Hollywood History

I was both pleased and disappointed with the new Robert Redford-directed movie about the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln, The Conspirator.  I need to lower my expectations about such treatments, like the Alexander Hamilton documentary on PBS which I recently wrote about.  I need to view them like the dog who talks — it’s not…

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Electoral College Mumbo-Jumbo

The electoral college is a barnacle on American democracy. I argued this point in The Summer of 1787, and in a piece in the Los Angeles Times last year. The delegates to the Philadephia Convention liked the electoral college for the reason I don’t: it defeats democracy. They hoped that the electors would be wise…

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