IdeaLog
Fake news versus real news
Posted on June 6, 2018
A democracy cannot function when truth is irrelevant to political debate, when facts are manufactured at will, when voter persuasion is no more elevated than a schoolyard shouting match. But we’ve sunk that low....
Debate proactively!
Posted on May 24, 2018
Over the past twenty years, conservatives have generally trounced progressives at the game of message framing. The right wing identifies specific political goals and then its spokespeople conscientiously repeat poll-tested language—over and over—to shape...
The housing crisis of 2018
Posted on May 9, 2018
Home prices are higher now than at the peak of the housing bubble in 2006. Since the bottom of the housing market in late 2011, the median price of new homes has increased by...
The hypocrisy of the opioid debate
Posted on April 25, 2018
Days ago, the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee unanimously approved a bill called the “Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018.” Since this is a bipartisan measure, it’s no surprise that the...
It sure seems like a cover-up
Posted on April 11, 2018
On October 1, 2017, a gunman named Stephen Paddock killed 58 and injured more than 850 people who were attending a country music concert in Las Vegas. The murderer fired semiautomatic assault weapons, equipped...
We don’t need to overturn the Second Amendment to enact strong gun laws
Posted on March 28, 2018
Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens recently wrote an op-ed calling for a constitutional amendment to repeal the Second Amendment. And he is correct that Justice Antonin Scalia’s majority ruling in District of...
The unholy misuse of “freedom” of religion
Posted on March 15, 2018
The radical right is engaged in political warfare to impose fundamentalist Christianity on all Americans. To be more specific, they are trying to enact laws and policies to: Allow businesspeople to refuse service to...
How to Argue for Stronger Gun Laws
Posted on February 23, 2018
Once again, we’re engaged in a debate over gun laws following a horrific massacre. The problem is not American public opinion. The highly-respected Quinnipiac University Poll reported on February 20 that Americans support universal...
Black Families Flee Extended School Year in DC
Posted on February 14, 2018
School “reformers” have, for decades, promoted the idea of extending the number of school days per year, from the current norm of 180 days to 190 or 200. Yet, only a tiny percentage of U.S. public...
Seven questions answered on progressive strategy for 2018
Posted on January 31, 2018
Policy Director Bernie Horn was asked seven questions by The Campaign Workshop: What are the key issues that progressive lawmakers should be pushing in 2018, and how do you determine which legislation to urge...