Category Archives: Politics

The First Ten Years, Part II

Posted on May 25, 2020 by hessd

The first pass I made over my first ten years of blogging considered the foundational questions. Why blogging? Why the “dilettante” theme? Today I want to review what the political arc of the first decade has been. You wouldn’t think I … Continue reading →

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Foul is Fair

Posted on March 29, 2020 by hessd

Why do we keep falling for this? Is it because we don’t understand anything at all about symbolism? Is it that we so dearly love making fun of the nation’s Chief Buffoon that we are willing to hand him the … Continue reading →

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The Norms of Political Rhetoric

Posted on March 12, 2020 by hessd

Here are two observations made in Thomas Edsall’s column in the New York Times today.  I think the two comments belong in different contexts, but I am going to join them today, because I think they also mean more together. … Continue reading →

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Super Wednesday

Posted on March 4, 2020 by hessd

Since I’m writing this on Tuesday morning, I have no idea what will happen in all those primaries. What I want to happen is pretty clear to me though and I think this might be the right time to think … Continue reading →

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A complaint about Thomas Edsall

Posted on February 22, 2020 by hessd

Who is Thomas B. Edsall and what is the complaint.  Thomas B. Edsall is one of the best things that happens in a week of The New York Times.  He publishes a column on (most) Wednesdays.  The column is about, … Continue reading →

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Songs of discipleship and impeachment

Posted on January 27, 2020 by hessd

On Sunday, January 26, we sang a really interesting hymn at our church. It was called “From the Nets of Our Labor.” I hadn’t ever sung it before and melodically, I don’t think it has much to offer. The text … Continue reading →

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Hello, Mark Galli

Posted on January 4, 2020 by hessd

I had never heard of Mark Galli before today.  He is the outgoing editor of Christianity Today, which is described—except by President Trump—as “an evangelical journal.” [1]  According to his interview with Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs in the New York Times, he … Continue reading →

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2019 in the rear-view mirror

Posted on January 2, 2020 by hessd

I freely grant that this end of the year reflection is an indulgence. [1] Except in the religious sense, we think of of that word in the context of “self-indulgent” mostly. That context puts many of these meanings (see the … Continue reading →

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The Know Nothing Party, Part II

Posted on November 27, 2019 by hessd

The Know Nothing Party Abraham Lincoln knew flourished briefly before the Civil War.  They called themselves “the American Party,” but since its inner workings were supposed to be secret, its members were supposed to say “I know nothing” [1]  That … Continue reading →

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Impeachment 101

Posted on September 25, 2019 by hessd

I don’t have a view, myself, about whether impeaching Donald Trump (hereafter, CHEB, the Current Head of the Executive Branch) is a good idea or not. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said, when she authorized the first tentative step … Continue reading →

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