The power of calm writing in a frantic world
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The power of calm writing in a frantic world

I chose to spend five weeks writing about politics leading up the election, in a collection of posts I called “The Rationalist Papers.” The posts succeeded in their goals. Now that the stress and excitement of the election is (mostly) behind us, I’ll take you inside what happened and why it worked — and what…

Always doubt what you want to believe
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Always doubt what you want to believe

Good morning. I trust you slept well and soundly last night. As I write this, no serious news organization has declared the winner of the US presidential election. Based on current vote counts (9:15am) and the likelihood of remaining Democratic-skewing mail ballots being counted, Joe Biden is more likely than not to win the presidency,…

The Rationalist Papers (31): Election day
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The Rationalist Papers (31): Election day

We’ve reached the end of this maddening election cycle. Three things: First, if you still haven’t decided, ask yourself one question. Are you better off today than you were four years ago? That’s the question that the challenger Ronald Reagan asked the audience, a week before the election, in his final debate with President Jimmy…

The Rationalist Papers (30): Harden your heart
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The Rationalist Papers (30): Harden your heart

Only the tough survive. It’s time to get tough, America. At its core, that’s the argument for Donald Trump in this election. What’s the alternative? Bleeding-heart liberalism that wants to take what you have and give it to people who don’t deserve it. Sympathy is weakness. To keep America great, you need to harden your…

The Rationalist Papers (29): The story of Joe Biden and Lt. Peter F. Morrison Jr.
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The Rationalist Papers (29): The story of Joe Biden and Lt. Peter F. Morrison Jr.

Here’s a Biden story I bet you’ve never heard. Joe Biden was US Senator from Delaware starting in 1973. Pretty much from the start of his term, he took the Amtrak train from his home in Delaware to his office in Washington every day. Around 1980, he began to notice a woman who took the…

The Rationalist Papers (28): Trump shtick
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The Rationalist Papers (28): Trump shtick

I was watching President Trump speak at a rally and I suddenly realized why his performance seemed so familiar, even though his speaking style is unlike any other politician’s. It’s shtick. Just a reminder: these Rationalist Papers posts are for the group I call the deciders: conservatives, moderates, undecided, and third-party voters considering their choices in the…

The Rationalist Papers (27): Who wants to prevent you from voting?
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The Rationalist Papers (27): Who wants to prevent you from voting?

Only one party in the 2020 Presidential election is attempting to make it hard for people to vote, or to have their vote counted. It’s the Republicans. Just a reminder: these Rationalist Papers posts are for the group I call the deciders: conservatives, moderates, undecided, and third-party voters considering their choices in the 2020 US Presidential election….

The Rationalist Papers (26): 25 reasons
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The Rationalist Papers (26): 25 reasons

The election is one week from today. What have we learned? Just a reminder: these Rationalist Papers posts are for the group I call the deciders: conservatives, moderates, undecided, and third-party voters considering their choices in the 2020 US Presidential election. We need sober analysis free from the extreme shouts and screams of cable news and social…