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
Presidential Abuse of Pardoning and Clemency Power Must Be Curbed
Those of us concerned over President Barack Obama’s excessive use of his power under Art. II, §2, Cl. 1 of the Constitution to grant pardons and commutations to hundreds of drug dealers, many of whom also were convicted of firearms offenses (and therefore, contrary to what the president said, not nonviolent offenders), should realize that… -
news
At Party’s Convention, Democrats Reflect on the Liberal Revolution That Split Them
PHILADELPHIA—After the revolutionary himself confirmed that the revolution he started had run its course, a seething slice of the Democratic Party on Tuesday staged a protest on an elevated courtyard overlooking Philadelphia. “Are you angry? Are you pissed off?” a bearded middle-aged man implores his fellow “Bernie or busters,” using a megaphone to project his… -
opinion
The History of the United States, as Told by Young Democrats
PHILADELPHIA—Young Democrats appear to be part of the coalition championing that dictum from William Faulkner: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” I expected the youth caucus meeting at the Democratic National Convention, which I attended Wednesday, to focus almost entirely on current liberal concerns such as student loans, jobs, LGBT issues, and… -
news
ISIS or Climate Change: Which Worries Democrats More?
PHILADELPHIA—As delegates and other attendees came and went outside the Democratic National Convention, The Daily Signal asked some of them what issue they are more concerned about this election season—climate change or the threat of terrorism. Here’s what they had to say. -
opinion
No Time for Losers: Why Queen Can’t Pick Its ‘Champions’
I’ve paid my dues Time after time I’ve done my sentence But committed no crime —Queen, “We Are the Champions” The playing of hit songs long has been associated with American presidential campaigns. Bill Clinton used Fleetwood Mac’s song “Don’t Stop” during his first campaign. Twenty years later, Mitt Romney used Kid Rock’s “Born Free.”… -
opinion
When Assisted Suicide Becomes Coercive
Even the best intentions cannot reverse the insidious effects of a wrong policy. When those who advocate for assisted suicide cite a benevolent desire to relieve suffering, the horrifying results of such a practice still lie just beneath the surface. Recently, an elderly Vermont woman found herself repeatedly pressured to commit assisted suicide. Her grave… -
news
Government Agency Spent Millions on Public Relations Campaign to Improve Image
Top officials at the Government National Mortgage Association spent $3.9 million on a public relations campaign designed to create positive images for themselves, including a magazine piece on how one of them avoided obesity. Spending tax dollars to polish an individual employee’s image isn’t allowed under Federal Acquisition Regulations, the Department of Housing and Urban… -
opinion
You Could Pay More to Fly Under This EPA Climate Change Rule
Flying used to be a luxury only the rich could afford. Advances in the airline industry making travel more efficient and affordable have expanded the mobility of hundreds of millions of Americans. But a decision by the Environmental Protection Agency is likely to take air travel backward. The EPA on Monday released a final “endangerment… -
news
One Woman’s Struggle for Freedom in Castro’s Cuba
A slim Cuban woman speaks from a wheelchair at the front of the room. The woman speaks softly for 10 minutes in Spanish, pausing at intervals to wait for her translator’s words. Her left arm ends at the wrist, and she cradles it in her right hand. “If the Cuban people are going to risk… -
opinion
Preparing for the Worst: How to Respond to an Active Shooter
This summer, deadly terrorist attacks and crimes have taken place across the world and have many wondering how they can be safe even in the United States or Western Europe. This violence has been conducted with a range of weapons—including a suicide bomb in Ansbach, Germany, a truck in Nice, France, a rifle at the… -
opinion
As a Teen Cashier Seeing Food Stamp Use, I Changed My Mind About the Democrat Party
Mamaw encouraged me to get a job—she told me that it would be good for me and that I needed to learn the value of a dollar. When her encouragement fell on deaf ears, she then demanded that I get a job, and so I did, as a cashier at Dillman’s, a local grocery store…. -
news
How Democrats Came to Embrace Taxpayer-Funded Abortions
President Barack Obama signed an executive order in 2010 applying the Hyde Amendment, which bans taxpayer funding of most abortions, to Obamacare. Five years later, the White House referred to the Hyde Amendment while defending taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood. Now, the Democrats’ party platform is calling for repeal of the measure. According to a… -
opinion
California’s War on My Religious College and Others
I had a very weird college experience. My memories aren’t of frat parties, of slugging down drinks in games of quarters or beer pong, of losing my voice cheering at big football games, and of hearing how evil Western civilization is in the classroom. Instead, when I think of my four years at Thomas Aquinas… -
opinion
Coast Guard Plots Long-Term Strategy for Increasingly Important Arctic
The inhospitable Arctic could become a major area of contention between world powers in the coming decades. As new passages open it, it is up to the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure safe lines of shipping through those perilous waters. This August, the Crystal Serenity, an 820-foot long luxury cruise liner with 13 decks and… -
news
Journalist’s Murder, Kerry Trip to Moscow Among Events That Rattle Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine—Little more than two weeks ago, things were looking up for Ukraine. Fighting had tapered off in the ongoing war in eastern Ukraine and Kyiv had scored a series of diplomatic wins, including high-profile gestures of solidarity from NATO leaders at the Warsaw summit. But the good news quickly was overshadowed by events inside… -
news
Prominent Medical Group Dismisses Evidence Babies Feel Pain in Abortions at 20 Weeks
The American Medical Association is sticking by its influential report asserting that unborn babies cannot feel pain at 20 weeks, despite subsequent studies finding otherwise. Three of the report’s five authors had or later would have ties to the abortion industry. The Journal of the American Medical Association defended the report and declined a pro-life… -
opinion
The Force Is Not With You: Government Rules Could Land ‘Star Wars’ Drone Pilots in Prison
What kid hasn’t watched “Star Wars” and imagined skimming the Death Star trench in an X-Wing, tangling with TIE Fighters to save the Rebel cause? For a long time, playing out these flights of fancy was restricted to video games. But thanks to drone technology—not quite anti-gravity, but close—the Force may be coming to a… -
news
A Pastor Fights Against Government Restrictions on Political Sermons
When the Rev. Gus Booth found out the IRS was dropping its inquiry into Warroad Community Church where he preaches, he was actually disappointed. “We wanted to go to court,” Booth told The Daily Signal in a phone interview. “This is the First Amendment vs. the IRS code. One standard of the law would win.”… -
opinion
Efforts to Stop Government From Unjustly Taking Private Property Gain Steam
Civil asset forfeiture reform is gaining momentum in federal and state legislatures, and not a moment too soon. As outlined in a Heritage Foundation report, “Arresting Your Property,” a legal tool that began as a means of pursuing pirates and smugglers in the age of sail has expanded in scope in the last few decades,… -
news
In ‘Uncharted’ Period of Violence, Police Change Tactics but Keep Perspective
As police around the country grapple with recent violence against their own, Chief Brandon del Pozo of the Burlington Police Department in Vermont is requiring his officers to pair up when responding to calls for service, as a method for added safety and support. “It's important for cops to have someone to talk to about…