Incomplete pass[ive]: Bill Belichick rejects the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Incomplete pass[ive]: Bill Belichick rejects the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Donald Trump proposed to give New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Belichick’s statement declining the honor twists, turns, and lies down passively like a quarterback about to be sacked by the defense. A bit of background. Belichick is part of the holy trinity of New England football, along with…

Orderly transition of power my ass

Orderly transition of power my ass

After the Congress certified Joe Biden as the winner of the presidential election, Donald Trump pledged an orderly transition of power. It wasn’t. And it likely won’t be. Here’s the statement, posted on the Twitter account of Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino (because Twitter had suspended the President’s @realDonaldTrump account for inciting violence): Even…

Priorities for Democrats

Priorities for Democrats

What should be the work of government for the next two years? It’s clear from last night’s results in Georgia that the Democrats, having flipped two more Senate seats, will have a slim majority (50/50, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking ties). It’s also clear that despite the protests of the president and a dozen…

Deplatforming Trump

Deplatforming Trump

In about a month, Trump will no longer be president. He’ll no longer have the “political leader” exception on social media — he’ll have to play by the same rules as everyone else. I’ll game out what’s likely to happen as social networks and others consider “deplatforming” the ex-president. How deplatforming works All technology companies…

Tiny desk press event

Tiny desk press event

I have questions for the person who set up this Thanksgiving Day press opportunity for President Trump. Who thought a tiny desk and chair would look presidential? Who imagined that putting the presidential seal on the front of the desk would help? Who imagined that the taped-together mike stand and scuffed carpet would enhance the…

The Rationalist Papers (30): Harden your heart
|

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.
|

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
|

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…