Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. As soon as the elections were over, a wave of commentaries extolling the virtues of compromise appeared in the press. The common theme is that it is time for … Continue reading
American History & Presidents
Welfareship: France’s Status Quo, America’s Future?
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. Welfare has become a characteristic of President Obama’s domestic policies. There has been a surge in American citizens on welfare over the last four years, including a 50-percent increase in people on food … Continue reading
Romney vs. McCain and Obama vs. Bush? Who Wins?
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at American Spectator. Shortly after the November election, I wrote an article titled, “McCain Beats Romney!” The article focused on initial reports showing that Mitt Romney received fewer votes in 2012 than John McCain received in … Continue reading
Long Live the Twinkie! (Twinkie Killers, Part 2)
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. Can the Twinkie and other famous Hostess brands be saved? I hope so, and I’ll offer my own two cents’ on one possible way of doing so. First, though, … Continue reading
Reverend Rubio? The Media Begins Its Attack on Marco Rubio
Editor’s note: A longer version of this article first appeared at American Spectator. In a recent interview, Senator Marco Rubio, effectively the Republican front-runner for 2016, was asked, “How old do you think the Earth is?” It’s a question of utter irrelevance to the … Continue reading
Blasted Twinkie Killers!
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. Drat! I’m bummed—saddened by the news that the Hostess company, home of the Twinkie and other venerable sugary snacks, is shutting down. I’ll bet I haven’t eaten more than … Continue reading
The Gaza Trap
Even though Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced an Israel-Gaza ceasefire, it’s apparent that Gaza still holds many traps for Israel. For example, there’s the media trap. Hamas, like other Islamic terror groups, manipulates the Western media while toying … Continue reading
It’s the Holiday Season—Without Andy Williams
It was shortly before Thanksgiving. I was in the kitchen washing dishes when I heard my first music of the holiday season. Sick of talk radio and sick of election post-mortems, I gave myself a breather, turning the FM dial … Continue reading
The Decline and Fall of America
A few days after the election of 2012 the very talented Michael Ramirez published a political cartoon that perhaps conveyed a more profound meaning than he anticipated. He depicted a pair of hands extending from star-studded sleeves (presumably from a mendicant Uncle … Continue reading
Obama: The Second FDR Rather Than the Second Carter
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. I’ve thought a lot over the last few years about an axiom attributed to Mark Twain, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes.” The question to me was whether … Continue reading
Executive Privilege: The 2012 Election and the Power of Incumbency
Mitt Romney lost the presidential race by only two percentage points. If the election had been held just a week earlier, when he was up in the polls, things might have been different. Nonetheless, Mitt Romney lost, and now a … Continue reading
An Open Letter to Mitt Romney
Editor’s note: A version of this piece first appeared at USAToday.com. Dear Mitt, I have awakened on November 7 to learn that your bid for the presidency was unsuccessful. In the midst of the disappointment that I share with you, … Continue reading
V&V FLASHBACK — The 40-Percent President: Obama’s Cruise to Reelection
Editor’s note: A version of this piece was written for the American Thinker on January 26, 2011. We’re at the halfway mark of Barack Obama’s first term as president. I say “first term” because I’m confident that this isn’t his last. … Continue reading
America’s Fundamental Transformation
Timing is everything in politics. For four years, I angered conservatives by insisting Barack Obama would get reelected. I figured that an electorate willing to elect a man with ideas and a record that far to the left in 2008 … Continue reading
Two Percent Economic Growth: Real or Apparent?
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) has just announced that GDP grew at a rate of 2 percent during the last three months. Keynesians like Paul Krugman should be happy, and the so-called … Continue reading
Proof of Heaven
“Heaven is Real,” a Newsweek cover proclaimed last week. Renowned neurosurgeon Eben Alexander’s scientific worldview had previously led him to view near-death experiences as having plausible scientific explanations. However, spending seven days in a coma convinced him that the afterlife truly exists. … Continue reading
What About the Homeless? … The Homeless Then and Now—Obama and Reagan
As a biographer of Ronald Reagan, I’m constantly asked to compare today’s fiscal/economic situation to what Reagan faced in the 1980s. Today’s record debt/deficits remind of the 1980s, though today’s are far worse, with the deficit at least six times as … Continue reading
Intelligence and National Security Priorities
A generation ago, in the 1970s, the U.S. intelligence community possessed the technology to discern whether or not a U.S. consulate was under attack by terrorists or by rioters run amok. Moreover, no one in the community ever wanted a … Continue reading
Paul Ryan Readies for the Biden Treatment
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at The American Spectator. I’d like to share a story on Senator Joe Biden that happened 31 years ago, and may be relevant to Biden’s Thursday evening debate with Paul Ryan. … Continue reading
Holding the Fed Accountable
Editor’s note: On Wednesday, October 10, at 7 p.m., Dr. Craig Columbus will join executive director of The Center for Vision & Values, Dr. Paul Kengor, and successful venture capitalist and radio talk-show host, Glen Meakem, on the campus of … Continue reading