David Keene
Columns by David Keene
DAVID KEENE: Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush vie for Republican establishment endorsement
The word last week that 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney is thinking about a third run for the Oval Office took many Republicans and particularly many establishment Republicans by surprise. The Bush family's latest contender had already made it clear that he will run and his friends were working to clear the field for him, the talking heads were anointing him as the "adult" in the race, and other wannabes were supposedly reining in their ambitions. Published January 13, 2015
DAVID KEENE: Candidates for president struggle between ambition, ability
The race for the presidency never ends. More than a few politicians lusting after a desk in the Oval Office begin planning years and even decades in advance for the day when they'll get their shot. Published January 8, 2015
DAVID KEENE: Police shooting blame in New York points in wrong direction
Last week's police shootings in New York City have rather predictably set off an epidemic of finger-pointing. In the 1990s, when Timothy McVey blew up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, President Clinton hinted not very subtly that the real fault lay with the "militia" movement. Later, politicians and some pundits blamed Sarah Palin, of all people, for the shooting of Rep. Gaby Giffords of Arizona, and when an emotionally disturbed Adam Lanza killed his mother, stole her guns and wreaked havoc in Newtown, Connecticut, two years ago, a chorus of finger-pointers blamed not Lanza, but the National Rifle Association and the manufacturer of the guns he used. Published December 25, 2014
NRA shooting sports: The shooting sports, the AR-15 and a veteran close to my heart
My daughter enlisted in the Army not too long after Sept. 11, 2001. Before she was through, she managed to survive two tours in Iraq and a year in Afghanistan. Upon her return, she bought herself an AR-15, the semi-automatic version of the rifle she carried while on active duty. She takes it to the range and enjoys shooting. Published December 16, 2014
NRA shooting sports: A happy marriage between war veterans and the shooting sports
The American Revolution, and all that has followed, serves in many ways to explain the history of Americans and guns. From the farmers who confronted British regulars at Lexington and Concord to the men and women on the front lines fighting today as part of the War on Terror, Americans have relied on and developed a unique relationship with and appreciation for firearms and the shooting sports. Published December 16, 2014
DAVID KEENE: Elizabeth Warren progressive crusader against Democrat establishment
Barack Obama is so yesterday. The elitists who supported him as the great "progressive" hope are abandoning him in droves as his popularity plummets. The Washington Post describes him as having the "worst" year of anyone in Washington, and as Republicans prepare to take over the Senate, he looks more and more like a lame duck incapable of delivering much more of anything to his base. Published December 16, 2014
The Bible’s Influence: Civilization’s essential book
It was 1952 and as a seven year old who had a Sunday School perfect attendance record for a year, I was presented with my very own King James Bible. I still have it and still refer to it. Published December 11, 2014
DAVID KEENE: The race for the 2016 presidency
Republican and Democratic presidential wannabes are beginning to focus on 2016, evaluating their chances and building on the contacts and chits they've accumulated over the last few years. Some have been at it for some time, some are still thinking about running. While many candidates are being discussed or having their supporters see about getting them discussed, this long list will shorten in the months ahead. Published December 8, 2014
DAVID KEENE: Black voters for Obama get nothing but disrespect
President Obama discounted November's election results because turnout is lower in midterm than in presidential elections, but there is reason to believe that his treatment of his base contributed to the decision of many Democrats to not bother going to the polls in what everyone recognized as a crucial election. Published November 25, 2014
DAVID KEENE: ‘Put up or shut up time’: America expects the Republicans to match big talk with action
Phil Gramm, an avid waterfowler, and I were sitting in a duck blind on Maryland's Eastern Shore waiting for the birds to fly and discussing conservatism, politics and the Senate. After analyzing a few of his colleagues, the senator from Texas asked me, "What are the four most dangerous words a senator can utter on the Senate floor?" Published November 18, 2014
In the beginning there was Goldwater
In a very real sense, the modern conservative political movement began with Barry Goldwater. Had it not been for the Arizona senator it might have taken years or even decades for conservative ideas to break into the political mainstream, Ronald Reagan would be remembered today not as one of our greatest presidents, but as a "B" movie star and television host, and many of those who since the 1960s shaped our nation's politics would not have had an opportunity to do so. Published November 17, 2014
DAVID KEENE: Phil Crane, a positive force of modern conservatism
Few young conservatives even remember Phil Crane, who passed away over the weekend, but he was one of the most significant conservative leaders and politicians of his generation. Published November 10, 2014
DAVID KEENE: A voting opportunity of a lifetime
In the run-up to every election, Americans are told they must vote because "this election is the most important of our lifetime." Usually these words are spoken by candidates for whom every election is the most important of their lifetime — because they can be career-killers if they lose. Published November 3, 2014
DAVID KEENE: A liberal dose of campaign ground and pound
As Election Day approaches, most analysts are focusing on campaign optics and poll data — who spends more on television or wins debates few voters watch. Published October 29, 2014
DAVID KEENE: When ‘A Time for Choosing’ changed the world
History tells us that seemingly inconsequential decisions can sometimes change the world in ways that no one would have predicted at the time they were made. Published October 27, 2014
DAVID KEENE: A new, unimproved Ebola czar
Liberian health care workers have threatened to strike unless they receive higher pay for working with Ebola patients. Published October 20, 2014
KEENE: Avoiding the Obama virus on the campaign trail
The Democratic Senate candidate in Kentucky refuses to even say she voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. Democratic senators running for re-election in New Hampshire and North Carolina tell reporters they don't want their party's president to campaign for them. Published October 13, 2014
KEENE: Signs of a coming Republican wave
Although signs of the political wave Republican leaders have been praying for may be peeking over the horizon, it's been late in coming this year as many contestable Senate, House and gubernatorial races have remained up in the air for months. Published October 3, 2014
KEENE: Colorado’s Second Amendment wildfire
Last year, in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shootings in Connecticut, the Obama administration and then-New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg worked to put together a "coalition of the willing" to join them in a war on the Second Amendment and hit upon Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper as a likely recruit. Published September 29, 2014
KEENE: How Bill Clinton oversells his rescue of Haiti
Bill Clinton never stops. Last week while he and Hillary were in Iowa, Mr. Clinton continued his nonstop campaign to sell his unique take on his own accomplishments. Published September 23, 2014
