Melissa Harris-Perry

How Occupy Has Changed the Conversation on Class

Melissa Harris-Perry on September 17, 2012 - 1:57 PM ET

It’s been just one year since protesters took over Zuccotti Park, yet some are already writing Occupy’s obituary. While the Tea Party movement has pushed Republicans even further to the right, Occupy has produced no political candidates or parties. But as Nation blogger Allison Kilkenny points out, it’s Occupy’s strategy (not shortcoming) to organize outside the political system. She joins Nation columnist Melissa Harris-Perry to highlight why progressives need to get to the polls and take to the streets this November.

—Christie Thompson

It's Time to Talk About the Poor

Melissa Harris-Perry on September 10, 2012 - 3:56 PM ET

In 2011, nearly 5.7 percent of Americans struggled to put food on the table. But with an overwhelming focus on the middle class at both national conventions, rising poverty went largely unmentioned. Nation columnist Melissa Harris-Perry and Nation blogger Ari Melber ask, Why has a real conversation about America’s poor been mostly missing from this election?

—Christie Thompson

Romney Falls Further Out of Touch With Women

Melissa Harris-Perry on August 27, 2012 - 5:45 PM ET

Once, long ago, Romney believed that abortion “should be safe and legal in this country.” Now, as he charges ever more towards the right, he has rejected his earlier views, further alienating women voters. Nation columnist Melissa Harris-Perry and Nation senior editor Emily Douglas discuss just how out of touch Romney has become, and how his stance is costing him mightily in swing states.

—Max Rivlin-Nadler

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Ryan Is No Rand

Melissa Harris-Perry on August 20, 2012 - 11:18 AM ET

Paul Ryan, like a college libertarian, claims to be a staunch follower of the anti-government icon Ayn Rand. But as a federal employee, who believes in limiting the rights of immigrants and women, he’d most likely be disowned by her. Nation columnist Melissa Harris-Perry explores the tensions between Ryan and Rand, with help from this article by Nation writer Ben Adler.

—Max Rivlin-Nadler

Paul Ryan and the Social Contract

Melissa Harris-Perry on August 13, 2012 - 4:50 PM ET

In his first speech as the Republican vice presidential candidate, Paul Ryan used phrases from the Declaration of Independence to support his own free-market, small-government agenda. Nation columnist Melissa Harris-Perry breaks down why he chose the words of Jefferson and how he has misinterpreted them to attack the social safety net and every other progressive gain since the beginning of the twentieth century.

—Max Rivlin-Nadler

Mr. Romney Goes to Europe

Melissa Harris-Perry on July 30, 2012 - 1:36 PM ET

Aside from all the obvious gaffes during Governor Romney’s trip to Europe, it’s become increasingly clear that he intends to mold his foreign policy on that of George W. Bush. By doing so, he risks alienating a world already leery of US power, and signals a return to the recklessness that led to the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. Filling in for Rachel Maddow, Nation columnist Melissa Harris-Perry breaks down Romney’s insidious discourse on world affairs.

—Max Rivlin-Nadler

When Rape Jokes Aren't Funny

Melissa Harris-Perry on July 16, 2012 - 3:04 PM ET

When comedian Daniel Tosh told an audience member that her gang rape would be “funny,” he crossed the line between humor that points out the cruelty of rape and one that celebrates the act. Nation columnist Jessica Valenti joined fellow Nation columnist Melissa Harris-Perry to discuss Tosh’s lack of sensitivity, the feminist perspective and if there’s such a thing as a genuinely funny rape joke.

—Max Rivlin-Nadler

The GOP's Attack on Voters

Melissa Harris-Perry on July 9, 2012 - 12:14 PM ET

With a state representative in Pennsylvania admitting that voter ID laws “will help Romney win the state of Pennsylvania,” how can courts not strike down the recent surge of voter ID laws as a partisan attempt to discourage low-income and minority voters? Nation contributor Ari Melber joined Nation columnist Melissa Harris-Perry on her show this weekend to discuss how such laws clearly restrict voting rights and how true universal suffrage has been a struggle for the United States since its founding.

—Max Rivlin-Nadler

Pushing the Democrats to the Left

Melissa Harris-Perry on July 2, 2012 - 2:38 PM ET

A handful of prominent Democrats are skipping September’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, distancing themselves from President Obama. Nation Editor Katrina vanden Heuvel sat down with Nation columnist Melissa Harris-Perry to examine the state of the Democratic Party, its messaging and how it needs to be pushed to embrace progressive causes. Katon Dawson, a former chair of the Republican National Committee, Karen Finney, a former communications director for the DNC, and Igor Volsky of Think Progress, also share their thoughts on why, even after the big win on healthcare reform, the Democratic Party is still fractured.

—Max Rivlin-Nadler

Obama Starts to Use the Power of His Office

Melissa Harris-Perry on June 25, 2012 - 2:36 PM ET

Clinton used it fourteen times. Bush, six. As Obama uses his executive privilege for only the first time, why all the outrage? Could it be because Attorney General Eric Holder is a Republican target after looking into the legality of new voter-suppression laws? Nation columnist Melissa Harris-Perry looks at the history of executive privilege, and how Obama is fashioning himself into a strong, sometimes unilateral leader heading into November’s election. She’s joined by NYU Law School professor Kenji Yoshino and Yahoo! News’s David Chalian to discuss Obama’s attempts at bipartisnaship and how lately he’s come to embrace the power of his office.

—Max Rivlin-Nadler