Opinion: The Democrats' knife, the G.O.P.'s gun

View in [Browser] | Add [nytdirect@nytimes.com] to your address book. Tuesday, December 20, 2016 [The New York Times] [NYTimes.com/Opinion »] [Opinion] Tuesday, December 20, 2016 Pat McCrory, the outgoing governor of North Carolina, has compiled a remarkable record during this campaign. He first signed a law meant to restrict African-American voting (as a federal court later determined) and improve his chances of re-election. Once he lost, he spent weeks refusing to concede and concocting stories of voter fraud. Now that he has conceded, he’s turned his attention to changing North Carolina law to restrict his successor's authority. In [my column this morning], I compare him with President Obama — who also clearly has reasons not to be happy with his successor. Imagine for a moment if Obama had behaved this year as McCrory has. I find the North Carolina story so alarming because it's not an isolated one. Too many Republicans around the country have abandoned long-held political traditions, and our democracy has suffered as a result. I welcome your thoughts about the column — whether you're a Republican, Democrat or independent. The full Opinion report from The Times follows, including an op-ed by [Karen Cox], a historian at the University of North Carolina, who traces her state's path to today. David Leonhardt Op-Ed Columnist  ADVERTISEMENT  Editorial [Time to End the Electoral College] By THE EDITORIAL BOARD Designed to protect Southern slave states, this outdated institution undermines participatory democracy no matter who wins the White House.  Op-Ed Columnist [Australia’s Brave Whistleblower Nurse] By ROGER COHEN Lynne Elworthy has been dismissed for speaking up, in defiance of gag orders, to denounce the cruelty of Australia’s refugee policy. Op-Ed Columnist [Protesters during a special session of the North Carolina Legislature last week.] [Democrats Had a Knife, and the G.O.P. Had a Gun] By DAVID LEONHARDT Compare President Obama’s treatment of Donald Trump to Pat McCrory’s behavior in North Carolina. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [Rick Perry at a Republican leadership conference last year.] [Scout’s Honor, Texas Style] By MIMI SWARTZ The two Texans picked for Trump’s cabinet, Rick Perry and Rex Tillerson, share an instinct for using power and keeping it.  Victor Kerlow [Op-Ed Contributor] [What’s the Matter With North Carolina?] By KAREN L. COX My state was once a bastion of Southern progressivism. Now it’s a battleground in the war of urban versus rural voters.  Editorial [Venezuelan soldiers guard the main entrance of a bank where people lined up to exchange their Bolivar notes.] [Venezuela’s Currency Madness] By THE EDITORIAL BOARD The government of President Nicolás Maduro is conducting business in an increasingly bizarre, self-defeating manner. Editorial [A polar bear in Kaktovik, Alaska.] [The Climate Refugees of the Arctic] By THE EDITORIAL BOARD Polar bears have been left stranded on land desperately seeking other things to eat.  [Donald Trump at the Carrier factory earlier this month.] Donald Trump at the Carrier factory earlier this month. Doug Mills/The New York Times [Op-Ed Contributor] [Which Trump Will the World See?] By DESMOND LACHMAN The president-elect said he wanted to reduce the trade deficit but his budget policies would do the opposite, flooding us with imports.  Room for Debate [Can Trump’s Infrastructure Plan Work?] While few question the need for such investment, many have questioned how he would finance it and what it would fund.  [Sea of Galilee, Israel.] Sea of Galilee, Israel. Paolo Pellegrin/Magnum Photos [The Stone] [Liberal Zionism in the Age of Trump] By OMRI BOEHM Should Zionist goals be pursued to the point of tolerating anti-Semitism?  ADVERTISEMENT  Letters [President Obama answered questions about the role of Russia in the American election at a news conference last week.] [How to Respond to Russia’s Hacking] Readers discuss how President Obama, President-elect Trump and Hillary Clinton have reacted and how to improve cybersecurity.  From the Archives Opinion [The Power of Negative Thinking] By OLIVER BURKEMAN What if we’re trying too hard to think positive and might do better to reconsider our relationship to “negative” emotions and situations?  A NEW ELECTION PODCAST Listen to Opinion columnists and contributors on The Run-Up, a new podcast from The New York Times covering the final three months of the election. [Available on iTunes].  FOLLOW OPINION [Facebook] [FACEBOOK] [Twitter] [@nytopinion] [Pinterest] [Pinterest] Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »] | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps for just $0.99. [Subscribe »] ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Opinion Today newsletter. [Unsubscribe] | [Manage Subscriptions] | [Change Your Email] | [Privacy Policy] | [Contact] | [Advertise] Copyright 2016 The New York Times Company | 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018