Politics

The modern-day Republican Party appears to have a problem with black people—and especially black people in positions of power. Perhaps that can explain why they spend so much political capital trying to deny, undermine or prevent African Americans from entering or staying in the ruling class. Earlier this year, in anticipation of then-U.N. Ambassador Susan…

(The Root)—Although the Republican National Committee’s 2012 “autopsy” report has been gathering dust on the shelf ever since it was rolled out to much fanfare earlier this year, it looks like at least one 2016 presidential contender actually printed off that report and read the part about the urgent need for Republicans to make inroads…

(The Root)—Thank providence for Robert Sarvis, the Libertarian candidate for governor of Virginia. Because of him, I don’t have to sell my house in Richmond and move out of the state. Even though there is little hard evidence to support it, I can’t shake the feeling that if Sarvis had not been on the ballot,…

(The Root) — Here’s a fairly simple concept for supporters of that persistently troubled health care law with the glitchy website that runs as slow as a NetZero connection: Stop calling it “Obamacare.” For sure, that’s a tough pill for fan girls and boys to swallow. There are legions of stubborn partisan Democrats who want…

(The Root)—Years from now, when pundits give way to historians—and the Tea Party has imploded—Barack Obama’s presidency will be judged not on the success of his national health care law, but instead on his ability to repair the damage done to this nation’s image on his watch. Since the beginning of the 20th century when the…

(The Root)—Al Sharpton’s recent decision to move to Chicago to highlight the city’s violence-plagued communities demonstrates both the creativity and limits of contemporary black leadership. The Rev. Sharpton’s personal trajectory, marked by high-profile political setbacks and victories that have culminated in his improbable rise to national civil rights leadership, offers a unique vantage point to…

(The Root)—Read a transcript of the president’s speech in its entirety here. Henry Louis Gates Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and founding director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. He is also the editor-in-chief of The Root. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Like The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

As no clear resolution to the fiasco that is Healthcare.gov is in sight, President Obama is in full swing to restore the nation’s trust in his vision for universal health care, the Huffington Post reports. Millions of Americans who had individual plans have been receiving cancellation notices. Obama assured a gathering of about 200 campaign supporters and…