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
We Need Steady Leadership, Not Fire-Starters, to Guide a Divided Nation
The current state of American politics is eerily reminiscent of the wildfires that recently engulfed the state of California. The conditions are right, the tinder is dry, the crosswinds are high, and the landscape is ripe for conflagration. This is why it’s incumbent upon our political leadership to refrain from lighting a match at this… -
opinion
Why Peace Through Strength Ensures Our Safety at Home
The America that we cherish and hope to pass on to the next generation depends on the promise that we have a military strong enough to protect it and everything it stands for. Without that kind of military might to defend us from our enemies and to deter potential adversaries, everything that America is and… -
opinion
Pension Bailouts Could Raise the National Debt by $7 Trillion
On Oct. 31, the national debt hit $23 trillion. That’s equivalent to a credit card bill of $178,000 for every household in America. This marks an enormous increase. Even after adjusting for inflation, it’s a jump of $60,000 over just 10 years for the average household. In other words, even after accounting for inflation, the… -
opinion
Laws Like This Play a Terrible Trick on Children
Halloween is the spookiest night of the year, when millions of monsters and supernatural creatures of the night (often accompanied by their parents) stalk peaceful communities and extort candy from good people under threats of mischief. These rambunctious ghouls and goblins are only looking for fun, sweets, and a bit of playful fright. But there… -
opinion
EPA Is Right to Give States More Control Over Coal Ash Regulation
With a set of four new rules, the Environmental Protection Agency is improving regulations for the management of coal combustion residuals, better known as “coal ash.” Coal ash is commonly recycled to make cement, drywall, asphalt, and bricks. It’s processed to make plastics lighter and stronger and as filler in wood products. Coal ash has… -
opinion
Problematic Women: Allie Stuckey on Millennials, Mentors, and Motherhood
Allie Stuckey, host of the “Relatable” podcast on BlazeTV, joins us to discuss the spread of socialist ideology, her experiences on BlazeTV, the importance of mentors, and how to balance a career with motherhood. We also break down: Wendy Ullman, a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, calls early miscarriages and abortions “a mess… -
news
Since 2006, Over a Million Californians Have Left the State
More than half of California’s registered voters have considered leaving the state, and 40% of that number represents Republicans or conservatives, according to a study by the University of California, Berkeley. Conservatives and Republicans surveyed mentioned the state’s expensive housing, high taxes, and liberal political culture as their primary reasons for wanting to leave California,… -
opinion
The Absurdity of Thinking Disparities Prove Discrimination
Jews have been awarded 40% of the Nobel Prizes in economics, 30% of those in medicine, 25% in physics, 20% in chemistry, 15% in literature, and 10% of the Nobel Peace Prizes. Since the beginning of the 20th century, there have been just over 900 Nobel Prizes awarded. Since Jews are only 2% of the… -
opinion
Here’s What a Big Coal Bankruptcy Has in Common With Teachers, GM Strikes
In a competitive global economy, employers must be able to adapt to meet market demands. If they don’t, they’ll lose out to other businesses that do adapt, and offer better products and lower prices as a result. Similarly, city and state governments that can’t or don’t adapt will lose residents and the economic output and… -
opinion
The Troubling Rise of Do-It-Yourself Abortions
Pro-lifers hailed some good news recently: The rate of abortions in the United States has fallen to a record low, according to a recent report from the Guttmacher Institute. But the report also included some bad news. Of the more than 860,000 abortions in the U.S. in 2017, chemical abortions increased 25% from 2014 and… -
opinion
5 Things to Watch in Tracking the Future of ISIS
Almost as soon as it became clear that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was dead, the revisionism began about whether this was actually a good thing. Some analysts predicted that al-Baghdadi’s death as a “martyr” would inspire others, becoming a “propaganda bonanza” for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. We should not be so gloomy. The death of… -
opinion
The Left-Right Divide Is About Reality Itself
The left-right divide in America is, unfortunately, unbridgeable. There are three reasons. First, we are divided by our vision of what we want America to be. The right believes the Founders’ vision was brilliant and moral, that bourgeois middle-class values are superior to alternative value systems; that rights come from God, not man; and that… -
opinion
Power Outages, Wildfires Staggering California’s Middle Class
California is often held up as a bastion of progressivism and equality. However, the reality is that the state is increasingly becoming a place only for the very rich and very poor, with little in between. The latest wildfires and power blackouts in California are—like so many of the state’s bad public policies—putting the hurt… -
news
Clinton Advisers Won’t Comment After Ronan Farrow Says Former President Was ‘Credibly Accused of Rape’
Some of former President Bill Clinton’s closest former administration officials have remained silent after investigative reporter Ronan Farrow said the former president was "credibly accused of rape." Farrow, who wrote the book “Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators,” which is about NBC News’ alleged attempts to silence his reporting surrounding sexual assault allegations… -
opinion
YouTube Won’t Let a Medical Doctor Say This Sentence
“See, if you want to cut off a leg or an arm, you’re mentally ill, but if you want to cut off healthy breasts or a penis, you’re transgender.” Those are the words of Dr. Michelle Cretella, a pediatrician with many years’ experience and the executive director of the American College of Pediatricians, in a… -
news
‘Clear Public Safety Threat’: ICE Rips Sanctuary County for Releasing Illegal Alien Convicted for Deadly Crash
Officials in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, refused to honor an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer placed on an illegal alien convicted in a deadly drunk driving accident, opting instead to release him back into the community. ICE placed a detainer request on Jose Barajas-Diaz, a Mexican national living illegally in the U.S., a day after… -
opinion
Staying in Paris Agreement Would Have Cost Families $20K
Editor’s note: The U.S. just took a new, major step to leaving the Paris Agreement, a climate change deal between several countries. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, “Today the United States began the process to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Per the terms of the Agreement, the United States submitted formal notification of its withdrawal… -
opinion
What’s Driving Chicago’s Political Dysfunction
Chicago is known for its deep dish pizza, skyscrapers, and lively sports scene. Unfortunately, it’s also known for high crime, fiscal woes, and political dysfunction. Other major cities have reformed their political system over time, but not Chicago. The city remains stuck with an outdated political model where the mayor is essentially king, making it… -
opinion
Debunking the Myth of ‘Concealed-Carry Killers’
The Violence Policy Center—a gun control advocacy group—released a study last month it wrongly claims shows that “too many concealed-carry permit holders are a direct threat to public safety.” That claim rests on an analysis of a database documenting “non-self-defense incidents,” which the organization says proves that “allowing random people to carry guns endangers public… -
news
US Troops Prepare to Fight in a Way That Looks More Like World War II
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany—Exactly 75 years and one week after the first American patrol crossed into Nazi Germany during World War II, hundreds of U.S. Army paratroopers descend onto German territory. Rather than the liberation of Europe, however, these U.S. troops arrive for a simulated battle as part of an exercise called Saber Junction. The…