Social media: what now?

The heat's on high for Facebook these days, as Mark Zuckerberg & co. reflect on their perceived influence in the 2016 election. I myself have been aggravated by Facebook's obnoxious "trending" feature more often than not (especially when a real news story is ongoing, it's frustrating to see "Kylie Jenner" and "Hairspray" at the top of …

Who lost the most?

In preschool, my brother learned to name then 43 presidents in chronological order. Many Americans grow up with legends about George Washington’s cherry tree and Honest Abe; now Hamilton has enshrined even one of our more unimaginative forefathers. School House Rock taught me from an early age that this nation was founded and shaped by …

What’s at stake

"My name may not be on the ballot, but our progress is on the ballot." Back in September, President Obama delivered an impassioned appeal to the Congressional Black Caucus to fortify his legacy and defend his life's work on November 8th. It's November 5th. (remember remember the 5th of November...) Here's the rest of Obama's laundry list, …

Mandate

So much of American rhetoric is spun with providence: John Winthrop's "city upon a hill," the American Dream, Manifest Destiny...even our modern politics are sprinkled with dreams that never die and 18 million cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling. And the presidential mandate holds no less weight. The mandate is the idea that the …

Red vs. blue with green nowhere to be found

They're finally over. No part of this election season has been quiet, but October's debates brought a new level of chaos and controversy - much of which we could've done without. So we're left with a few key takeaways, now less than three weeks til Election Day (Hallelujah! Thank god!): Donald Trump is, at the very least, …

Stalemate

Two summers ago I paid my first visit to Canada, and my first trip out of the country in a few years. In an Uber with some friends coming back from brunch, we started chatting up our driver: a Quebec native, he told us he'd never been to the United States. When we asked why not (Montreal …

For 10/10-would-recommend debate coverage:

For everyone who doesn't think they'll last another debate, another editorial, or another post-debate news cycle, the @OnionPolitics live tweet sessions are all you need to stay informed and stay sane. ... Continue reading

Emails emails emails emails emails

I was at work when the latest 2016 debacle broke; one guy with me in the back was watching a Trump town hall on his computer, when we heard our coworker next door screech: "grab her by the p*ssy?!?!" Not something you hear every day in the office. Not something you hear every day on the …

Zero-sum game, zero-score debate

Well, the pivotal moment came and went - Donald and Secretary Clinton (is that OK with you? I just want you to be happy) faced off Monday night and we all lived to fight another day. Here's what didn't happen: 1) a question about a fake government agency 2) a dig at Donald's small hands 3) …

Debate preview, a history

One of my only vivid memories from the college admissions process blur is sitting in an optional one-on-one information session, across from a woman only a few years older than me. Our conversation was perfectly nice and casual - she hadn't thrown any curveballs or asked anything particularly interesting - until I mentioned I was …