tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399Fri, 25 Oct 2024 10:06:04 +0000http://www.theantipopulist.com/noreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)Blogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-4335779935739589035Fri, 18 Sep 2015 16:15:00 +00002015-09-18T12:15:45.925-04:00Over three years ago we wrote “Why Crazy Might Be Best in 2012” in which we made the case that nominating the most bat-shit crazy Republican would open up a window for a rational, reasonable and moderate independent to fill the rather large middle ground and win the presidency.  As we know, Governor Romney won the nomination, and as one of the least bat-shit crazy candidates, thehttp://www.theantipopulist.com/2015/09/why-crazy-might-be-best-2016-edition.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-8250306823070333593Fri, 16 Jan 2015 14:54:00 +00002015-01-23T11:08:59.193-05:00 The NFL is riding high as America’s Game, but it has a problem.   Most criticism of the NFL has been aimed at player safety, concussions in particular, and player behavior off the field, highlighted by some high profile domestic abuse cases.  Both are issues that require attention, but neither issue impacts the experience of watching an NFL game.   The real problem facing the http://www.theantipopulist.com/2015/01/let-deregulate-nfl.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-2823792488489771457Thu, 08 Jan 2015 04:48:00 +00002015-01-08T09:40:29.277-05:00 We need to stop calling the leaders of media outlets who decide not to republish the Charlie Hebdo cartoons "cowards.” Any reasonable person knows that free speech is a right to be celebrated and defended. Unfortunately, we live in a world filled with unreasonable people, who do unreasonable things for unreasonable reasons.  Wednesday’s demented exercise of religious vigilantism in http://www.theantipopulist.com/2015/01/its-not-cowardly-to-protect-employees.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-196108569044124396Mon, 05 Jan 2015 18:53:00 +00002015-01-05T13:53:13.840-05:00Last year we shamed Jayson Stark of ESPN for admitting that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are two of the greatest players of all time, but leaving them off his 2014 Hall of Fame ballot.  He cited the broken voting system with many critiques that we share, but our point was that if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. So this year, http://www.theantipopulist.com/2015/01/its-hall-of-fame-time-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-3135551113291643747Mon, 16 Jun 2014 16:58:00 +00002014-06-16T12:58:03.731-04:00July 24, 2026 – NEW YORK Over one million people packed the Canyon of Heroes on Friday for a ticker tape parade in honor of the United States Men’s National Soccer team and their hard fought 2026 FIFA World Cup Championship.  After failing to reach the knock-out stage of the world’s most popular tournament in 2014 and back-to-back heartbreaking losses in the quarterfinals http://www.theantipopulist.com/2014/06/concussions-help-usa-win-first-world.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-8290615483033382266Fri, 17 Jan 2014 22:58:00 +00002014-01-17T17:58:54.958-05:00We can’t seem to make it through a single opinion page or White House press conference without hearing about the terrible and destructive problem of income inequality.   Post after post, tweet after tweet, highlight the income gains achieved by the top 1% versus those gained or lost by other income percentiles.  Today, Paul Krugman lectures us on “Why We Talk About the http://www.theantipopulist.com/2014/01/the-income-inequality-boogeyman.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-7714893136025378644Thu, 16 Jan 2014 03:36:00 +00002014-01-15T22:36:52.777-05:00We've spent almost 40 years defending our beloved Chicago Cubs, so it a natural instinct to defend them once again.   Luckily the Cubs news this week doesn't require us to defend a decision to let a perennial Cy Young contender, once-in-a-generation, first ballot hall of famer leave as a free agent out of spite.  Nor did they just sign an 8-year, $136 million free agent http://www.theantipopulist.com/2014/01/defending-clark-cub.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-4648065010683203895Wed, 08 Jan 2014 00:47:00 +00002014-01-08T10:06:06.220-05:00It’s exactly one year since we last provided our thoughts on the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and the holier-than-thou Baseball Writers’ Association of America who hold the keys to enshrinement. Our views have not changed, but our rage was reignited after reading a Jayson Stark column explaining why his hall of fame ballot excludes names like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. http://www.theantipopulist.com/2014/01/more-baseball-hall-of-fame-nonsense.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-3080557024980419350Fri, 20 Dec 2013 16:19:00 +00002013-12-20T11:19:09.510-05:00We were a bit rough on Bloomberg.com's opinion pages in our last post, but they are back on the right track with with Clive Crook's latest piece.  "But modern voters are offended by too much populism. As they should be, because it insults their intelligence."  Bingo.  http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/12/an-antipopulist-at-bloombergcom.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-8308435829065993353Wed, 18 Dec 2013 03:46:00 +00002013-12-18T09:43:21.283-05:00Can you believe the government subsidizes McDonalds, Wal-Mart and the Big Bad Banks? The Bloomberg opinion pages are filled with this nonsense and we’d like to cut through the click-beckoning populist outrage to present the issue fully and logically. The Bloomberg thesis is that government policies are providing scandalous subsidies to unpopular businesses.  Bloomberg http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/12/the-government-subsidy-fallacy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-3683502962316751353Fri, 18 Oct 2013 19:01:00 +00002013-10-18T15:24:47.491-04:00 The two hobbies taking up most of our free time these days are keeping up with 1) the political dysfunction in Washington and 2) our fantasy football teams.   The confluence of the two sparked an idea. What if we applied the best part fantasy football to help solve the gridlock and lack of compromise in Washington.  What if we held Fantasy Congress drafts?  Sound http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/10/fantasy-football-congress-compromise.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-4878153217859864870Wed, 02 Oct 2013 18:08:00 +00002014-07-21T20:48:46.664-04:00Now that the non-essential portions of government are officially shutdown, every pundit is contractually obligated to apportion blame.  As expected, all liberal pundits blame John Boehner, all conservatives blame both President Obama and Harry Reid, and all other "independent" outlets blame everyone.  We know the real culprit. Primary elections. We've discussed this before, but http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/10/we-blame-primary-elections_2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-380077633942955784Tue, 01 Oct 2013 01:01:00 +00002013-10-02T13:57:59.843-04:00We have a better continuing resolution/debt ceiling strategy for House Republicans: Pass a bill with two features: 1) Pass a budget and increase the debt ceiling.  In fact, as a gesture of goodwill, increase it more than required so to avoid possibility of another faux-default crisis in the short term.  2) Require a full and clean implementation of the Affordable Care Act, as written http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/09/we-have-better-continuing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-3772311476359740849Sat, 07 Sep 2013 05:09:00 +00002013-09-07T01:11:57.661-04:00Full disclaimer:  We have no business commenting on complex foreign policy matters; it could not be further from our core competence or experience.  That said, we have a tidy solution that's not been discussed in the mainstream. The prevailing wisdom is that we should either 1) drop a few bombs on a few obvious targets or 2) continue to lecture Assad, "in the strongest way possible" http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/09/syria-there-are-no-half-measures.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-4014006583384695085Wed, 28 Aug 2013 14:39:00 +00002013-08-30T12:41:06.404-04:00Nothing panders to the masses better than apocalyptic prophecies that banks are on the verge of kick-starting another global financial crisis.  Anat R. Admati, a career professor of finance and economics at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and co-author of “The Bankers’ New Clothes: What’s Wrong With Banking and What to Do About It” is at it again in the New http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/08/the-problem-with-leverage-ratio.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-3368836357704271521Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:04:00 +00002013-06-12T16:04:26.769-04:00Editors Note:  The following was written in the aftermath of the Newtown shootings.  We didn't post this right away as we wanted to ensure we had clear eyes ourselves.  In the meantime, our real, non-blogging life got in the way.  We post this now as we feel it's an important, albiet slightly out-dated, opinion to share.     If http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/06/clear-eyed-facts-on-school-shootings.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-6724220567799246010Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:44:00 +00002013-06-12T15:06:04.875-04:00 The outrage over the collection of Verizon client data by the National Security Agency is dangerously misplaced.  In the abstract, it’s reasonable that this activity gives American’s an uneasy feeling.  Nobody should accept government programs that track our every move and listen to our private conversations without probable cause and a warrant.  Luckily, that’s not happening http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/06/defending-nsa.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-2355887915251033655Thu, 14 Feb 2013 02:22:00 +00002013-02-15T11:09:56.851-05:00It’s not often that our alma mater makes national headlines, but Lehigh University was back in the news today, not because they beat Duke in the NCAA Tournament again, but because a fellow graduate has sued our fine institution for $1.3 million. Lehigh’s crime is allegedly having the audacity to give Megan Thode a C+ in a counseling and human services fieldwork class when she needed a B. &http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/02/new-math-b-minus-c-13-million.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-2039071829051917387Sat, 09 Feb 2013 00:11:00 +00002013-02-08T19:31:55.397-05:00Who’s more valuable - the performer, or the owner of the stage on which the performer performs?  It’s an age old question, but has been at the forefront of the sports world after the recent NBA and NHL lockouts.  It’s also the underlying issue in the professional commentariats ongoing outrage towards the NCAA it's principle of amateurism.  The NCAA doesn’t pay its http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/02/the-ncaa-has-issues-but-its-not.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-6377855318681708101Wed, 06 Feb 2013 03:37:00 +00002013-02-05T22:58:26.236-05:00 THE EVIL GENIUS by theantipopulist.com Act II, Scene III INT. THE OVAL OFFICE     NIGHT THE PRESIDENT welcomes POLITICAL OPERATIVE and they take a seat on a couch. POLITICAL OPERATIVE:  Mr. President – what if I told you I had a fool proof way of losing fewer independent votes than expected? THE PRESIDENT:  I’m listening. POLITICAL OPERATIVE:  We crushed this http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/02/a-scene-from-oval-office.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-3031022368142589665Wed, 16 Jan 2013 03:51:00 +00002013-01-16T08:17:14.720-05:00Dear House Republicans – You need to pass a comprehensive budget and debt ceiling increase ASAP. Stay in Washington and work seven days a week until a budget and long term debt ceiling resolution is passed.  Disprove your reputation as a bunch of right-wing ideologues and show American that you can step up and make the hard decisions that the White House and Senate have failed to make for http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/01/open-letter-to-house-republicans.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-2309764276274348255Sat, 12 Jan 2013 02:12:00 +00002013-01-17T11:54:23.234-05:00We hate guns and have no interest in exercising our Constitutional rights to bear arms.  The odds of an accident occurring with any gun bought for protection, especially in a house with kids, far outweighs the odds that it will ever be needed for protection.  But we respect the Constitution, and we respect the right to bear arms responsibly.  Should a family have the right to ownhttp://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/01/a-problem-with-priorities-redux.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-3029683664519205164Wed, 09 Jan 2013 03:39:00 +00002013-01-08T23:03:07.973-05:00Politics is fun, but baseball is our original passion. With the Cubs continuing their 105 year swoon, we focus our attention on the growing controversy surrounding the impact of the “steroids era” on the Baseball Hall of Fame. The members of The Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) have submitted their ballots and tomorrow at noon the Baseball Hall of Fame, Class of 2013 will be http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/01/hall-of-fame-or-hall-of-morally.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-3457527974525508749Wed, 02 Jan 2013 21:26:00 +00002013-01-03T10:01:26.197-05:00A couple of quick thoughts after the latest political can-kicking exercise... Once again, it's our children and grandchildren who get screwed.  Not a single entitlement reform or reduction in spending, in fact, the bill will add $3.6 trillion to the budget deficit.  After all, its much more important that the average family can buy a couple of iPads in 2013 than it is for our http://www.theantipopulist.com/2013/01/when-will-this-game-of-kick-can-end.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444689078325074399.post-7814542955421290617Thu, 27 Dec 2012 16:41:00 +00002012-12-27T11:50:41.997-05:00 “Great ideas often receive violent opposition from mediocre minds.” “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” The quotes above have been widely attributed to Albert Einstein.  We knew he was a brilliant man, but it’s incredible to think that in the early 20th century he could so accurately describe politics in the 21st century. http://www.theantipopulist.com/2012/12/its-deja-uu-all-over-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (theantipopulist.com)0