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Walter Shapiro

Walter Shapiro is a staff writer at The New Republic and a lecturer in political science at Yale. He has been a columnist for USA Today and Esquire and has covered politics for Time, Newsweek, and The Washington Post. He has published two books, performed standup comedy in New York, and was a White House speechwriter for Jimmy Carter.

All Articles
March 21, 2022
MagazineWalter Shapiro
Hit the Rails, Amtrak Joe!
With the president’s poll numbers in the dumps, it’s time for him to remember his commuter-train roots.
March 16, 2022
Walter Shapiro
Volodymyr Zelenskiy Used the Power of Images to Sway Congress
The Ukrainian president again urged the U.S. to implement a no-fly zone, and called for the creation of a new alternative to the United Nations that could intercede in conflicts.
March 16, 2022
Walter Shapiro
Americans Remember They Like Democracy—in Other Countries, Anyway
Polls show that both Democrats and Republicans are rallying around Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion. Too bad the Capitol riot on January 6 didn’t inspire the same unity.
March 9, 2022
Walter Shapiro
It’s Time for Biden to Give His First Oval Office Address
The president needs to speak to the country about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in prime time.
March 2, 2022
Walter Shapiro
Biden Pivots Away From Ukraine in His State of the Union Speech
The president gave a normal speech during a time that is anything but typical.
March 1, 2022
Walter Shapiro
Predictions That Democrats Are Doomed in the Midterms Are Wildly Overstated
With war in Europe and a receding pandemic, no one knows what fall 2022 will look like.
February 22, 2022
Walter Shapiro
The Fragility of American and European Unity in the Face of Putin’s Aggression
Biden, like his German counterpart, is asking his country to sacrifice for the greater good of punishing Russia. Will British Prime Minister Boris Johnson do the same?
February 18, 2022
Walter Shapiro
A Better Parallel to the Russia-Ukraine Crisis: The Communist Takeover of China
World War II comparisons are a dime a dozen these days, but a different cataclysm of the 1940s is more instructive.
January 20, 2022
Walter Shapiro
Biden Finally Lets Loose, in All His Messy Glory
Largely confined to the White House due to Covid, and kept away from the press by an overprotective staff, the president broke free for almost two hours on Wednesday.
January 17, 2022
Walter Shapiro
It’s Foolish to Predict the Midterms Until We Know Covid’s Future
Biden’s approval rating on the virus is bleak, but Democrats’ fortunes in 2022 could quickly change if the pandemic becomes endemic.
January 6, 2022
Walter Shapiro
Joe Biden’s January 6 Speech Is a Turning Point For His Presidency
Biden’s forceful condemnation of Trump reminded the public that the choice is between democracy and authoritarian rule.
January 6, 2022
Walter Shapiro
Don’t Take American Democracy for Granted
January 6 was the biggest shock to our republic since JFK’s assassination—and in many ways, much more frightening.
December 23, 2021
Walter Shapiro
Democrats Need to Suck It Up
In order to avert a catastrophe for democracy, the party must get over its Joe Manchin problem ahead of the 2022 midterms.
December 21, 2021
Walter Shapiro
Joe Biden Said All the Right Things on Omicron. But Will Unvaccinated America Listen?
The president’s bully pulpit isn’t too powerful if people are tuning him out.
December 6, 2021
Walter Shapiro
Bob Dole’s Pragmatism and Humor Put Him Out of Step With a Changing GOP
The former presidential candidate had an admirable knack for breaking inane political taboos.
November 1, 2021
Walter Shapiro
Biden Never Campaigned to Be FDR
Dour Democrats are forgetting that Joe Biden ran as a moderate against Trump and hatred—not on massive policy plans.
October 27, 2021
Walter Shapiro
The Democrats Might Lose Their Senate Majority Even Before the Midterms
Joe Manchin or Kyrsten Sinema could leave the party—or the Grim Reaper could come calling.
October 22, 2021
Walter Shapiro
Pundits Have a Terrible Track Record of Predicting Midterms a Year in Advance
Looking back on elections from the past three decades, it turns out political reporters aren’t clairvoyant.
September 28, 2021
Walter Shapiro
Is Biden’s Favorite Phrase a Sign of Urgency or Desperation?
The president has been calling everything an “inflection point” this month.
September 20, 2021
Walter Shapiro
“Build Back Better” Is an Awful Catchphrase
If Biden wants to convince voters of the urgency of his plans, he’ll need a stronger way to sell the Democrats’ reconciliation bill.

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