The president most known for his moral vision was also a master political operator.
Books
Book reviews and essays from the Washington Monthly on the new books shaping debates over politics, policy, history, and American democracy.
Posted inBooks, Featured, July/August 2019, Magazine
The Hustling, Sweating, Flawed Greatness of Richard Holbrooke
The legendary diplomat was a deeply imperfect specimen of the human condition. Yet at his most statesmanlike moments, he could be extraordinary.
Posted inBooks, July/August 2019, Magazine
The Radicalizations of the American Mind
Why liberals need to grapple with the complexity of the new left.
Posted inBooks, Featured, July/August 2019
The Rise of White Identity Politics
White voters increasingly see themselves as a threatened ethnic group. By championing an inclusive American identity, liberal politicians can offer an alternative.
Posted inBooks, July/August 2019, Magazine, Main
The Cork Board President
The Donald Trump era requires a new theory of conspiracy theories.
Posted inBooks, Featured, July/August 2019, Magazine
Why the Left Is Losing the Information Age
Liberals assumed digital technology would help their side. They forgot how power works.
Posted inBooks, Featured, Political Animal
Adam Gopnik’s Ineffective Defense of Liberalism
Instead of recognizing a crisis, he acts like we all just need a little reassurance.
Posted inApril/May/June 2019, Books, Magazine
John Roberts: Boy In The Bubble
The chief justice has made a career of undoing progress on civil rights and ignoring the consequences.
Posted inApril/May/June 2019, Books, Magazine
The Misunderstood Brilliance of the VA
To save the Veterans Health Administration, Americans must first appreciate its many achievements.
Posted inApril/May/June 2019, Books, Featured, Magazine
Preet Bharara’s Willful Blindness
We’ll never fix the criminal justice system until ‘liberal’ prosecutors recognize how badly it’s broken.
