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
What Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation Tells Us About Separation of Church and State
At this time of year 150 years ago, in the middle of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln issued his second presidential proclamation setting apart the last Thursday of November as a day of national thanksgiving. By doing so, and thus repeating a practice he had first established the year before, he set in motion a… -
opinion
A Thanksgiving Sacrifice to Remember
As we sit down to feast with our families this holiday, the blessing might well include a word of thanks to the men and women of our armed forces. While we celebrate our national holiday in the warmth and comfort of homes, they serve at grave peril in faraway places like Afghanistan. Some of our… -
opinion
Ferguson Is a Repeat of Past Riots. Can We Make Sure It Doesn’t Happen Again?
We’ve been here before. The riots in Ferguson, Mo., are the latest set off by racial tensions—but they are certainly not the first. Decades may have passed, but the Ferguson riots look similar to these past events: The 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles that followed an incident between California Highway Patrol and a young… -
opinion
Hong Kong Police Dismantle Protest Site
With the world no longer looking in so intently, police in Hong Kong overnight swept in and cleared one of the largest protest spots in the financial hub, arresting top leaders. But members of Congress already riled up about China reneging on promises of democracy to the city may not be as forgiving as Beijing’s men… -
opinion
Why I Don’t Mind Working Retail Thanksgiving Day
This year, as I have for the past eight years, I will be working on Thanksgiving Day. I work retail, and we have this thing called "Black Friday" or some such named event, depending on the store. For the last two or three years, people have been complaining about Black Friday starting earlier and earlier… -
opinion
Those Thanksgiving Sales Don’t Really Save You Much. So Why Are You Asking Me to Work?
Shopping on Black Friday is completely unnecessary. I’ll say it again: shopping on Black Friday is completely unnecessary. The deals you think you’re getting on this one magical day can be obtained in other days if you shop smartly in the time leading up to the Christmas or Hanukkah or whatever holiday you celebrate. >>> Why… -
news
Disbelief as New York Times Publishes Details on Where Newlywed Ferguson Officer Lives
Angering fellow journalists and the public alike, The New York Times published details on the residence of Darren Wilson, the Ferguson, Mo., police officer whom a grand jury declined to indict for the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. The newspaper posted an article Monday on Wilson’s marriage to a fellow Ferguson police officer, Barbara… -
opinion
EPA Proposes Extreme Air Quality Standards
The Environmental Protection Agency just released its proposed new standard on ground-level ozone, which is a component of smog. Every five years, the EPA is required by law to review and, if appropriate, revise these standards. In 2008, the EPA issued an ozone standard of 75 parts per billion (ppb). The new standard proposed by… -
news
How the Presidential Turkey Pardon Became a White House Tradition
“Let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy. He’s granted a presidential pardon as of right now.” These are the words that officially saved two turkeys in 1989 when President George H.W. Bush began the "presidential turkey pardon" tradition. Although turkeys… -
opinion
Would the GOP Benefit From This Woman Running for President?
More than 50 percent of the American electorate is made up of women. With Hillary Clinton as the front-runner for Democrats heading into the 2016 presidential campaign, would the GOP benefit from a high-profile conservative woman throwing her hat into the ring? According to a story in today’s Washington Post, former Hewlett Packard chief executive… -
opinion
14 Things to Be Thankful for in 2014
Polls in recent months show Americans in a foul mood when it comes to the economy, their personal finances and the general direction of the nation. Most Americans think the great American Dream – the idea that our children will achieve a standard of living higher than our own – is dead. Others say that… -
opinion
Many Faiths, Common View on Marriage: Men and Women Are Created for Each Other
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I’m particularly thankful for marriage—both on a personal level and for the critical role it plays in society. Today, my parents will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. And last week, I was able to join hundreds from around the world at an International Interfaith Colloquium led by Pope Francis… -
opinion
Don’t Force People to Work on Thanksgiving. Shop the Sales Later.
No one needs to be able to buy a big-screen TV on Thanksgiving. That once seemed like a truth universally agreed upon. Sure, we kept the grocery stores open for part of the day for quick runs for forgotten ingredients, and we kept the airports open so people could fly home to their families. But… -
news
Majority of Americans Say It’s Not Federal Government’s Role to Provide Health Care Coverage
For the third year in a row, a majority of Americans say it’s not the proper role of government to make sure everyone has health care coverage. According to a new Gallup poll, 52 percent of respondents said it is not the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have health care… -
news
In Time for Thanksgiving, Obama White House Serves Up 3,400 Regulations
Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, the White House quietly released word that it has 3,400 regulations in the pipeline for next year. For those who’d like to check out the Obama administration’s proposed new government red tape, released Friday, it’s called the Unified Agenda. “The administration has been really aggressive on the regulatory front,” Sam Batkins,… -
news
Is Ferguson Really About Race?
A day after riots engulfed Ferguson, Mo., protesters gathered there again and in cities across America last night. Many demonstrated peacefully, while others resorted to violence. The Daily Signal interviewed two religious leaders about the unrest. In the interview above, Bishop Harry Jackson, founder of the High Impact Leadership Coalition in Beltsville, Md., weighs in… -
news
57 Raw Images of the Ferguson Protests Across the Nation
From peaceful sit-ins to demolished police cars, people all over the country have taken to the streets to protest a grand jury’s decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown. The protests that started in Ferguson, Mo., have multiplied into demonstrations across America. These 57 raw images transport… -
news
Darren Wilson’s First TV Interview: ‘All I Wanted to Do Was Live’
Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot and killed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday. In an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, Wilson recounted the scene on Aug. 9 when he encountered Brown and an altercation ensued. A St. Louis County grand jury decided not to indict… -
opinion
5 Problems with the Nuclear Talks with Iran
The Obama administration was forced to punt once again at the talks on Iran’s nuclear program when the Iranians refused to budge on their maximal demands on uranium enrichment and sanctions relief. When they failed to strike a deal by Monday’s deadline, Iran and the P5 +1 (five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council… -
news
See George H.W. Bush’s Face When He Realizes He’s on the Kiss Cam
When George H.W. Bush leaned in for a kiss with his wife Barbara, he may not have known that tens of thousands were watching. But after the couple shared the smooch at the Houston Texans game Sunday, the former president realized the moment was caught on the stadium’s “Kiss Cam” for everyone to see. In what…