Thomas Friedman: Seeking a third party candidate for the November election

February 20, 2012 - 4:57pm

Eventually the “circular firing squad” that is the Republican primary will be over and the last man standing will be the party’s nominee for president.

David Brooks: Jeremy Lin helps restore some faith in professional sports

February 19, 2012 - 6:33pm

Jeremy Lin is anomalous in all sorts of ways. He’s a Harvard grad in the NBA, an Asian-American man in professional sports.

John Hood: Job creation in N.C. surpasses doom and gloom predictions

February 18, 2012 - 10:17am

Remember when the Republican-crafted North Carolina budget passed over Gov. Bev Perdue’s veto last summer?

Bill Stancil: Pop tarts and s’mores – never having to say you’re hungry

February 16, 2012 - 6:58pm

We were gathered for Sunday School when it started, getting ready for a lesson on Paul’s visit to Galatia.

Ross Douthat: How can the American working class be saved?

February 15, 2012 - 9:24pm

Charles Murray’s “Coming Apart,” the book that’s launched a thousand arguments this winter, is a brilliant work with an exasperating conclusion.

Scott Mooneyham: School choice should have nothing to do with profits

February 14, 2012 - 4:51pm

Last summer, John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation, wrote eloquently about a conservative vision of public education, a vision in which parents of all income levels are given more choices about where and how to educate their children.

Thomas Friedman: At 4 degrees below zero, wish for freedom is earnest

February 13, 2012 - 4:41pm

MOSCOW – To observe the democratic awakenings happening in places like Egypt, Syria and Russia is to travel with a glow in your heart and a pit in your stomach.

David Brooks: Voters want a leader who is rooted – not a crowd pleaser

February 12, 2012 - 9:41pm

At first glance, President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney share some similar traits. Both Harvard Law School grads are smart and analytical.

John Hood: Competitive races shape up elections across the U.S.

February 11, 2012 - 3:47pm

Despite his recent stumbles in Colorado and Minnesota, Mitt Romney is still the favorite to win the Republican nomination for president.

Eugene Robinson: Romney’s campaign ideas have a familiar ring to them

February 10, 2012 - 7:07pm

Criticism of Mitt Romney for lacking a coherent message is grossly unfair.

Scott Mooneyham: And the nominee for governor isn’t ... Erskine Bowles

February 9, 2012 - 4:30pm

It might have made a nice Hollywood movie.

Ross Douthat: Media turn a blind eye toward pro-life arguments

February 8, 2012 - 8:49pm

In the most recent Gallup poll on abortion, as many Americans described themselves as pro-life as called themselves pro-choice.

Scott Mooneyham: Why should I-95 be tolled more than other interstates?

February 7, 2012 - 4:26pm

State transportation officials should just forget about improving Interstate 95 while going ahead with their tolling scheme on the highway. Why?

Thomas Friedman: Putin may win election, but his power has diminished

February 6, 2012 - 6:26pm

Memo to: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitry MedvedevSubject: Russia and the Arab SpringFrom: A traveler to Cairo and MoscowDear sirs: You may think that the situations in Egypt and Russia have nothing in common.

David Brooks: Alternative belief systems are more than just knee-jerk rejection

February 5, 2012 - 12:04pm

A few weeks ago, a 22-year-old man named Jefferson Bethke produced a video called “Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus.” The video shows Bethke standing in a courtyard rhyming about the purity of the teachings of Jesus and the hypocrisy of the church.

John Hood: N.C. schools trail their counterparts in other countries

February 4, 2012 - 8:01pm

If North Carolina were a country, our level of taxpayer funding for education would be near the top – but the performance of our public schools would be mediocre.

Bill Stancil: Things we once took for granted are going, going, gone

February 2, 2012 - 3:56pm

One of the best Christmas gifts I received this year were DVD sets of old Gene Autry and Roy Rogers movies.

David Brooks: State of the Union proposals would make little difference

January 29, 2012 - 8:45pm

The Simpson-Bowles report wasn’t just a policy document. For a few months, it expanded the national debate.

Scott Mooneyham: Money might have been driving factor in Perdue decision

January 28, 2012 - 7:18pm

Months ago, then-N.C. Republican Party head Tom Fetzer predicted that Gov. Bev Perdue wouldn’t run for a second term.

Ross Douthat: It takes a rare chemistry to create a masterful politician

January 26, 2012 - 10:21pm

There are 300 million people in the United States of America.

Thomas Friedman: American voters want a third-party candidate with a vision

January 23, 2012 - 5:45pm

A Washington Post-ABC News poll released Friday found that two-thirds of Americans would consider voting for a third-party presidential candidate, while 48 percent definitely wanted a third party in the race.

David Brooks: Trying to separate the real people from the candidates

January 22, 2012 - 6:05pm

SUMTER, S.C. – When I started covering presidential primaries, the best part was getting to know the candidates.

John Hood: Restoring N.C.’s economic competitiveness won’t be quick

January 21, 2012 - 5:19pm

To get North Carolina’s ailing economy back on track, policymakers must first come to grips with this little-recognized truth: Our problems didn’t start in 2007.

Bill Stancil: Adding a bright glow to the dull days of January

January 19, 2012 - 4:11pm

Someone has said: “It isn’t the days in your life that’s important; it’s the life in your days.” That is true if one is speaking about how much joy one can put into a day, and some of us put more joy into a day than others.

Scott Mooneyham: Who is paying lobbyists in North Carolina? Who knows?

January 17, 2012 - 8:56pm

One-time uber-lobbyist Don Beason won’t be paying a five- or six-figure fine after all.