Author: Eric Sondermann
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Jared Polis’ alienation of rural Colorado: Because he can | SONDERMANN
It traces back to Jared Polis’s first election as Colorado’s governor. For decades, the fall campaign season traditionally kicked off with the Club 20 debates in Grand Junction. It was a ritual, even a rite of passage. Conservative for sure in its orientation, Club 20 has long been a leading voice for western Colorado. But…
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Who will seize the first GOP debate to state the obvious truth? | SONDERMANN
The first debate among Republican presidential aspirants is almost upon us. Political junkies like myself will set the DVR for the Fox News broadcast this Wednesday evening. To be held in Milwaukee, also the site of the party’s national convention upcoming 11 months later, this initial encounter will be far more important for some contenders…
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The intractable problem of homelessness – more questions than answers | SONDERMANN
Any column on the topic of homelessness – and, yes, this is one – should start with an acknowledgement of, “I don’t know.” At a minimum, “I am not sure.” As complex, multi-faceted problems go, this challenge has proved utterly intractable. It continues to defy the best intentions of smart people of various political leanings. Then-mayor John…
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GOP trials, but no bed of roses for Democrats | SONDERMANN
With each passing day and each new indictment, it becomes ever more evident that Donald Trump’s calendar for the coming year will be a mishmash of courtroom time in the myriad cases, in which he is a defendant to go along with campaign rallies, debates and the rest of the political hoopla. Voters will deliver…
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‘Intersectionality’ run wildly amok and other issues | SONDERMANN
“Intersectionality” is all the rage these days on the social justice left. The idea is that multiple forms of discrimination overlap or intersect to hold back members of marginalized groups. So, let’s talk briefly about intersections. Though, in this case, the subject is not civil rights or social equity, but the old-fashioned definition of the…
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No Labels: A clash of two imperatives | SONDERMANN
It is a collision of two exigencies. On one hand, the public revulsion is palpable at the prospect, even the likelihood, of another presidential contest between Biden, the dinosaur, and Trump, the predator. That eventuality has about as much appeal as a root canal, minus the novocaine. On the flip side, for a huge chunk…
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The internal pessimist and optimist have it out | SONDERMANN
It’s the perpetual debate: Is the glass half-empty or half-full? Within my own overly active and disquieted mind, that dialogue is robust and never-ending. Over the long expanse of years, I have tended to be an optimist. I wake up most mornings in anticipation of a good day. My inherent inclination is to think that…
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Two parties with a death wish; a country that may not stand for it | SONDERMANN
On this 247th anniversary of our nation’s independence, America is a starkly divided place marked by a deep-seeded, underlying depression. Vast numbers of our countrymen increasingly live in self-ratifying, self-righteous echo chambers on opposite political poles. Overlap and common ground are lacking. Ditto for mutual respect and good faith. Economist Herbert Stein remarked, “If something…
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Liberty on the right; justice on the left; intolerance for all | SONDERMANN
“With liberty and justice for all.” So ends our pledge of allegiance. As a statement of aspiration, it shines. As a description of the condition of the nation, it burns a bit less brightly. First off, it must be acknowledged that neither liberty nor justice has ever been equally apportioned. Some Americans have long enjoyed…
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Dobbs a year later: Nobody is totally happy, which is good | SONDERMANN
The one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization will soon be upon us. For those just emerging from some cave, this landmark decision reversed 49 years of Roe v. Wade precedent, as well as a subsequent 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. America over the last half-century…