Executive v. Executive: A Parallel in American Presidential Elections

From Southwest Ledger As a political historian, I was disappointed when Joe Biden backed out of the presidential race. I say that for no other reason than it’s been a rare occurrence in history where we have had two presidents battle it out. However, while it would have given me plenty to write about, a … Continue reading Executive v. Executive: A Parallel in American Presidential Elections →

‘For the Good Times’: Bidding Farewell To Kris Kristofferson

“Well, I woke up Sunday morning with no way to hold my head that didn't hurt. And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad, so I had one more for dessert. Then I fumbled through my closet for my clothes and found my cleanest dirty shirt.”I am honestly not sure it’s possible to find … Continue reading ‘For the Good Times’: Bidding Farewell To Kris Kristofferson →

Constitution 101: Article I, Section II,Clause III: The Enumeration Clause

From Southwest Ledger Article I, Section II of the United States Constitution deals with the U.S. House of Representatives. A previous article discussed qualifications for membership in the House and the methods used for choosing representatives. In Clause III of Section II, the framers more instruct how the members of the House are to be … Continue reading Constitution 101: Article I, Section II,Clause III: The Enumeration Clause →

Scrutinizing Primaries: Political History is Cyclical, Evolutionary

From Southwest Ledger I read something online the other day that said, “not to brag but I have won as many primary votes as Kamala Harris.” At first it made me chuckle, but then it made me think. My first thought was “how many times has a candidate run for president without winning a single … Continue reading Scrutinizing Primaries: Political History is Cyclical, Evolutionary →

From Southwest Ledger In the history of Hollywood there are just some lines that are so iconic that no other information is needed for automatic recognition. They are so known that they have become part of our vocabulary and are often used in our day-to-day conversations – lines like “We’re not in Kansas anymore,” “Go … Continue reading →

Edinburgh: An Origin of Romanticism,Modern Economic Philosophy & More

From Southwest Ledger This summer I had the amazing fortune to travel around the British Isles. As I spent time in the cities as well as the pastoral landscapes, I absolutely loved the rich history and deep culture. One of my favorite stops was Edinburgh, Scotland; what a beautiful city. It seemed that with every … Continue reading Edinburgh: An Origin of Romanticism,Modern Economic Philosophy & More →

Reviewing Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis”

From Southwest Ledger In 2016 J.D. Vance released a memoir of his formative years as a member of a hillbilly family just trying to survive. His story was about overcoming obstacles as he eventually made it out of his small town to attend college and Yale Law School. At the time, it was overwhelmingly praised … Continue reading Reviewing Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” →

Historic Travels: Utah to Commemorate Cassidy

From Southwest Ledger One of the benefits of my profession is that I get some time off in the summer. I use this time to research but also to travel. I love traveling for many reasons but one of which is that I get to visit historical sites and constantly learn new things. My first … Continue reading Historic Travels: Utah to Commemorate Cassidy →

Constitution 101: Enforcing the long-ignored Vesting Clause

From Southwest Ledger Of all the sentences in the Constitution, Article I, Section I is the most important and today is also the most abused. Our Founders created a document they knew they needed but were afraid of. They feared an all-powerful government that would control them. To help quiet their fears they created the … Continue reading Constitution 101: Enforcing the long-ignored Vesting Clause →

Presidential assassination attempts tend to backfire even when would-be assassins strike their target

From Southwest Ledger “I am here in despair. And why; For doing what Brutus was honored for. What made Tell a Hero. And yet I for striking down a greater tyrant than they ever knew. Am looked upon as a common, cutthroat. My action was purer than either of theirs. One, hoped to be great … Continue reading Presidential assassination attempts tend to backfire even when would-be assassins strike their target →