Ian Reifowitz

Nov 27, 2024 | dailykos.com | Ian Reifowitz

“I’ve got something I’d like to say.” That’s what I usually offer up as a preamble as I try to get the attention of my kids and other family members gathered around the Thanksgiving table. It takes a couple of attempts, but once we’re all on the same page I offer words of thanks for my ancestors. I talk about how brave they must have been to leave the communities of their birth, which were at least familiar to them despite the hardship, discrimination, and all-too-common violence they faced.

Jul 3, 2024 | dailykos.com | Ian Reifowitz

I have always enjoyed Meteor Blades’ post about July 4, which highlights Frederick Douglass' iconic speech, “The Meaning of July 4th for the Negro,” delivered in Rochester, New York, in 1852. The speech described the alienation from July 4, and from America more broadly, that enslaved people and Black people in general felt.

Jun 29, 2024 | dailykos.com | Ian Reifowitz

First, take a deep breath. It actually helps. Ok, now to business. Yes, the president didn’t look or sound great in the first debate on Thursday—although he did grow stronger as the night went on. And yes, pundits and some Democratic bedwetters freaked out. Please note that that pundit class refused to speak with the same clarity and urgency when The Man Who Lost An Election And Tried To Steal it was convicted on 34 felony counts—most pundits didn’t say anything at all.

Apr 28, 2024 | dailykos.com | Ian Reifowitz

Few issues have vexed the Biden administration like student loan forgiveness. Given that more than 40 million Americans owe money on their student loans, for a total of $1.6 trillion, few issues have such a large impact on so many. Democrats and progressives have long prioritized this matter, and President Joe Biden promised to fight for significant debt relief before taking office.

Mar 17, 2024 | dailykos.com | Ian Reifowitz

President Joe Biden has been having some fun with the economists whose predictions about the economy were so wrong. He jabbed back: “Experts, from the time I got elected, were insisting that a recession was just around the corner. Every month, there was going to be a recession.” Instead, economic growth has been robust.  When 2023 began, just about everybody who had an opinion was predicting the U.S. would be in a recession by year’s end. It hasn’t happened.