Politics | Voter.org

‘We Need to Do McCarthyism to the Tenth Power’

March 6, 2026 need, power, Tenth, ‘We, McCarthyism0 comment

For decades, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy’s name has been used as shorthand for the opposite of the aspirational ideal of civilized American politics. In the way that Kleenex has become interchangeable with tissue, McCarthyism, for many, is an eponym for the unjust, reprehensible use of political power. Indicating that anything resembled the tactics and smears of the late senator from Wisconsin has been enough to suggest that such behavior was out of bounds, with no rightful place in our modern politics. But now comes a small, influential group of hard-line…

The Impossible Predicament of the Uninsured

March 2, 2026 impossible, uninsured, Predicament0 comment

The day after Thanksgiving, I got a voicemail. A woman identified herself as a doctor at the University of Louisville hospital: “I believe I may have one of your family members here.” The message was hard to understand. Most of my family lives in Kentucky, so I didn’t know whom the doctor was referring to. I called the hospital, but kept getting put on hold. Then I tried my aunt—if someone was in trouble, she’d be the one to know. But she didn’t answer. A few hours later, her son…

Why I Got Thrown Out of a Jasmine Crockett Rally

February 26, 2026 rally, Jasmine, Crockett, Thrown0 comment

Right before armed guards escorted me from the rally and left me on the edge of a Texas-county road, I was informed that I was no longer welcome at an event that I had already attended. For the past hour, I’d watched as Representative Jasmine Crockett riled up her supporters in deep-red Lubbock, where voters were thrilled to receive a visit from the Democratic Senate candidate. But afterward, as I attempted to join the other reporters interviewing the lawmaker, a woman with a badge approached me. “Are you Elaine?” she…

The Buzz in Kristi Noem’s Home State

February 22, 2026 state, home, Buzz, Kristi, Noem’s0 comment

Updated at 1:00 p.m. ET on February 20, 2026. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has faced intense scrutiny from Republicans and calls for her firing from Democrats since the January 24 shooting of Alex Pretti by Customs and Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. Now Noem’s tenuous standing with the Trump White House is creating concern in her home state of South Dakota that she might leave the Cabinet to challenge Senator Mike Rounds in the state’s June Republican primary. Political allies of Rounds have begun preparing for this scenario, even…

The Disappointment of Young Trump Voters

February 18, 2026 voters, Young, Trump, Disappointment0 comment

This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter. Sign up for it here. The past two months have been some of the worst for Donald Trump’s approval rating—ever. Polling aggregators have his net approval in the low 40s, with 34 percent approval on the economy and 30 percent on cost of living. In individual polls, his overall approval dips down into the mid 30s. The last time Trump’s numbers looked this bad was right after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. George W. Bush…

Kristi Noem’s Audience of One

February 14, 2026 Audience, Kristi, Noem’s0 comment

Since Alex Pretti’s killing three weeks ago, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been trying to distance herself from Minneapolis—politically and geographically. Last week, Noem went to southern Arizona to give a speech about border-wall construction. Yesterday, she was at a warehouse along the border in California, straining to tout the Trump administration’s drug-seizure data above the clamor of protesters outside. Noem returned to Arizona today to promote President Trump’s proposed election legislation, describing voting in the swing state as “an absolute disaster.” Trump made clear that Noem’s approach to…