The Debate

Since 9/11, one of the defining fault lines in American and Western politics has concerned whether jihadist groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS are motivated by their religion or by politics – or more specifically, by grievances against Western foreign policy.

A challenge to the Commission on Presidential Debates was effectively dismissed in federal court Friday. U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer ruled that there is little merit to the claim that the CPD is violating antitrust laws and there is no evidence the commission is intentionally working to shut out minor party presidential challengers.

Over the past month, the courts have systematically begun to dismantle voter suppression laws in 4 states. Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Kansas have all seen various laws designed to 'protect the ballot box' struck down as merely attempts to suppress the vote.

Everyone has heard the one-liners when it comes to politically discussing heath care: from 'death panels' to 'free health care,' 'socialized medicine' to 'free market care,' the one-liners say everything and nothing about the current state of America's health care crisis.

And we are in a health care crisis.

Last week marked the end of the presidential primary season. After 18 months of speeches and debates and millions of tweets, Facebook posts, and email blasts, it will go down in history as a pivotal moment in our experiment with democracy.

And while Donald Trump’s antics and unconventional campaign style will fill political science textbooks, his approach to seeking the highest office in the land isn’t the central lesson of this election cycle. What the last year and a half revealed is that our system is rigged and the American people are on to it.

The status quo directly benefits corporate Democratic and Republican leadership (1%), but falls short of serving the real needs of individuals who make up the other 99%. Third parties threaten the establishment by appealing to the actual needs of constituents of both major parties.

Two private corporations, state and federal governments actively deny equal access to benefits which serve the two major parties' campaigns.

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson and his running mate, Bill Weld, took the national stage for the second time during a CNN town hall event Wednesday night. Polling near the 15% threshold to qualify for the fall presidential debates, Johnson and Weld made the case that they are the best alternative to the two broadly unpopular major party tickets.

SAN DIEGO, CALIF.- Ray Lutz and a group of supporters affiliated with Citizens Oversight held a news conference at the County Registrar’s office in San Diego Wednesday claiming that the 2016 June Primary election was “rigged.”

Bernie Sanders had a great run. He exceeded every expectation, mobilized millions, and changed the political conversation. He made the word revolution fashionable again.

Now he’s focused on getting Hillary Clinton elected and forming a new grassroots organization, Our Revolution.

My question for Bernie is an ontological one: “Is this a “what” revolution or a “how” revolution?”

How he answers it has everything to do with whether Bernie 2.0 orients toward remaking the Democratic Party or toward partnering with diverse Americans to remake the country. Big difference.