A Whirlwind Gathers for Schumer
The socialists are gunning for New York’s senior senator.
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Today in Free Expression, columnist Louise Perry explains her decision to leave Britain for Australia; Moira Gleason offers a simple solution to get college students to read; and Emma Camp sings the praises of a truly American musical.
But first, can you feel the storm brewing in the Democratic Party?
The Doom of Schumer
—Jack Butler
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer knows something about whirlwinds.
In 2020, he tried to summon one on Supreme Court justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. After widespread criticism, Mr. Schumer lamely backtracked, saying he got carried away because he’s “from Brooklyn” where “we speak in strong language.” Uh-huh.
Mr. Schumer might want to pay attention to the direction of the wind in his own neighborhood. He was booed at New York’s Pride March on Sunday. His attempts to mollify the crowd by saying he was the first senator to come to the march and the first Senate leader to support gay marriage fell flat.
This was hardly the first gust. Last week’s socialist sweep of New York’s Democratic primaries ought to have sent any canny politico’s barometric readings way down. When House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who represents New York’s Eighth Congressional District, appeared on a screen at an election night party, the crowd started chanting, “You’re next.” Subtle.
Mr. Schumer has been fighting the wind for a while now. After outrage from progressives for his Senate vote to keep the government open in March 2025, he tried to keep October’s shutdown going. But he got blamed when some of his Democratic colleagues voted to end it. Progressives also haven’t forgotten that Mr. Schumer endorsed Gov. Janet Mills in the Maine Senate primary over Hotchkiss Oysterman Graham Platner, even if Mr. Schumer has now endorsed Mr. Platner.
But the strongest winds remain local. For years, there has been talk that New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will challenge Mr. Schumer for Senate in 2028. She has been coy about it. She may have her eyes on a bigger prize. But Mr. Schumer is worried enough about the possibility that he’s already trying to stave it off. His play, the New York Post reports based on insider speculation, would be to take advantage of her presidential ambitions to save his own skin. Endorse her for president, then safely remain in the Senate. Voila.
It’s the kind of maneuver that sounds clever but isn’t. And it exudes weakness. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez could well conclude she’s better off in the Senate. Even if she doesn’t, New York is now caught in a leftist storm. Someone else will put up his sails and try to catch a ride on the whirlwind.
Legal Error: The political world lost its mind for about 8½ minutes Tuesday. Shortly after the Supreme Court issued its ruling on birthright citizenship, NPR’s legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg reported that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito had retired. In fact, he had not. NPR editor-in-chief Thomas Evans issued a statement saying that the report was published “due to a misunderstanding.” He didn’t elaborate on the nature of that misunderstanding, so we’ll probably never get the satisfaction of knowing whether it was a misunderstanding of fact or a misunderstanding of law. — Matthew Hennessey
Love Story: Rumor has it that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will tie the knot at Madison Square Garden. It’s an unusual venue, not least because it’s only hosted two other weddings. The first was the 1974 wedding of funk musician Sly Stone and Kathy Silva. The second was a mass wedding of the Unification Church, a South Korean cult often called the “Moonies.” It involved both arranged marriages and a mandatory wedding dress that was pretty ugly even for the ’80s. Whatever Ms. Swift and Mr. Kelce have in mind, it will likely be a far cry from all that. — Emma Camp
Small Town ‘Nones’: Gen Z’s supposed religious revival is largely concentrated among educated youth in big cities. Gen Zers in small towns, traditionally thought of as bastions of belief, are losing their religion. An analysis by Ryan Burge finds that Evangelicalism, mainline Protestantism and Catholicism have lost ground in rural areas with each successive generation since the Boomers. But in large metro areas, Catholicism is gaining with Gen Z. Mr. Burge points to the brain drain from rural America that has left behind “a whole lot of blue collar folks with high school degrees,” while the college-educated move away to places like Chicago, Nashville and St. Louis. — Mary Julia Koch
Gone to Australia
Louise Perry
As we said goodbye to the country of my birth, I felt bitter and heartbroken. Not because I don’t want to live in Australia, but because I never planned on leaving Britain.
We had to leave the U.K. because things are bad there, and I expect them to get worse.
Read Louise’s Column ⧁
How to Get College Students Reading Again
When an instructor assumes nobody has read the book and repeats the content of assigned texts in lectures, even the best students stop reading. But when he sets a clear expectation that students will read outside class, magic happens.
A Most American Musical
The musical, based upon E.L. Doctorow’s sweeping 1975 historical novel of early 20th-century New York, is an epic project in every sense.
Freedom Is a Sweet Satellite
Robert Heinlein’s ‘The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress’ feels as fresh as ever.
Majoring in Anti-Americanism at the Ivy League
These elite schools once trained the statesmen of the American republic. Now they produce its most ardent critics.
Our Inalienable Declaration
The founding document helps set the parameters of American political life.
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AOC can run for both President and Senate. The NY Presidential primary is early. If she doesn't get any traction for President, she can drop out and go for Senate.