‘Cape Fear,’ and Our Fear ‘Cape Fear,’ and Our Fear
In the wake of 9/11 and Boston, is it even possible to imagine a movie that makes civil liberties an integral part of its dramatic arc?
Apr 24, 2013 / Blog / Rick Perlstein
On Our Politics of Fear On Our Politics of Fear
A reflection for posterity of what it felt like to live in America the week of April 15, 2013.
Apr 19, 2013 / Blog / Rick Perlstein
‘We Are Not a Failing School!’ ‘We Are Not a Failing School!’
A school-closing hearing in Chicago becomes a test of whether corporate-driven school "reform" can be responsive and humane.
Apr 16, 2013 / Blog / Rick Perlstein
Hello, Supply Side! Hello, Supply Side!
On Tax Day, let's consider a right-wing Zombie Idea that won't die despite even being debunked in National Review: that "tax cuts pay for themselves."
Apr 15, 2013 / Blog / Rick Perlstein
Duck Genitals, Bisexual Frogs and Other Right-Wing Anti-Science Inanities Duck Genitals, Bisexual Frogs and Other Right-Wing Anti-Science Inanities
As predictable as the rising and setting sun, conservative politicians attack basic science with all the maturity of ten-year-old boys.
Apr 12, 2013 / Blog / Rick Perlstein
Ted Haggard, Mark Sanford and the Politics of Christian Forgiveness Ted Haggard, Mark Sanford and the Politics of Christian Forgiveness
Republican voters in South Carolina are ready to send an unrepentant adulterer back to public office. What does that mean for the politics of the Christian right?
Apr 10, 2013 / Blog / Rick Perlstein
Why Conservatives Think the Ends Justify the Means Why Conservatives Think the Ends Justify the Means
Who needs a majority—or democracy—when you just know that your cause is the most righteous?
Apr 8, 2013 / Blog / Rick Perlstein
A New Chicago Freedom Ride A New Chicago Freedom Ride
Past shuttered schools and glass-strewn vacant lots, the Chicago Teachers Union documents the likely toll of Rahm Emanuel's latest disastrous education plan.
Apr 5, 2013 / Blog / Rick Perlstein
The Minutemen and the Mainstream Media The Minutemen and the Mainstream Media
A new book argues that the media failed to grasp the frightening extremism of the anti-immigrant border patrols of a few years ago—and wraps it in a thrilling true-crime tale...
Apr 3, 2013 / Blog / Rick Perlstein
Democratic Majority Is Not Demographic Inevitability (Part the Last: Do Something!) Democratic Majority Is Not Demographic Inevitability (Part the Last: Do Something!)
Ultimately, whether a party cements its gains depends not on demographics but performance.
Apr 1, 2013 / Blog / Rick Perlstein