It may be a cliche, but the phrase “Trump means it seriously, but not literally” may be quite telling about the power of rhetoric that supports a particular worldview. Narratives, or larger stories about the way the world is, are essential to political candidates. When one thinks of former president Ronald Reagan, we not only […]
Tag: Bernie Sanders
The Cost of Care?
It was a sunny Sunday in Los Angeles when my great uncle, Gaylord Moss, got a phone call from my grandmother, Sabrina, in Cambridge, England. As they chatted about their day, the conversation moved to the topic of health. Part way through the conversation, they both realized that the other had a very different experience […]
Dear Mr. Sanders: Tuition-Free Education is a Handout to the Rich
As an eye-catching, sloganeering, vote-winning policy, tuition-free public university is certainly a crowd pleaser. It was for Bernie Sanders, and his left-wing doppelganger in Britain, Jeremy Corbyn, is discovering the same thing. It’s the kind of policy that sounds big, bold, and revolutionary — especially to their young, usually middle-class college student supporters. However, as […]
Will the Party Go On?
The Election of Tom Perez Tensions were high as delegates cast their ballots for the DNC chair. It had been the only contested DNC election since 2005, and is the first major election the Democratic Party has had since losing the 2016 election, bringing it to the national spotlight. After the recent Republican victories, all […]
Are Asians apolitical and other musings
I was browsing Facebook when I came across Jesse Watters’ “Chinatown segment” from the O’Reilly Show on Fox News. I had some time so I decided to watch it. As the camera panned to Chinatown, New York, a stereotypical Oriental riff chimed in the background. Watters’ first words? “Am I supposed to bow when I say […]
A Disunified Party in Power: Republicans off to a shaky start with ACA Repeal
January 9, 2016 — On the floor of the Senate, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) stands in front of a large posterboard emblazoned with a neon yellow “$9.7 trillion” — the amount of money he claims national spending will be increased by, were the current budget reconciliation plan to pass. Paul is arguing that the current […]
Why the Clinton Democrats Lost and Will Keep on Losing
Bill and Hillary Clinton at Hillary’s Concession Speech. President Trump. Let that sit in. People across the country are confused, angry, or celebrating Trump’s decisive win over Hillary Clinton after a bitterly divisive presidential election. Misogyny, racism, and the FBI are being suggested as potential causes for the loss of a former Secretary of State […]
Why The Golden State Didn’t Bern
Senator Sanders’ rallies, like this one in Oakland, CA drew thousands of enthusiastic supporters. (Getty) Despite the hype, California didn’t swing for Bernie on June 7, 2016. While national polls predominantly aligned with Clinton, a Sanders victory was still a real possibility leading up to the California primary, especially coming on the heels of a well-won Midwest […]
The Cost of Cost Relief: The potential impact of California’s drug price reform initiative
Government regulation is at it again. This time, it’s going after Big Pharma. California is the latest state to propose a ballot measure that, if passed, would set a price ceiling on prescription drugs paid for by state agencies. The California Drug Price Relief Initiative, proposed by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a Los Angeles-based patient […]
Make America Vote Again: How Sanders and Trump Have Helped to Fight Voter Apathy
Pete* has been apathetic about politics since the death of Robert Kennedy in 1968. After being an active participant in Bobby’s campaign, he has not been able to muster support for another candidate in forty years. Pete is not the only person who feels this way; voter apathy is a major problem in the United […]