This is where I post odds and ends. Most of my writing is done at The Federalist, where I’m a senior editor. I’m also a nationally syndicated columnist through Creators Syndicate (contact them here if you would like to carry my column), a regular contributor to the National Review and New York Post, and author of three books. Presently, I am writing a history of the gun in America.
My work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Weekly Standard, RealClearPolitics, Reason, USA Today, and numerous other publications. I’ve appeared on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC World News Tonight, NBC Nightly News and dozens of radio talk shows across the country. I will probably appear on your show, as well, if you email me at dharsanyi(at)thefederalist.com.
You can follow me @davidharsanyi.
Or on Facebook, here.
david harsanyi 
I’m just wondering if there was any fact checking done on the Islamophobia story. I checked all the claims of other students and aside from there being no direct relevance to a boy being arrested for bringing in a home made clock there also seems to be less than accurate information.
Liberals are done debating? Debating what? Facts? You must be an intelligent person David, why are you so willfully ignorant of facts? I would be much more likely to engage in a debate if conservatives like you would agree on the empirical facts of the matters of discussion. Instead your tact is base your opinion and attacks on a contrived denial of logic and reason. Not fair.
Anonymous, the word you were looking for is “tack”, not “tact”. A logical and reasoned look in any dictionary should inform you of the difference.
Thank you for writing, David.
Wonderful.
Remember, as the kids say, rightly, ‘Haters hate’.
Smile and keep going.
Those that deny your argument are of two types:
1) they have been in a cave for a decade or more – poor things
2) or they love their self imposed blinders.
And please remember, when you bring up facts, you threaten their existence.
Utterly.
You present what is an ‘existential threat’ to a liberal’s mind.
Their leftism is their dogma.
Fact do not matter.
Particularly, results do not matter.
Only feelings and intentions.
Environmentalism is their substitute religion.
If supply-side actually worked, as the numbers in the 80s showed, then work and savings and family and law and limited government have a ‘provable success’ and be good for the USA (jingoist!) and the rest of the world (colonialist!).
Hang in, sir!
Richard
Always enjoy your articles, Mr. Harsanyi. The Dec. 4 article on Climate Talks was very good except for one item. Your comment on their preposterous exaggerations having as much to do history and science as the Book of Revelation. I agree these people are over the top. But I would have made a different analogy or comparison. Knowledgeable Christians are very aware of the fact that the Book of Revelation is indeed a textbook of history delineated chronologically from the time of John to the end of time.
Otherwise, thank for your wonderful writings.
Your an idiot Steven Avery is innocent . Cops frame people all the time
This is even more evident now that Dassey’s conviction has been overturned. I love how he plays Judge, Jury and Executioner. It was clear that his “confession” was extraneously coerced. Even though he recognizes this slightly during his article he still says “Dassey’s confession was far more specific than his other stories and comported with evidence that turned up.” Never mind that a coerced confession is just that, coerced. Typically when leading questions are followed by a confession they inherently line up with the evidence.
A person can believe what Dassey said was true and also believe he was coerced — as I wrote. In the end, though, I think Dassey’s problematic confession had little to do with Avery conviction — and in some ways he hurt the prosecutors’ case. For instance, cops could never find a drop of blood in house despite Dassey’s contention that she was killed in the bedroom. That must have created doubt in the jury.
Dave – Thank you for such a fine example of journalistic vitriol! I just read your piece “Donald Trump hates your cheap phone”. It joyfully brought back the days of my youth when my parents and grandparents berated me for loving those hated Beatles with their funny hair and their lack of musical knowledge, training and experience. Just a fad for ignorant people. ESTABLISHED people with talent and a track record from days gone by, like Frank Sinatra, that is what the intelligent people listened to. Oh my, those Beatles even talked funny and said ridiculous things. Yep, Trump haters do bring back a wave of nostalgia.
Your editorial style of looking down from that lofty writer’s peak reminds me of Keith Olberman. Do you know him? You kind of look like him too. Good old Keith. Still fighting to be relevant.
Thank you again for sharing your obviously superior intellect with us. I cherish every word and I now fully realize the ignorance of the Trump fad. Thank you, thank you! The world is a better place because of your talent.
Dave, I am over 60, I still work for a living and I am not even a “minority” or “undocumented”. I am heterosexual and proud of it, so I am as irrelevant as it gets. However, I have learned to embrace it. You should too.
I read this paragraph completely concerning the resemblance of most up-to-date and previous technologies,
it’s awesome article.
I just finished reading your article about the Obama administration apologizing for winning WWII. Most of your article I agree with; however, when you talk about the Nankin massacre, I draw a line. We know about the numbers of this so-called massacre from whom? China of course. There are actually no outside sources to verify this fact. Isn’t it amazing that during the Tokyo Trials, there was no evidence brought up that such a massacre had happened. The west got it’s information from an American who was working for the Chinese propaganda machine at the time. There is only a massacre because the communist Chinese government made one and made everyone believe that there was one. You are a journalist. You know how easy it is to manipulate a picture with no context or a story without actual factual proof to make it seem real. After WWII it was easy to verify the devastation and destruction of Europe and that of the two atomic bombs in Japan. However, this was not the case in China. China didn’t want to be left out of the victim game.
David, your article on Kerry’s apology visit to Japan on behalf of the Traitor in Chief was spot on with one glaring exception: as an honest conservative, I can not agree that the USA does not get into wars over obtaining oil. Iraq 2.0 is a sad exception to America’s desires, at least since 1914, to get into conflict for noble reasons. As muddy as the waters got post-invasion, the initial decision was ignoble and based solely on the lies and manipulations of those with Halliburton-Kellogg’s bottom line in mind. It is a stain on our history which has caused misery and blowback.
А со мной происшествие увлекательный случился. выбрал я проститутку на всю ночь. Причем выбрал самую копеечную, хотя очень даже симпатичную. Откувыркались вдвоем успешно. В чем-то она оказалась не особо умелая, но при этом за ночь напролет удалось испытать на себе все предоставляемые секс за деньги. ощущения, в основном, передала не выдающиеся. основное интригующее произошло по утру. прикиньте мое удивление, что проснувшись после непродолжительного сна, я заметил ее на своей кухоньке в процессе подготовки еды. Я, конечно, разумею, что проститутки Москвы тоже хотят питаться, и она скорее готовила для себя, а не для меня. однако очень даже, приятно. хоть сыронизировали вследствие этого, точно ежели мне интересовали транссексуалы Москвы, то остался бы действительно с пустым желудком.
David, I just read your piece “The Aspirin Eaters”. Some years ago, I came upon a book called Heal Your Headache, by Dr. David Buchholz. The beginning of the book may appear a little bit simplistic, (though the author is a highly qualified medical doctor and researcher out of Johns Hopkins) but its explanations and suggestions were put together in a way that was more helpful to me than anything I previously had seen. I am still a migraineur, but at a level far more manageable than I’d ever hoped. Just wanted to share this. Regards, Eileen
Thanks! I’m going to check it out.
David, I get the same type of headaches (weather related mostly).A couple of things that might help: Excederin makes a “Tension Headache” formula with acetaminophen and caffeine but no aspirin. It works about as well for me with less stomach issues. I also buy caffeine tablets at the drugstore and chop them into quarters because sometimes Caffeine alone works–so why add extra drugs? I get rebound headaches from these but the weather migraines were there without the drugs so until there is a better solution…Best wishes.
Just read your article on Bill Nye. You forgot to mention the rising sea level that is putting Pacific islands underwater and the State of Louisiana property that is no longer inhabitable and the daily tidal floods in Miami. That is not my imagination or junk science. We don’t yet know the total effect of the melting of the glaciers around the globe, but I can say without hesitation that it is happening and sooner or later the quality of life on earth as we know it now will be much different and not in a good way. I choose to believe that CO2 that has increased dramatically over the last 150 years. Do to the industrial revolution and the overwhelming increase in the worlds population has sped up the ordinary chain of events that cause climate change in general. Either way, we need to decrease the use of fossil fuel and go to the non polluting power sources that are available. Exon Mobile could be the power company of the future with solar just as easy as they are with petroleum. Using the last decade as your chief indicator is not enough for a planet that is billions of years old. I have no idea if you believe that the earth is billions of years old. Climate change includes cold as well as heat.
I read an article you posted by chance, and immediately recognized you as a one-dimensional fundamentalist. You are ignorant either by stupidity or by choice, but either way, you are a nugget. Go fuck yourself.
Thanks for reading!
Mr. Harsanyi:
I’m commenting regarding your article in today’s Washington Post about weeding out ignorant voters. I agree it would help if voters were better informed, but the larger problem is not a lack of information but an inability, or unwillingness, to reason. Many people know facts, but they do not use those facts to logically think through issues to reach a decision. People today are mentally lazy. They want instant answers. This makes them irrational.
I very much agree, but also would argue that even the rational, informed and mentally active voters have tremendous potential for error. That is why it is important to safeguard individual rights, maintain a balance of powers, and limit the level of coercion permitted in governmental activity.
I am also commenting on your editorial in the Washington Post. My criticism is mostly directed at the news media but it is always directed at people like you, the intelligentsia or America, who refuse to understand what the ignorant masses need.
—
First, they need the news media to start communicating like teachers instead of entertainers. That could be done just by giving every government employee a paid vacation day on the Monday closest to Tax Freedom Day. This new fringe benefit for so many government employees will make most taxpayers madder than an unregulated firecracker. Which will make it profitable for newspapers to publish an annual one week review of events and conditions. And this annual one week remedial education course could be updated six months later with a one weekend review right before people vote in November.
—-
Second, every newspaper should republish their annual reviews as an ebook or print of demand paperback book so people can buy an annual textbook on government of the people, etc, etc. The largest newspapers could sell more “textbooks” by including fifty to one hundred book reviews for the previous year’s most important books. So even if more people don’t buy more books because of the book reviews, they will still become more educated just by reading the book reviews.
—-
Third, every state must be compelled to reschedule their caucuses and primaries for Congress and the Presidency at least two weeks after the Taxpayers Holiday. This will make the remedial education courses more exciting. But no one in the news media is interested in communicating like a teacher. And intellectuals like yourself refuse to admit that the voters need a gimmick to make them work harder.
Mr. Harsanyi,
If you have the privilege of voting in American elections, please refrain from doing so until you have studied basic American history. With your May 21s editorial in the Washington Post, you have shown yourself to be ignorant of the modern electoral process. Your process for “weeding out’ what you feel are ignorant voters is essentially a literacy tests. Anyone with a basic understanding of American history knows that these an held to be unconstitutional. I would also recommend researching the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as well.
Sincerely,
An informed American citizen
You should read past the headline before commenting; otherwise you might embarrass yourself.
David…great article in Washington Post (re: “We must weed out ignorant voter”)! I have felt that lower the voting age to 18 year-olds was a terribly irresponsible act of pandering by our Congress. Given the stats you cited in your article and some of the antecdol surveys conduct by various media have demonstrated voter ignorance is a systemic problem. We require written testing to obtain driver’s licenses and immigrants who seeking citizenship must pass a civics and history exam. I can speak from experience of raising two sons through the 1980s and 1990s that it was a definite challenge to get them to the point of civics literacy to make informed electoral decisions. We did not try to brainwash them to our views, but to objectively understand and decide…they were products of the internet generation and it was initially hard for them to not just leap to whatever the “internet” had to say on any particular topic.
Our founding fathers had a very narrow view about voting rights and rightfully so as it appears today’s electorate is living proof of the outcomes of allowing just anyone vote. I am not suggesting we revert to the our earlier sufferage rules, but I do think we out to be required to demonstrate our competency to vote via a written test…in our official language.
Rcd this: “In his oped in the Washington Post We must weed out ignorant Americans from the electorate, Conservative columnist and senior editor at The Federalist David Harsanyi says never before have so many people with so little knowledge made so many consequential decisions for the rest of us.
He writes, “Now, some of you will accuse me of peddling crass elitism. But I say the opposite is true. Unlike the many who depend on ignorant voters to wield and secure their power, I refuse to believe that working-class or underprivileged citizens are any less capable of understanding the meaning of the Constitution or the contours of governance than the supercilious 1-percenters. I believe this despite the widespread failure of public schools to teach children basic civics. It’s still our responsibility as voters.”
____________________________________
Am I reading this correctly in seeing that the author considers “working-class or underprivileged citizens” to be the main examples of “ignorant voters”?
While I cannot speak for David, I did not read it that way…in fact my read was exactly the the opposite…the working middle class is typically wel informed and knowledgeable about the electoral decisions; however, they are disenfranchised by a larger block of ignorant voters who the politicians (left and right) pander to through political dependency. The perfect example is how moveon.org convinced people to vote for Obama-Biden’s rhetoric over substance.
Just read your column advocating that we resurrect the literacy test for voters. As I am sure you well know, before the Supreme Court struck it down as being used to cull African American voters, literacy tests were the most common means used by Southern Conservatives to prevent Blacks in the South from registering to vote. I find your column insulting and demeaning to my intelligence. There is no way to prevent unscrupulous voter registrars from using any form of literacy test to discriminate based on any forbidden and unconstitutional criteria. The only way to guarantee otherwise is to outlaw all such tests. No exceptions. Do people really pay you to write this claptrap?
Yes they do.
It’s unfortunate that you don’t believe African Americans could pass an easy civics test. I disagree. My followup: http://thefederalist.com/2016/05/24/washington-elites-cant-survive-without-ignorant-voters/
Regarding David Harsanyi’s Op Ed decrying the state of voter ignorance of our constitution and government, his nostrum importuning such voters to stay away from the voting booth is not only impractical but also won’t solve the root of the problem.
If his standard of voter intelligence is the easy citizenship test given to immigrants, which he notes that many voters would flunk, a good start would be to simply require passage of that test (if not a more rigorous one) by all high school students before they enter the voting booth. We have drivers ed, why not voters ed? Contrary to some commenters, this requirement for graduation would not be unconstitutional as a poll tax or literacy test.
Sadly, our deplorable curriculum, where courses in civics and government have become endangered species, has produced the state of low voter intelligence that Harsanyi criticizes.
Dear Mr. Harsanyi…
Thank you for your impassioned piece, “By Rejecting ‘Radical Islam,’ Obama Rejects Reality.” At face value, your title suggests a premise with which I vehemently disagree, and your tongue-in-cheek rhetoric inspires in your readers a tangential view deflecting from the core of the matter, in my opinion, but overall your approach to more deeply understanding the root causes of terrorism is laudable and I am learning more and more to engage with people with whom I disagree, not to prove a point or win arguments but rather to come to a deeper understanding.
My view on the subject of how to identify and understand the root causes of modern terrorism conducted or sponsored by Middle East nations, states, movements or any ad hoc group/organization/individual is deeply informed by, among other things, a 1991 paper from Sheldon L. Richman, former senior editor at the CATO Institute, entitled ” “Ancient History”: U.S. Conduct in the Middle East Since World War Il and the Folly Of Intervention. Perhaps this paper is already required reading for most foreign policy journalists concentrating on Middle Eastern affairs but, if there is perhaps an opportunity through which you would care to (re)read and/or discuss this view further, I will welcome it.
Many thanks for your time.
I will check it out. Thanks for reading.
Your article “By Rejecting ‘Radical Islam,’ Obama Rejects Reality” posted 6/15/16 was excellent, and really explained an issue that needed to be addressed.
Brilliant article on Reformed Jews and abortion. You nailed it.
Where would ignorant Humanity be – if not for the brilliant Ashkenazi to tell us what it so?
David, we know who you are.
When Earth’s ecosystem collapses, you and your chosen tribe will be among the first to be eaten.
Sleep well.
Your August 29 column on “Environmental scaremongers” is dismaying. You call the concern about parents avoiding having kids “because of a quasi-religious belief in apocalyptic climate change”. I guess you’re calling science religion? I am a Christian with a strong science background and I believe in the science of climate change. The two are not intertwined, other than God’s instruction to humans to tend and care for Creation. Your comment is quasi-stupid as is your column on this issue!
I’m not arguing that science is a religion. I believe in science. That’s why, unlike most progressives, I also believe in reason and open debate. For this reason, I realize “the science is settled” is a dumb thing to say. No, I’m calling the scaremongering people like you do “quasi-religious” because it’s based in faith, not evidence.
You are an idiot. “Stop Whining About Trump’s Tax Return. He Did Absolutely Nothing Wrong” That’s not the point at all for most of us with college degrees. I want to see his tax returns so I know he is not influenced by business relationships wth Russia the debt he owes China. I want to see his tax returns to prove he does not give a shit about charity and has lied repeatedly about his OWN personal contributions to Vets. We know he has used Trump Foundation to channel OTHER people’s money, launder money that should have been taxed, bribed State officials, bought shit for himself – what a PIG! Lastly, his taxes will likely show he is not nearly as rich as he pretends. Riddle me this shithead. If he has nothing to hide, why keep hiding his taxes? Don’t give me the bullshit answer he is under audit. Not paying taxes shows how “different” and disconnected he is than the common person. In the words of the Muslim blue star father, “Trump has sacrificed nothing.” Not paying taxes, getting special breaks, being a spoiled brat, turned bully – the list goes on. But don’t forget, by his own admission, not only does he have the best words, he has the best temperment. Disgusting! and you shoud be ashamed of yourself.
In response to your article; “Stop whining, Trump did nothing wrong.” You and all of your GOP buddies missed the boat (unless of course, you yourself pay NO TAXES EITHER). The part of this scandal, not just for Trump but for all who can scoot around the tax code, isn’t that they did anything wrong legally…………..they made money off of this country and refuse to support it by paying a fair share in taxes for the privilege of doing so like all of the rest of us CHUMPS because we don’t have tax attorneys to find the loop holes like he did. If Trump is going to make money off of this country, the least he can do is drop a dollar or two in appreciation.
Sorry bud, I never said a word about Donald Trumps tax returns. Who’s the whiner now? Maybe you can twit about how your wife has been longing for the touch of a real man for years. That poor, poor woman!
you are such an ass – poor excuse for a man
From: Wordsmith
A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg
trumpery
PRONUNCIATION:
(TRUHM-puh-ree)
MEANING:
noun:
1. Something showy but worthless.
2. Nonsense or rubbish.
3. Deceit; fraud; trickery.
ETYMOLOGY:
From French tromper (to deceive). Earliest documented use: 1481.
USAGE:
“The room was crowded with a chilly miscellany of knick-knacks and ornaments, gewgaws, and trumpery of every kind.”
Leo Bruce; Case for Three Detectives; Academy Chicago; 1980.
“History, made up as it is of so much trumpery, treachery, and tyranny, needs deeds of valor, of sacrifice, and of heroism if it is to be palatable.”
The Medal of Honor: A History of Service Above and Beyond; Zenith Press; 2014.
See more usage examples of trumpery in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.
pup·pet
ˈpəpət/
noun
a movable model of a person or animal that is used in entertainment and is typically moved either by strings controlled from above or by a hand inside it.
synonyms: marionette; More
a person, party, or state under the control of another person, group, or power. “he was little more than a puppet of his aides”
synonyms: pawn, tool, instrument, cat’s paw, creature, dupe; More
The second definitely fits you and the Clinton News Service aka CNN.
“When will liberals answer for Obamacare’s failures?”
Interesting how NO ONE holds the health insurance companies accountable!!!
In answer to this I say: when will conservatives see how the health care system (including drug manufacturers) controls the cost of care in this country? If not for the year I was on the Affordable Care Act (AFA or Obamacare) plan, I would have had to pay around $600-800 per month – while unemployed. It took a lot of research and phone calls. My choices were limited then because of high premiums and because insurance could be denied for any reason (a friend was told: you are denied because you once had a wart). Colorado made it easy to sign up for Obamacare and I’m grateful it exists Now that people can afford to go to the doctor instead of going to emergency rooms and thereby driving up hospital costs, the greedy health insurance companies are increasing premiums! How much money was saved in emergency room care since the AFA went into effect?
Many states that should have supported Obamacare made it more difficult for their residents by not having a state portal to signing on to health care. Then they complained how hard it was to sign on! Congress, which should have supported Obamacare, had a hand in keeping out the public option. Parents of young, healthy adult children should be encouraging them to sign on not only to support the healthcare system we have, but so that they are protected in case of an emergency or accident or serious illness and not make everyone else pay for them when they need health care. Conservatives who oppose Obamacare oppose President Obama and oppose American families, and I don’t hear an alternative from them. I only hear “get rid of it.” When it was first passed, it was conservatives who opposed it who were saying people were going to be dying on the streets. If it’s gone, then where do we go for health care?
This isn’t the most important election of our lifetime. Thank you for putting this election in prospective. I feel much better about the future of our nation no matter which candidate is elected.
I disagree. If Clinton is elected, in 4 years we will look back at the 2016 election as the last presidential election in which the outcome was in doubt. After 4 more years of open borders this country will be a one-party country, much like states like California and New York are one-party states. Then voting becomes largely irrelevant. So yes, I think this is the most important election of our lifetimes.
Helloooo there. All the red states are one-party states. We who are educated and subsidia=sizing the rest of the country are sick and tired. California can and should secede. It is the 6th largest economy in the world.
I am the white parent of two Hispanic children that I adopted. These children are legal residents of the United States of America. We live in predominately white neighborhood. My boys have consistently experienced racial discrimination. Police held a gun to my 9 year-old’s head because he was skateboarding on school property. His white friends left the scene without incident.
this is nonsensical from our friend dharsanyi:
THERE IS NO DEBATE!!!! The globe is warming. Look at where you can buy property insurance. Ya think the big boys understand the risks of insuring coastal properties???? They won’t do it anymore ! Try getting property insurance in southern Florida !!!!! Actuaries are statisticians. For you uneducated folks,these are the smart people that understand math and calculate the odds for insurance companies. They all say DO NOT SELL INSURANCE TO OWNERS OF COASTAL PROPERTY IN FLORIDA. Look at the real estate market there !!!!!
I absolutely loved your article, “Don’t Let Chip And Joanna Gaines Destroy Your Marriage”. One of the most clever and funny items I’ve read lately!
Mr. Harsanyi I did not care for your Fixer Upper blog. It has the odor of what could be called Jealousy. My husband and I enjoy watching all of these home rehab shows except the flaky couple from California. You seem to believe that all the viewers are gullible. An Intelligent viewer can an evening of enjoyment. Even those who have been through some home remodeling and survive can enjoy and acquire tips for future projects. Do not believe that everyone buys your opinion. We enjoy these shows and we aren’t alone.
Janelle, I believe you totally missed the humor in that article. “Fixer Upper” is my sister’s favorite TV show. I sent her this blog, and she (as I) thought it was hilarious! I expect I am far from alone in seeing the humorous vein in which this article was written.
Hi David, I just finished reading your article on Bill Nye. Do you really believe that controlling our overpopulation is Eugenics rather than responsible thought as an advanced culture who is using up the resources of this planet?
Eugenics was used to selectively breed and as a political drive to racially segregate humanity. What Bill Nye is saying is that there are too many people. At some point, those people as a responsible response are going to have to slow down how many children they have. having children may be a right, but leaving an earth with resources is an obligation. Rights are great but as usual, obligations are hard so you tear them down? There are too many people. Some solution other than eugenics needs to be found. By automatically linking the two together you are closing the conversation that a sane world needs to have. I would love to have a real conversation about this if you like. feel free to contact me.