Vox: All Posts by Caleb Lewishttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52517/voxv.png2016-07-30T09:10:04-04:00https://www.vox.com/authors/caleb-lewis/rss2016-07-30T09:10:04-04:002016-07-30T09:10:04-04:00Bernie supporters need people of color if they don't want their movement to bust
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<img alt="Black Sanders supporters in Baltimore." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0aePiGkfaJ5Nopjwo4ijXk3f9y4=/0x75:3000x2325/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50248449/GettyImages-524211168.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Black Sanders supporters in Baltimore. | Chip Somodevilla/Staff via Getty</figcaption>
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<p id="633AfI">Ever since the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/13/12174138/democratic-convention-dnc-2016-philadelphia">Democratic National Convention</a> kicked off this week, there’s been a lot of renewed grumbling about the possible emergence of a "Tea Party of the left."</p>
<p id="4MUDrK"><a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/27/12279928/bernie-sanders-dnc-protests">As Vox’s Andrew Prokop has noted</a>, it’s hard to tell where the Bernie or Bust movement will go once the spotlight of the convention is taken away:</p>
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<p>In some respects, the comparison between these Sanders supporters and the Tea Party is overstated. No one knows whether the Sanders movement will manage to live on once the senator’s presidential campaign no longer exists to give it a unifying purpose.</p>
<p>But in one crucial aspect, the comparison could be quite apt. The Tea Party was motivated partly by a deep and growing <em>frustration</em> with the way things are going in this country, and a sense that the party establishments weren’t up to the task of fixing it.</p>
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<p id="AxSk3A">One thing is clear — creating a movement out of the amorphous disaffection of Bernie supporters will require that progressives learn lessons from the failures of the Sanders campaign.</p>
<p id="2adk4W">Perhaps the most crucial of these: They’re going to have to get smarter about race.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">What's clear is that the Democratic Party is not too far from a total Tea-Party style takeover. If IF Sanders wing can bring over black D's</p>
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) <a href="https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/757682788451704832">July 25, 2016</a>
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<p id="cm9J3v">As Prokop briefly argues, "If black voters or Hispanic voters end up becoming disenchanted with Clinton generally for whatever reason, an anti-establishment coalition could become incredibly formidable in Democratic primary politics."</p>
<p id="f11TeH">Sanders failed to draw a critical percentage of black and Hispanic voters away from Clinton in the primaries. This is in part because he didn’t effectively organize in their communities, but perhaps more importantly it's because his platform couldn’t address their unique concerns without subsuming race and racism in the class rhetoric of "democratic socialism."</p>
<p id="QAdevp">There's no way around it: For a lasting movement to rise from the ashes of the Sanders campaign, it would have to make huge inroads into the establishment’s black base. Creating a movement seriously and convincingly committed to the cause of anti-racism would be a good start.</p>
<h3 id="Pzf0cD">Sanders couldn’t convince black voters that he could offer them more than the establishment.</h3>
<p id="pdNKud">The most common postmortem of the Sanders campaign goes like this: Bernie tore through Iowa and New Hampshire by galvanizing young, disaffected white liberals, but then he hit the South, and there, black voters sank him.</p>
<p id="D3hupO">Now, to be sure, there is <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/clinton-sanders-and-the-myth-of-a-monolithic-black-vote">no such thing as "the black vote"</a> in America. Though African-American voters did side overwhelmingly with Clinton, they also split along several demographic breakdowns like age and geographical location. That isn’t the story of a static voting bloc. The long history of stalwart black Democratic support did not arise because the party establishment offered incomparable solutions to black voters' problems but because Democrats promised the least harm.</p>
<p id="5aJpQN">Sanders’s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/03/07/excuse-me-bernie-sanders-doesnt-know-how-to-talk-about-black-people/">well-meaning anecdotes</a> about how hard it is for black men to catch cabs, and his <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-black-people_us_56ddbd4ae4b03a4056794b45">clumsy</a> railing against black poverty, simply wasn’t convincing for Southern black voters. And neither was his organizing. While Clinton was reaching black people where they lived — talking <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/2/22/11069158/hillary-clinton-in-harlem">about institutionalized racism in Harlem</a>, making <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/07/08/watch_livel_hillary_clinton_addresses_ame_church_conference.html">the requisite stops on the Sunday church circuit </a>— Sanders didn’t seem to catch on that he needed to specialize his message until it was too late.</p>
<p id="FbPwlB">That’s if he learned at all.</p>
<p id="Hz8GS2">After failing to win big on Super Tuesday, Sanders said the Southern contests <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/04/13/having-so-many-southern-states-vote-early-kind-of-distorts-reality-bernie-sanders-says/">"distort reality"</a> in the Democratic primaries, a response largely interpreted as blaming black voters for his losses. Honestly, it could have just been a gaffe, but as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/sanderss-misstep-in-the-south/2016/04/22/c5ba20da-08c1-11e6-bdcb-0133da18418d_story.html">the Washington Post’s Kathleen Parker</a><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/sanderss-misstep-in-the-south/2016/04/22/c5ba20da-08c1-11e6-bdcb-0133da18418d_story.html"> </a>wrote, at the very least it sent the impression that Sanders didn’t fully understand the type of coalition he would need to build to challenge Clinton.</p>
<p id="VZ1v8U">At the worst, this all signaled that for the Sanders movement, specifically addressing the unique desires of black communities would have to take a back seat to their class-based socialist revolution.</p>
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<cite><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/search/2/image?artist=Joshua%20Lott&family=editorial">Joshua Lott</a> / Stringer via Getty</cite>
<figcaption>Bernie Sanders with Killer Mike and La Shawn Ford in Chicago.</figcaption>
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<h3 id="IRfTTi">Economic justice was Sanders’s strong suit. Racial justice simply was not.</h3>
<p id="seq6m8">As <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/there-is-no-truly-anti-racist-presidential-candidate/">the Nation’s Mychal Denzel Smith argued in March</a> neither Clinton nor Sanders ran on a truly anti-racist platform. For Clinton, this shortcoming was obscured by both her husband and their long history of cultivating relationships within black communities.</p>
<p>Sanders had no such privilege, and it showed. During the campaign, as Smith notes, it was quite clear that Sanders "had spent his political career railing against the millionaires and billionaires — and not done the work of incorporating anti-racism into his analysis of inequality."</p>
<p id="DGTlT6">And judging by the <a href="http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/06/2016-bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-democrats-race-racial-divide-213948">incredulousness of his supporters</a> when they found out people of color largely weren’t feeling the Bern, many of them hadn’t done that work either.</p>
<p id="GtwMGA">For their part, many could blame corporate interests for unfairly dictating their life outcomes but couldn’t grasp how a political economy built around the disproportionate jailing of black, Hispanic, and native people might do the same for those populations. They were outraged that they are projected to make <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/01/young-adults-poorer-less-employed-and-more-diverse-than-their-parents/385029/">less than their parents’ generation</a>, but wouldn’t acknowledge that the wealth of their parents was tied to the exploitation of people of color and the <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/07/lincoln-heights-black-suburb/398303/">extrication of resources from their communities</a> since way back.</p>
<p id="Jh2vfg">The biggest work of a new movement would be bridging that analytical gap — crafting policy objectives that would build on the common interests of all parties involved, without neglecting and erasing the differences of those most vulnerable among them.</p>
<p id="1VPOUc">Race was a collective blind spot for the Bernie movement, and it doomed him in the South. Still, Sanders’s relatively impressive showing among black and brown voters <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/3/21/11265114/black-voters-midwest-south-sanders">in other regions of the country</a>, as well as younger voters overall, does indicate that his message, however incomplete, can resonate.</p>
<h3 id="pzsf3e">If the Tea Party is any indication, inside-outside political movements can be effective in driving change</h3>
<p id="77WlY8">Building this sort of progressive coalition would require a lot of grassroots organizing. That’s another barrier to its creation — progressives and Democrats just haven’t shown that they can organize in advance of state, local, and House races the way Republicans can. A quick look at the political landscape of America reveals as much: Both houses of Congress and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/03/04/the-remarkable-republican-takeover-of-state-legislatures-in-1-chart/">the vast majority of state legislatures are red</a>.</p>
<p id="Pr5whb">That’s why the progressive platform of free college or comprehensive immigration reform can be quickly discounted as "unrealistic" even as the Republican nominee for president is vowing to build a wall spanning the entire southern border. The Tea Party organized people on issues that fired them up. It focused its efforts on winning House seats, and by doing so, forced open the bounds set by the Republican establishment. Now their political dreams could very well become the country’s reality.</p>
<p id="is6knn">It’s yet to be seen if the Bernie or Bust movement can inspire that sort of sustained passion, either for the policies of democratic socialism or for the cause of combating institutionalized racism.</p>
<p id="Y8DJ5F">But if they could manage both, it would be something historical — a pro-labor, anti-racist faction in the Democratic Party — and it would be formidable.</p>
https://www.vox.com/2016/7/30/12310076/bernie-sanders-people-of-color-anti-racismCaleb Lewis2016-07-28T09:40:02-04:002016-07-28T09:40:02-04:00Watch: Stephen Colbert's "The Word" is back again. Sort of.
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<img alt="Totally different from The Word" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VZ7GXJNNlrRBqdj2vwEHrhcLWAQ=/76x0:725x487/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50230191/Screen_Shot_2016-07-28_at_9.28.32_AM.0.0.png" />
<figcaption>Totally different from The Word | The Late Show/ CBS</figcaption>
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<p id="EJyXyq">On Tuesday, Stephen Colbert made a big announcement: He would retire his famous alter-ego, Stephen Colbert — sort of.</p>
<p id="G8RzlU">Last week, the right-wing pundit character made his <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/19/12222520/the-word-colbert-trumpiness-rnc">first televised appearance</a> since signing off on the final episode of <em>The Colbert Report</em> a year ago. Naturally, fans were thrilled.</p>
<p id="N87JCP">Not everyone felt similarly, however. "You know who didn’t enjoy it so much?" Colbert asked late last night. "Corporate lawyers."</p>
<p id="ILOd7H">Colbert told the audience that a "top lawyer from another company" — ostensibly Comedy Central — called CBS to inform them that Colbert’s alter-ego was their intellectual property.</p>
<p id="h7wgmP">"So it is with a heavy heart," Colbert announced last night, "that I announce that, thanks to corporate lawyers, the character of ‘Stephen Colbert,’ host of <em>The Colbert Report</em>, will never be seen again."</p>
<p id="t9ke7K">Well, kinda. Immediately after sharing the heartbreaking news, Colbert cut to an unlikely correspondent for commentary: conservative pundit Stephen Colbert’s identical twin cousin, "Stephen Colbert."</p>
<p id="qoVRd9">"Our moms were identical twins who married identical twin husbands who had sex at the exact same moment and gave us the same names," Colbert said to explain the familial ties. So Colbert of <em>The Colbert Report</em> is a "totally different guy."</p>
<p id="VubxrS">From there, Colbert upped the ante even more, ending his show with a "new segment," called "The Werd," which focused on "the lesser of two evils."</p>
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<figcaption>(CBS)</figcaption>
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<p id="5LEMI6">Colbert spoke to a sizable segment of the population that doesn't feel especially thrilled with either of the two candidates. Clinton and Trump <em>both </em>have <a href="http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/americans-distaste-for-both-trump-and-clinton-is-record-breaking/">dismally low</a> approval ratings.</p>
<p id="WuCJG4">"There is another option," Colbert declared, while the text flashed behind him, "Write in Michelle?"</p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/B2OgCS_H-I85xVURGS1mwg6jdLY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6855559/write%20in.png">
<figcaption>(CBS)</figcaption>
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<p id="W8CxDo">That wasn’t exactly it.</p>
<p id="XKGj19">"Since many Americans can’t bring themselves to vote for a candidate, this year I say we change the system." Colbert explained during The Werd. "So on Election Day, you can vote against the candidate you don’t want. Then, at the end of Election Day, we just count all the against votes and the candidate with the lowest score becomes the president."</p>
<p id="DUXZ1x">A double negative voting system? Not not a bad idea.</p>
<p id="cSwMre">We’ll have to see how this whole legal drama plays out, but even if the Stephen Colbert of <em>The Colbert Report </em>is no more, at least we still have Stephen Colbert and Stephen Colbert.</p>
https://www.vox.com/2016/7/28/12307972/watch-stephen-colberts-the-word-back-againCaleb Lewis2016-07-26T12:10:04-04:002016-07-26T12:10:04-04:00Watch: Stephen Colbert sprints past security during the DNC “Hungry for Power Games”
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<img alt="PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 24: Comedian Stephen Colbert films a segment at the Wells Fargo Center on July 24, 2016 (Photo by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uDrixJAvtAEqisi97V1mGfStmAY=/0x0:3500x2625/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50204863/GettyImages-579548276.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 24: Comedian Stephen Colbert films a segment at the Wells Fargo Center on July 24, 2016 (Photo by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images) | Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="X8PPoY">Stephen Colbert— or rather, Julius Flickerman— and his pet weasel are back, and they’ve set their sights on the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/13/12174138/democratic-convention-dnc-2016-philadelphia">Democratic National Convention</a>.</p>
<p id="WKeG6r">You might remember the dynamic duo from <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/18/12215182/stephen-colbert-crash-rnc-republican-convention">their antics last week,</a> when they crashed the stage at the RNC convention and declared the start to the "2016 Republican National Hungry for Power Games."</p>
<p id="SCRtRb">This time, they traveled to Philadelphia to take part in the Democratic festivities, and, as expected, it was delightfully odd.</p>
<p id="v1hfcF">"Finally, a chance for Hillary Clinton to prove to the Bernie delegates that she is not a puppet of the big banks," Colbert announced as he arrived at the arena, "And what better place than the Wells Fargo Arena?"</p>
<p id="PHOxeO">However, last night it initially appeared that Colbert wouldn’t get the chance to launch the gathering from the stage. Though he made quite a valiant effort, security at the event was tight, and Julius Flickerman’s bright blue wig and taxidermied weasel didn’t exactly make him an inconspicuous target.</p>
<p id="dP1ynn">Back against the wall, Colbert decided to call in the big-guns: former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.</p>
<p id="0B5kZA">"Nancy, I need some help getting on the podium," he yelled into a phone. "No they’re not going to kick <em>you</em> off."</p>
<p id="g2UoYx">And he was right— security wasn’t about to turn away Speaker Pelosi. They were however, still prepared to turn him away. Though Pelosi and the people with her were allowed to go up to the stage, the guards made sure that Colbert wasn’t with them when they did.</p>
<p id="EYZhKo">Eventually, though, by sheer force of will, and quite a bit of sprinting, Julius Flickerman did make it to the podium — albeit while flanked by unamused security guards.</p>
<p id="b9f0Tq">"God bless America!" he declared triumphantly. "And God bless podiums!"</p>
<p id="PHsdxY">Here’s the video from last week, in case you missed it:</p>
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https://www.vox.com/2016/7/26/12285092/stephen-colbert-dnc-hungry-for-power-gamesCaleb Lewis2016-07-25T16:10:03-04:002016-07-25T16:10:03-04:00Michael Jordan never gets political. Recent police shootings have changed that.
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<figcaption><a href='http://www.gettyimages.com/photos/michael-jordan?excludenudity=true&family=editorial&page=2&phrase=michael%20jordan&sort=#license'>Streeter Lecka / Staff via Getty</a></figcaption>
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<p id="yWjDjX">Michael Jordan is known the world over for his legendary basketball career, his iconic sneakers, and, these days, his business acumen. But there is one area in which the former Chicago Bulls shooting guard has been notoriously quiet until Monday: racial politics in America.</p>
<p id="M8JA0C">In <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/wnba-rescinds-fines-issued-over-black-lives-matter-protest-n615536">a letter released to the Undefeated</a>, Jordan broke his long-standing silence on social issues in order to "make a positive difference."</p>
<p id="vNULGY">"As a proud American, a father who lost his own dad in a senseless act of violence, and a black man, I have been deeply troubled by the deaths of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement and angered by the cowardly and hateful targeting and killing of police officers," Jordan wrote. "I grieve with the families who have lost loved ones, as I know their pain all too well."</p>
<p id="OulGUh">The letter also announced Jordan’s plans to donate $1 million each to The Institute for Community-Police Relations, an initiative launched by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a leading civil rights law firm that branched off from the NAACP in 1957.</p>
<p id="iE1qie">The statement is a decided change for Jordan, who’s been especially tight-lipped about politics, seemingly for the sake of not jeopardizing his business interests. This image of the all-star was crystalized by a widely reported incident in which Jordan, after being asked why he failed to support a Democratic senate hopeful responded, <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8264956/michael-jordan-obama-fundraiser-22-years-harvey-gantt">"Republicans buy sneakers, too."</a><strong> </strong>Jordan himself denies having made the comment, but the impression that it gave has lived on in infamy, especially in the black community.</p>
<p id="imVZA8">In a <a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/11/01/453739566/kareem-abdul-jabbar-if-its-time-to-speak-up-you-have-to-speak-up">2015 interview with NPR</a>, fellow basketball legend Karim Abdul-Jabbar criticized Jordan, for choosing "commerce over conscience." Earlier this year, as athletes in the NFL, NBA, and WNBA expressed outrage and grief over the repeated police killings of black Americans, ESPN writer Howard Bryant dubbed them, <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11978096/after-ferguson-sports-stars-waking-up">"the anti-Jordans."</a></p>
<h3 id="laXoPq">Jordan’s comments come at a time when athletes in many different sports are speaking up about racial injustices</h3>
<p id="FbZ0SQ">In 2014, after the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, five members of the St. Louis Rams ran onto the field with their arms raised. The action was a widely interpreted as a gesture to the "hands up, don’t shoot" rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement and other activists.</p>
<p id="sg37yH">More recently, NBA players like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Derrick Rose have all used their platforms to either declare their support for Black Lives Matter or express their frustration regarding institutionalized racism in the country.</p>
<p id="A9gOWp">These demonstrations have not been universally praised. In 2014, the St. Louis Rams issued a <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/st-louis-rams-apologize-for-players-ferguson-hands-up-dont-shoot/">public apology</a> for the St. Louis 5’s "hands up don’t shoot" gesture, buckling to accusations that the players’ support for the movement for black lives was a sign of disrespect to law enforcement. After NBA players showed up to a game wearing T-shirts with the phrase "I can’t breathe" emblazoned across the chest in memory of Eric Garner, there was some talk in the league about leveling <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2014/12/09/nba-wont-fine-lebron-james-derrick-rose-and-others-for-i-cant-breathe-protests/">fines against those who participated</a>.</p>
<p id="pMy6mM">This incident played out again in the WNBA when players wore similar shirts on the court this month. The <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/24/487237380/wnba-rescinds-fines-against-players-wearing-shirts-supporting-shooting-victims">players and their teams</a> were initially fined, but <a href="http://espn.go.com/wnba/story/_/id/17131967/wnba-withdraws-fines-regarding-anti-violence-shirts">after quite a bit of pressure</a>, the fines were dropped.</p>
<p id="4sWrJe">Jordan’s comments on Monday can be seen as a pretty direct result of these events. At the very least, they signal a shift in the climate of professional athletics in which social awareness is increasingly viewed as a responsibility rather than a liability.</p>
<p id="aaWXGL">Just earlier this month, the NBA announced that it was <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/17120170/nba-moving-all-star-game-charlotte-north-carolina-bill">moving its all-star game</a> out of North Carolina in response to the state’s recent discriminatory anti-LGBTQ law. Back in April, Jordan expressed his own opposition to the law, saying that the Charlotte Hornets, the team he owns, "are opposed to discrimination in any form, and … have always sought to provide an inclusive environment."</p>
<p id="ZxKsJ5">Jordan’s comments in his Monday letter were measured — he was careful to express his outrage for both the victims of police brutality as well as police officers gunned down in the line of duty. In this way, they fit into his diplomatic brand of sports celebrity while also taking back the narrative from critics who question his commitment to social equality.</p>
<p id="WQ0my7">"I have decided to speak out in the hope that we can come together as Americans," Jordan wrote in his letter, "and through peaceful dialogue and education, achieve constructive change."</p>
https://www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12275806/michael-jordan-police-shootingsCaleb Lewis2016-07-25T11:40:03-04:002016-07-25T11:40:03-04:00Donald Trump’s “Muslim ban” now includes anyone from France
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<img alt="We're going to have an unbelievable ban. The best." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/evS6QO8HPr1TVKy4T9lFC9L93qw=/76x0:2991x2186/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50195363/GettyImages-578666058.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>We're going to have an unbelievable ban. The best. | Jeff Swensen/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="0iJxaj">Donald Trump is doubling down on some of his most controversial policy proposals.</p>
<p id="0FR7mJ">In a Sunday <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-july-24-2016-n615706">interview on NBC’s <i>Meet the Press</i></a> — his first since accepting the Republican nomination — Trump appeared largely unfazed by criticisms that his convention and his <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/22/12254826/donald-trump-convention-speech-rnc-fear">keynote address</a> were "a little dark."</p>
<p id="prcutD">Instead, he spoke about <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/6/30/11924940/trump-muslim-ban-work">expanding the scope</a> of a proposed travel ban that would bar Muslims from entering the country. Back in 2015, he proposed "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States," but now it seems he wants to take that ban even further.</p>
<p id="T0l2RB">"I'm looking now at territories," he explained. "People were so upset when I used the word Muslim. Oh, you can't use the word Muslim. Remember this. And I'm okay with that, because I'm talking territory instead of Muslim."</p>
<p id="sp22MG">Trump said he would specifically target countries "compromised by terrorism." Though he didn’t explain the system that his administration would use to classify which countries would be subject to such a ban, he hinted that nations like France and Germany might fit the bill.</p>
<p id="789O9P">"It's their own fault," he said, presumably referring to the French government, "because they've allowed people over years to come into their territory."</p>
<p id="jx6eFy">In addition to reiterating his support for tighter immigration control, Trump also stood by his past criticisms of intergovernmental agreements and treaties.</p>
<p id="7pP3ea">Last week, in an interview with <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/22/us/politics/donald-trump-foreign-policy-interview.html?_r=0">the New York Times</a>, Trump shocked the international community by insinuating that under his leadership, the United States might not honor the terms of NATO’s military alliance in the event of Russian aggression. Talking to <i>Meet the Press</i> host Chuck Todd on Sunday, he dug into that position:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>All I'm saying is they have to pay. Now, a country gets invaded, they haven't paid, everyone says, "Oh, but we have a treaty." Well, they have a treaty too. They're supposed to be paying. We have countries within NATO that are taking advantage of us. With me, I believe they're going to pay. And when they pay, I'm a big believer in NATO.</p>
<p>But if they don't pay, we don't have — you know, Chuck, this isn't 40 years ago. This isn't 50 years ago. It's not 30 years ago. We're a different country today. We're much weaker, our military is depleted, we owe tremendous amounts of money. We have to be reimbursed. We can no longer be the stupid country.</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="rbS1Ws">But under a Trump presidency, NATO wouldn’t be the only international agreement possibly on the chopping block. Over the course of the interview, Trump also questioned the US’s involvement in the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization, calling both "disasters." In particular, he spent quite a bit of time railing against the WTO, arguing that if the organization objected to some of his protectionist trade policies, the United States would have to consider "pulling out."</p>
<p id="5k5fAN">Trump’s <i>Meet the Press</i> comments have garnered him strong rebukes from both <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/07/25/donald-trump-trade-policies-china-mexico/87521852/">economists</a> and policymakers.</p>
https://www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12270586/donald-trump-muslim-ban-france-meet-the-pressCaleb Lewis2016-07-22T02:00:03-04:002016-07-22T02:00:03-04:00RNC day 4: Donald Trump gave a scary speech, and the crowd cheered a “proud” gay man
<figure>
<img alt="You scared yet? " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/r7cl_rg6TYtRKqAufVB254kozIg=/0x108:2256x1800/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50177549/GettyImages-578667678.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>You scared yet? | Joe Raedle/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="Cb9r7N">The theme of the fourth and final night of the <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/13/12174076/republican-convention-rnc-2016-gop-cleveland" target="_blank">Republican National Convention</a> was "Make America One Again."</p>
<p id="Lw9T4f">Thursday’s roster was much lighter on politicians than the two days prior. The biggest speakers were venture capitalist Peter Thiel, Ivanka Trump, and the man of the hour himself, Donald Trump.</p>
<p id="oiMUPJ">In case you missed it live, these are the biggest things that happened on the final night of the RNC convention.</p>
<h3 id="COgjRi">1) Donald Trump gave a much-talked-about Nixonian speech</h3>
<p id="fO6IxI">Trump’s speech accepting the nomination was <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/22/12254826/donald-trump-convention-speech-rnc-fear">dark</a>. He hit heavily on terrorism, urban criminality, and national decline. He also spoke quite a bit about maintaining <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/21/12193106/trump-law-and-order-nixon-mass-incarceration">"law and order,"</a> a loaded phrase that has garnered <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/3/28/11312178/donald-trump-richard-nixon">comparisons to Richard Nixon</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I have a message to every last person threatening the peace on our streets and the safety of our police: When I take the oath of office next year, I will restore law and order to our country.</p>
<p>I will work with, and appoint, the best prosecutors and law enforcement officials in the country to get the job properly done. In this race for the White House, I am the law and order candidate.</p>
<p>The irresponsible rhetoric of our president, who has used the pulpit of the presidency to divide us by race and color, has made America a more dangerous environment than frankly I have ever seen and anybody in this room has ever watched or seen.</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="BdEsr8">Trump’s speech was also the longest keynote address from a Republican nominee for president since 1984.</p>
<p id="wRR371">You can read the <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/21/12253426/donald-trump-acceptance-speech-transcript-republican-nomination-transcript">full transcript here</a>.</p>
<h3 id="BCA0Pg">2) Peter Thiel told the crowd he was "proud to be gay" — and they cheered</h3>
<p id="YHi4Fo">This is really only noteworthy because it happened at the Republican National Convention— both because the party just ratified an especially <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/14/12177426/republican-platform-gay-transgender-lgbtq">anti-LGBTQ platform</a> and because the crowd received his declaration so warmly.</p>
<p id="6n0jbB">At another point, Thiel may or may not have intentionally compared Donald Trump to Marty McFly:</p>
<blockquote>
<p id="lvD4e3">The bright future is promised. When Donald Trump asks us to make America great again, he is not suggesting a return to the past. He is running to lead us back to the bright future. Tonight, I urge all of my fellow Americans to stand up and vote for Donald Trump.</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="D9k5BG">Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.</p>
<p><b>Watch: Trump reaches out to LGBTQ community</b></p>
<div data-analytics-viewport="video" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-label="Trump reaches out to LGBTQ community | 10492" data-volume-uuid="2bae6d386" data-volume-id="10492" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-placement="article" id="volume-placement-7244" class="volume-video"></div>
<h3 id="IVklDl">3) Ivanka Trump gave a speech for gender equality</h3>
<p id="mJmZFC">Donald Trump is going to "fight for equal pay for equal work." That’s according to his daughter Ivanka Trump, a mogul in her own right. Her speech focused heavily on how her father would bring gender equity to workplaces across the country.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In my father's company, there are more female than male executives. Women are paid equally for the work that we do, and when a woman becomes a mother she is supported, not shut out. Women represent 46 percent of the total US labor force, and 40 percent of American households have female primary breadwinners. In 2014, women made 83 cents for every dollar earned by a man. Single women without children earned 94 cents, whereas married mothers made only 77 cents. As researchers have noted, gender is no longer a factor creating the greatest wage discrepancy — motherhood is.</p>
<p>As president, my father will change the labor laws that were put in place at a time when women made up a significant portion of the workforce. He will focus on making quality child care affordable and accessible for all.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3 id="yj9MgC">4) A black pastor led the arena in an "all lives matter" chant</h3>
<p id="lj6E5M">As we noted last night, one of the major themes of this convention seems to be GOP diversity. Over the course of the week, quite a few people of color took the stage at the Quicken Loans Arena, including Sajid Tarar, founder of Muslims for Trump; Lisa Shin, founder of Korean Americans for Trump; and <strong><a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/20/12244326/lynne-patton-trump-video-rnc-republican-convention-2016">Lynne Patton</a></strong>, vice president of the <strong><a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/19/12230324/trump-family-tree-tiffany">Eric Trump</a></strong> Foundation.</p>
<p id="b8N9yy">This trend was continued on Thursday by Mark Byrne, a black pastor who delivered a particularly passionate speech. Byrne got one of the biggest responses of the night when he declared, "To the Republican party, I support Donald Trump, and under a Donald Trump administration, all lives matter!"</p>
<p id="DGcPbO">However, afterward, he did express empathy with Black Lives Matter protesters:</p>
<blockquote>
<p id="i1vjz8">Even though I disagree with the tactics and divisive rhetoric of the Black Lives Matter movement, I do understand that hopelessness and lack of opportunity bred this feeling of deprivation. And this is true in many of our [...] underprivileged communities.</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="XiLriP">For the winners and losers of the Republican convention's final night, <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/21/12250322/winners-losers-rnc-day-four">read Vox’s Dylan Matthews</a>.</p>
https://www.vox.com/2016/7/22/12253648/rnc-convention-day-4-trump-speech-peter-thielCaleb Lewis2016-07-21T17:20:03-04:002016-07-21T17:20:03-04:00Trump’s version of law and order is the reason we lead the world in incarceration
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/C6XYk1UGUJzLjroAktpSNlUdF0E=/78x0:820x557/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50174713/1459055028328.0.0.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>"Law and order" has driven criminal justice policy for 50 years. It’s time to try something new.</p> <p id="UI3ToC">Crime and policing was a fixture of every night of the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/13/12174076/republican-convention-rnc-2016-gop-cleveland">Republican National Convention</a>.</p>
<p id="XbMxD0">In the wake of several high-profile shootings, disorder abroad, and mass protests across the country, the Trump campaign was eager to try out its new slogan. Donald Trump is, he proclaimed in his keynote address, <span>"the law and order candidate."</span></p>
<div id="dIeTAO">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This election is a choice between law, order & safety - or chaos, crime & violence. I will make America safe again for everyone. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ImWithYou?src=hash">#ImWithYou</a></p>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/752849315094298624">July 12, 2016</a>
</blockquote>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</div>
<p id="ZHhLQg">The strategy has a <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/3/28/11312178/donald-trump-richard-nixon">clear historical forerunner</a>.</p>
<p id="eH0TAg">During the 1968 election, Richard Nixon successfully ran as the candidate of law and order against a backdrop of rising crime and civil unrest. There was then, as there is now, a very unsubtle racial element at play in the statement. In '68, Nixon plastered Americans’ TVs with images of protests and urban upheaval, urging the nation to <a href="http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1968">"vote like your whole world depended on it."</a><strong> </strong>Today, Trump vows that without his guidance regarding Hispanic immigrants, Muslims, and the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/18/politics/donald-trump-black-lives-matter/">"threat"</a> of Black Lives Matter, <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/trump-law-order-candidate-225372">"we will cease to have a country."</a></p>
<p id="U1A4QJ">That’s because "law and order" in American politics has always been a dog whistle — a way of speaking in code to one group of Americans to exploit their fears regarding another.</p>
<p id="94m20a">But it’s not <em>just</em> racist posturing. Appealing to white America’s anxieties about black crime was more than smart election strategy for Nixon — it ended up shaping the criminal justice policies of both his administration and the ones that followed. The result was an <a href="http://www.vox.com/2015/7/13/8913297/mass-incarceration-maps-charts">unprecedented explosion</a> in incarceration and aggressive community policing that continues to <a href="http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/p14.pdf">disproportionately target</a> people of color.</p>
<p id="84QAZ8">Therein lie the stakes for us today.</p>
<p id="CDR76W">As the Atlantic’s David A. Graham has <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/trump-law-and-order/490940/">pointed out</a>, crime rates are actually quite low.<strong> </strong>What’s more, the reemergence of law and order on the national stage comes at a time when <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/bipartisan-push-for-criminal-justice-reform-548173379871">lawmakers on both sides of the aisle</a> are publicly acknowledging that our criminal justice system is in desperate need of recalibration.</p>
<p id="SGfk7J">Trump’s new mantra, and Democrats’ <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/joe-biden-trump-law-and-order-225402">inability</a> to offer worried Americans an alternative script, poses a serious threat to these reform efforts, if only because it signals that the way voters think about crime hasn’t changed much since Nixon’s day.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Mum7hf6SLaZV9qD2p1s_YSpu9P0=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6814875/GettyImages-3226426.jpg">
<cite>Hulton Archive/ Stringer via Getty</cite>
<figcaption>Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew ran on a platform of law and order in the 1968 presidential election.</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="tBqulz">The politics of law and order have a racist and authoritarian past</h3>
<p id="t5dfaN">In a lot of ways, the parallels between the 1968 election and the current one are overblown. Between Vietnam, the assassinations of MLK and JFK, and Johnson’s decision to leave office in the midst of it all,<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/10/12131168/1968-2016-violence-riots-instability">'68 was much worse</a>. Still, the very fact that the comparison is on people’s minds says quite a bit about the current national sentiment — after all, when it comes to political moods, it isn’t about facts; it’s about how people feel.</p>
<p id="9doAJt">And in 1968, as in 2016, a lot of Americans felt like the country was slipping away from them.</p>
<p id="HBX5pI">The '68 election was framed by mass unrest — protests, assassinations, and countercultural movements.<strong> </strong>Activists were organizing for racial justice, the left was challenging cultural and sexual values, and a<strong> </strong>large contingent of white Americans were left feeling vulnerable — both physically and in terms of their place in the nation.</p>
<p>In retrospect, the country hadn’t entirely fallen off its hinges. Crime rates, though high by today’s standards, were lower than they had been <a href="http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-157.html">during the Prohibition era</a>. But again, it was perception that drove fear.</p>
<aside id="YXsPeM"><q class="is-align-right">"As soon as we have <em>Brown v. Board</em> and we have demonstrations and these challenges to the Jim Crow regime, we get Southern segregationists talking about how law and order has broken down"</q></aside>
<p id="y9iWlO">Picking up on national anxieties, then-candidate Nixon repurposed a slogan previously used by <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/daily/may98/goldwaterspeech.htm">Barry Goldwater</a> in the 1964 election. According to Elizabeth Hinton, a professor of history and African-American studies at Harvard University, appeals to "law and order" in American politics originated as nothing more than a reactionary response to the advancements of the civil rights era.</p>
<p>"As soon as we have <em>Brown v. Board</em> and we have demonstrations and these challenges to the Jim Crow regime," she explained to Vox, "we get Southern segregationists talking about how law and order has broken down."</p>
<p id="4tvpya">With both black activists and the white left threatening to buck the status quo in the nation, "law and order" allowed Nixon to create a large, vague enemy.</p>
<p id="6NLbtY">"It was used as a catchphrase to express the fear of a lot of Americans had about what the disruptions by different parts of the left were doing to the fabric of American society," says Michael Kazin, a Georgetown historian and author of <em>The Populist Persuasion. </em></p>
<p id="rkMBAL">Nixon wanted his "silent majority" — another one of <a href="http://www.npr.org/2016/01/22/463884201/trump-champions-the-silent-majority-but-what-does-that-mean-in-2016">Trump’s favorite phrases</a>, meaning middle-class, center-right white folks — to find solace in the prospect of stronger law enforcement. The whole appeal, Kazin explains, hinged on the idea "that the police were the only barrier between anarchy and riot and law-abiding citizens, and that they shouldn’t be criticized or condemned<strong> </strong>in any way."</p>
<p id="TK6eHT">With "law and order," Nixon, like the segregationists before him, shrouded racism and authoritarianism in an appeal that only those who were seen as criminals or troublemakers could object to.</p>
<p id="f99V6v">But that authoritarianism and racism didn’t just go away after Nixon was elected, or even after he left office — it became the driving force behind American criminal justice policy for the next 40 years.</p>
<h3 id="hQ3aEc">"Law and order" really means punitiveness. And bipartisan punitiveness is the reason we have the highest rate of incarceration in the world.</h3>
<p id="Fbgi5H">After taking office in 1969, Nixon’s campaign promise of "law and order" hardened into punitive policies. By pushing to expand prisons and lengthen sentences across the board, Nixon and his immediate successors presided over a <a href="http://www.nap.edu/read/18613/chapter/5">fundamental shift</a> in the way American policymakers thought about incarceration: Prisons were for punishment, not rehabilitation.</p>
<p id="dYGFu7">This logic lives on today, so it can be hard to imagine an America without it. To understand just how different a rehabilitative model of justice is from our retributive one, it’s important to keep two things in mind.</p>
<p id="I0Q8kt">First, crime during this era was defined in a very specific way. As Hinton points out, when the politicians of the late 20th century decided to be tough on crime, they weren’t talking about white-collar criminals — they were talking about street crimes, the majority of which were committed by black and low-income Americans.</p>
<p>The classic example of this is illustrated by the <a href="https://www.aclu.org/news/us-supreme-court-weighs-100-1-disparity-crackpowder-cocaine-sentencing">100-to-1 sentencing ratio of</a><strong> </strong><a href="https://www.aclu.org/news/us-supreme-court-weighs-100-1-disparity-crackpowder-cocaine-sentencing">crack to powdered cocaine</a>, which was the result of <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/99/hr5484">a federal drug law</a> in place <a href="https://www.aclu.org/feature/fair-sentencing-act">until 2010</a>. While being caught with a candy bar’s weight of crack would mandate at least a 10-year sentence, you’d have to be in possession of 100 times that amount in cocaine to get similar time. In this way, racism is etched into the very structure of the law: Crack is the drug of the "inner cities," while cocaine is for Wall Street bankers.</p>
<p id="Lrf5uS">Ultimately, this inequality of law enforcement led to aggressive policing in communities of color, sometimes causing <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2014/12/broken_windows_policing_doesn_t_work_it_also_may_have_killed_eric_garner.html">deadly encounters with police forces</a> over remarkably petty crimes.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0SRR-mngOhxwDxm-fxfUtPCXrzE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6823473/Screen%20Shot%202016-07-21%20at%201.05.22%20PM.png">
<cite><a href="http://sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Trends-in-US-Corrections.pdf">The Sentencing Project</a></cite>
<figcaption>The US has the highest rate of incarceration in the world — we house <a href="http://www.politifact.com/virginia/statements/2014/dec/15/jim-webb/webb-says-us-has-5-percent-worlds-population-25-pe/">roughly 25 percent of the world’s prisoners</a>, despite making up only 5 percent of total world population.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="Mrs3Pk">Second, crime doesn’t spring from a vacuum. In America’s highly segregated black communities, especially, it’s rooted in poverty, neglect, and institutionalized racism. The focus on punishment rather than rehabilitation also signaled a governmental choice on how to deal with a lot of these greater problems plaguing communities of color.</p>
<p id="EhdrXA">"The policies that led to mass incarceration are the outcome of a bipartisan consensus of policymakers who work in between election cycles to enact punitive legislation, to disinvest in social welfare programs, to expand the prison system," Hinton says. "It’s beyond the political rhetoric, it’s a shift in the domestic policy priorities that began to happen when the rhetoric of law and order appears on the national stage in the '64 election."</p>
<p id="7viAvs">Throughout the '80s and '90s, when <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/blog/americas-faulty-perception-crime-rates">crime really was quite high</a>,<strong> </strong>media sensationalism and public anxieties created a further mandate for this type of agenda. The welfare state as we knew it was <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/04/the-end-of-welfare-as-we-know-it/476322/">decimated</a>. On the federal level and in both red and blue states, policies like truth-in-sentencing laws and mandatory minimums whittled away judges' ability to show leniency or issue sentences consistent with the circumstances of each individual case. The government was operating a directive: Increase the incarceration rate and lengthen offenders’ sentences.</p>
<p id="O46ZMm">That isn’t an overstatement. The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/house-bill/3355/text">1994 crime bill</a>, the controversial law enforcement act signed into law by President Bill Clinton, stipulated that if a state wanted federal funding to build prisons, it would have to show that it:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(A) has increased the percentage of convicted violent offenders sentenced to prison; (B) has increased the average prison time which will be served in prison by convicted violent offenders sentenced to prison; (C) has increased the percentage of sentence which will be served in prison by violent offenders sentenced to prison.</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="1aGvxF">And again, these policies were incredibly long-lived. Even when crime leveled off in the 1990s and plummeted dramatically around the turn of the century, people were still being pumped into state and federal prisons at a breakneck rate.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fKAAw_Xop3CfJvT4D3elYZA3zYY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6798095/Screen%20Shot%202016-07-15%20at%203.29.09%20PM.png">
<cite><a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog/18613">National Research Council</a></cite>
<figcaption>Crime fell, but prison rolls kept rising.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="uAsT1F">Let’s be clear: The reemergence of the politics of "law and order" isn’t about crime; it’s about votes. The problem today isn’t so much that Donald Trump is willing to say it, but rather that despite the failures of a half-century of punitive policies, Americans still want to hear it.</p>
<h3 id="zowmnx">The way we think about law and order is holding us back</h3>
<p id="SRbxlX">It’s widely acknowledged that our current criminal justice system is deeply flawed: It’s costly, discriminatory, and, frankly, just too large. On top of all that, it probably <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/02/12/mass-incarceration-didnt-lower-crime-but-can-congress-be-convinced">isn’t even the reason the crime has dropped</a> since the mid-1990s. Studies have suggested that <a href="http://www.vox.com/cards/crime-rate-drop/prison-reduce-crime">incarceration yields diminishing returns</a>; ramping up imprisonment yields a quick drop in crime, but after that it just up locks people who are unlikely to reoffend.</p>
<p id="ZkDJqv">Still, it’s not hard to understand why tough-on-crime measures are so popular. When the world feels unsafe, people are generally willing to put up with imperfect solutions that promise more security.</p>
<p id="LA12FA">But this is where we come up to the limits of "law and order." Public perception of danger (the force that mandates punitive policies) doesn’t follow actual crime rates. Today crime is actually very low, but Americans don’t seem to know that.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WPqn6I-A393Y8xL3MvFmZjMna6s=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6801973/Screen%20Shot%202016-07-17%20at%2012.31.42%20PM.png">
<cite><a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/179546/americans-crime-last-year.aspx">Gallup</a></cite>
<figcaption>Violent crime rate versus the percentage of Americans who think crime is higher than it was a year ago.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="uMLQ3m">So we’re stuck: If our presiding philosophy of criminal justice is driven by unwavering anxieties, there’s no real room to move beyond the failures of punitive policies.</p>
<p id="suKy81">However, the world shows that there are other ways of dealing with lawbreaking. For example, countries like Norway take a <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/quora/2013/05/07/why_does_norway_have_a_21_year_maximum_prison_sentence.html">more rehabilitative approac</a><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/quora/2013/05/07/why_does_norway_have_a_21_year_maximum_prison_sentence.html">h</a>. Prison cells look more like small bedrooms than cages, there are real opportunities for inmates to learn vocational skills, and instead of minimum sentences, their time is based on maximums. In part because Norway employs data-backed approaches to reducing recidivism (like those endorsed in a <a href="http://static.nicic.gov/Library/023358.pdf">2007 US Department of Justice study</a>), only 20 percent of released prisoners reenter the Norwegian system. That’s opposed to <a href="http://www.nij.gov/topics/corrections/recidivism/Pages/welcome.aspx">76.6</a><a href="http://www.nij.gov/topics/corrections/recidivism/Pages/welcome.aspx"> percent</a><a href="http://www.nij.gov/topics/corrections/recidivism/Pages/welcome.aspx"> in America</a>, one of the highest recidivism rates in the world.</p>
<p id="PO8iG9">Of course, a Norwegian system probably wouldn’t translate well here — for one, we just have too many people in the system already. But the comparison illustrates a key point: Until we’re ready to rethink our definition of law and order on a large scale, we won’t be able to make our current system more efficient and more equitable.</p>
<p>But just before the 2016 election got into full swing, <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/criminal-justice-reform-senate-222577">there was real appetite for criminal justice reform on both sides of the aisle</a>.</p>
<p id="MMjmib">Yet it’s safe to say a Trump presidency would mean the end of such conversations, at least on the national stage. <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/5/25/11737264/donald-trump-criminal-justice-republican-president">As Vox’s German Lopez has pointed out</a>, in addition to his <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/17/central-park-five-donald-trump-jogger-rape-case-new-york#img-2">past support for draconian crime measures</a>, Trump hasn’t indicated that criminal justice reform is even on his radar.</p>
<aside id="TQeJ6l"><q class="is-align-right">"Law and order is a reflection of the political climate. At the moment, in this political campaign season, we have observed an already toxic political atmosphere that’s become even more polarized and partisan."</q></aside>
<p id="G0VFtz">So far, that doesn’t seem to bother his supporters, possibly because the alternatives to "law and order" — continuing with the incrementalist reforms of the Obama administration, or picking up the pace as activists demand — are even scarier to them. Trump and Republicans like him have done a great job of painting domestic disturbances and terror abroad as both historical threats to America and a result of the policies of the Democratic president. That’s why law and order plays so well in this election. If you really fear that the fabric of the country is fraying, strict measures to hold it together seem warranted.</p>
<p id="jBN2WY">"Law and order is a reflection of the political climate," explains Michael Flamm, a history professor at Ohio Wesleyan University and author of <em>Law and Order: Street Crime, Civil Unrest, and the Crisis of Liberalism in the 1960s. </em> "At the moment, in this political campaign season, we have observed an already toxic political atmosphere that’s become even more polarized and partisan."</p>
<p id="vD3plo">Keeping crime low and rethinking the way we run the system <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/multimedia/data-visualizations/2014/imprisonment-and-crime">don’t have to be mutually exclusive goals</a>. But that’s the false binary that Trump has enforced by capitalizing on misinformed distress. Unfortunately, that’s also the impression that will likely remain even if he isn’t elected in the fall.</p>
<p id="OJXmSq">As history shows, once stoked, Americans’ race-based fears about crime tend to burn slow and long.</p>
<hr>
<h3>Watch: How mandatory minimums drive mass incarceration</h3>
<div class="volume-video" id="volume-placement-362" data-volume-placement="article" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-id="3951" data-volume-uuid="5750a6e35" data-analytics-label="How mandatory minimums drive mass incarceration | 3951" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-viewport="video"></div>
https://www.vox.com/2016/7/21/12193106/trump-law-and-order-nixon-mass-incarcerationCaleb Lewis2016-07-21T00:20:03-04:002016-07-21T00:20:03-04:00From booing Cruz to GOP diversity: a quick rundown of the Republican convention day 3
<figure>
<img alt="Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) delivers a speech on the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 20, 2016." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Xsr-bdjBMAQ3vRip6wtcICQS-7s=/0x96:3877x3004/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50168643/GettyImages-578133360.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) delivers a speech on the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 20, 2016. | John Moore/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="B1jT0G">The theme of the third night of the <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/13/12174076/republican-convention-rnc-2016-gop-cleveland" target="_blank">Republican National Convention</a> was "Make America First Again."</p>
<p id="znrW2n">Wednesday featured many of the convention’s biggest political names — <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/20/12244218/newt-gingrich-republican-national-convention-speech-text">Newt Gingrich</a>, Scott Walker, <a href="http://www.vox.com/ted-cruz">Ted Cruz</a>, and <a href="http://www.vox.com/maro-rubio">Marco Rubio</a>.</p>
<p id="3SGXf6">In case you missed it live, here are the biggest things that happened on the third night of the Republican convention.</p>
<h3 id="KydxRo">1) Former Trump adversaries tried the party unity thing. Results were mixed.</h3>
<p id="6YDwHa">Back during the primary season, both Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio were two of the most formidable contenders for the party’s nomination. They also clashed with <a href="http://www.vox.com/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> pretty regularly. However, last night, in the name of party unity, both (kinda) delivered remarks (sorta) in support of Trump. Technically, Rubio didn’t show up — he beamed in, in the form of a pretaped, nondescript speech mostly about <a href="http://www.vox.com/hillary-clinton">Hillary Clinton</a>. When he did mention Trump, it was always in contrast to his opponent:</p>
<blockquote>
<p id="zkHdNx">Unlike Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump is committed to cut taxes and get our national debt under control. Unlike Obama and Clinton, Trump takes seriously the threat from Islamic radicals and wants to rebuild our military. And Trump wants to commit proper judges who respect the role of the judiciary.</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="jNRDfi">Cruz was braver, and decided to deliver his comments in living color. It didn’t go terribly well.</p>
<h3>2) <span>Ted Cruz told the audience to "vote your conscience" and got booed</span>
</h3>
<p id="OrIkww">Fed up by the noncommittal statements that marked Cruz’s entire speech, the delegation from New York began to chant, "Endorse Trump!" With the finesse of a politician adept at ducking and dodging, Cruz cheesed and said, "I appreciate the enthusiasm of the New York delegation." But the chants grew and eventually turned into jeers when Cruz told delegates to "vote your conscience." He finished his remarks — <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/20/12244808/ted-cruz-non-endorsement">without giving Trump an outright endorsement</a> — and left the stage amid a mix of cheers and boos.</p>
<p id="OEqZsS">Chris Christie, increasingly playing the role of Trump’s personal attack dog, reportedly called Cruz’s speech <a href="https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/755953208112058368">"awful and selfish."</a></p>
<p><b>Watch: Ted Cruz gets booed and heckled</b></p>
<div data-analytics-viewport="video" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-label="Ted Cruz gets booed off the stage at RNC | 10464" data-volume-uuid="dcdbb0ecb" data-volume-id="10464" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-placement="article" id="volume-placement-4954" class="volume-video"></div>
<h3 id="k8EeX1">3) Trump supporters really want to "lock [Hillary Clinton] up"</h3>
<p id="OIS5v0">Though each night of the convention has its own pre-designated theme, the real overarching theme seems to be anti-Clinton posturing. As happened the night before, on Wednesday the crowd broke into many spontaneous <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/20/12244150/rnc-lock-her-up-jeff-flake">chants for Clinton’s imprisonment</a>.</p>
<p id="mhOah9">While most of the speakers of the night smiled and waited patiently for the commotion to die down, <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/20/12242170/pam-bondi-trump-rnc-convention">Pam Bondi</a>, the sitting Florida attorney general, joined in, telling the crowd that she "loves it."</p>
<h3 id="wEFGz4">4) The Trump version of the GOP showed off its ... diversity</h3>
<p id="At7elz">Most likely in the effort to counteract Trump’s reputation for xenophobia and racism, Wednesday’s speaker lineup featured quite a few people of color. These included <a href="http://www.theroot.com/articles/politics/2016/03/in_search_of_pastor_darrell_scott_and_the_church_of_trump/">Darrell</a><strong><a href="http://www.theroot.com/articles/politics/2016/03/in_search_of_pastor_darrell_scott_and_the_church_of_trump/"> </a></strong><a href="http://www.theroot.com/articles/politics/2016/03/in_search_of_pastor_darrell_scott_and_the_church_of_trump/">Scott</a>,<strong> </strong>an outspoken Cleveland Heights pastor, Kentucky state Sen. Ralph Alvarado, who delivered part of his speech in Spanish, and <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/20/12244326/lynne-patton-trump-video-rnc-republican-convention-2016">Lynne Patton</a>, vice president of the <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/19/12230324/trump-family-tree-tiffany">Eric Trump</a> Foundation.</p>
<p id="OxSvzM">Patton’s speech was especially noteworthy for its slightly off-script nod to the "senseless deaths of young black men." The line didn’t get much response from the crowd, but audience members were very receptive when Patton ultimately ended her speech in "All Lives Matter" rhetoric:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>But tonight, as a minority, I personally pledge to you that Donald Trump knows that your life matters, he knows that my life matters, he knows that the LGBTQ lives matter, and he knows that veterans' lives matter, and he knows that blue lives matter.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3 id="zXcgwB">5) Generic Republican Mike Pence gave a "status quo" VP acceptance speech</h3>
<p id="VUx20c">In the grand scheme of political conventions, Mike Pence’s speech didn’t stand out as especially noteworthy. But when considered against the general weirdness that has marked the Republican convention, it was remarkably effective. He was coherent, personable, and even funny.</p>
<h3 id="fPgH3Z">6) Terrorism took center stage again</h3>
<p id="7Sbnjv">Next to Clinton, terrorism and safety have been the biggest fixtures of the <a href="http://www.vox.com/rnc-2016">RNC</a> thus far. This was especially true last night, when Newt Gingrich delivered a relatively long speech in which he listed off, in quick succession, recent terror events around the globe.</p>
https://www.vox.com/2016/7/21/12243826/republican-convention-day-3-recapCaleb Lewis2016-07-20T06:00:03-04:002016-07-20T06:00:03-04:00RNC day 2 recap: what Republicans discussed (Lucifer) and didn't (jobs)
<figure>
<img alt="Former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson delivers a speech on the second day of the Republican National Convention on July 19, 2016, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pq7eq4ZnXbuZTspKO1dTLA7YAjM=/174x0:4194x3015/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50158829/GettyImages-577717110.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson delivers a speech on the second day of the Republican National Convention on July 19, 2016, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="wPKewh">The second day of the <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/13/12174076/republican-convention-rnc-2016-gop-cleveland" target="_blank">Republican National Convention</a> was (kinda) about jobs.</p>
<p id="xWCGYg">The theme was "Make America Work Again," but right out of the gate, speakers largely focused on how a Hillary Clinton presidency would put America in danger.</p>
<p id="utC79t">In contrast to Monday’s roster, the schedule last night featured quite a few big-name Republican politicians — including House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.</p>
<p id="i3cMI4">In case you missed it live, here are the biggest things that happened on the second night of the Republican convention.</p>
<h3>1) Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee for president</h3>
<p><strong></strong>One of the first major events in last night’s lineup was the nomination vote, a very long convention rite that somehow manages to be both pretty boring and thoroughly awkward. The process consists of representatives from each state coming forward, delivering a little quip about why his or her state rocks, and declaring how the state's delegates vote. Despite all the chatter about a possible <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/never-trump-convention-nomination-vote-225820">convention holdup</a>, the nomination process largely went off without a hitch: The Trump-Pence ticket is official.</p>
<h3>2) Republican National Committee Co-Chair Sharon Day brought up the rape allegations against Bill Clinton</h3>
<p>In the middle of a speech criticizing Hillary Clinton, Day referenced past sexual assault accusations against Bill:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>And as first lady, you viciously attack the character of women who are sexually abused at the hands of your husband. Now, don't get me wrong, I want to see a woman be president one day. I want my granddaughters to see a woman as president one day. But I stand before you [and say] not that woman, not Hillary Clinton.</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="jhhu3x">Juanita Broaddrick first accused Bill Clinton of rape in <a href="http://www.mrctv.org/videos/full-dateline-nbc-juanita-broaddrick-bill-clinton-raping-her">a 1999 <i>Dateline </i>interview</a>. As <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/1/6/10722580/bill-clinton-juanita-broaddrick">Vox’s Dylan Matthews has explained</a>, Hillary Clinton has previously downplayed allegations against her husband — which is problematic because as a candidate she's insisted that we should err on the side of believing women who make such accusations.</p>
<h3>3) Republicans hit Clinton hard on the same stuff they did on Monday night. At one point, the crowd began chanting for her imprisonment.</h3>
<p><strong></strong>Terrorism and foreign affairs were the topics of Monday night’s proceedings; the theme was "Make America Safe Again." However, that didn’t stop Tuesday night’s convention speakers from criticizing Hillary Clinton along their usual talking points: Benghazi, her support for the Libyan intervention in general, and how those two things make her unfit to defend America against ISIS and <a href="http://www.vox.com/2015/11/16/9745334/obama-radical-islam-isis">"radical Islam."</a></p>
<p>Frankly, at times it seemed like the speakers didn't even know that the focus of the night was jobs and industry.</p>
<div id="Og8DdT">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Make America Work Again" night showing our biggest growth industry is fear <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RNCinCLE?src=hash">#RNCinCLE</a></p>
— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahkendzior/status/755567654828515328">July 20, 2016</a>
</blockquote>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="rn6izZ">The most notable example of this was New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who spent nearly his entire speech listing off Clinton's alleged failures during her tenure as secretary of state. In Christie’s own words, the speech was an "indictment." As he listed off details about Clinton’s involvement in situations in Libya, Syria, Nigeria, Iran, and Russia, the crowd began chanting, "Guilty!"</p>
<h3>4) Ben Carson mentioned Lucifer for no reason<b> </b>
</h3>
<p><strong></strong>In one of the weirdest moments of the night, Ben Carson criticized Clinton for being just one degree of separation away from The Wicked One himself. It honestly doesn't make a lot of sense, but here it is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p id="0WcfyL">Now, one of the things that I have learned about Hillary Clinton is that one of her heroes, her mentors, was Saul Alinsky. Her senior thesis was about <a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/10/6/6829675/saul-alinsky-explain-obama-hillary-clinton-rodham-organizing" target="_blank">Saul Alinsky</a>. This was someone she greatly admired and [who] affected all of her philosophy subsequently.</p>
<p>Interestingly enough, let me tell you something about him. He wrote a book called <i>Rules for Radicals</i>. On the dedication page, it acknowledges Lucifer, the original radical who gained his own kingdom.</p>
<p>Think about that. This is a nation where our founding document, the Declaration of Independence, talks about certain inalienable rights that come from our creator. This is a nation where our pledge of allegiance says we are one nation under God. This is a nation where every coin in our pocket and every bill in our wallets says, "In God we trust."</p>
<p>So are we willing to elect someone as president who has, as their role model, somebody who acknowledges Lucifer?</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>5) A bunch of people who have done business with Donald Trump talked</h3>
<p>The few speakers who stuck to the script<strong> </strong>about jobs were mostly past and present business associates of Trump. They included Dana White, president of the UFC, the <a href="http://www.npr.org/2016/07/14/486045694/in-search-of-andy-wist-or-the-2016-gop-convention-speakers-by-the-numbers">until-now-unknown Andy Wist</a>, and Kerry Woolard, general manager of Trump Winery.</p>
<h3>6) Paul Ryan delivered his party unity speech</h3>
<p><strong></strong>Paul Ryan has a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/06/14/paul-ryan-contradicted-donald-trump-on-the-muslim-ban-again/">long history of disagreement</a> with Donald Trump. In fact, the speaker of the House famously <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/5/5/11604040/paul-ryan-donald-trump-endorsement">threatened to withhold his endorsement</a> for Trump until the billionaire shored up his conservative cred and reined in his divisive rhetoric.</p>
<p id="q4dGy5">However, the Paul Ryan who took the stage last night was a unifier, careful to minimize the well-documented disputes within the party:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We Republicans have made our choice. Have we had our arguments this year? Sure we have. You know what I call those? Signs of life. Signs of a party that is not just going through the motions, not just mouthing the words from the same old stuff.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, what choice has the other party made in this incredible year filled with so many surprises? [...] They are offering a third Obama term brought to you by another Clinton.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>7) Trump’s kids gave nice speeches about him. One was accused of plagiarism.</h3>
<p>Two of Trump's children, Donald Trump Jr. and Tiffany Trump, spoke last night. Donald Trump Jr. spoke to his father’s work ethic and repeated a lot of the criticisms of Hillary Clinton heard earlier in the night. After the convention wrapped up, he was<a href="https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/755601024908300288"> accused of parroting a line</a> from an American Conservative article, adding to accusations that his stepmother, Melania Trump, had plagiarized her speech from the night before.</p>
<p>However, the man who originally wrote the line <a href="https://twitter.com/fbuckley/status/755604499977363456">was quick to deny that Donald Jr. stole it</a>.</p>
<p id="TsXAu9">Meanwhile, Tiffany Trump, who made her debut on the national stage, mostly focused on showcasing the softer, more human side of her father.<strong> </strong></p>
<h3>8) The founder of Muslims for Trump gave a prayer</h3>
<p><strong></strong>His name is Sajid Tarar. The prayer was short and pretty generic:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Join me in prayer for God; our nation is in need. A new leader, a commander who will guide America along a path of righteousness.</p>
<p>We as Americans are ready for real hope, a change, and ask for a tenacious leader who will be able to motivate us.</p>
<p>The qualities of this leader must reflect the qualities required to uplift Americans and truly make America great again. Amen.</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="GzOZZv">For more on why some American Muslims support Donald Trump, read <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/3/3/11155782/muslim-voters-trump">Vox’s Jennifer Williams</a>. And for winners and losers, see <a target="_blank" href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/19/12230910/winners-losers-rnc-day-two" style="font-family: Balto, Helvetica, Arial, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #ffffff;">Dylan Matthews.</a></p>
https://www.vox.com/2016/7/20/12230994/republican-convention-day-2-luciferCaleb Lewis2016-07-14T08:30:03-04:002016-07-14T08:30:03-04:00Here are the Republicans who aren’t going to Donald Trump’s convention
<figure>
<img alt="Quicken Loans Arena is decorated to welcome the Republican National Convention on July 11, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hlVZU0th8LbZ6QB41pKOVug6wPI=/0x0:4189x3142/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50111665/GettyImages-546270822.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Quicken Loans Arena is decorated to welcome the Republican National Convention on July 11, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio. | Angelo Merendino/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="ACt3SH">The <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/13/12156184/2016-republican-national-convention-trump" target="_blank">Republican National Convention</a> starts next week in Cleveland, but quite a few key attendees will be missing.</p>
<p id="hOzfnl">This, of course, is because of Donald Trump. The billionaire tycoon has been frustrating and flustering prominent Republicans since the moment he emerged as a frontrunner late last year. Their disagreements with Trump range from the political to the stylistic to the personal, but many Republicans who find their candidate unsupportable have decided on the same course of action.</p>
<p id="fisJ0B">They just won’t show up.</p>
<p id="9VP7Wd">It’s not a choice that everyone can make. While GOP heavyweights who aren't in office or running for reelection can pretty much do as they please, the pressure to fall in line with party decisions reduces the options of other members. There’s <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/13/12159760/paul-ryan-town-hall-trump">no greater example of this than House Speaker Paul Ryan</a>, whose position as the de facto leader of the party has forced him to swallow his well-documented disdain for Trump and issue public endorsements.</p>
<p id="IVXqEx">The empty seats at the convention will only further illustrate the growing divide between the GOP’s leadership and its voters.</p>
<h3 id="Q7VznU">These are the prominent Republican leaders whom you won’t find in Cleveland come Monday</h3>
<p id="x64cB0"><strong>1) Any</strong><strong> member</strong><strong> of the Bush</strong><strong> family</strong><b>:</b> The politicians of the Bush clan, the GOP’s favorite quasi-dynasty, have especially fraught histories with Trump. He has <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/2/14/10988380/donald-trump-9-11">repeatedly accused</a> George W. Bush of lying about the Iraq War. He made <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/feb/8/donald-trump-jeb-bush-desperate-embarrassment/">piteously light work</a> of Jeb when the former governor tried to challenge him in the primaries. At least in part due to his indecorous treatment of W and Jeb, Trump will be the first Republican nominee not to receive the endorsement of the senior Bush since he left the White House.</p>
<p id="hibiTT"><strong>2) Two </strong><strong>former Republican</strong><strong> nominees: </strong>Neither Mitt Romney nor John McCain will make an appearance in Cleveland. One of the <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/2015/07/18/trump-mccain-war-hero-captured/30347573/">earliest controversies</a> of the Trump campaign involved the candidate making disparaging comments about McCain’s war record. The Arizona senator has also said Trump has made his reelection campaign this year <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/for-john-mccain-donald-trump-makes-reelection-the-race-of-my-life/">"the race of my life."</a> The two men haven’t exactly seen eye to eye, though last month McCain <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2016/05/08/john-mccain-says-gop-must-abide-voters-wishes-on-trump/">extended a hesitant endorsement</a>.</p>
<p>For his part, Romney says he can’t support the real estate tycoon because of his <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/10/politics/mitt-romney-donald-trump-racism/">racist and demagogic statements</a>. Bob Dole, the only other living former nominee, <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/278871-dole-alone-in-not-shunning-gop-convention">will attend</a> the convention.</p>
<p id="wrDFji"><strong>3) A few of Trump’s former primary opponents:</strong> Of the wide field of candidates who ran against Trump in the primary, the majority have fallen in line and endorsed their candidate. As of now, only <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/06/politics/marco-rubio-wont-attend-the-republican-convention/">Marco Rubio</a> and <a href="http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/rand-paul-will-not-be-attending-rnc-convention-and-he-is-not-alone/">Rand Paul</a> have expressed that they won’t be in attendance. Both are running for Senate reelection, with Rubio's Florida race feasibly having the ability to determine senate control. John Kasich is not currently up for reelection, but it’s unclear what his <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/11/politics/john-kasich-republicans-2016/">convention plans are</a>.</p>
<p id="am0LY6"><strong>4) Republican senators in tight races: </strong>As Vox’s <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/5/16/11666316/senate-2016-elections-competitive">Andrew Prokop has pointed out</a>, Trump is likely to change the lay of the land in quite a few important down-ballot Senate races. Perhaps in order to stave off a "Trump effect" by hemming too closely to the nominee, Sens. <a href="http://www.politicspa.com/pa-sen-toomey-wont-attend-republican-national-convention/75254/">Pat Toomey</a> (PA), Kelly Ayotte (NH), Mark Kirk (IL), and Ron Johnson (WI) have either expressed their hesitation or outright stated that they will skip Cleveland.</p>
<h3 id="BoGUrR">Republicans who have either hinted or confirmed they will not attend</h3>
<ul>
<li id="oaQTQA">Sen. Marco Rubio (Florida)</li>
<li id="OwOWcC">Rep. David Jolly (Florida)</li>
<li id="RdbzSR">Former Gov. Mitt Romney (Massachusetts)</li>
<li id="Dm9R9u">Gov. John Kasich (Ohio)</li>
<li id="e85jBc">Sen. John McCain (Arizona)</li>
<li id="jcNwJS">Sen. Kelly Ayotte (New Hampshire)</li>
<li id="XEsN6x">Gov. Brian Sandoval (Nevada)</li>
<li id="lV7XfW">Gov. Paul LePage (Maine)</li>
<li id="QUWSsi">Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice</li>
<li id="ziSagw">Former Vice President Dick Cheney</li>
<li id="ACGF6V">Former first lady Laura Bush</li>
<li id="HHKfa5">Former first lady Barbara Bush</li>
<li id="dGO8do">Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger</li>
<li id="bzJ46i">Sen. Mark Kirk (Illinois)</li>
<li id="tSzeln">Former Gov. Tom Ridge (Pennsylvania)</li>
<li id="koOZNy">Former Sen. Tom Coburn (Oklahoma)</li>
<li id="DuZGth">Former Gov. Luis Fortuño (Puerto Rico)</li>
<li id="Iln9AY">Former Gov. Bobby Jindal (Louisiana)</li>
<li id="Iln9AY">Former Gov. Sarah Palin (Alaska)</li>
<li id="LgwlJx">Rep. Trey Gowdy (South Carolina)</li>
<li id="TIJYIK">Rep. Mark Sanford (South Carolina)</li>
<li id="qUCB7B">Rep. Sean Duffy (Wisconsin)</li>
<li id="IFDSAF">Sen. Lindsey Graham (South Carolina)</li>
<li id="vHBQfU">Sen. Ron Johnson (Wisconsin)</li>
<li id="SbtWof">Sen. Dean Heller (Nevada)</li>
<li id="Eypjuw">Sen. Jeff Flake (Arizona)</li>
<li id="ZVUOol">Former Gov. Jeb Bush</li>
<li id="UdTwis">Former President George W. Bush</li>
<li id="9eDf1T">Former President George H.W. Bush</li>
</ul>
https://www.vox.com/2016/7/14/12173320/republicans-not-going-to-trump-conventionCaleb Lewis