News

Wyclef Jean to Run For President?

Andrew Belonsky :: Monday, July 26th, 2010 5:30 pm

So, Wyclef Jean may run for President in Haiti’s next election. How exciting, right? Well, that depends on how you look at it.

Playing politics quite well, Jean concedes he’s considering a run, and has even filed the appropriate paperwork, but refuses to flat-out admit his aspirations. And a presidential move seems like a natural fit for Jean: he was born in Haiti and has made the country the centerpiece of his philanthropic work, especially after this year’s devastating earthquake.

As the story grows here and in Haiti, however, voters should look beyond Jean’s potentially distracting celebrity and examine his foundation’s troubling financial past. MORE »

California Shooting, a Dangerous Political Projection?

Andrew Belonsky :: Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 12:30 pm

Feminist writer Carol Hanisch coined the phrase “the personal is the political,” meaning that personal problems often find their root in political soil. These days, that phrase seems to be turned on its head: the political is the personal. Politics are thrust upon a person’s actions or, in some cases, inaction. Just look out in California, where a parolee named Byron Williams allegedly shot at police yesterday.

His mother claims the unemployed man let loose on traffic cops because he’s disgruntled over “left-wing politics,” thus providing conservatives and other right wingers the perfect opportunity to demonize the Obama administration. This isn’t about personal politics. It’s about political projection.
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Sarah Palin’s Refudiate Tweet Deeper Than Dialect

Andrew Belonsky :: Monday, July 19th, 2010 12:30 pm

Sarah Palin has been catching flack for using the word “refudiate” in a Tweet about a potential mosque at Ground Zero. For a woman with a string of gaffes, this comes across as just another of her many mistakes, and opponents are celebrating the former governor’s “stupidity.” They shouldn’t.

People should stop picking on Palin’s word choice for two reasons: first, her self-defense actually indicates a relatively intelligent reading of the English language, and, second, grammatical critiques distract from the issue at hand.

Liberal Is A Bad Word For Democrats, Too

Andrew Belonsky :: Friday, July 16th, 2010 2:45 pm

Liberal. Say that word among conservatives and you’re likely to elicit a groan, for this once-apolitical word has become a call to arms for the right, who see “liberals” as free-spending, left-leaning, socialist-loving zealots. Thus, Republicans and their peers consistently lob the “L word” at the ideological enemies. And they’re not alone.

IRS filings reveal that the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) footed the bill for commercials and fliers from the “Iowans for Responsible Government” that attacked Iowa gubernatorial hopeful Terry Branstad’s “liberal” politics. Too bad for Democrats that this campaign totally undermines their party.
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What The BP Oil Spill Tells Us About Human Nature

Andrew Belonsky :: Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 2:30 pm

BP employees will spend the next two days testing the latest well cap to stop the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico oil leak. This is the umpteenth time they have tried to stem the crude’s spread.

It’s also the perfect opportunity to explore how this company single-handedly disproved two of history’s greatest philosophical minds: Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. MORE »

Sarah Palin’s Mom Movement Hurts Women

Andrew Belonsky :: Thursday, July 8th, 2010 2:15 pm

Sarah Palin owes a lot of her superstar career to the women who have rallied around her. And now Palin has returned the favor by releasing a video called “Mama Grizzlies,” in which the former Alaska Governor celebrates women’s political power and promises that they will change the world through a “Mom Awakening.”

Palin deserves praise for offering such a powerful rallying cry for women who have been stuck in the political kitchen. Her message, however, may end up doing more harm than good.
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Chrysler “Tea Party” Commercial’s Real Problem? Ownership.

Andrew Belonsky :: Wednesday, July 7th, 2010 10:15 am

For better or worse, the Tea Party has become a part of our American family. And as a member of the American family, these rabble rousers represent a new demographic for executives looking to make a buck, which explains why Chrysler recently unveiled a series of commercials playing up the company’s patriotic chops.

In one, George Washington’s army chases a British red coat with new Dodge Challenger Freedoms, while the announcer, Dexter actor Michael C. Hall, proclaims, “Here’s a couple of things America got right: Cars — and freedom.” MORE »

Political Distortions and the Pitfalls of Technocracy

Andrew Belonsky :: Thursday, June 17th, 2010 1:45 pm

Politicians are a compelling species. They are, on a good day, selfless and humble civil servants, yet are still narcissistic enough to believe that only they, not their opponent, can do the job. These contradictory traits very often clash, leading candidates to boast and brag about qualifications that may not exist. Mark Kirk, Richard Blumenthal and Rand Paul are learning that the hard way. All three have been questioned about inconsistencies in their resumes and career paths. Are they just playing politics, or is this trend a symptom of a larger social epidemic? And what does it mean for underdog Alvin Greene?
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Rep. King’s Obama Race Baiting Alienates Right, Sort Of

Andrew Belonsky :: Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 2:00 pm

Republican Rep. Steve King this week insisted that President Obama has a “default mechanism” that makes him favor black people. King’s intimations aren’t winning him any friends. Not in public, at least…
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Obama’s Oil Speech: We Need a Prayer

Andrew Belonsky :: Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 10:37 am

For all the hubbub over Barack Obama’s big oil spill speech, his first from the Oval Office, last night’s display was a huge flop. Rather than outlining a “battle plan” to combat the Gulf Coast catastrophe, the President’s seventeen-minute address simply brought us up to speed with what has already happened, while offering little in the way of forthcoming tactics. Other than his tepid threats to make BP “pay,” whatever that means, Obama offered us little more than political theater and suggested what we all already know: we’re damned. MORE »

Will Deepwater Disaster Save Crist’s Candidacy?

Andrew Belonsky :: Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 12:40 pm

Florida Governor Charlie Crist seemed like a political lame duck earlier this year when he left the Republican Party to launch an independent senatorial bid. The odds were against him: GOP rival Marco Rubio was riding a swell of Tea Party support, the RNC cut their ties and anti-incumbency anger only continued to grow, which seemed to spell doom for Crist. As the oil crisis drags on, the governor has made up some of the ground he lost. Could BP’s ruin be Crist’s political salvation? MORE »

Bob Etheridge: Apology and the Celebrity Possession Question

Andrew Belonsky :: Monday, June 14th, 2010 2:30 pm

Congressman Bob Etheridge received unwanted attention today, thanks to a video that shows him roughing up a young reporter. Some are calling the Democrat a psycho who took on a young-gun journo’s gumption. Others, meanwhile, claim Etheridge deserves a medal for standing up to a little punk who had a political mission and lacked the balls to show his face. Both of those things may be true, but the morality of this media ambush raises a pressing election year question: do we “own” politicians in the same way we do other public figures, like celebrities? MORE »

The Case for a New Star Trek Series

Andrew Belonsky :: Friday, June 11th, 2010 4:50 pm

startrekpinball Hollywood has had a thing for remakes lately. This weekend alone will see new adaptations of The Karate Kid and The A-Team. We’ve already had Nightmare on Elm Street and silly Clash of the Titans. The Birds, Child’s Play and Footloose are all in the works.

It’s irritating and tiresome that Hollywood feels so overwhelmingly nostalgic. But if they can’t help themselves, I suggest that take a recent reproduction, Star Trek, and spin it back to television.

NYC’s Mosque Protests are Truly Embarrassing

Andrew Belonsky :: Friday, June 11th, 2010 11:40 am

New York, you’re acting like an ass. Twice in less than a month this city has been a hotbed of protests against Mosques.

First there was the one over potential Muslim inclusion at Ground Zero, a then last night’s meeting about turning a Staten Island convent into a Mosque devolved into a shouting match that had to be broken up by police.

I expect more from the Big Apple. MORE »

Barbara Boxer Snipe Should Teach Fiorina a Lesson

Andrew Belonsky :: Thursday, June 10th, 2010 12:00 pm

California Republican Carly Fiorina fell victim to an open mic this week, when she was caught on camera talking smack about her Senatorial opponent, Democrat Barbara Boxer.

In a moment of unguarded cattiness, Fiorina paraphrased a friend’s assessment of Boxer’s hair, which they deem “so yesterday.” Fiorina, the former head of Hewlett-Packard, also wondered aloud why Gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman would go on Sean Hannity immediately after the primary. “You know how he is,” she said.

Now Fiorina’s riding the apology train, and hopes to put this all behind her. She shouldn’t move so fast, because she’s being provided a valuable lesson.