and Inflation Could Claim 100% of Some Capital Gains
A common misconception is that the U.S. federal corporate tax rate of 21% means that business owners keep 79 cents on the dollar. That, however, ignores the many layers of taxation they face. In fact, if President Joe Biden’s 5% to 8% “surcharge on high-income individuals” is enacted, after accounting for inflation, some investors could… -
opinion
House Progressives Detach From Reality
Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., a left-wing “squad” member in the House, attacked Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., for his opposition to the multitrillion-dollar Build Back Better Act. Manchin is “anti-black, anti-child, anti-woman, and anti-immigrant,” according to Bush, because of his opposition to this mega-spending welfare bill. If Bush wants to identify politicians hurting blacks, children, women,… -
opinion
New Book Explains ‘How the Left Changed the Way You Vote’
The 2020 election was unprecedented, what with the COVID-19 pandemic and controversy over expanded early and mail-in voting. “There were more lawsuits filed last year before the election trying to change the laws and the rules governing the election process than in any year in our entire history,” Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal… -
news
Too Close to Call in Razor-Thin New Jersey Governor’s Race
The New Jersey governor’s race between Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat fighting for a second term, and his Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli was shockingly close in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Murphy came out to speak just before 12:30 a.m. as Ciattarelli held a lead of 50.1% to the governor’s 49.2.% with 80% of… -
news
Meet the Parents Behind Youngkin’s Victory
Glenn Youngkin’s win in the Virginia gubernatorial race was driven by Virginia parents standing up against radical gender policies and critical race theory infiltrating public schools. On the eve of the election, The Daily Signal attended a Parents Matter rally in Loudoun County packed full of invigorated families. Parents tell us they voted for Youngkin… -
news
Winsome Sears, Virginia’s Next Lieutenant Governor, Makes History as First Black Woman to Win Statewide
Republican Winsome Sears became the first black woman to be elected statewide in Virginia, narrowly winning the lieutenant governor’s race Tuesday as part of a Republican sweep of state offices. Sears, a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, defeated Democrat Hala Ayala, a current House member. The polls in Virginia closed at 7… -
news
Former NYPD Captain Eric Adams to Become NYC Mayor
In a campaign featuring two candidates with backgrounds in law enforcement, Democrat Eric Adams defeated Republican Curtis Sliwa on Tuesday to become the next mayor of New York City. The Associated Press called the race for Adams at 9:20 p.m., shortly after the polls closed. With 62% of the vote counted as of 10:42 p.m.,… -
news
Republican Glenn Youngkin Wins Virginia Governor’s Race, Stunning Democrats
Former business executive Glenn Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the Virginia governor’s race Tuesday, becoming only the fourth Republican candidate to win the office in the past 40 years in what used to be a solidly red state. By 9:15 p.m., Youngkin appeared to be well on his way to thwarting McAuliffe’s attempt to… -
opinion
American Media Companies Give Rise to Taliban’s Soft Power
The embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan has reminded America that the threat of a second 9/11 is real. For the past 20 years, American forces have engaged terrorist organizations within the Middle East to prevent them from organizing and refitting for attacks against the mainland of the United States. However, the Taliban is stronger than ever… -
news
State Chapters of National School Boards Group Slam Letter to White House Depicting Parents as Domestic Terrorists
State members of the National School Boards Association slammed the organization following its letter addressed to President Joe Biden’s administration that compared parental concern at school board meetings to actions of “domestic terrorists,” according to emails obtained by Parents Defending Education through a public records request. Emails between Delaware, Florida, and Ohio school board officials… -
opinion
Democrats May Regret Messing With America’s Moms
We’ve all heard the story about the panicked mom summoning superhuman strength to lift a car off her trapped child. I’m not sure if it’s ever really happened, but I am sure that any politician who interferes with a mother’s ability to raise her children with the values she sees fit is playing with fire…. -
opinion
How Education Came to Dominate Virginia Governor’s Race
It’s Election Day in Virginia, and no issue has captured the attention of voters in the Old Dominion more than education. Battles between school boards and frustrated parents have attracted national attention, and led to a close race for governor. Ian Prior, a Loudoun County, Virginia, father and executive director of parents-based grassroots organization Fight… -
opinion
Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in 2 Texas Heartbeat Act Cases. Here Are the Top Takeaways.
We are only a month into the Supreme Court’s 2021-22 term and abortion already appears to be this season’s defining topic. The court heard arguments in two cases on Monday related to the Texas Heartbeat Act, which bans most abortions after the fetal heartbeat is detected (which is usually about six weeks after conception). And… -
opinion
Healing the Family and Saving the Country
When I was 9 years old, my parents separated and then divorced. When I was 15, I announced to my mother that I no longer would go to church. Apparently, in doing so, I was living out a common phenomenon. As marriage declines, so does religious belief, John Van Epp and J.P. De Gance point… -
news
US Joins Afghan Refugee Effort With Sponsors Accused of Terror Links
The State Department joined an initiative to welcome Afghan refugees to the United States that is sponsored by organizations supporting groups with possible ties to Palestinian terrorists, a review by The Daily Caller News Foundation found. Welcome.US is part of the Office of American Possibilities initiative, a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, according to its website…. -
news
Virginia Scholar Refuses to Cave to Pressure Over Tweet Criticizing Bisexual Superman
A scholar at a Virginia university is not backing down as students and faculty seek to get her fired for a tweet she posted criticizing DC Comics’ new bisexual Superman character. “Regrettably, this has all gone too far,” Sophia Nelson, scholar in residence at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, says in an open…