Dylan Tanouye

Democrats need to start controlling the narrative

In the wake of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat in the 2024 presidential election, Democrats throughout the country have been playing the blame game. With the party unable to develop a coherent message to oppose President Donald Trump’s policies, many prominent Democrats have developed varying strategies to help their prospects in future elections. While some Democrats are using Trump’s policies as fuel to rally their base, others are attempting to moderate their image. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are holding joint rallies across the country to stand up against Elon Musk and the billionaire class. In contrast, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential candidate for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, has started his own podcast where he features many prominent right-wing figures such as Steve Bannon and Charlie Kirk. While Newsom stated that he started this podcast to engage with more conservative voters, he has instead given the far right a free platform to speak with little pushback and even went so far as to agree with their attacks on transgender athletes. This podcast serves as a perfect metaphor for how Democrats are fumbling the hand they’ve been dealt, as Trump’s policies continue to increase prices and take away jobs. Instead of sitting back in the shadows and hoping voters will see them as more moderate than the Republicans currently in power, Democrats need to go on the offensive and prove that they do have a policy agenda that’s better than the status quo.

Crossword: Sweet Tooth

Crossword: Valentine’s Day

Don’t blame the referee, blame the league

As an avid sports fan, I understand the emotional intensity that comes with watching a game, no matter how low the stakes. Whether I’m cheering on my younger brother as he plays a match of youth soccer or watching my favorite professional sports teams, I often feel as emotionally invested as I would be if I were a player on the field. Games that don’t end with a victory for my team often produce an emotional reaction that compels me to find any excuse for the loss. Oftentimes, a significant amount of blame falls on the game officials, whether they are referred to as referees, umpires or judges.

Redefining the Tufts community

If I had to describe why I chose to attend Tufts in one word, I would say it was for the community. I’m confident I’m not alone in this answer either; I hear the word “community” tossed around all the time when students or faculty are asked to describe Tufts. In fact, the first descriptor of the student experience at Tufts on the school’s website is the “welcoming and multidimensional community.” While I’m personally very happy with the community I’ve found here, I think that we need to redefine what the Tufts community entails. 

Crossword: November 14, 2024

Crossword: October 24, 2024

Crossword: October 8, 2024

Trump and RFK Jr.’s alliance is more dangerous than it seems

Throughout the 2024 election cycle, no candidate has been more of a laughingstock than Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who entered the presidential race as a third-party alternative to President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. While he initially polled as high as 15% nationally, the strongest performance from a third-party candidate in decades, many skeletons began to emerge from his closet.

State politics has a dark money problem — Gavin Newsom is just the beginning

Fast food labor unions scored a major victory in California when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act in September 2022. This bill created a statewide council to determine the minimum wage for employees of large chain restaurants, which the bill itself has already raised to $20 an hour. However, the bill notably exempted restaurants with bakeries from this wage increase. While the reasoning behind this exemption was initially unclear, a report from Bloomberg revealed thatNewsompushedits inclusion to benefit the popular chain Panera Bread.