E.j. Dionne Jr.

Vladi­mir Putin has long curried favor with the American gun lobby, Christian conservatives and Republican politicians.

Norms of governing collapse on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, where respect for law and process go begging.

Can we at least agree that political violence is unacceptable and that each side should avoid blaming the other for the deranged people in their ranks who act otherwise?

The man in the White House is long on show, short on substance when it comes to creating jobs on the home front.

Requiring everyone to buy health insurance on the private market and providing adequate subsidies so lower-income citizens could afford it really was a conservative idea. It was an alternative to liberal calls for a government-run single-payer system.

No partisanship on the bench? With all due respect, your honor, just how stupid do you think we are?

Those who believe democracy is better than authoritarian rule, believe in clarity of language, respect for our allies, religious pluralism and tolerance now have common cause.

The leopard hasn't changed his spots since the election; he was unfit then and unfit now.

WASHINGTON — You would have thought that Labor Day 2016 would bring us a serious conversation about lifting the incomes of American workers and expanding their opportunities for advancement. After all, we have spent the year talking incessantly about alienated blue-collar voters and a new populism rooted in the disaffection of those hammered by economic … Continue reading For Labor Day, a glaring absence of talk about American workers

WINCHESTER, Va. — Political arguments are rarely gentle or polite anymore, so it was a gift to see two Republicans who passionately disagree about what Donald Trump means for our nation hash out their differences with grace. Their exchange helps explain the mess Trump has made of his campaign. One clear indicator: Trump has handed … Continue reading What’s this? A touch of grace in a political argument?

WASHINGTON — If you thought the old Donald Trump campaign was wild and crazy, just wait for the new Trump campaign now that Breitbart’s Steve Bannon has taken over as chief executive. The new leadership — with Bannon and pollster Kellyanne Conway displacing Paul Manafort of the Ukrainian Connection at the top of the heap … Continue reading Trump campaign looks bound for next level of crazy

WASHINGTON — Simone Manuel, Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles will not be eligible to run for president until 2032, although Michael Phelps hits 35 years old in 2020. After watching these Olympians display so many traits we admire — persistence, discipline, grace, goal orientation, resilience and inner strength — perhaps we should consider drafting one … Continue reading If only our politicians were more like our Olympians

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump has handed Hillary Clinton an opportunity few politicians ever get: She has a chance to realign American politics. Trump’s ugly ethnic nationalism, his authoritarianism and his dark view of the country he would lead have put the Republican Party on the wrong side of patriotism, optimism and the future. GOP politicians … Continue reading Clinton Republicans may be this generation’s Reagan Democrats