21 | July | 2012

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Politics and Public Opinion, Elections, Pethokoukis

If Obama loses in 2012, would he run again in 2016?

James Pethokoukis | July 21, 2012, 3:57 pm

American politics isn’t kind to presidential election losers. But comebacks and reruns do happen from time to time. Andrew Jackson lost to John Quincy Adams in 1824, but came back to win two terms in 1828 and 1832. William Jennings Bryan … read more >

Carpe Diem

We can’t have a wage-price inflation spiral if wages refuse to spiral

Mark J. Perry | July 21, 2012, 2:32 pm

The graph above shows two monthly series back to 1965 (data here): a) annual wage increases in the BLS series “Average Hourly Earnings of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees: Total Private” (red line), and b) annual inflation calculated from the Consumer … read more >

Carpe Diem

David Letterman admits he doesn’t understand fracking, but then goes on a 2-minute anti-fracking tirade

Mark J. Perry | July 21, 2012, 2:25 pm

Watch David Letterman’s two-minute rant above on the “greedy oil and gas companies of this country” who are trying “to squeeze every little last ounce of oil and gas out of previously pumped wells by injecting the substrata of our … read more >

Carpe Diem

Amazing illusion of the day

Mark J. Perry | July 21, 2012, 2:18 pm

This is crazy. Stare at this picture carefully and you will see the man turn his face.

Carpe Diem

President Obama: Think of all the businesses and jobs that don’t happen, thanks to government regulations, part 2

Mark J. Perry | July 21, 2012, 12:12 am

President Obama: “There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me — because they want to give something back. They know they didn’t — look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. I’m … read more >

The Uses of Scandal
One of the greatest uses of scandal is to vividly demonstrate what new laws are needed and to create the political conditions to get them enacted. […]
Lean In… to Government?
Sheryl Sandberg's runaway best-selling book Lean In has managed to offend both the Left and the Right. Sandberg touts female hard-headedness, yet also calls for an elaborate government- and employer-supplied support system for women. […]
Are American Voters Racist?
Racial prejudice plays a very small role in American politics, but a highly disciplined sense of self-interest on the part of one group may play a very large role in the way the federal government functions. […]
The Perpetual Passion for Paper
Paper is becoming less important in some respects, but its strengths — prestige, utility, permanence, and security — are more essential than ever. […]