Author Archives: hessd

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About hessd

Here is all you need to know to follow this blog. I am an old man and I love to think about why we say the things we do. I've taught at the elementary, secondary, collegiate, and doctoral levels. I don't think one is easier than another. They are hard in different ways. I have taught political science for a long time and have practiced politics in and around the Oregon Legislature. I don't think one is easier than another. They are hard in different ways. You'll be seeing a lot about my favorite topics here. There will be religious reflections (I'm a Christian) and political reflections (I'm a Democrat) and a good deal of whimsy. I'm a dilettante.

New Rationales

Posted on January 7, 2026 by hessd

I am a great fan of Thomas D. Edsall’s columns in the New York Times.  His columns are made up of: a) a good question, b) a collection of interesting and reliable correspondents, and c) a journalistic schema that uses … Continue reading →

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“Unnecessary Videos”

Posted on January 1, 2026 by hessd

The old Soviet joke is that there is no Tass in the Pravda and no Pravda in the Tass.  My Soviet Studies professor at Miami University, who told us that one and who spoke Russian fluently, said that Tass meant … Continue reading →

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Flat Successes

Posted on December 30, 2025 by hessd

You know, when the celebration of your success is just flat.  Emotionally flat, I mean.  Flat like a carbonated drink that has been opened and allowed to sit for a few days.  That kind of flat. During this time of … Continue reading →

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“We” are an evangelical nation

Posted on December 28, 2025 by hessd

I would like to share today some thoughts about social and political identity under the Trump administration.  We hear the claim that “we” are “a Christian nation.”  That was prominent in the Christmas messages of the Trump administration according to … Continue reading →

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Problems, Solutions, and LKA

Posted on December 24, 2025 by hessd

For many years, in my teaching courses in political psychology, I needed to distinguish how an issue could be described in one way or another.  Very often, the sense of what ought to be done about it would vary with … Continue reading →

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Being in Kilter

Posted on December 17, 2025 by hessd

The word for today on my Word-A-Day Calendar is “kilter,” and the author makes the kind of comment I associate with George Carlin, who wondered aloud about what ideas like “chalant,” would do for users of English.  Every use of … Continue reading →

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“The good stuff isn’t in the surface reading”

Posted on November 27, 2025 by hessd

I would like to tell you about this picture.  It will take just a little while because each of the elements of the picture—the woman, the hobbit, and the quotation—has a history of its own.  And then there is the … Continue reading →

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Paying Attention II

Posted on November 17, 2025 by hessd

I ended the precursor blog with this paragraph: That brings me to the lip of the next topic, which is how to reduce the cost of “paying” attention.  It will require a distinction between attending to and attending for.  The … Continue reading →

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Steve says, “Let it go.”

Posted on November 15, 2025 by hessd

I have the chance every now and then to listen to Steve Young, the legendary quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, answer questions for five minutes.  The questions are asked by Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser of the show Pardon … Continue reading →

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Caring for the Stranger

Posted on November 9, 2025 by hessd

For me, the dramatic center of Niall Williams’ novel Time of the Child is this confrontation between a doctor and a priest.  This interaction takes place in Faha, a very small and very Catholic town in Ireland.  There is emotional … Continue reading →

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