Danny Burkeman on how praying to God won’t prevent the next Orlando. This statistic about gun violence in America seems hard to believe, but is true. The Second Amendment Hoax: Dahlia Lithwick on how the NRA and conservatives have perverted the meaning of the right to bear arms. Gun culture and the manly virtues: Guns offer men the promise of living large in the face of diminishing expectations. Lisa Wade on the hypermasculine violence of Omar Mateen and Brock Turner: Two violent men, two symptoms of the same sickness. Gays, guns and jihad: Motives blur on closer scrutiny. The narrative falls apart: Evidence that Omar Mateen was in the closet undermines GOP framing of the Orlando shooting. Sarah Lyons-Padilla: “I've studied radicalization — and Islamophobia often plants the seed” (and more).
Emma Roller on Donald Trump’s fear factor: How afraid does he want voters to be? Trump’s response to Orlando shooting should be disqualifying. Even Republicans agree: Trump failed his first leadership test miserably. Trump’s terror response has Republicans fretting anew. Is Trump losing the GOP? Never before have so many leading Republican figures questioned the nominee’s basic fitness for office. Donald Trump’s United States of Conspiracy: Conspiracy theories were long relegated to the fringes of American history, but now they dominate one of the two major parties. It’s not just Trump: Suggesting Obama’s a terrorist sympathizer has been a cornerstone of the conservative media. George Gurley found a sanctuary for Trump Bros in Manhattan — and was almost beaten up when he started asking questions.
Donald Trump’s new favorite slogan was invented for Nazi sympathizers: “America First” was Charles Lindbergh’s motto in the 1930s. After Orlando, some Republicans ready for McCarthyism. The right response to Donald Trump? A media blackout. The media built up Donald and tore down Hillary, according to new Harvard study. Do most Americans dislike Clinton and Trump? No, not at all — the majority likes one but not the other. After Orlando, it’s clearer than ever: This election is a civil war. Day after day Talking Points Memo gets emails from readers who are convinced that Donald Trump doesn’t really want to be the nominee and is looking for a way to get out of the race. I’m calling it: Trump will drop out of the race by July 5 at the latest.
Conservative donor’s group presses ballot access for a third-party candidate. Is this the year of the third-party candidate? Libertarians Gary Johnson and Bill Weld may offer a chance for Republican voters to cast a principled vote without having to cross over to the Democrats. Can the Libertarians get anything right? With some #NeverTrump Republicans left looking for a new ideological home, this could be a big year for the Libertarian Party — if they were ready for it, but they are not.
From TNR, a look at 19 reasons the Democrats will remain divided — and what it means for the party’s future. What should Bernie Sanders do next? Leaders from top progressive groups discuss how Sanders could turn a phenomenal campaign into a lasting legacy. Harold Meyerson on the the two Democratic victors — and how the unions can bring them together.
