After all, chamber of commerce type conservatives love nothing more than to opine on the great virtues of Texas. The low taxes, the low regulation, delightfully paired with a low investment in education, health care and really anything else that might be of use to their working-class citizens.

Krystal Ball

People may not have the right to know about your personal, private life or any detail about any potentially embarrassing photo, but they do have the right to know whether you are honest, candid and forthcoming.

Krystal Ball

If you want to understand why something is happening in America just follow the money.

Krystal Ball

But the truth is the meritocracy is a lie. Those born into wealth and privilege will always be able to game the system for their own benefit and their children's own benefit.

Krystal Ball

We can all mouth the words that every human is fundamentally worthy, but we don't act like it. We don't even believe it about ourselves.

Krystal Ball

It can be really lonely running for office, especially if you've never done it before and especially when all the normal channels of power are basically closed to you.

Krystal Ball

Conversely, conservatives assume that humans are fundamentally lazy and prone to immorality. In this view, the entitlement system coddles and rewards laziness. This cynicism spills over into their view of government and government 'bureaucrats.' It also spills over into their political tactics.

Krystal Ball

The Trump administration has been quietly moving to systematically undermine health care putting lives at risk and offering no alternative solution.

Krystal Ball

In politics, you're safest when you're saying as little as possible. You're safest when you've got your talking points and you stick to them like glue, even if it means repeating yourself over and over.

Krystal Ball

Maintaining an employer model of healthcare means handing bosses another weapon they can use against their workers. One more way they can drain union strike funds. One more way that the power dynamic is asymmetric.

Krystal Ball

To my friends on the right, Katie Hill's national shaming is as much an example of an out of control cancel culture as anything that we've seen.

Krystal Ball

Most of you probably already know this but for those who don't, I was a bit of a trailblazer in the field of salacious photos released without consent.

Krystal Ball

I've lived in the state almost my entire life, so I think if I ever wanted to come back and serve in Virginia, it would be pretty hard to paint me as a carpetbagger.

Krystal Ball

Voters do not choose candidates because of their ideological fit. They choose them because of their cultural fit.

Krystal Ball

Now in a lot of rural towns in Kentucky, the school system is the heartbeat of the community, not to mention one of the major employers.

Krystal Ball

I haven't ruled out another run for office at some point.

Krystal Ball

For a while under Donald Trump, it was possible to believe that we could go back to a more functional, less rancorous time. This desire was expressed most eloquently at John McCain's funeral services.

Krystal Ball

Once we accept our own basic worthiness we cannot help but see the basic worthiness of every other human.

Krystal Ball

If you hang around political talkers or strategists much, you're likely to hear a lot about authenticity. This is supposed to be the golden currency which we all look for in our leaders.

Krystal Ball

I know that we are supposed to believe that once voters learn the truth about medicare for all they are going to suddenly turn on it but it's not like the scary industry talking points are a secret.

Krystal Ball

And if you are going to truly stand with workers, it also means embracing solidarity, not attempting through lame talking points to pit union workers against non-union workers.

Krystal Ball