Another Significant Special Election Defeat for the Republicans

Another data point that shows Trump’s unpopularity.

Redistricting Insanity

Destroying democracy in order to save it.

A Headline for the Trump Era

Combining two items that will be hallmarks of his second term.

Tabby Thursday

President Donald Trump addresses members of the media in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, Tuesday, January 20, 2026. President Donald Trump addresses members of the media in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

Trump Reverses Course in Minnesota

TACO Tuesday?

North American Aerospace Defense Command F-35 Lightning II aircraft with the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 115th Fighter Wing, F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft with the South Carolina Air National Guard's 169th Fighter Wing fly over Greenland Oct. 7, 2025. Operating in the Arctic provides the flexibility and adaptability needed to overcome logistical hurdles in a dynamic and unforgiving environment. Greenland, as part of the Kingdom of Denmark has long played an important role in the defense of North America, which strengthens NORAD's ability to protect the continent from today's threats and emerging challenges from all approaches. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by 2d Lt Cameron Lewis) North American Aerospace Defense Command F-35 Lightning II aircraft with the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 115th Fighter Wing, F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft with the South Carolina Air National Guard's 169th Fighter Wing fly over Greenland Oct. 7, 2025. Operating in the Arctic provides the flexibility and adaptability needed to overcome logistical hurdles in a dynamic and unforgiving environment. Greenland, as part of the Kingdom of Denmark has long played an important role in the defense of North America, which strengthens NORAD's ability to protect the continent from today's threats and emerging challenges from all approaches. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by 2d Lt Cameron Lewis)

Greenland Follies

A slow-moving disaster.

Virginia Swears in First Woman Governor

Abigail Spanberger made history this afternoon.

Sporting Cultures

A clash between American and European models.

Shifting Vibes?

If the politics of cruelty has peaked, what follows?

Referee, American football game, stadium. Referee, American football game, stadium.

Who’ll Make the College Football Playoff?

The Committee has some hard choices to make.

We Don’t Need No Education

Who needs fancy book learnin’ if you already have all the answers?

Monday Tabs

The Main Takeaway from Last Night: Democracy Lives

Although it is still on life support.

Tabby Thursday

The Problem of Political Feedback in US Politics

Lack of understanding and poor institutional design=bad political outcomes.

East Wing Almost Gone

The move to build Trump’s Big Beautiful Ballroom is moving at record speed.

Limitations in the Gerrymandering Wars

Some limits on Democratic pushback

Republicans In Disarray!

Not so much.

Judge Issues Second Order Against Sending Guard to Portland

She was not amused by the administration’s workaround.

The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0 via pXhere The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0 via pXhere

Evil in Austin: Reflections on the Yogurt Shop Murders

The evil of others rarely brings out our best.

Centering My Thoughts on Kirk’s Assassination

As well as the politics that have followed.

Why the Attacks on Academia Matter

An illustration from the Charlie Kirk discourse as to why stories like the TAMU firing matter.

The free high-resolution photo of wood, play, monument, statue, product, sad, sculpture, art, thinker, bronze, carving, patience, holzfigur, consider, bronze sculpture, question mark, at a loss , taken with an unknown camera 02/07 2017 The picture taken with 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 wood, play, monument, statue, product, sad, sculpture, art, thinker, bronze, carving, patience, holzfigur, consider, bronze sculpture, question mark, at a loss , taken with an unknown camera 02/07 2017 The picture taken with 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.

On Ezra Klein, MLK, And Polite Politics

On politics, guns, and people killing people

TAMU Follow-Up: Professor Fired

And let’s look at the catalog, shall we?

Texas A&M Dean and Department Head Removed over Faculty Member Teaching about Gender

A student, her cell phone, and yet more authoritarianism in contemporary America.

Ronny Jackson’s Rank Restored

The former White House physican (and current Congressman)’s demotion for misconduct has been reversed.

A Core Problem of American Politics

The disconnect between perception and reality about elections.

The Redistricting Wars and Their Likely Consequences

None of this is good for the quality of our democracy (not that it was great to begin with).

President Donald Trump thanks the crowd after remarks at the Salute to America Celebration, Thursday, July 3, 2025, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. President Donald Trump thanks the crowd after remarks at the Salute to America Celebration, Thursday, July 3, 2025, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa.

Bloodshed, Bedlam, Squalor and Worse

Authoritarianism is popular.

Two Americas, Redux

Are Red and Blue states even part of the same country anymore?

The Core Problem is Single-Seat Districts

Most of the world knows that PR is a better way to elect legislatures.

Newsom Flirts with a CA Gerrymandering Plan

Tit-for-tat is maybe good power politics, but is any of this good for democracy?

An Attempt at Blatant Election Manipulation

Trump asks Texas to further gerrymander the state.

MAGA Meltdown Over Epstein

Because of course.

Thoughts on the Politics of the Texas Floods

Both the policy issues but also the way it illustrates the politics of us versus them.

In Front of Our Noses: Media Intimidation

An attack on the First Amendment in plain sight.

Senate Passes BBB. Will House Go Along?

They’re talking a big game now, but they’ll likely bend a knee. Again.

Musk Threats Over Big Beautiful Bill

Of course you realize this means war.

Steven Takes a Picture

This one was in Tuskegee, AL (and this isn’t a photography post).

TGIF Tabs

A Pattern of Turning Away Members of Congress is Emerging Amid Concerns of Detention Facility Conditions

Like in NJ, ICE rejects a Representative from seeing a facility in CA.

The Great Realignment

Half the counties in America have moved more Republican in each of the last three elections.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Returned to the US

He now faces a federal indictment.

George Foreman, 1949-2025

The boxing great and grill pitchman is gone at 76.

Can We Call Them “Disappearances” Now?

Can we say the administration is putting people in camps?

TGI Tabs!