By Daniel Strunk
What is the Tea Party movement? This question has been bounced back and forth so often in past few months by mainstream news networks and politicos that the responses are drowned out by white noise. The New York Times on October 26th published an article alluding to the Tea Party “undermining voting rights” by daring to question possible fraudulent voting1. More dramatically, on the same day Foreign Policy magazine published an article provokingly entitled “The Horror, The Horror…and the Pity”, highlighting the “characterizations” held of …

By Lingfeng Li
Both Democratic incumbent David Price and his Republican challenger, BJ Lawson, attended the Chamber of Commerce’s town-hall styled forum in early September. The candidates largely focused on the economy and the role of government in business during the debate.
While both candidates performed adequately, Lawson seemed noticeably more comfortable and concise with his opening and closing statements, and in his responses to questions. On multiple occasions, Price implied that Lawson was relying on “sound bytes” and “buzz words,” rather than actually delivering a thoughtful reply. But …

In an effort to generate cross-campus dialogue on political issues, The Gothic Guardian has joined with other college publications to form the Alliance of Collegiate Editors (ACE). This week we interviewed 1960s political organizer Mark Rudd, most well known for his involvement with the Weather Underground.
The Gothic Guardian at Duke University
1. Your participation in the Weather Underground came during a time of diverse movement politics and a certain brand of kick-ass liberals. Today, movement politics seem to have disappeared at the same time that liberalism is becoming increasingly tied to …

By Trent Serwetz
Election Day 2008. Op Ed pieces flood in, each one asking a more optimistic question than the last. Change is on the horizon, figured as not just political change but an upheaval of the entire American sociopolitical tradition. “Doesn’t [Obama's victory] imply a “post-racial” America?” One archetypal piece asks. “And shouldn’t those of us — white and black — who did not vote for Mr. Obama take pride in what his victory says about our culture even as we mourn our political loss?”1
A close analysis of voter demographics …

By Matthew Leonard
For freedom-loving Americans, there is cause for optimism in November. The popular tide has turned against the collectivist record of the Democrat party. There are telling signs that a more conservative majority will govern Congress next year.
Given the wide margin of Barack Obama’s victory two years ago, his compatriots’ fall from grace has been surprisingly precipitous. Those on the Left explain their slide in the polls as misplaced blame for a sour economy bequeathed by Bush. On the other side, the Right claims that …

By Joey Lauer
The hot-button issue of illegal immigration has bubbled to the top once again over the summer. The SB1070 law from Arizona has sparked politicians into taking another stab at the immigration problem. But what’s it going to take for true immigration reform this time around?
States like Arizona have it the hardest being on the border when it comes to illegal immigration. The flow of illegal immigrants contributes to drug and violence related crime, and also puts stress on services such as hospitals and the public school system. They …

By Chloe Rockow
In August 2005, Americans were reeling from the worst environmental catastrophe in recent memory, and begging for help. The state and local governments were overwhelmed and unprepared for the magnitude of what had to be done. Historic New Orleans was devastated as many pointed the finger of blame at President Bush, calling his response slow and inefficient. Five years later, the country seems to be suffering from a case of déjà vu. An environmental disaster, compounded with mismanagement at the federal level, is crippling the Gulf coast and …

By Christina Sun
Obama’s policy in the Middle East has been based more heavily upon the perseverance of his political image than on pragmatism.
On Aug. 2, 2010, Obama said that he is on the way to fulfilling his campaign promise of ending the war in Iraq. Under his plan, the United States will have removed all combat troops by Aug. 31, 2010 and 50,000 troops will remain to train Iraqi security forces, conduct counterterrorism operations and provide security for ongoing U.S. civilian efforts. Obama, however, seems more intent on being precisely …

By Trent Serwetz
This just in:
BJ Lawson has won the Republican Party’s nomination for NC’s fourth congressional district, earning  46 percent of the 23,000 votes cast (2010 North Carolina Primary Election Results, WRAL.com (link)).
Lawson, who also won the 2008 GOP nomination, won tonight’s primary election running on a platform of limited government and fiscal responsibility. The Lawson campaign especially highlighted the importance of constitutional government and opposed the Federal Reserve.
“I think the primary message of the campaign has been about getting our economic freedom back, the freedom to create our …

By Christina Sun
You know there is a problem with the tax system when the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury fails to file his taxes correctly.
Whether or not Timothy Geithner knowingly evaded his taxes, the discrepancy shows how complex our current tax system really is.
If you’ve ever filed taxes, images of inscrutable tax policies and forms are probably ingrained in your recent memory – studies agree.  A Tax Foundation survey in April 2007 found that 83 percent of people surveyed said the federal income tax is “very complex” or somewhat “complex.” The …