Politics

In her new book, “White Identity Politics,” the Duke political scientist Ashley Jardina examines the increasing relevance of white identity in America. Drawing on data from American National Election Studies surveys and her own research, Jardina finds that about thirty to forty per cent of white Americans say that white identity is important to them, and she adds an interesting twist—that this group only partly overlaps with the group of white Americans who hold racist views. According to Jardina’s analysis, about thirty-eight per cent of white people who highly value their white identity are at or below the mean level of racial resentment, while forty-four per cent of white people who say their racial identity is less important are at or above that level. “For those invested in racial equality, this outcome should be of little comfort,” Jardina writes, of white Americans asserting their identity, with or without explicit racial resentment. In the … [Read more...] about The Disturbing, Surprisingly Complex Relationship Between White Identity Politics and Racism

(CNN) This was originally published in the November 14 edition of CNN's Meanwhile in America , the daily email about US politics for global readers. Sign up here to receive it every weekday morning. This is what the duel for America's political soul looks like. In the first televised hearings of the House impeachment inquiry, Democrats framed Donald Trump as a selfish President, twisting foreign policy to prey on a weaker nation for his own political ends. In striking contrast, they chose as their first witnesses two dutiful diplomats -- Bill Taylor and George Kent -- who have devoted their lives to a traditional vision of US leadership and furthering US values. In the same hearing room, but on the other side of the ideological divide, California Republican Devin Nunes painted those veteran foreign service officers differently -- as envoys from a "political bureaucracy" that schemes to block the will of the President and all the Americans who voted for his "America First" … [Read more...] about This is what the duel for America’s political soul looks like.

A source close to comedian Kevin Hart told Fox News that he doesn’t speak about President Donald Trump because “people are tired of the political banter from comedians.” Fellow comedian Kathy Griffin called Hart a “pu**y” in an interview with USA Today last week because “he doesn’t even mention Trump.” (RELATED: Kathy Griffin Calls Kevin Hart A ‘Pu**y’ For Not Condemning Trump)“Kathy is the last person on Kevin’s mind, believe me,” the Fox News source said. “Everyone has something to say about Donald Trump, and that’s the reason Kevin isn’t speaking on him. Kevin honestly feels the Trump bits are overused and knows that people are tired of the political banter from comedians.” “Going after people isn’t Kevin’s style, and he isn’t into telling people what they should or shouldn’t think about the president,” the source added. “Kevin … [Read more...] about Why Kevin Hart Won’t Talk Trump: ‘People Are Tired Of The Political Banter From Comedians’

Joe Biden is sharing the presidential primary’s top tier with two progressive senators. One, he says, levied an unprompted attack against his commitment to the Democratic Party and exhibits “elitist” behavior.  The other, he stresses with striking frequency, is “honest” and, in the most Senate-speak way, a friend.  “Bernie’s been honest; he’s going to raise taxes on middle class,” Biden said in July at a convention in Detroit about Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) approach to funding Medicare for All, a progressive policy that Biden’s campaign says is not the best way to cover Americans’ health care needs.  Since then, the former vice president become more consistent with his praise. “First and foremost, the thing you must do in public life is be honest with the public,” he said on Monday night during a CNN town hall addressing the same topic. “Bernie's been honest.”  The same … [Read more...] about Biden Is Facing Two Progressives, but Only One Makes His Blood Boil

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) implored Gina Haspel to talk “seriously” about her long-hidden role in CIA torture and what she would do if torture enthusiast Donald Trump asked to return the agency to brutality. “My vote on your confirmation will be greatly influenced by how you address these questions today,” the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee said Wednesday morning. It spoke to the central question confronting Trump’s choice to lead the CIA: Does Haspel’s still-obscure involvement in torture disqualify her? In what might foreshadow her directorship, Haspel issued a rote pledge not to “restart a detention and interrogation program”—conspicuously saying nothing about rendering people for others to torture. She told senators she didn’t think Trump would ask her to torture anyone (even though he’s said he wanted to bring back interrogation techniques that are “a hell of a lot worse than … [Read more...] about Gina Haspel Stonewalls on Discussing Her Role in CIA Torture