Jennifer Harper
Articles by Jennifer Harper
‘Parents are not domestic terrorists’
The National School Boards Association recently sent a six-page letter to President Biden asking for "federal law enforcement and other assistance" to protect school board members and other education officials in public settings, saying threats 'could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.' The American Principles Project -- a Virginia-based nonprofit group that works "to defend the American family in politics" -- has pushed back on the idea. "Parents are not domestic terrorists, period," said Terry Schilling, president of the organization. Published October 5, 2021
Trump racks up record approval in Iowa, says Des Moines Register
In four days, former President Donald Trump arrives in Iowa for one of his bodacious rallies with all the trimmings. He'll have a very appreciative audience waiting for him, judging by some local poll numbers. "Out of the daily spotlight and openly flirting with another White House bid, former President Donald Trump will return to Iowa Saturday with better favorability ratings than he ever saw while president," says the Des Moines Register, which conducted the poll in question. Published October 4, 2021
Youngkin wins a precious endorsement
It is telling news from a particular region. The Hampton Roads Black Caucus -- of Hampton Roads, Virginia -- has endorsed Republican Glenn Youngkin in the commonwealth's gubernatorial race. Hampton Roads is the second most populated area in Virginia, home to 1.8 million people. Published October 3, 2021
U.S. political divide called ‘deep, wide and dangerous’
Republicans and Democrats alike could be shocked by how far apart they actually are in terms of basic beliefs and opinions. "The divide between Trump and Biden voters is deep, wide and dangerous. The scope is unprecedented, and it will not be easily fixed," said veteran analyst Larry J. Sabato, who is director of the center. Published September 30, 2021
Bernie Sanders and his ‘legislative legacy’ in the $3.5 trillion spending bill
The level of discord within the Democratic Party has escalated plenty in the last 48 hours. It must be making Republicans gleeful at this point. Let's look at a brief and recent history. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told her fellow Democrats on Monday that they must pass the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill this week before the $3.5 trillion massive reconciliation bill. Sen. Bernard Sanders was not pleased with the edict, or the priority of one bill over the other. Published September 29, 2021
Ground broken on $830 million Obama Presidential Center
A new presidential library has officially arrived. The Obama Presidential Center became a reality Tuesday afternoon with a formal ground-breaking ceremony in a historic park on the south side of Chicago. The occasion marked the public introduction of a 19-acre complex that will include research facilities, a museum and archives -- along with a sledding hill, a recording studio and a gym. Published September 28, 2021
Message to GOP: ‘Don’t get cocky’ from Biden failures
Yes, President Biden's approval ratings are sinking, prompted by notable failures here and abroad plus policy mishaps on a very public stage. Naturally, all this lousy news just nine months into Mr. Biden's presidency is enough to make Republicans grin with delight as they envision big victories in the 2022 midterm elections. But wait. It may not be time to break out the party hats just yet, some say. Published September 27, 2021
History: Even Johnny Carson blasted Biden
This is a reminder about just how long President Biden has been in politics. Over three decades ago, the nation's leading late-night host included Mr. Biden, then a U.S. senator from Delaware who was in the process of running for president. NBC's Johnny Carson had a say back in the day. Published September 26, 2021
Trump still the ‘kingmaker’ in Republican Party
The press continues to suggest that former President Donald Trump is a Republican "kingmaker' -- able to up the power and appeal of a political candidate with a nod and a recommendation. Published September 23, 2021
Biden’s agenda ‘hanging by a thread’
Even Meghan McCain is mad at President Biden. In her inaugural column for The Daily Mail, the former commentator for ABC's "The View" has a thing or two to say about the 46th president. "Eight months since President Biden was sworn into office, the anticipation of a tone change and 'return to normalcy' has utterly disappeared," Ms. McCain advised. In the meantime, some traditional allies are slowly turning their backs on the White House, headline by headline. Published September 22, 2021
Republicans want Trump to run again, says poll
Published September 21, 2021
The pro-life prayers begin as Supreme Court takes case
Pro-life forces are on high alert now that the Supreme Court is reviewing Mississippi's law that limits abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy -- which could lead the justices to reconsider abortion as a constitutional right. Published September 20, 2021
American democracy under attack — again?
The idea that American democracy was either in peril or damaged has been bandied about by the press and assorted pollsters and analysts for quite a while. Over half of U.S. adults now believe that "American democracy is under attack." So says a new CNN poll which indeed found that 51% of the Americans now think that democracy is doomed. Published September 19, 2021
Biden paving way for Trump’s return, liberal strategists fear
The press has been brimming with negative news about President Biden -- dwindling approval ratings, tepid poll numbers, rickety policy and unfortunate public gaffes. This trend could easily compromise Mr. Biden's prime directive, some say. "The Biden administration seems to have forgotten its mandate. Through a series of self-inflicted wounds, miscalculations and gaffes, the Biden administration is 'priming the pump' for a Trump presidency, part deux," wrote Arick Wierson, a former advisor to Michael R. Bloomberg, and Bradley Honan, a Democratic strategist who advised the campaigns of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Published September 16, 2021
Democrats reject common sense solutions on border security
Republican members of the House Homeland Security Committee have shared an exacting list of 18 "common sense" amendments they had proposed to bolster U.S. border security, as part of the $3.5 trillion spending plan. All were voted down by the Democrat majority. Published September 15, 2021
Tipp poll: Biden suffers ‘worst monthly drop’
The Tipp Poll has been around for three decades offering surveys on politics, the economy and more. This pollster also offers something called a "Presidential Leadership Index" which measure favorability, job approval and yes, the leadership of a president in one handy number. "Can President Biden recover from the worst monthly drop in the Presidential Leadership Index in two decades?" asks the pollster's editorial board in an analysis released Tuesday. Published September 14, 2021
Federal government dead last in Gallup ratings
Gallup recently asked Americans to rate the performance of 25 major U.S. industries, such as pharmaceutical manufacturers, airlines, banks, public relations firms, publishers and utility companies. The results were so-so for many of these concerns. The worst news, however, was reserved for that very big industry known as the "federal government." It came in dead last on the list. Published September 13, 2021
CNN poll: America turns irate, glum
Americans are fuming and pessimistic at this time, that's for sure. A new CNN poll finds that 74% of U.S. adults now say they are "very or somewhat angry" about the way things are going in the U.S. today -- that includes 88% of Republicans, 70% of independents and even 67% of Democrats. Published September 12, 2021
America will never forget 9/11
The front pages of newspapers immediately following 9/11 were terse and straightforward: "Our nation saw evil," said the Detroit Press. "Act of War," noted the Boston Globe. "Infamy," said The Washington Times. As the first few anniversaries of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks passed, news organizations appeared reluctant to air the horrifying footage of aircraft striking the Twin Towers or share unthinkable details of the day itself. Published September 9, 2021
Biden’s approval takes a big dive
In the last 48 hours, the news media has acknowledged that President Biden's approval ratings are sagging, tanking, slipping -- the descriptions from the press are many. Mr. Biden has been in office less than nine months. Published September 8, 2021
