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
‘Fixing’ Our Democracy Would Only Make Matters Worse.
During Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate, Pete Buttigieg proposed a raft of supposed “reforms” that have, until recently, been the provenance of fringe groups and politicians such as D.C.’s nonvoting Democratic congresswoman, Eleanor Holmes Norton. The South Bend, Indiana mayor said: When I propose the actual, structural, democratic reforms that might make a difference—end the… -
news
How Faulty Assumptions in Climate Predictions Could Mean Big Costs for Americans
Family incomes will take a severe hit and household electricity prices will jump rapidly if policymakers use the “social cost of carbon” to justify new environmental regulations, a Heritage Foundation statistician warned during a climate change conference in Washington. Since computer climate models are grounded in assumptions about the impact of carbon dioxide emissions, the… -
news
Mario Lopez Vilified for Comments on Parenting, Gender Identity, and Believing Women
Actor and entertainment journalist Mario Lopez suddenly is receiving pushback for an appearance on conservative Candace Owens' podcast where he said he was “blown away” by the trend to let young children pick their own gender. “When you’re a kid … you don’t know anything about sexuality yet. You’re just a kid,” Lopez told Owens on "The… -
opinion
Video of Cocaine Bust at Sea Shows Importance of Coast Guard Funding
A dramatic video depicting the Coast Guard’s seizure of a drug-smuggling semi-submersible vehicle back in June has since gone viral. The operation resulted in the confiscation of more than 16,000 pounds of cocaine after a Coast Guardsman leaped onto the submarine in choppy eastern Pacific Ocean waters. Vice President Mike Pence applauded the success of… -
news
Ocasio-Cortez: Some People ‘Have No Choice but to Riot’
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in an interview that marginalized communities in the U.S. and across the globe “have no choice but to riot” under certain conditions. “I believe that injustice is a threat to the safety of all people, because once you have a group that is marginalized and marginalized and marginalized, then you… -
news
ACLU Blames ‘Inaccurate Stereotypes’ for Opposition to Male Athletes in Girls Sports
The American Civil Liberties Union blames “inaccurate stereotypes” for opposition to biological male athletes competing in female athletics, despite scientific research showing transgender athletes have advantages. The ACLU is leading a petition campaign in support of two male athletes, Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood, who are dominating high school girls track in Connecticut. “While Andraya and… -
opinion
Problematic Women: Do Women Really Have Different Opinions Than Men?
In this week’s edition of “Problematic Women,” Jessica Anderson, vice president of Heritage Action for America, joins us to discuss a recent survey commissioned by the organization that reveals the top issues that concern women, whether their opinions really differ from those of men, and how women feel about President Donald Trump’s performance—and personality—thus far…. -
opinion
What’s Driving America’s ‘Boy Crisis’
Mass shootings like the one in California last weekend have caused many to wonder what’s going wrong with our young men. Warren Farrell has a book out on this. He calls it “the boy crisis.” Today, Farrell joins the podcast to explain what’s driving young men toward despair—and to outline a path to recovery. We… -
opinion
Assisted Suicide Is Now Legal in New Jersey. It Could Get Even Worse.
As of Thursday, physician-assisted suicide is legal in New Jersey. The new policy stems from legislation passed by the state’s Legislature back in April. The law allows terminally ill patients with a prognosis of six months or fewer to self-administer lethal concoctions of drugs to take their own lives. Lawmakers claim that this policy will… -
news
Media ‘Got It Wrong’ on US Withdrawal From Afghanistan, Pompeo Says
BANGKOK—Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pushed back on what he called inaccurate news reports regarding U.S. plans to withdraw its military forces from Afghanistan by 2020. “I wish reporters had been a little more careful in what they had said. They got it wrong," Pompeo told reporters Tuesday en route to the Indo-Pacific region for… -
opinion
Smelling Rats in Baltimore
Calling someone “racist” has become the default position for liberal politicians and certain members of the media who wish to deflect attention from real problems. President Donald Trump has (again) been called a racist for having the temerity to note that House Government Oversight and Reform Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., seems to spend more time… -
opinion
Freedom of Assembly Under Fire
Do law-abiding American citizens still have the right to gather peacefully to discuss their ideas without fear of government censorship and retribution? In my adopted hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado, the answer is “No” if you believe in strict border control or question whether the U.S. can survive as a nation-state. The answer is “No”… -
opinion
Being a Racist Is Easy Today
Years ago, it was hard to be a racist. You had to be fitted for and spend money on a white gown and don a pointy hat. You celebrated racism by getting some burlap, wrapping it around a cross, setting it ablaze, and dancing around it carrying torches. Sometimes, as did Lester Maddox, you had… -
news
Border Chief Hits Liberals for ‘False’ Attacks, ‘Irresponsible Rhetoric’
Mark Morgan, acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, hit hard against those who are “demonizing” Border Patrol agents and directly called out members of Congress. “The men and women of CBP are not running concentration camps, making those in our custody drink from toilets, nor denying them access to toothbrushes. That is simply… -
news
How Actress Roxann Dawson Achieved Her Own ‘Breakthrough’ on Faith, Hollywood, and Adoption
She has become an in-demand director of popular TV shows, including “This Is Us,” “The Americans,” and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Science fiction fans know her as Lt. B’Elanna Torres, the Klingon chief engineer during seven seasons of “Star Trek: Voyager.” But Roxann Dawson would rather be known as a mother raising two girls, including one… -
news
Cruz Calls for Investigations of Antifa, Portland Mayor
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wants federal investigations of both Antifa, which he calls a “left-wing anarchist terrorist organization,” and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler after local members of the violent, black-clad organization “rampaged” through that Oregon city. Cruz notes in a letter to Justice Department officials that Antifa’s crimes that day included “stealing and destroying property,… -
opinion
Why the Carbon Tax Would Backfire on America
Several members of Congress have floated different carbon tax bills in recent days, some of which have both Democratic and Republican sponsorship. But marginal bipartisan support for enacting a new tax on American families and businesses doesn’t make it good policy. Different models and prices have been proposed, but they all tax activities that… -
news
$12K a Day: How White Liberals Profit From Pushing ‘White Privilege’
White liberal academics can earn more in a day lecturing about their own “white privilege” than the median black household makes in three months, public records obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation and Census Bureau data show. Left-wing academic Robin DiAngelo is renowned in social justice circles for crafting the “white privilege checklist” and… -
opinion
When Debt Becomes a Life Sentence
Debt is quickly becoming a new form of modern slavery in this country. With people becoming increasingly more willing to spend on consumer items and lifestyle enhancements before they actually earn the money, debt is increasingly common. To be clear, there is both good and bad debt. Good debt is the use of leverage to… -
news
‘The Source of Evil Is the Same’ in These 3 Captive Nations
As Captive Nations Week came to a close earlier this month, three nations in Latin America were still far from escaping the death grip of communist regimes. “What we’re talking about here is not just politics and policy,” said Marion Smith, executive director of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. “It’s about human beings.” Speakers…