Fourth of July Reflections from Across the Political Spectrum

Writers, reporters, and podcasters from across the political spectrum took a break from the news cycle to offer reflections about America for Independence Day.

The Associated Press reported on Biden’s “steep slide” from July 4, 2021, to July 4, 2022. On July 4, 2021 “the pandemic appeared to be waning, the economy was booming, inflation wasn’t rising as quickly as today and public approval of his job performance was solid. As Biden approaches his second Fourth of July in the White House, his standing couldn’t be more different.”
Reuters covered the July 4^th box office weekend. Minions: The Rise of Gru stomped with a projected $129.2 million opening weekend, the highest domestic opening for an animated film since 2019.

A New York Times guest essay urged American liberals to “take back” the American flag that the author believes has been “co-opted” by “white Southerners” and thus “rejected” by many liberals. The author has “hung up an American flag again for the first time in years… and it does not symbolize MAGA lies or MAGA tyranny.”
Ronald Brownstein wrote in The Atlantic “America is growing apart, possibly for good.” Brownstein thinks “it may be time to stop talking about ’red’ and ‘blue’ America” and that the United States may be headed for a “great divergence” or an amicable divorce.
In a pathbreaking work of investigative journalism, The Washington Post tasted 13 major barbecue sauce brands to find the best barbecue sauce. Most sauces tested were similar to “smoky-sweet Kansas City-style” (Author’s note: Kansas City-style is the best style) and the winner will genuinely shock you.

Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), a South Korean immigrant and one of the first Korean American women elected to Congress, wrote an op-ed for Fox News urging Americans to “commit to restoring the American Dream.” Kim wrote, “I remain hopeful for our nation’s future. Why? Because I and so many other proud Americans have been able to live our American dream… the dream can remain alive, but we have to fight for it.”
On the annual Independence Day episode from National Review’s “The Editors Podcast,” the editors discussed the American Revolution, the enduring strengths of the United States, and their gratitude for being American citizens – by birth or by choice.
On “The Re-Education with Eli Lake,” Lake, a Bloomberg columnist, spoke with historian and George W. Bush administration official Tevi Troy about the cultural legacy of the Declaration of Independence and “the tension between order and liberty, safety and freedom.”

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