#election

The Future of the GOP: How They Lost in 2020 and How They Can Win in the Future

The Claremont Independent

Jan 27, 2021

The Future of the GOP: How They Lost in 2020 and How They Can Win in the Future

Disclaimer: This article is not an endorsement of any political party or candidate. This article simply makes observations based on available data. “The GOP may be at one of its lowest points ever,” Republican Maryland governor Larry Hogan tweets. Not only have the Democrats regained control of all parts of the government, they have done so in a surprising way. Joe Biden won Georgia and Arizona, two states that have not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1992

In Tense Claremont Protests, Protesters Bark At Trump Supporters, Who Yell Back Insults

The Claremont Independent

Oct 4, 2020

In Tense Claremont Protests, Protesters Bark At Trump Supporters, Who Yell Back Insults

A group of protesters began barking at Trump supporters at a Trump rally in Claremont on October 3. The protesters continued barking when one of the Trump supporters asked if they “kn[e]w how f**king stupid [they] are,” and waved signs bearing slogans such as “Grab Him By The Ballot,” a reference to the president’s 2005 comments about women during an appearance on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. https://twitter.com/TomasMorales_iv/status/1312452128166699009?s=20 Earlier tha

OPINION: Democrats Need To Reclaim Patriotism

The Claremont Independent

Aug 20, 2020

OPINION: Democrats Need To Reclaim Patriotism

This summer, my stepdad saw an American flag dancing in the wind and assumed its owner was conservative. It is a common reaction by liberals. For years, the GOP has seemingly monopolized symbols of patriotism, like the flag and the armed forces. Now, it’s time to reclaim American pride, for the sake of this country and the long-term political strategy of the Democratic Party. The Economist recently published an article called the “Politics of patriotism.” The author cites a H

An Uber Ride’s Lesson in Civil Discourse

The Claremont Independent

Nov 23, 2019

An Uber Ride’s Lesson in Civil Discourse

A few weeks ago, I took an Uber from a student journalism event at the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda to Claremont. Right as I got in the car, the driver struck me, and my editor, as…interesting. He was wearing a t-shirt reading “Trump 2020” across the front. He asked us if we were college students, and when we answered affirmatively, he laughed. “I bet you don’t like Trump then, huh?” I told him that, while I hadn’t been old enough to vote in the 2016 e

After Trump’s Election, Pomona Orchestra Can Opt Out of Playing ‘Don Juan’

The Claremont Independent

Nov 13, 2016

After Trump’s Election, Pomona Orchestra Can Opt Out of Playing ‘Don Juan’

On Thursday, the Pomona College Orchestra informed its musicians that they could opt out of performing the song Don Juan in their upcoming concert because the piece—which centers around the libertine Don Juan character—could be insensitive to students who were upset by the election of Donald Trump. “When I programmed Don Juan, the presidential nominees of the two major parties were known, and the smart money was on a Clinton victory…You have worked immensely hard on this piec

After the Election: Trump, Clinton, and the Death of Dialogue

The Claremont Independent

Nov 8, 2016

After the Election: Trump, Clinton, and the Death of Dialogue

No matter which candidate wins tonight’s presidential election, the American people have already lost. This isn’t because both Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump are poor choices; as I have written before, I think Secretary Clinton would make an excellent president. Rather, the American people are losing because we’ve lost the ability to communicate with each other It is easier than ever today to entomb oneself in an echo chamber. Schools today are more homogeneous than ever, so

The Clinton Emails You Haven’t Heard About

The Claremont Independent

Nov 7, 2016

The Clinton Emails You Haven’t Heard About

Hillary Clinton’s emails have been a thorough topic of debate, but the information that has been made readily public is only a small part of the scandal. Many people simply assume that the only topics of interest in her emails are Benghazi and corporate interests, but the emails contain far more secrets that were hidden until Julian Assange released troves of previously submerged documents with massive implications. First off, Morocco contributed 12 million dollars to the Cli

The Claremont Independent

Nov 7, 2016

Should I Vote?

When the two most popular candidates are as disliked as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, it becomes difficult to decide whether or not to vote. Our more ardent friends tell us that voting is a constitutional obligation. They say that it stands for all the people who died for our right to vote, but neglect to say that you ought to vote for your values. Voting for one’s values has been the way that America has operated for generations. This can be seen in the election of 1912,

The Only Part of Last Night’s Debate You Need to See

The Claremont Independent

Sep 27, 2016

The Only Part of Last Night’s Debate You Need to See

Yesterday’s debate featured exactly the Trumpian performance we’ve come to expect: the Donald’s signature one-two punch of incoherence and lies, paired with enough bizarre non sequiturs—“I have a son who’s 10, he’s so good with computers,” anyone?—so as to border on the surreal. With such a ‘bigly’ amount of sheer ineptitude, however, genuinely important debate moments are being forgotten. It’s easy to miss the insanity buried amidst the absurd, the moments such as when Trump

The Claremont Independent

Jul 29, 2016

Ted Cruz is Not An ‘American Hero’

In his speech to the Republican National Convention, Texas Senator Ted Cruz delivered a much-needed refresher course on his party’s values: liberty, freedom of speech and religion, and the right of citizens to keep more of what they earn. And yet, after he outlined the reasons why a Republican needs to win, Cruz declined to support his party’s nominee, declaring that Republicans should “vote their consciences” in November rather than throw their support to Donald J. Trump. Hi

The Claremont Independent

Apr 15, 2016

Was Colorado Rigged?

In an opinion editorial published in this morning’s edition of The Wall Street Journal, Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump unleashes a blistering critique of the presidential nomination process, excoriating the party establishment for “defending a system that for decades has served the interest of political parties at the expense of the people.” The editorial embodies the anti-establishment flavor of Mr. Trump’s campaign as it rails against a “rigged delegate-s

Super Tuesday 2.0: The fallout from the March 15th primaries

The Claremont Independent

Mar 17, 2016

Super Tuesday 2.0: The fallout from the March 15th primaries

On the Republican side Donald Trump marched to victory in four of the five Republican primaries on Tuesday, steamrolling Senator Marco Rubio on his home turf in Florida and holding back an insurgent Senator Ted Cruz in Missouri, Illinois, and North Carolina. His only loss came in Ohio, where John Kasich, the state’s popular governor, won handily. After his disappointing loss in Florida, Marco Rubio suspended his campaign, shrinking the GOP field to three candidates. The only

The Claremont Independent

Feb 29, 2016

Super Tuesday: Go Big or Go Home

What is Super Tuesday? Since our last feature on the Iowa Caucuses, four states, Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada have all cast their votes for both the Republican and Democratic Presidential nominees, respectively. With two caucuses and two primaries, these early voting states represent each region of the United States: the Midwest, the Northeast, the South, and the Far West. Both the RNC and the DNC set rules for when states can hold their primary elections,

The Claremont Independent

Feb 1, 2016

Iowa Caucuses: What You Need to Know

What are the Iowa Caucuses? In both parties’ nomination processes, the first state to cast its votes is the state of Iowa, which does so in the form of a caucus. While New Hampshire’s state constitution has a law dictating that New Hampshire must be the first state to hold a primary each election cycle, Iowa skirts this law by remaining loyal to the caucus system. The Iowa caucus rose to prominence in the media in 1972, (in large part due to the long-shot candidacy of then Go

Bill Kristol Talks Microaggressions, the Media, and Newt Gingrich

The Claremont Independent

Jan 29, 2015

Bill Kristol Talks Microaggressions, the Media, and Newt Gingrich

Bill Kristol has made quite the career for himself. Twenty years ago, after stints in government, the academy, and non-profits, he co-founded the Weekly Standard, the nationally influential conservative magazine where he is editor today. Kristol is also the Chairman of the Board of Governors at Claremont McKenna’s Salvatori Center for the Study of Individual Freedom in the Modern World, which hosted his talk at the Athenaeum last Thursday. At the Ath, Kristol predicted that,

The Elephants’ Charge: Voters Nationwide Stampede to GOP

The Claremont Independent

Nov 17, 2014

The Elephants’ Charge: Voters Nationwide Stampede to GOP

As it turns out, Republicans have obtained an historic majority in the House of Representatives, will likely pick up nine seats in the Senate, and have even managed to achieve a net gain in governorships by winning in the solidly blue states of Illinois, Massachusetts, and Maryland. It would be tempting to sit back, write an article telling the 5Cs “we told you so,” and bask in the glory of these midterm results; however, it is perhaps more constructive to reflect on how the