Posts by Doug Mataconis

Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Appeals Court Upholds Ruling Restoring Early Voting For All Ohio Voters

Another legal victory for the Obama campaign in Ohio.

Release Of Jobs Report Gives Birth To The Unemployment Truthers

Within minutes after today’s Jobs Report was released, the conspiracy theorists began to come forward.

Unemployment Rate Drops Below 8% Amid Weak Jobs Growth

September’s BLS Report will likely be significant but, behind the numbers, things don’t look all that great.

Afghanistan, Then And Now

Afghanistan was a much different place half a century ago.

Turkish-Syrian Tensions Increase After Syria Shells Turkish Village

Turkey’s military has attacked Syria several times since Syrian forces shelled a Turkish village.

Romney Won The Debate, But Will It Matter?

Mitt Romney won the debate last night, but it’s not at all clear that this will matter at all.

Iran’s Currency Has Collapsed. A Sign The Sanctions Are Working?

Iran’s currency has collapsed and there are riot police in the streets of Teheran. It appears the sanctions may just be working after all.

US Capitol Rotunda US Capitol Rotunda

Todd Akin Believes Doctors Give Abortions To Women Who Aren’t Pregnant

Seriously, how did this guy ever get elected to Congress?

“Shocking” Obama Video Turns Out To Be Not So Shocking

A five year old “shocking” video of President Obama speaking to a group of African-American ministers proves to be not very shocking at all.

Why Are All You People Such Jerks Online?

A new study looks at the reasons why people are so belligerent in their online communications.

The Beltway Snipers, Ten Years Later

Ten years ago starting today, John Allen Mohammed and Lee Boyd Malvo began a crime spree that kept the D.C. area on a knife’s edge for three long weeks.

U.S. Abandoning Plan For Peace Deal With Taliban Before Withdrawal

Slowly but surely, we’re giving up on Afghanistan.

Judge Blocks Pennsylvania Voter ID Law For 2012 Elections

A victory for opponents of Pennsylvania’s Voter ID law, but likely only a temporary one.

The West Wing And American Politics

Not surprisingly, television and reality don’t really coincide.

How Romney Lost The Economy As A Winning Issue

The biggest surprise of the Presidential race to date is the fact that Mitt Romney has lost the edge he once had on economic issues.

The Beginning Of The End Of Polling?

The response rates for opinion polling of all types has become incredibly low.

Do Presidential Debates Even Matter?

There’s little evidence that Presidential debates can be game changers.

Supreme Court Faces Another Potentially Groundbreaking Term

The Court’s 2012-2013 term begins tomorrow morning, and there are plenty of big cases on the docket.

The Presidency Costs Taxpayers A Lot, But That’s Not Obama’s Fault

The Presidency costs taxpayers a lot of money, but that’s been true for many, many years now.

Pessimism On Team Romney

There are signs that some Romney supporters have already decided their candidate is going to lose.

Both Campaigns Playing The Debate Expectations Game

Both campaigns are trying to set the stage for Wednesday’s debate.

Fox News Aired Live Car Chase That Ended In Suicide

Not exactly journalism.