We are all to some degree a reflection of the nurturing environment that surrounds us, adopting views, ideas, even mannerisms of family, friends, public figures. Politicians occasionally portray some excesses in this regard, paraphrasing, sometimes plagiarizing, material from heroic figures…. Read More ›
elections
Is Two Really Sweeter?
Editors’ Note: This VoxFairfax article also appeared in the October 14, 2021, Cardinal News, https://cardinalnews.org/2021/10/14/is-two-really-sweeter/. The shenanigans convulsing the Virginia Redistricting Commission (VRC) were predicted by some critics, mostly based upon the dubious notion that a group of folks not… Read More ›
The Road Ahead
It appears that the Virginia Redistricting Commission (VRC) will not meet its timeline to produce a set of electoral maps establishing new boundaries that are supposed to endure until the next census in 2030, in effect, a 10-year legacy. The… Read More ›
Redistricting Commission Imploding
Republicans Reject Compromise and Democrats Walk Out Editors’ Note: Reposted from Virginia Mercury, October 8, 2021. Sadly, redistricting in the Commonwealth fell prey to the Virginia Way. Critics of the original legislation will crow; a hopeful citizenry will sigh with… Read More ›
Where Are They Today?
ARNOLD “ARNIE” ALOIS SCHWARZENEGGER It was almost 18 years ago, on October 7, 2003, that California voters propelled Arnold Schwarzenegger into the Governor’s office following a recall referendum of Governor Gray Davis. Schwarzenegger’s film career was at something of a… Read More ›
Long Distance Running
By Frank Blechman I have never been a long-distance runner, although I have a lot of friends who have taken up the sport. I have watched long-distance foot races at many different distances and levels. Before, during, and after, the… Read More ›
Political Calculus and Secularism
Editors’ Note: Reposted from The New York Times, August 29, 2021. As the nation’s population dynamics continue to reorganize electoral maps, other social forces shift and shape to affect political outcomes. By Ryan Burge There’s no more politically unified religious… Read More ›
Rigged?
By Frank Blechman Why do incumbent elected officials usually win reelection? Critics would say they win because the elections are “rigged.” For me, that’s a question of semantics. Yes, in the past, gerrymandered districts have favored incumbents, not just by… Read More ›