William Kristol
The Bulwark
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Past articles by William:
A (Surprisingly) Happy New Year
2022 was better than expected; 2023 is key. → Read More
Should an Election Denier Be Speaker of the House?
The Constitution matters more than Kevin McCarthy. → Read More
The Jan. 6th Committee Starts With “Just the Facts, Ma’am”
The committee rises to the occasion. Will we? → Read More
Trump’s Defeat a Year Ago Was Dunkirk, Not D-Day
Where do we stand, as year 2021 of the common era and year one of the Biden presidency comes to an end? We’re much better off than we might have been. We’re not as well off as we might have hoped to be. We’re better off because Donald Trump was defeated on November 3, 2020, […] → Read More
An Open Letter in Defense of Democracy
The future of democracy in the United States is in danger. → Read More
An Open Letter to Joe Biden on Afghanistan
The situation in Afghanistan is dire. But it is not too late to deploy forces to stabilize it, and ultimately turn it around. We can at least avoid the worst outcome, a collapse and slaughter that would be a catastrophe for the people of Afghanistan and a strategic and moral disaster for the United States. […] → Read More
Seven Entrepreneurial Paths Toward a Democratic Majority
Last week I proposed three theses about our current situation, basically arguing that a governing Democratic majority, consisting of an alliance of welcoming Democrats and pro-democracy ex-Republicans, might be achievable. I then wondered: Couldn’t this be a moment when entrepreneurs could bring supply, demand, and the moment together in the political marketplace to create an […] → Read More
Towards A Real Democratic Majority
The headline from the new Quinnipiac poll is pretty straightforward: The Republican party remains Donald Trump’s party. No fewer than 84 percent of Republicans have a favorable opinion of Donald Trump. Two-thirds of Republicans want him to run for president. And most of the rest of the remaining third would prefer a Republican candidate who […] → Read More
What About Joe?
The Bulwark is a news network launched in 2018 dedicated to providing political analysis and reporting free from the constraints of partisan loyalties or tribal prejudices. → Read More
It’s Time to Speak for America
The Bulwark is a news network launched in 2018 dedicated to providing political analysis and reporting free from the constraints of partisan loyalties or tribal prejudices. → Read More
A Tale of Three Possible Outcomes
So much #losing. → Read More
Defining Deviancy Down
The Bulwark is a news network launched in 2018 dedicated to providing political analysis and reporting free from the constraints of partisan loyalties or tribal prejudices. → Read More
Bill Kristol: Remember, demagogues thrived long before the Internet disintermediated the news, too » Nieman Journalism Lab
"Joe McCarthy, you know, was very successful before the Internet, before social media. George Wallace won five states in 1968...So I think it's too simple to assume that all of our problems are due to this." → Read More
The United States of Argentina?
People keep saying how unusual this year’s presidential race is. They're wrong. It's an absolutely normal Third World election. We have three candidates still standing: a self-righteous socialist who's learned nothing in 50 years except how to rally the economically illiterate and uninformed; an heir to wealth who's done nothing impressive in 50 years except to hone his skills as a self-promoter… → Read More
Donald and Decadence
John Feehery is a Washington lobbyist and former spokesman for the disgraced ex-speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert. Last week, Feehery explained to the Atlantic’s Molly Ball why he's reconciled to accepting Donald Trump as the nominee of his party: If it weren't for all the idiotic and racist comments, he would be kind of a breath of fresh air, Feehery said. He's someone who wants to get stuff… → Read More
'This Mobocratic Spirit'
Last night's events in Chicago brought to mind the great 1838 address before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois, by the 29-year-old Abraham Lincoln, on The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions. Here are a few excerpts. Read the whole thing: As a subject for the remarks of the evening, the perpetuation of our political institutions, is selected.... We find ourselves under the… → Read More
For the Next Two Weeks, Self-Interest Is Our Friend
Over the next two weeks, the non-Donald Trump candidates (except for Ben Carson) will stay in the race. That's fine. And the good news (if you're in the anti-Trump camp) is that all they have to do is pursue their enlightened self-interest, and that their interests pretty much coincide. It's in John Kasich's interest to put some effort into Michigan next week, where he could win some delegates.… → Read More
Voices Against Trump
I've received lots of emails over the last few days from acquaintances and correspondents writing in the hope that I convey their strong feelings about a possible Trump nomination to those with the resources or political clout to do something about it. I thought a few representative ones might be interesting. Here's one, from a woman who's politically knowledgeable but not perhaps particularly… → Read More
Against Trump Fatalism
We seem to be particularly susceptible to fatalism. Modern doctrines of science and history incline us philosophically in that direction. The experience of mass movements and mass effects seems to suggest individuals can do little to affect the course of events. When we do indulge our hopes and take seriously our wishes, they're often frustrated by reality. And so we then tend to flip to the… → Read More
After South Carolina
There seem to me to be two dominant scenarios for what happens next in the Republican presidential race. For now I'll just sketch them out, in the interest of stimulating thought and commentary rather than asserting a conclusion. Scenario #1: Trump wins. Why not? He's been second (Iowa), first (N.H.) and first (S.C.) so far, and no one has ever lost after that kind of start. The only state he's… → Read More