From Reason, an interview with Matt Taibbi, author of Smells Like Dead Elephants: Dispatches from a Rotting Empire. See How They Ran: Richard Ben Cramer wrote not just the most ambitious of the great campaign books, but perhaps the last. Mass media, the communications technology that became supreme in the 20th century, has ruined political debates — but technology could save them. From TNR, a look at why any effort to reform the primary process is doomed. A real popularity contest: As we gear up for a major national election, there's a renewed momentum in the states to circumvent the Electoral College by switching to a popular vote. From National Journal, for the presidential contenders trying to manage a successful campaign while serving in Congress, life on the Hill can be a real drag — but duty calls. Primary Pain: James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn on how to win elections, FDR style: Clinton's campaign is too broad and vague, say critics, but that's how Roosevelt ran. Hillary plays the winning gender card: Male politicians have always cast themselves as rescuers to women. Clinton's also playing a rescuer — but as a feminist. Here are the rules for female candidates and male candidates. The Republican candidates' female staffers seem more concerned with one particular woman — Hillary Clinton — than with the American woman voter. It's hard to imagine them closing their gender gap any time soon. From Time, Rich Lowry on The World of Hillary Hatred. From The Weekly Standard, an article on The Real Obama: Missing in action. From The Atlantic Monthly, Is Iraq Vietnam? Who really won in 2000? Which side are you on in the culture wars? These questions have divided the Baby Boomers and distorted our politics. One candidate could transcend them (and an interview with Andrew Sullivan on supporting Barack Obama, becoming a blogger, and why he's not afraid to change his mind).
