The midterms still favor the Democrats, but not by much and much remains impossible to predict

Red and blue electric energy streams crossing over cracked rocky terrain

Democrats are offering Republicans an opportunity that they probably don’t deserve at this point, but as we all know, deserve has nothing to do with it. While there are clear historical trends favoring Democrats in the midterms and it’s no secret that President Donald Trump has chosen to launch a largely unpopular war that has… Continue reading The midterms still favor the Democrats, but not by much and much remains impossible to predict

Iran and the sunk cost fallacy

Map of Middle East with glowing tectonic plate boundaries outlining regions including Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and surrounding countries

Why are some unwilling to take half-a-loaf by forging a less than satisfying deal or even reverting to the status quo, making not getting the optimal outcome into an embarrassing defeat? While the conflict with Iran lumbers onward through an admittedly bizarre non-ceasefire ceasefire, some are arguing that we have only two options:  Either accept… Continue reading Iran and the sunk cost fallacy

The strange state of the conflict in Iran and why Republicans better hope something happens soon

Three abandoned rusted tanks in muddy battlefield with destroyed buildings in the background at sunset

The war has entered a sort of slow moving stasis rather than anything resembling the frenetic pace of the first five weeks and time is running out to pivot to the midterm elections. I’ll admit it upfront:  I didn’t expect the Iran War to devolve into a non-ceasefire ceasefire for almost a full month.  While… Continue reading The strange state of the conflict in Iran and why Republicans better hope something happens soon

Iran: The experts have been wrong about almost everything

Operations room with cracked digital map of the Middle East showing countries and regions

It’s almost impossible to know where to begin with the sheer multitude of increasingly hysterical claims regarding both the day to day performance of our campaign and the broader economic and geopolitical repercussions, many of which were ridiculous from the start. As the conflict in Iran enters the third week of a shaky ceasefire with… Continue reading Iran: The experts have been wrong about almost everything

Iran: Is it all over but the crying?

Line graph showing stock index growth from January to June 2024 with 18.7% increase

While we remain at war, why do the markets seem optimistic about the future when they should be pessimistic in the face of these concerns, and is this an optimism that can last or simply a calm in the storm?  Though last weekend’s peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan failed to produce a deal between the… Continue reading Iran: Is it all over but the crying?

Trump, Swalwell, and shamelessness as a political super power

Four people in superhero costumes wearing campaign sashes standing in a room with skeletons and campaign signs

While we might like to believe there are rules to the great game, there are none except doing everything possible to advance your own and your party’s power. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as a religious figure healing the sick.  He was dressed in robes with glowing hands,… Continue reading Trump, Swalwell, and shamelessness as a political super power

The choice facing Iran, and the reality that most of us aren’t all hawk or all dove all the time

Balance scales with crude oil barrel and cash on one side, globe and missile on the other

From where the average American sits, the choice facing the leaders of Iran seems like no choice at all, but after Saturday’s peace negotiations failed to produce a deal, it clearly is to the remnants of the regime and no one really knows what they will choose, however much they may bloviate otherwise.  Throughout the… Continue reading The choice facing Iran, and the reality that most of us aren’t all hawk or all dove all the time

If Tony Soprano’s “remember when” is the lowest form of conversation, “if then” is the lowest form of political prognostication

U.S. Capitol building at sunset reflected inside a glass snow globe on a wooden base.

While there’s nothing wrong with indulging in a little fantasy, political prognostication is supposed to be more than mental masturbation, and the same as a sane person wouldn’t consider retirement scenarios that included suddenly being as wealthy as Elon Musk, we shouldn’t consider fantastical outcomes as a basis for rational discussion.  Tony Soprano once claimed… Continue reading If Tony Soprano’s “remember when” is the lowest form of conversation, “if then” is the lowest form of political prognostication

Trump, Iran, and the art of the impossible deal

Peace symbol made of cracked stone with glowing fiery cracks

The ceasefire is shaky, but we know this: After what everyone said wouldn’t happen, magically happened, they still concluded that what happened was bad, all without missing a beat. It’s impossible to capture the insanity that President Donald Trump’s detractors attempted to pass off as wisdom over the past five weeks in a single post,… Continue reading Trump, Iran, and the art of the impossible deal

The Orange Man is so bad, progressives can’t even celebrate the daring rescue of a soldier behind enemy lines

Eight fighter jets flying in formation over desert dunes at sunset

In an ideal world, I would prefer a media that was honest and objective, an opposition that was principled and reasonable, and detractors who could criticize without outright fantasizing. Last Friday, the situation for two US airmen in Iran was dire after their F-15E fighter jet was shot down deep in enemy territory, setting off… Continue reading The Orange Man is so bad, progressives can’t even celebrate the daring rescue of a soldier behind enemy lines