Political Commentary & Opinion

Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
Filter articles by
  • opinion

    We’ve Spent $22 Trillion on War on Poverty. What Have We Achieved?

    It's been 50 years now since the federal government launched its "War on Poverty." But the numbers just released by the Census Bureau suggest we're in a losing battle. The poverty rate now stands at 14.5 percent. That's a drop from the previous rate of 15 percent. But don't celebrate too quickly. The new rate…
    Read More
  • opinion

    The Real Story About What Ended the Great Depression (Hint: It Wasn’t the New Deal)

    My seventh-grade son recently wrote a U.S. History paper extolling the virtues of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. “It ended the Great Depression,” he wrote with great certainty. He’s only 12 and parroting what the history texts and his teachers told him. That’s his excuse. What’s Ken Burns’? Mr. Burns’ docudrama on the Roosevelts—for those…
    Read More
  • news

    Mark Levin’s Simple Plan to Put a Conservative in the White House

    Hard-charging radio commentator Mark Levin is sick of waiting for the Republican Party to nominate a conservative for president, and today he outlined his plan to accomplish just that. Speaking at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, the talk radio giant and bestselling author issued a call to action to the crowd of social conservatives,…
    Read More
  • news

    ‘It’s the Culture, Stupid’: Bobby Jindal Sounds Personal Notes at ‘Values’ Venue

    Washington may be, in his words, “phony and dangerous,” but Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal made it clear last evening that he’s aiming straight for the White House. Jindal, serving up anti-Obama rhetoric, personal stories and jokes at the Values Voter Summit in Washington,  was the picture of a 2016 presidential hopeful who is primed to…
    Read More
  • news

    Fracking Good Times: North Dakota Tops U.S. Income Gains

    North Dakota leads the nation in personal income growth. No other state even comes close. From 2008 to 2012, North Dakotans’ per-capita income jumped 31 percent to $57,367, the highest of any state and just behind Washington, D.C., according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. South Dakota came in a distant second at 10…
    Read More
  • opinion

    How Taxpayer-Subsidized Universities Damage US Foreign Policy

    Nearly all parents (94 percent) surveyed by Pew Research three years ago said they wanted their children to go to university. But they might not be so anxious to send the kids to campus if they knew everything that gets taught on campus. Last week, for example, 10 major Jewish groups released a series of…
    Read More
  • news

    These Two States Tied for First Among States Reliant on Federal Dollars

    SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico’s nickname is the Land of Enchantment, but it also appears to be the land of dependence. A study by the financial website wallethub.com looked at which states were most reliant on federal dollars, and New Mexico tied for first with Mississippi. WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District…
    Read More
  • news

    More Taxpayer Resources Needed for SEIU ‘Political Retribution’ Audit

    MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County Supervisor David Bowen calls it a compromise, but he’s still getting his “political retribution” while hitting taxpayer resources three times as hard. Bowen, who wrote the county’s “living wage” ordinance with Service Employees International Union-affiliated officials and has received numerous campaign contributions from SEIU agencies, is moving forward with a request…
    Read More
  • opinion

    What the Left’s Scare Tactics on Keystone Pipeline Get Wrong

    Earlier this year the Obama administration again delayed a decision about the Keystone XL pipeline. The 1,200 mile, $5.2 billion pipeline could increase North American energy security and create more than 15,000 jobs. But behind the White House's unwillingness to move forward are environmental groups that vehemently oppose the project. Groups like the Sierra Club…
    Read More
  • news

    ‘Don’t Let ’em Getcha Down’: 11 Values-Based Zingers From Sarah Palin

    Sarah Palin colorfully roused an audience of social conservatives at the Values Voter Summit this afternoon, at one point mocking President Obama for his “latte salute” by raising a Styrofoam cup to her head after thanking U.S. troops. Palin’s speech came across more like a roast — of Obama, liberals and the “lamestream media” —…
    Read More
  • news

    Benham Brothers: Why Americans Are in a ‘Dangerous Place’ Today

    David and Jason Benham, the twin brothers who lost their planned HGTV reality show after a liberal website attacked their Christian beliefs, say too many Americans are “afraid” to stand up for traditional values. “There are so many people who feel they’re going to lose their jobs if they not only say the things we…
    Read More
  • news

    6 Years of Eric Holder in 1 Timeline

    Eric Holder’s plan to resign as U.S. attorney general will mark the end of nearly six contentious years at the Department of Justice. The nation’s chief law-enforcement officer was confronted with controversies throughout his tenure. The following timeline highlights some of the most noteworthy events. Use the arrows to advance or jump to an event…
    Read More
  • opinion

    L.A. Wants to Spend $10 Million to Help Cougars Mate

    It’s no secret Los Angeles is full of cougars on the prowl. But making news today is one specific four-legged cougar — a mountain lion scientists call “P12” who could soon be worth $10 million. New P12 offspring live in the Santa Monica Mountains thanks to P12’s successful crossing of the freeway that separates the…
    Read More
  • news

    Navy SEAL Shot 27 Times by al-Qaeda Lives. Now He Helps Others.

    On April 6, 2007, Navy SEAL Sr. Chief Mike Day was shot 27 times by four al-Qaeda leaders. Despite the extensive close-range wounds, Day was able to defeat the terrorists, and according to Fox News, “walk under his own power to a medevac helicopter.” Day is currently looking forward to competing in the Ironman 70.3…
    Read More
  • news

    This Cheerleader’s Amazing Response to Prayer Ban

    Cheerleader Asia Canada of Oneida, Tenn., wasn’t happy when her high school decided to replace a prayer before football games with a moment of silence, reports local NBC affiliate WBIR. So she took matters into her own hands. Oneida High School was reportedly pressured by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee to end the…
    Read More
  • news

    Is Al Sharpton Helping the White House Find a New Attorney General?

    Civil rights activist Al Sharpton, host of MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation,” says he’s consulting with the White House on Eric Holder’s replacement as attorney general. “We are engaged in immediate conversations with the White House," @TheRevAl said. Following news of Holder’s resignation Thursday, Sharpton tweeted a statement declaring his involvement in the administration’s search for a successor. “We…
    Read More
  • news

    This Congressman’s Moving Story About An Unexpected Pregnancy

    Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., who is staunchly pro-life, told the audience at the 2014 Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., about his own encounter with abortion. Stutzman, who made a bid for House majority whip in June, told the audience of social conservatives today to offer compassion toward others because if they don’t, government will….
    Read More
  • news

    The Two-Year Anniversary This U.S. Pastor’s Wife Never Imagined

    Naghmeh Abedini hasn’t seen her husband in more than two years. In July 2012, while Saeed Abedini was building a government-approved orphanage in Iran, the U.S. pastor was imprisoned for crimes against national security. The charges grew out of Abedini's  involvement with Christian house churches in Iran. Abedini is serving an eight-year sentence at Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj, Iran,…
    Read More
  • opinion

    Child Poverty Rate Five Times Lower in Married-Parent Homes

    Child poverty rates have decreased slightly, according to the latest Census data. Child poverty dropped from 21.8 percent to 19.9 percent between 2012 and 2013. While there’s been some buzz about this number, there’s a glaring statistic in the Census data that hasn’t received much attention: the major disparity in child poverty between married-parent and…
    Read More
  • news

    Farmers to Lesbian Couple: ‘We’re Not Hateful People’

    The phone call at 8:30 p.m. seemed routine for Cynthia and Robert Gifford—a bride-to-be inquiring about holding a  wedding at their home, Liberty Ridge Farm in upstate New York. Then Cynthia Gifford realized the caller wanted to book their family farm near the village of  Schaghticoke for a same-sex wedding. She politely declined. “We’re not hateful people,” Gifford…
    Read More