Conor Friedersdorf

Conor Friedersdorf is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he focuses on politics and national affairs. He lives in Venice, California, and is the founding editor of The Best of Journalism, a newsletter devoted to exceptional nonfiction.

The Risks of Obama's Immoral Drone War

The Risks of Obama's Immoral Drone War

Every American bears a share of the blame for the innocents killed and the imprudence of weakening historic restraints on the president More »

Cautiously, Libertarians Reach Out to Occupy Wall Street

Cautiously, Libertarians Reach Out to Occupy Wall Street

As conservatives bash the left-leaning protestors, Larry Lessig and Gary Johnson are trying to win them over. Is 'liberaltarianism' alive? More »

Are Cable News Channels Trying to Scare Us?

Are Cable News Channels Trying to Scare Us?

A hypothesis about the relationship between editorial slant and anxiety More »

The Pepper-Spraying Police Officer Should Be Punished

The Pepper-Spraying Police Officer Should Be Punished

As yet, Anthony Balonga has lost 10 vacation days, a penalty that arguably hits New Yorkers in his jurisdiction hardest More »

8 Well-Intentioned Ideas That Occupy Wall Street Should Reject

8 Well-Intentioned Ideas That Occupy Wall Street Should Reject

The "General Assembly" would do well to say no to the latest ill-conceived proposal to codify its agenda More »

How Radical Is Occupy Wall Street?

How Radical Is Occupy Wall Street?

A Democratic pollster conducted interviews at the movement's epicenter, but his sample is hopelessly skewed More »

The GOP Debate Took a Wrong Turn on Immigration

The GOP Debate Took a Wrong Turn on Immigration

"Being soft on illegals" the attack of choice, and the demagoguery at Tuesday's forum would have embarrassed past candidates More »

How Republicans Should Engage Occupy Wall Street

How Republicans Should Engage Occupy Wall Street

The GOP presidential candidates could learn from Gov. Chris Christie's mix of conciliation and civil disagreement. So could tea partiers. More »

The Academic Who Anticipated Occupy Wall Street

The Academic Who Anticipated Occupy Wall Street

In mid-August, Prof. Glenn Loury at Brown University spoke about the opportunity for an "anti-rich banker" protest movement More »

Is the Drug War Almost Over? Half of Americans Support Legal Marijuana

Is the Drug War Almost Over? Half of Americans Support Legal Marijuana

Seven in 10 back medical cannabis, and it's only a matter of time before a presidential candidate sides against prohibition More »

Why Speak Up When Rush Limbaugh Lies?

Why Speak Up When Rush Limbaugh Lies?

Misinformation about the Lord's Resistance Army proves he has no shame. The only recourse is shaming the people who praise him. More »

Barack Obama, a Failed Problem Solver

Barack Obama, a Failed Problem Solver

John Podesta says the president can create space where change can happen. It's true. So why doesn't he deliver? More »

Herman Cain's Terrible Joke About Electrocuting Illegal Immigrants

Herman Cain's Terrible Joke About Electrocuting Illegal Immigrants

Can the GOP candidate explain what it is about that subject he finds funny? More »

How Occupy Wall Street Is Like the Internet

How Occupy Wall Street Is Like the Internet

The strange tale of a forest-dwelling journalist whose words wound up on a protest sign 3,000 miles from his home More »

Herman Cain's Divisive War Rhetoric

Herman Cain's Divisive War Rhetoric

During the Bush administration, the candidate wrote columns accusing liberals of being in league with Islamic terrorists More »

Rush Limbaugh's On-Again, Off-Again Relationship with Mitt Romney

Rush Limbaugh's On-Again, Off-Again Relationship with Mitt Romney

In 2008 he endorsed the Massachusetts governor as a true conservative. Now the talk radio host has changed his mind. More »

Occupy Wall Street's Greatest Strength Is Neutering It

Occupy Wall Street's Greatest Strength Is Neutering It

Attacking a symbol made the protest movement powerful, provoked a backlash, and made reform an unlikely outcome More »

How Herman Cain Missed the Biggest Recession of Our Era

How Herman Cain Missed the Biggest Recession of Our Era

Before the crisis, the former CEO spent months insisting the economy was fine. Then he embraced the bailout and blamed Wall Street. More »

Why the Tea Party Failed to Produce a Credible Candidate

Why the Tea Party Failed to Produce a Credible Candidate

The movement got drunk on bombast, and now its favored 2012 contenders have fallen by the wayside, leaving Romney as a likely nominee More »

When Herman Cain Endorsed Mitt Romney for President

When Herman Cain Endorsed Mitt Romney for President

Should the GOP race come down to the two former CEOs, Cain's 2008 column will be invoked endlessly More »

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