Rethinking voting rights restrictions

Can't we just restrict suffrage to college-educated women?

These plots are revealing in a number of ways. The discontinuous break of non-college white men from blue to red coincides almost exactly with Obama's election in 2008, and if anything has grown under Trump. The same Obama break appears among white men with college degrees, although they clearly have soured with the GOP since Trump. What's a little unclear to me is how the Dems held the White House for eight years, given these generic party preferences. I'm sure the political scientists have an answer.

Single payer in America

I knew Medicare was important... but Medicaid even more so?! I guess the exchanges and mandates were just a sideshow to Obama's stealth strategy for achieving socialized health insurance. It was all about Medicaid expansion. The GOP takes control of the entire apparatus of government and can't reverse it. Props, Barack.

Equanimity

Dad, what does "equanimity" mean?
Oh, that's like the way Barack Obama was with people who hated him.
What do you mean?
Here, kid, watch this...

Citizenfour

During my recent visit with my parents in Florida, my (formerly?) Republican father tried to goad me a little bit, as he usually does. "Here's someone I bet you and I disagree on: Edward Snowden. Good or bad?" I suppose he thought I'd side with Obama on this one. More good than bad, I replied, moderating my actual view, which is way more to the good than the bad side. Dad agrees.

Finally watched the movie last night. I know Laura Poitras is anything but impartial, but when all is said and done, it's hard to think of Snowden as anything but heroic.

I do love Obama, but security and intelligence issues are a serious blemish on his record. Barack, a pardon for Snowden would be courageous, the right thing, and good for your legacy. Bring the boy home. He can do more good here than in Russia. You can wait until after the election, of course.

African-Americans don't have a monopoly...

... on Obama pride... or Obama withdrawal. As we count down the days of his last year as president, we will appreciate more and more this brilliant, principled, pragmatic, measured, articulate, funny, moral, dignified, accomplished, and underrated leader. Trump is appalling in any context, but especially compared with what we may have come to take for granted. We should not.

Barack's burden

I didn't hear the interview, but sounds like Professor Obama the sociologist was trying to be as understanding as possible while accounting for why all those white dudes hate him so. One interpretation is that the man's patience and equanimity are god-like. The other is that he is the most cutting sarcastic bastard ever. I'll take either one... or preferably both...

“If you are referring to specific strains in the Republican Party that suggest that somehow I’m different, I’m Muslim, I’m disloyal to the country, etc. — which unfortunately is pretty far out there, and gets some traction in certain pockets of the Republican Party, and that have been articulated by some of their elected officials — what I’d say there is that that’s probably pretty specific to me, and who I am and my background,” Mr. Obama told Steve Inskeep, a host of “Morning Edition” on NPR. “In some ways, I may represent change that worries them.” 

“That’s not to suggest that everybody who objects to my policies may not have perfectly good reasons for it,” the president added. He noted, as an example, that voters living in coal-dependent areas may blame him for the loss of their jobs.

The moral imperative to act

Joe Romm allows himself a little bit of optimism about Obama's latest climate move. Hope he's right.

Very funny

The President has excellent writers... only a few of the jokes fell flat. But stand-up is half jokes, half delivery. And his delivery is near-professional quality. Not to mention a very nice assist from Mr. Key. How Barack kept a straight face through that little duet is beyond me...

Obama quote of the day

I know, I'm biased, and I'm sure he has talented writers, but the man is genuinely funny, often LOL funny... and damn cutting...

As Mr. Obama once said about the Senate Republican leader from Kentucky: “Some folks still don’t think I spend enough time with Congress. ‘Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?’ they ask. Really? Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?”

Not quite as good as his "orange really is the new black" remark about Boehner. But not bad at all.

Obamacare woes

"Hopefully in the long run it won't matter, but there's a reason some of us expect our liberalism to be competent, especially when it's really just technocratic centrism advertised as liberalism."

Atrios is right... not the end of the world, but we expected better. After all, the guy in charge is the guy who used the web to build a coalition that elected our first African-American president... if you can do that, a health insurance exchange shouldn't be all that difficult.

The Obama agenda

First term: Health care
Second term: Climate change

OK, I might have reversed the order, but this still has a nice ring to it. He can toss fiscal sustainability into the mix with a nice fat carbon tax, but should keep his promise to the 99% by preserving/ enhancing progressive social programs to offset the carbon tax's regressivity.

Et tu, Boehner?

Move along...

... nothing to see here...
2012 was hottest year ever in U.S.
Wildfires rage across Australia amid searing heat
Ms. Jackson’s departure comes as many in the environmental movement are questioning Mr. Obama’s commitment to dealing with climate change...

Surprise, surprise...

... the NY Times endorsed Mr. Obama. The case is well argued, but would it have killed them to note some serious disappointments? For me, those would include Obama's endorsement and adoption of dangerous abuses of power associated with the post-9-11 Bush/Cheney security state, such as assassinations, detentions, drone attacks, state secrecy etc., and his near-silence on climate change. Would Gov. Romney do better on these dimensions? What a laugh. When all is said and done, history will judge Obama a damn good president during his terrifically challenging first term. He deserves a second.

Inauguration

The new president's speech did not disappoint, but the highlights were, most appropriately, Rev. Lowery, and especially Aretha's rendition of "My Country 'Tis of Thee." Breathtaking. I'll never again hear it as a cheesy second-rate rip-off of the Brit national anthem. We own it now.

Update: I guess we already owned it. Some history I should have known.

Barack-o-lantern

Alexi carved this pumpkin portrait of our now president-elect from a stencil for Halloween. The biggest treat of all was his election. No, he doesn't have a mustache in real life, but maybe it's worth a try... Michelle?