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Walter Shapiro

Walter Shapiro is a staff writer at The New Republic and a lecturer in political science at Yale. He has been a columnist for USA Today and Esquire and has covered politics for Time, Newsweek, and The Washington Post. He has published two books, performed standup comedy in New York, and was a White House speechwriter for Jimmy Carter.

All Articles
September 14, 2020
The Soapbox
The Democrats’ Excessive Bed-Wetting Over Joe Biden’s Campaign
The party fears another Trump upset, and political journalists crave drama. That’s a perfect storm for a misleading media narrative.
September 4, 2020
The Soapbox
America Is Not Reliving 1968
Sure, Donald Trump is harnessing Richard Nixon’s law and order rhetoric, but that doesn’t mean it will work.
August 28, 2020
The Soapbox
The Republicans Still Don’t Know How to Run Against Biden
They’ve been trying to paint themselves as the party of inclusion, but Trump’s speech doubled down on the politics of fear.
August 27, 2020
The Soapbox
Mike Pence Is a Parody of a Politician
He praised his Dear Leader’s reign, while also insisting that America needed to be saved yet again.
August 26, 2020
The Soapbox
The Surprising Boredom of Trump’s Circus Show
If the Republican convention were a TV series, it would be canceled mid-season.
August 21, 2020
The Soapbox
Joe Biden Finds His Voice
The former vice president has spent a career looking for the right words. Last night, he found them.
August 20, 2020
The Soapbox
The Puzzlingly Substanceless Democratic Convention
This should’ve been the perfect opportunity for Democrats to lay out their governing agenda, but it took them three days to talk about policy.
August 18, 2020
The Soapbox
The Democrats Choose Politics Over Ideological Purity
On the first night of its convention, the party showed it will invite anyone under its big tent in order to defeat Trump.
August 17, 2020
Magazine
Joe Biden’s Great Reclamation Project
The veteran politician weighs how best to launch a presidency amid unprecedented crises.
August 12, 2020
The Soapbox
The Unlikely Bond Between Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
She’s a natural talent at American politicking, just like he is.
August 2, 2020
The Soapbox
What Joe Biden Wants
Each of the main vice presidential contenders offers a different skill set. What Biden needs is someone to help him govern.
July 29, 2020
The Soapbox
Stop Fretting About Biden’s VP Choice
It won’t be what makes or breaks his chances against Trump.
June 21, 2020
The Soapbox
Trump Is Terrorizing America
His reelection campaign is going to be all about one thing: fear. The Tulsa rally was just the beginning.
June 16, 2020
The Soapbox
Trump’s Potemkin Reelection Campaign
The president’s advisers are working to convince him he’s beloved and winning. It couldn’t be further from the truth. 
June 10, 2020
Magazine
Mitch McConnell Is No Genius
He still supports Trump and worships campaign donors. It may cost Republicans their Senate majority.
June 8, 2020
The Soapbox
The Revolt of the Center-Right
Prominent Republicans are balking at voting for Trump. Could it cost him the election?
May 31, 2020
The Soapbox
The Flawed Politics of a Law-and-Order Campaign
Richard Nixon tried to play on white fears about cities burning. It doesn’t necessarily guarantee success.
April 27, 2020
The Soapbox
Who Will Be Joe Biden’s Pick for Vice President?
The fraught quest to find a woman to unite the party—and win over swing voters all at the same time
April 16, 2020
The Soapbox
Trump Can’t Lie His Way Out of This One
For the first time in his presidency, his deceit is catching up to him.
April 8, 2020
The Soapbox
Bernie Sanders’s Gift to the Democratic Party
The political establishment dismissed him, but his tireless fight for struggling workers has altered the course of American liberalism.

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