‘The only way you can lose this election, Joe, is to get caught in bed with a live man or a dead woman.” So said writer Larry L King (not the long-time CNN host) to US Congressman Joe Pool. This was the 1960s, and it highlights several things. First, the cultural status of homosexuality at the time, but also something about politics.
To a much greater extent than New Zealand, the US has become increasingly politically polarised since the early 1980s. Back then, you’d find a big overlap in the attitudes of Democrat and Republican voters towards social and economic issues. Since President Ronald Reagan, however, there has been a slide of Democrat voters towards the liberal-left, and Republicans to the conservative-right, of the ideological spectrum.
This means that if you had a political contest between a shrub in a red pot and a small bush in a blue pot, about 40% of the American electorate would vote for each. It really doesn’t matter what type of plant it is.
Denne historien er fra November 05, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 05, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
