Michael R. Shannon's Past Articles

215 articles

The Few, The Proud, The Unisex

published: November 10, 2013

When Ronald Reagan was president he described members of the U.S. Marine Corps in a memorable phrase that is featured on the Marines’ Heritage Museum website: “Some people wonder all th...

Why Changing Demographics Mean More Democrats

published: November 03, 2013

They always shoot the messenger. Even when he’s being optimistic. And Mitt Romney was optimistic when he said only 47 percent of the potential electorate wouldn’t vote for him because ...

How Advice from Three Frenchmen Could Have Won the Shutdown Battle

published: October 29, 2013

Speaker John Boehner is the Adm. Karl Donitz of Republican politics. Hemmed in on one side by the pounding batteries of the Mainstream Media and on the other by a mob of howling leftists eager to s...

Government Has Met the Enemy & It Is Us

published: October 13, 2013

Americans are learning to their great surprise that Smokey the Bear has big, sharp teeth. Formerly warm and cuddly branches of government — the Park Service, Forest Service and other granola...

Off–Year Election Prospects Grim for Conservatives

published: September 22, 2013

In 2009 gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia provided a morale boost for conservatives still smarting from the Obama victory. Chris Christie won in New Jersey and Bob McDonnell won in...

Feeling Threatened? Borrow a Legislator!

published: September 15, 2013

The reason the debate over the 2nd Amendment is so futile is that supporters of the amendment have two jobs — one expected, the other burdensome. Marshalling an argument for your position is ...

TSA Annexes NFL

published: September 02, 2013

I never thought I’d live to see the day when you couldn’t bring more than 3 oz. of shampoo into a National Football League stadium. Over the years I’ve grudgingly accepted the ban...

Consultants Who Think They Are Kingmakers

published: August 26, 2013

A Virginia consultant no voter ever heard of endorses a candidate for governor nobody really likes and somehow it’s on the front page of the Washington Post’s Metro section. It reminds ...

Why Doesn’t George Zimmerman Mind His Own Business?

published: August 04, 2013

Once a vigilante, always a vigilante. One would think that after enduring a nationally–televised trial and being the subject of a current Department of Justice witch hunt, George Zimmerman w...

Time for Virginia’s GOP Governor to Resign

published: August 04, 2013

Virginia Gov. Bob ‘I want my Boost for breakfast’ McDonnell’s slide down the slope to complete disgrace continues. When we last wrote "Theres no such thing as a slight sense ...

Evangelicals Swing Both Ways on Social Issues

published: July 07, 2013

A significant proportion of the US population feels marginalized and suffers from perceived widespread disrespect. Their desires are discounted and in some instances actively discouraged by state, ...

There’s No Such Thing as a Slight Sense of Entitlement

published: June 30, 2013

We’ve all seen photos of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. Particularly last year when he was being mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick on the Romney ticket. He would be beaming, wi...

Why ‘Government’ & ‘Creative’ Aren’t Usually Found in the Same Sentence

published: June 09, 2013

Prince William County, VA — where I live — has an official seal that’s been in use since 1854. But that seal — or logo, to use up–to–date terminology — jus...

Searching for the ‘Moderate’ Christian

published: June 02, 2013

I enjoy reading the letters sent to advice columnists. It’s a handy, anecdotal way to chart the decline of modern culture. There’s actually a book in this; comparing the difference in questions dur...

What Is It About ‘Stereotype’ that the Tea Party Doesn’t Understand?

published: May 27, 2013

Too bad Tea party types are such ingrates. Now that the mainstream media (MSM) is finally starting to cover the IRS political scandal, you'd think the Tea party would go out of its way to reward th...

The Bugs are Back

published: May 19, 2013

People in the Washington, DC area like to worry. Part of it’s because leftists are required to show “concern” about the darnedest things and part of it is because a large governme...

Marco Rubio and the Magic Beans

published: May 05, 2013

Shortly after last year’s presidential defeat and at the beginning of the Great Republican Panic of 2013, I wrote here about what a bad idea morally and legally amnesty for illegal aliens is...

The Interview: Terry McAuliffe & the Boston Attack

published: April 22, 2013

NYT REPORTER: Governor McAuliffe, ha, that’s a bit premature, Mr. McAuliffe I could not help noticing at today’s media event that you were surrounded by all the genders of the rainbow, ...

A Voter in the Hand Is Worth Two in the Focus Group

published: April 07, 2013

It’s remarkable that the political party allegedly joined at the hip with Big Business has such an incredible problem with a basic operational task like marketing. Somehow when it came time t...

Too Many Battles, Not Enough Bible

published: March 24, 2013

Any television show that simultaneously confounds the pagans and the heretics can’t be all bad. But there’s a basic flaw in the History Channel’s The Bible that makes it hard for ...

CPAC 2013 Stands With Rand

published: March 17, 2013

The 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held this week in National Harbor, just across the river from Washington, DC, did not appear to be a depressed gathering of Republica...

In the MSM Every Silver Lining Is Obscured by a Cloud

published: March 10, 2013

I’ve about decided that reading three newspapers a day, plus conservative websites may be bad for my emotional health. Normally the day starts with the Washington Examiner, a fine tabloid wit...

The Only Good 'Redskin' Is a Deleted 'Redskin’

published: February 24, 2013

The Thought Police at the Washington Post are on the warpath once again over the Washington Redskins nickname. In spite of the fact it would cost owner Daniel Snyder heap–big wampum to change...

Now Soliciting Bids for the G.I. Jane Combat Hall of Fame

published: February 17, 2013

It was a coincidence ripe with irony. On the same day the main section of the Washington Post was trumpeting Sec. of Defense Leon Panetta’s decision to allow women in combat, the sports sect...

Jesus, Another Innocent Man Wrongly Convicted

published: February 05, 2013

Few pastimes are more entertaining than witnessing a smug, non–orthodox Jew giving instruction on New Testament theology to Christians. Last Saturday the most reverend Lisa Miller in her Wash...