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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Glenn--I agree with your premise, but I believe this syndrome is also the result of an electorate that makes very little effort to understand who candidates are and what they believe in. Clearly, a familiar last name is a big advantage at the ballot box, as shown in many communities where candidates with the same name are elected, even when they're in no way related to previous office holders. The fact is, an "informed electorate" is still largely absent from the American political scene, and voting for a familiar name is often the path of least resistance and greatest comfort. Politicians trade on "brand" familiarity because it works.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Once seen as a lunatic fringe, reactionary anti-women groups are courting respectability
Salon headlines in your mailbox
