Carl Cannon
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Carl M. Cannon is Washington Editor of RealClearPolitics.
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Articles by Carl Cannon
The Politics of Religion
Good afternoon. We're some 45 days away from the 2026 midterms. Most media observers - recalling with well-earned humility how they felt after the "red wave" of 2022 turned into a mild reddish ripple - are refraining from giving apocalyptic predictions about November. That said, it doesn't look good for Republicans, as the two other pieces in today's newsletter by Jonathan Draeger and Carolina Lumetta detail. Yesterday was Constitution Day; it was also Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley's birthday.
The Summer of Our Discontent
Follow The Summer of Our Discontent Maybe the U.S. men's soccer team will cheer up their fellow Americans by advancing Wednesday in the World Cup. Perhaps our national malaise will lift when the Iran war ends, gasoline prices drop, and Americans can get back to enjoying swimming pools and summer vacations. An in-depth survey by the Pew Research Center painstakingly documents what has become undeniable.
What Happened After Butler – And Why It Still Matters
I want to tell you about one of the most important series in journalism my newsroom has produced, and why it’s a perfect example of what your support makes possible. You remember the Butler rally. July 13, 2024. A gunman opened fire on President Trump, grazed his ear, and killed Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief who was shielding his family. Two other rallygoers were critically wounded. It was the most serious assassination attempt on a president or presidential candidate in decades.
What Happened After Butler – And Why It Still Matters
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'Slipped the Surly Bonds of Earth': Reagan’s Challenger Address
Editor’s note: As part of our special coverage of America’s 250th birthday, RealClearPolitics is excerpting some of the most evocative oratory in our nation’s history. These addresses will appear throughout the year, not in chronological order, but, rather on the anniversary of the date they were delivered – or close to it. Our initial entry is President Reagan’s speech 40 years ago this evening – on Jan. 28, 1986 – in response to the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.
Can America’s national resilience long endure?
By Carl M. Cannon Real Clear Wire In the autumn of 1775, as George Washington’s volunteers laid siege to Boston, a local bookshop owner-turned-citizen-soldier named Henry Knox proposed a daring plan: Take a small force to the French-owned Fort Ticonderoga, steal its 59 cannons, position them on the Dorchester Heights, and drive the 11,000 British troops from the city.
Can America’s National Resilience Long Endure?
In the autumn of 1775, as George Washington’s volunteers laid siege to Boston, a local bookshop owner-turned-citizen-soldier named Henry Knox proposed a daring plan: Take […] Source READ MORE
Can America’s National Resilience Long Endure?
In the autumn of 1775, as George Washington’s volunteers laid siege to Boston, a local bookshop owner-turned-citizen-soldier named Henry Knox proposed a daring plan: Take a small force to the French-owned Fort Ticonderoga, steal its 59 cannons, position them on the Dorchester Heights, and drive the 11,000 British troops from the city.
Can America’s National Resilience Long Endure?
In the autumn of 1775, as George Washington’s volunteers laid siege to Boston, a local bookshop owner-turned-citizen-soldier named Henry Knox proposed a daring plan: Take a small force to the French-owned Fort Ticonderoga, steal its 59 cannons, position them on the Dorchester Heights, and drive the 11,000 British troops from the city.
From Dominance To Parity America’s Political Parties And The New Era Of Electoral Instability
The Center for Revitalizing American Institutions host From Dominance to Parity: America’s Political Parties and the New Era of Electoral Instability, a book talk with author David W. Brady on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, from 4:00 - 5:00 pm PT in the Shultz Auditorium, George P. Shultz Building. ABOUT THE BOOK At the time Jimmy Carter was inaugurated as the 39th president of the United States, the Democratic Party had been enjoying a half-century of sustained electoral advantage.
Two Years and One Day
Now it’s two years and a day. That’s how long it’s been since Arab terrorists stormed across the border into Israel, shooting every Jew they […] Source READ MORE
Two Years and One Day
Now it’s two years and a day. That’s how long it’s been since Arab terrorists stormed across the border into Israel, shooting every Jew they could find, raping women, incinerating children, and carrying human beings as if they were trophies back to Gaza to be greeted by cheering crowds.
Explaining Israel: The Jewish State, The Middle East, And America
Hoover Senior Fellow Peter Berkowitz discusses his new book Explaining Israel: The Jewish State, the Middle East, and America at the Hoover Institution in Washington, DC on Tuesday, September 16, from 5:00 - 6:30 PM ET. The book launch commenced with a welcome reception, followed by a conversation with Peter Berkowitz, the Tad and Dianne Taube Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, and Carl Cannon, Washington Bureau Chief of RealClear Politics and Executive Editor of RealClear Media Group.
Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys: 'God Only Knows'
The eulogies for Brian Wilson continue to roll in like the surf break at Huntington Beach. Testimonials to Wilson’s musical talent and the Beach Boys’ influence came from the California coast and the Jersey Shore, from the two living Beatles and John Lennon’s sons and widow and from former bandmates, fans, even people too young to have ever seen the band in its heyday.
Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys
Share The eulogies for Brian Wilson continue to roll in like the surf break at Huntington Beach. Testimonials to Wilson’s musical talent and the Beach Boys’ influence came from the California coast and the Jersey Shore, from the two living Beatles and John Lennon’s sons and widow and from former bandmates, fans, even people too young to have ever seen the band in its heyday.
Globalizing Naziism
It takes severe depravity, not to mention sheer stupidity, to believe that shooting an unarmed couple in the back as they stand at a crosswalk is somehow going to “Free Palestine,” which is what the cowardly killer yelled into the Washington night as he was led away by police.
Friend of the Court, Friend of VOA, Friend of Press Freedom
On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lambert will hear arguments in a motion for a preliminary junction seeking restoration of Voice of Americas staff and a resumption of its news operation, which went dark pursuant to a White House decree on March 14. The lead plaintiff is VOA director Michael Abramowitz. The defendants are Trump administration appointees Kari Lake and Victor Morales, along with the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
Friend of the Court, Friend of VOA, Friend of Press Freedom
On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lambert will hear arguments in a motion for a preliminary junction seeking restoration of Voice of America’s staff and a resumption of its news operation, which went dark pursuant to a White House decree on March 14. The lead plaintiff is VOA director Michael Abramowitz. The defendants are Trump administration appointees Kari Lake and Victor Morales, along with the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
Suffer the Little Children
In his most powerful novel, Russia’s greatest 19th-century novelist wrestles with the most difficult moral problem faced by people – the suffering of innocents. At […] Source READ MORE
Suffer the Little Children
In his most powerful novel, Russia’s greatest 19th-century novelist wrestles with the most difficult moral problem faced by people – the suffering of innocents. At their father’s funeral, Ivan Karamazov recounts to his younger brother Alyosha, who is training to be a monk, graphic examples of sadistic acts committed against children. “Imagine a trembling mother with her baby in her arms, a circle of invading Turks around her,” Ivan says.
Suffer the Little Children
In his most powerful novel, Russia’s greatest 19th century novelist wrestles with the most difficult moral problem faced by people – the suffering of innocents. At their father’s funeral, Ivan Karamazov recounts to his younger brother Alyosha, who is training to be a monk, graphic examples of sadistic acts committed against children. “Imagine a trembling mother with her baby in her arms, a circle of invading Turks around her,” Ivan says.
Eyes on the Prize: Samizdat
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November 22, 1963: JFK and the Futility of Blame
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Private Firms, States Use Tobacco Lawsuit Playbook in Energy Cases
Last September, tens of thousands of climate change true believers marched to protest President Biden’s appearance before the United Nations. Although the Biden administration ushered into law sweeping legislation aimed at combatting global warming and earmarked tens of billions of dollars for alternative energy ventures, the demonstrators were not appeased.
Private Firms, States Use Tobacco Lawsuit Playbook in Energy Cases
Last September, tens of thousands of climate change true believers marched to protest President Biden’s appearance before the United Nations. Although the Biden administration ushered into law sweeping legislation aimed at combatting global warming and earmarked tens of billions of dollars for alternative energy ventures, the demonstrators were not appeased.
2025 Virginia Governor - Earle-Sears vs. Spanberger
2025 New Jersey Governor | 2025 New York City Mayor| 2025 Virginia Governor| 2025 Virginia Attorney General|Latest Polls 2025 New Jersey Governor | 2025 NYC Mayor| 2025 Virginia Governor| 2025 Virginia Attorney General| Latest Polls 2025 New Jersey Governor | 2025 NYC Mayor| 2025 Virginia Governor| 2025 Virginia Attorney General| Latest Polls pollsterdatesamplemoespread RealClearPolitics Poll Average RealClearPolitics Poll Average Poll Data pollsterdatesamplemoespread Political News &...
Getting a Laugh Out of Politics
I did not expect much. I had not seen anything to bring a smile to my lips. But surely, I thought, Donald Trump or Kamala Harris had said something a little bit funny that I had missed. I was wrong. I stumped AI. Like the shuffling of a sixth-grade student who had not done the homework, the AI machines came up with a few lame lines: For Trump, they quoted a comment he made about himself, “Nobody has done more for the Black community than Donald Trump.
A Republic, If You Can Keep It
It’s Friday, Sept. 20. Interestingly, Election “Day,” which is now a profound misnomer, begins today: In Virginia, Minnesota, and South Dakota, citizens 18 and older can begin voting in the 2024 presidential election. Today is also the day of the week when I share a quote intended to be uplifting or educational.
Abraham Lincoln and the Long Arc of History
CHICAGO — Today is the birthday of Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd U.S. president and the only president ever elected from the state of Indiana, which is not far from where I’m writing this morning. Harrison was the grandson of the 9th president, William Henry Harrison, and a great-grandson of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Born in Ohio, he moved to Indianapolis in 1854 where he practiced law and entered politics.
Abraham Lincoln and the Long Arc of History
CHICAGO — Today is the birthday of Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd U.S. president and the only president ever elected from the state of Indiana, which is not far from where I’m writing this morning. Harrison was the grandson of the 9th president, William Henry Harrison, and a great-grandson of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Born in Ohio, he moved to Indianapolis in 1854 where he practiced law and entered politics.
Willie Mays: A grateful nation says goodbye
By Carl M. Cannon Real Clear Wire On an October night in 1918, one month after Babe Ruth led the Boston Red Sox to a World Series victory, a successful New York stockbroker named Charles Stoneham came home with some unusual news for his 15-year-old son Horace. “Horrie,” he said, “I bought you a ball club.” The team was the New York Giants, a prestigious franchise even then, and when Charles Stoneham died in 1936, Horace became the youngest owner in baseball.
Willie Mays: A Grateful Nation Says Goodbye
On an October night in 1918, one month after Babe Ruth led the Boston Red Sox to a World Series victory, a successful New York stockbroker named Charles Stoneham came home with some unusual news for his 15-year-old son Horace. “Horrie,” he said, “I bought you a ball club.” The team was the New York Giants, a prestigious franchise even then, and when Charles Stoneham died in 1936, Horace became the youngest owner in baseball.
Willie Mays: A Grateful Nation Says Goodbye
On an October night in 1918, one month after Babe Ruth led the Boston Red Sox to a World Series victory, a successful New York stockbroker named Charles Stoneham came home with some unusual news for his 15-year-old son Horace. “Horrie,” he said, “I bought you a ball club.” The team was the New York Giants, a prestigious franchise even then, and when Charles Stoneham died in 1936, Horace became the youngest owner in baseball.
The Presidential Pilgrimage to Normandy
Being assigned to cover the president of the United States was once the pinnacle for American political reporters. This is no longer necessarily true, we’re told. The deterioration of the news business, not to mention the corrosion of our politics, has diminished the prestige of the White House beat. Perhaps so. But not on this date. Joseph R. Biden Jr. is in Normandy. I wish I were there with him.
"It Ain't the Dying That's Scary ... It's the Killing"
This is an excerpt from Carl Cannon’s foreword to River City One: A Novel (Simon and Schuster, 2023) by John J. Waters. What follows is part two in a two-part series on how Americans come home ... Read Full Article » Related Topics: Show comments Hide Comments Related Articles
Gettysburg Eloquence Eluded Trump (But Not Others)
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Gettysburg Eloquence Eluded Trump (But Not Others)
Campaigning over the weekend in Pennsylvania apparently triggered Donald Trump. Although he wasn’t within 120 miles of Gettysburg, the once (and perhaps future) U.S. commander-in-chief waxed nostalgic about American’s most famous battlefield. Unfortunately, he did so by reinventing history and manufacturing quotations. Trump also took Robert E.
The New York Times vs. RealClearPolitics
Ten days after the 2020 election, Tom Bevan, co-founder and president of RealClearPolitics, received an email from a New York Times reporter who covers the media. The reporter, Jeremy W. Peters, advised Bevan that his newspaper was working on a story about RCP and asked for responses to various questions and accusations. Four days later, Peters’ critique was published under the headline “A Popular Political Site Made a Sharp Right Turn.
The New York Times vs. RealClearPolitics
Ten days after the 2020 election, Tom Bevan, co-founder and president of RealClearPolitics, received an email from a New York Times reporter who covers the media. The reporter, Jeremy W. Peters, advised Bevan that his newspaper was working on a story about RCP and asked for responses to various questions and accusations. Four days later, Peters’ critique was published under the headline “A Popular Political Site Made a Sharp Right Turn.
Does C-SPAN fill a need in era of 'partisan media'?
[Editor’s note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Wire.] By Carl M. Cannon Real Clear Wire Forty-five years ago today, future vice president Albert Gore Jr. stood in the well of the House of Representatives to discuss an innovative development in television programming. There was nothing remarkable about that in itself: Al Gore had been a newspaperman before becoming a Tennessee congressman and had a genuine interest in both new technology and mass communication.
Unshackling Democracy: Embracing term limits, empowering citizens
By Carl M. Cannon Real Clear Wire After 24 years in the automotive industry, Gerrick Wilkins ran for Congress in an Alabama congressional district on a platform of replacing “career politicians” with citizen-legislators who treat elective office as temporary public service instead of permanent sinecures. On March 5, Wilkins lost to five-term incumbent Rep. Gary Palmer. But Wilkins said that his experience only underscores the need for term limits in Washington, which is the focus of his new book.
The Gift of C-SPAN in an Era of Partisan Media
Forty-five years ago today, future vice president Albert Gore Jr. stood in the well of the House of Representatives to discuss an innovative development in television programming. There was nothing remarkable about that in itself: Al Gore had been a newspaperman before becoming a Tennessee congressman and had a genuine interest in both new technology and mass communication. Except that there was something momentous about Gore’s speech that day.
Unshackling Democracy: Embracing Term Limits, Empowering Citizens
After 24 years in the automotive industry, Gerrick Wilkins ran for Congress in an Alabama congressional district on a platform of replacing “career politicians” with citizen-legislators who treat elective office as temporary public service instead of permanent sinecures. On March 5, Wilkins lost to five-term incumbent Rep. Gary Palmer. But Wilkins said that his experience only underscores the need for term limits in Washington, which is the focus of his new book. This interview is with Carl M.
We Still Need Smith. But Do We Want Him (or Her)?
Forty years ago, a young pollster and political savant who’d helped Jimmy Carter navigate his way into the White House, had an epiphany: The nation’s two major political parties were not giving the American people the kind of candidates they really wanted in a president. The pollster’s name was Patrick Caddell, and in 1984 he was half right. Republicans certainly had a party leader with star quality.
Trigger for journalism's problems identified
Go to Article [Editor’s note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Wire.] By Carl M. Cannon Real Clear Wire For the American media, 2024 has been a fiasco. And it’s still only February. Nine days into the new year, highly respected Los Angeles Times editor Kevin Merida resigned rather than tolerate another round of layoffs and the meddlesome ways of a billionaire publisher and his progressive political activist daughter.
We Still Need Smith. But Do We Want Him (or Her)?
Forty years ago, a young pollster and political savant who’d helped Jimmy Carter navigate his way into the White House, had an epiphany: The nation’s two major political parties were not giving the American people the kind of candidates they really wanted in a president. The pollster’s name was Patrick Caddell, and in 1984 he was half right. Republicans certainly had a party leader with star quality.
Another Presidents Day, Another Ranking of U.S. Presidents
Over the weekend, two enterprising scholars released a new pecking order of America’s chief executives. Well, not entirely new. Abraham Lincoln is still the G.O.A.T. But in a surprise move, Franklin D. Roosevelt has pulled ahead of George Washington for second place. It seems unlikely that Washington, the man who defeated the British on the battlefield to give us a country and then invented the office of the presidency, has done anything in the past couple of years to be relegated to third banana.
The Highland County Press
By Carl M. Cannon Real Clear Wire Ronald Reagan, who was born 113 years ago this week, occupied the Oval Office when I arrived in Washington as a correspondent for the San Jose Mercury News. The president was also from California, and many of his key advisers, so even though the White House was not (yet) my beat, I often wrote about the personalities and policies of the administration. At one point, I came across a juicy item that was little more than gossip, really, and wrote about it years later.
No labels: Right diagnosis, wrong prescription?
By Carl M. Cannon Real Clear Wire When the leaders of the Democratic Party, under the guise of “saving democracy,” prop up a doddering 81-year-old incumbent president by banning intra-party debates, manipulating their primary calendar, kicking the opposition party’s frontrunner off the ballot, going after his bank roll and trying to put him in prison – all while demonizing independent candidates and blocking their ballot access – America has a problem. And that’s only on one side.
No Labels: Right Diagnosis, Wrong Prescription?
When the leaders of the Democratic Party, under the guise of “saving democracy,” prop up a doddering 81-year-old incumbent president by banning intra-party debates, manipulating their primary calendar, kicking the opposition party’s frontrunner off the ballot, going after his bank roll and trying to put him in prison – all while demonizing independent candidates and blocking their ballot access – America has a problem. And that’s only on one side.
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