The Rally to Restore Sanity: Politics & targets

So, a week later, I’m finally getting back to my promised continuing analysis of the Rally to Restore Sanity. Because I don’t want to belabor the experience too much, I think this will be my last post on the subject. Thus, I have to address the importance of the event – especially in terms of …

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A too-political rally?

With a week to go before the midterm elections, both parties are looking to motivate their supporters to turn out. For Democrats, this has meant reaching out especially for the young voters who made such a difference in their 2008 efforts. But young voters aren’t responding to their efforts, with low expected turnout rates. Conversely, …

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Strategy lacking in social networking campaigns

Much ado has been made about the power of social networking and its import in activism, be it political or social. But as politicians, activists, and corporations flock to the new medium, not enough attention is being paid to the most important facet of strategic communication: how does this technology help us achieve our goal? …

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Is this 1854?

For all the comparisons between 2010 and 1994 or even 1982, the correct comparison may be to 1854. The fascination with third-parties is longstanding, but the U.S. has always been a two-party system. Political scientists from Anthony Downs onward will tell you that the two-party dominance is largely driven by our electoral system: when the …

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The Right Thing to Do? The "Ground Zero Mosque"

Given the interest that the topic of the “Ground Zero Mosque” has sparked on the blog, I figured it was time for me to finally write about it, rather than just responding to comments. But it’s harder for me than usual to find the two sides to this debate equally worth discussing. As I note …

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