In defense of Woodland

Two people say something stupid, the Internet goes crazy and a fine little town gets smeared around the world. I rise in defense of Woodland, North Carolina. Regrettably, I’m not defending the town against the usual hit squad of right-wing Republicans who stereotype people, like Muslims and gays. This time, the stereotyping is by some…

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WRAL’s climate change

Greg Fishel says he took a while to change his mind on climate change. Then he got a quick lesson in politics. Richard Stradling wrote in the N&O (“Climate change reversal puts brighter spotlight on weatherman Greg Fishel”): Fishel’s change in thinking has showed him how divided Americans are on this subject and others. It…

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Gone a Little Haywire

Terrorism may just turn out to be the death-knell of political correctness. The day after the California attacks the Attorney General announced “her greatest” fear isn’t more attacks – it’s ‘hate speech’ against Muslims. That landed with a thud. Then Loretta Lynch went on to explain that the attacks had also created “a wonderful opportunity……

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An Obstacle Standing in the Way

Saturday morning the New York Times ran a front page article about the attack in California and, right next to it, for the first time in 90 years, it ran a front page editorial – calling for more gun control. Think about that: In California terrorists killed Americans and, in New York, the Times wants…

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Is Trump 2016’s Ross Perot?

Didn’t we see this movie before? A billionaire with a big ego and a bigger mouth seizes the stage, runs for President as an independent and ends up electing President Clinton. That was Ross Perot in 1992. Now Donald Trump is warning he may go third-party next year. Visions of Republican chaos and a Clinton…

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This is your chance, Chris Christie

The worse Donald Trump gets, the better his poll numbers get. Once again, he owns the national political debate because he goes where no one else dares to go. And when you go where even Dick Cheney and the South Carolina Republican Party chair won’t go, you’ve left the gravitational pull of Earth. It’s time…

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Sillier and Sillier

Sunday, after the attack in California, President Obama spoke to the nation and laid out his best ideas to stop terrorism: War is still out. There is no way we’re going to use overwhelming force. It’s not in his make-up. And using the words Muslim Terrorist is still off the table. What’s in? Gun Control.…

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Terror and the Oval Office

The political significance of President Obama’s speech last night wasn’t what he said, but why. Obviously, our famously no-drama Commander-in-Chief felt the seismic shift after the California killings. Weeks ago, he calmly assured us that ISIS (why does he say “ISIL”?) was “contained.” Last night, he sternly assured us he takes the threat seriously. Forget…

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Watch the Video

Donald Trump’s coming to Dorton Arena tonight and reporters and pundits have been calling, asking, Isn’t Trump going to be the kiss of death for Republicans? That’s the ‘spin’ coming out of the Republican Establishment in Washington, where they’re telling Republican voters, ‘If Trump’s the nominee we’re sunk, Hillary’s in;’ and out of Hillary and…

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Here we go again

As soon as you heard about the California shootings, you knew what was coming next: another political shootout over gun control, Muslim refugees, mental health, homegrown terrorism, etc, etc. Right after politicians sent out their requisite “thoughts and prayers” to the victims. And we should have all those debates. But first take some advice from…

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