Recent Character Commentaries

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Fear Is the Enemy Within, Not Each Other
Fed by misinformation and half-truths, fear pushes us to distrust others, retreat into ourselves, see threats where there are none. Fear convinces us the world is more hostile than it truly is, seeing things through the lens of “Us vs. Them,” cutting us off from the compassion, understanding, and cooperation that can bring us together. Fear has always been present,...
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October 16, 2024
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When Was the Last Time Something Like This Happened in U.S. History?
In a public letter, 111 former top Republican officials have put aside party loyalty for the sake of national security and the future of our democracy. Republican Former National Security Leaders Statement of Support for Vice President Harris We are former national security and foreign policy officials who served in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George...
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October 15, 2024
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Right v. Wrong
Here are some of the most recognizable figures who have worked with or opposed Donald Trump. Their quotes provide a firsthand look into why prominent military leaders, former Trump officials, and Republican figures have spoken out against the former president, citing concerns about his leadership, honesty, divisiveness, and threat to democracy. What have these individuals, many of whom experienced it...
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October 11, 2024
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What Do We Look for in a President?
In a 2016 poll entitled “What Voters Want in a President Today,” Pew Research reported that “more than a year before the first primaries, more voters valued a hypothetical candidate with ‘experience and a proven record’ (50%) than one who had ‘new ideas and a different approach’ (43%). Six months later, those numbers had flipped – 55% said it was...
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September 26, 2024
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The Great and the Regrettable
The Presidential Greatness Project, led by Professors Brandon Rottinghaus and Justin Vaughn, is a research effort that evaluates U.S. presidents through the lens of expert scholars in the field of presidential politics. Every few years, these scholars weigh in on which presidents exemplify greatness based on their leadership, historical significance, and legacy. In 2024, not surprisingly, Abraham Lincoln still holds...
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September 24, 2024
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A Call for Unity
I first heard about John Gilbert Winant several years ago in Concord, New Hampshire, while I was teaching a class on ethics. My co-captain, Professor Stephen Ambra, spoke admiringly of the three-term Republican governor of the state. However, the most compelling part of Winant’s story unfolded during his time abroad, serving as the U.S. Ambassador to England. In 1941, Democrat...
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September 13, 2024
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We Remember
On this anniversary of 9/11, let’s take a moment to remember those we lost and honor the heroes who ran toward danger. It was a day that tested so many who put their lives on the line to save others and brought out the best in us—courage, compassion, duty, and a sense of unity that crossed all divides. As we...
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September 11, 2024
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The Enemy Within
In 63 BCE, Rome was facing an internal crisis that threatened to destroy the Republic. Roman senator Lucius Sergius Catilina, known as Catiline, was conspiring to overthrow the government. With the help of a coalition of the discontented, his plan included violent uprisings and the assassination of several leading senators and political figures, including Cicero, Rome’s famed philosopher and statesman....
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September 10, 2024
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This is Why I Have Lost All Faith in the Ability of Republicans to Govern
This is Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia addressing his Senate colleagues regarding the proposed Senate Border Security Bill.  » Read more about: This is Why I Have Lost All Faith in the Ability of Republicans to Govern  »...
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September 8, 2024
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NY Times: More than 200 Bush, McCain and Romney Staffers Endorse Harris
Bush, McCain, and Romney Alumni for Harris Statement “Four years ago, President George W. Bush, the late Sen. John McCain, and then-Gov. Mitt Romney alumni came together to warn fellow Republicans that re-electing President Trump would be a disaster for our nation. In those declarations we stated the plain truth, each predicting that another four years of a Trump presidency...
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August 27, 2024