Posts by James Joyner

James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is a Professor of Security Studies. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Why Democrats Have to Play By Different Rules

The Republicans are playing a different game.

What if November’s Loser Refuses to Concede?

There’s a very real possibility the legitimacy of the 2020 election will be contested.

No, Citizens United Didn’t Ruin Our Democracy

Money has increasingly dominated American politics but the court case had little to do with it.

Jim Lehrer, 1934-2020

A legendary newsman has passed.

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Are We Ruining American Politics?

A political scientist argues that college-educated intellectuals are doing politics wrong.

Explaining the Sanders-Warren Flap

Two progressives enter. One progressive leaves.

Disney Drops ‘Fox’ Name

More fallout from the consolidation of media brands.

Trump May Be Even Less Popular than it Seems

The 45th President polls worse than other prominent Republicans.

11 US Troops Injured in Attack Where No US Troops Were Injured

Claims by the President and Defense Department about the Iranian response to the Soleimani raid were untrue.

Trump Impeachment Trial Underway

And now the real farce begins.

Virginia Putting ERA over the Top?

The Commonwealth is about to become the 38th State to ratify the Nixon-era Amendment.

The free high-resolution photo of street, bicycle, asphalt, vehicle, hat, park bench, homeless, stockholm, packing, baby carriage, drifter, norrm larstrand , taken with an DMC-FS10 01/29 2017 The picture taken with 10.0mm, f/3.8s, 1/640s, ISO 80 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required. The free high-resolution photo of street, bicycle, asphalt, vehicle, hat, park bench, homeless, stockholm, packing, baby carriage, drifter, norrm larstrand , taken with an DMC-FS10 01/29 2017 The picture taken with 10.0mm, f/3.8s, 1/640s, ISO 80 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required.

What Now with Iran?

President Trump has a huge decision to make.

Democratic Primary Reset?

The 2016 frontrunners at this stage won their nominations easily. But that’s often not the case.

The Framers Aren’t All They’re Cracked up to Be

The men who gathered in Philadelphia to write the Constitution were geniuses. But they couldn’t predict the future.

Michael Bloomberg Poll Numbers . . . Interesting

The newest entrant is outperforming most rivals but is intensely disliked.

The Rising Blue Tide

A conservative columnist explains how once-Republican states are switching sides.

LTC Vindman Update

Revisiting a recent post.

Air Force Adopts ‘Indefinite Enlistment’ for NCOs

The newest branch of the US Armed Forces has made a long-overdue policy change that others should copy.

LTC Vindman Could be Court-Martialed for Testifying to Congress

Defying the Commander-in-Chief’s order will almost certainly ruin a good man’s career.

No, Trump’s Courting of Senators isn’t ‘Bribery’

The President is committing enough high crimes and misdemeanors without us manufacturing them.

RealClear Reveals Whistleblower Name, Foments Conspiracy Theory

The man who sparked the investigation into the President’s illegal conduct has been outed in a futile attempt to discredit it.

NCAA Allows ‘Image and Likeness’ Compensation

Bowing to Immense political pressure to pay college athletes will dramatically change the game.

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No, Medicare-for-All Wouldn’t Be a Tax Cut

We shouldn’t need bad arguments to sell good policies.

Executive Privilege and Impeachment

George Washington invented the concept and was quite clear that it did not apply to impeachment proceedings.

Where Has the Decade Gone?

No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

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Trump Orders Feds to Cancel NYT and WaPo Subscriptions

The President is tired of all the fake news.

EU to Grant ‘Flextension’ on Brexit

The UK is being given yet more time to figure out the obvious.

Democrats and Republican Converts

It’s not the responsibility of the opposition party to make up for Donald Trump.

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Shepard Smith Out at Fox [UPDATED]

The longtime anchor is leaving the network, ostensibly at his request.

AOC’s Outrageous Haircut

Sigh.

Discourse II

Expanding on yesterday afternoon’s post.

The Impossibility of Discourse

The liberal notion that people are persuadable through airing of ideas is obsolete.

Elizabeth Warren’s Troubling Relationship with the Truth

She’s been fibbing about how she left a teaching job nearly half a century ago.

Whistleblowers vs Leakers vs Spies

Yes, officials who follow the law are “whistleblowers.”

Houston Rockets Kissing China’s Ass

A star NBA general manager may lose his job for expressing American values.

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The End of Consensus

A conservative columnist argues the legitimacy of our system is in question.

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Bob Woodward Heckled for Doing His Job

The norms of social discourse are rapidly changing in the #MeToo era.

Hunter Biden’s Socially Acceptable Corruption

The real crime is what’s legal.

Trump Impeachment Likely, Removal Thinkable

For the first time, it’s conceivable that Republicans will turn against the President.

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Richard Cohen Retires

A bittersweet farewell to a newspaperman past his sell-by date.

Pelosi Wants Law Allowing Indictment of Presidents

A wrongheaded solution for a legitimate problem.

Trump’s Approval Rating Higher Than Obama’s at This Juncture

A startling statistic that hides a more comforting reality.

Whistleblowing on the President

A Harvard law professor makes my case better than I did.

Trump Phone Call Triggered Whistleblower Complaint

A mysterious conversation with a foreign leader is at the center of a controversy between the intelligence community and Congress.

Smashing the Republican Party

Let’s not kid ourselves about what’s possible in the next election.

Jimmy Carter: 80 Too Old for Presidents

The oldest living former President has some reflections on age and the strains of the office.

Cokie Roberts, Pioneering Journalist, Dead at 75

We’re unlikely to see anyone like her again.

Democratic Contenders Call for Kavanaugh Impeachment

Julian Castro, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren are pandering to the base.

Ric Ocasek, Cars Frontman, Dead at 75

Another Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is gone.

President of Twitter?

Is social media making it harder for Democrats to nominate a winning candidate?