Free Republic

The Russian nation is more dependent on an autocrat and security state than any other European nation, and it has been for centuries — even before the Soviet era — whether it was the streltsy, Preobrazhensky Guard, Okhrana, Cheka, KGB, or siloviki. The wealthy aristocrats, now called oligarchs (previously boyars) never made a serious bid to circumscribe the autocrats’ power, unlike in most European nations; the Russian Orthodox Church has been dependent on the state since at least 1700; and, as for the masses, they have always been viewed as an instrument of the state or a resource to be...

“I gave them a sword. And they stuck it in, and they twisted it with relish. And I guess if I had been in their position, I would have done the same thing.” — Richard Nixon. What Nixon said, Donald Trump could easily say about himself. Of course, he will not. Richard Nixon was the last president who faced anything like the legal jeopardy former President Trump is facing — plus a frothing electronic lynch mob. The end game for both Nixon and Trump has some eerie similarities. Detested by the media, the New York-Washington elites and the left, both...

The Democrats are riding a wave of successes the past few weeks. Gas prices edging downward, passage of the improbably named Inflation Reduction Act, successful meddling in Republican primaries and improving poll numbers have combined to make Biden and his compatriots believe they can win control of the Senate, and optimism is rising about the House. But when you dig through the numbers, Democrats are getting ahead of themselves.

Based on a casual reading of the polls, Donald Trump looks to have smooth sailing to the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 and the chance to erase the stink of losing to Joe Biden that he so covets. But if that’s the case, why does Trump seem so panicky these days? Simple: Trump is in trouble, and — when you dig into the numbers — his grip on the GOP nomination is getting more tenuous. It is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) who has all the momentum.

Ever since Donald Trump sulked out of the White House, the question has never been whether he would do whatever he could to get back in, the question has always been whether he could do it. At first it looked like Trump could easily secure the Republican nomination but could not unseat President Biden. Slowly but steadily this script is flipping. Increasingly Trump is looking stronger against a flailing Biden, while eroding as the preferred candidate for Republicans. The prospect of the GOP turning to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is very real, if DeSantis plays his cards right and Trump...