All of us have survived the awkwardness of a friend's breakup or divorce and having to endure the inevitable social pressure to choose sides. Perhaps the only thing more awkward than telling one friend that you won't be attending his upcoming wedding to the woman he left your other friend...

Every presidential race has a few key moments and phrases that define it years after the race has come to an end. The 1980 campaign had the question, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" The 1988 campaign had the Willie Horton ad....

Whenever he was asked about the impact of his race on the 2008 election, President Obama would predict that while his race may cost him some votes, it might gain him some votes, just like a lot of other characteristics over which he has little to no control. Of course,...

When Mitt Romney offered a struggling campaign volunteer all of the money he had on him to help her with an electric bill, the moment stood in stark contrast to the man who dismissed those who have the audacity to raise the issue of economic inequality as champions...

There are so many misstatements, distortions, exaggerations, flip-flops, falsehoods and flat out lies in politics, and particularly in political campaigns, that when a politician displays a rare moment of unquestioned honesty and authenticity, it becomes a major news story. (Remember the obsession with Hillary's near tears on the...

Last week, while most of us were still recovering from holiday meal hangovers, Rick Perry sent a message to those who thought that his anti-gay "Stronger" ad was the epitome of desperation and pandering that you ain't seen nothing yet. (Click here to see Perry's "Stronger" ad, Ron...

While Hollywood is gearing up for the Golden Globes on January 15th (also known as the precursor to its version of the Super Bowl, the Academy Awards), the political world, or "Hollywood for ugly people" as it is sometimes jokingly called, is gearing up for its own...

Along with extra-crowded airports, there are a few other sure things we can expect each holiday season. For starters, someone will manage to get offended whether we say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." Also, for every one hit wonder that releases an ill-advised CD of Christmas classics, such...

It's fitting that my most recent column was about hate mail, because I have been warned by colleagues and friends that I will most likely be inundated with it for publishing today's column, but since I am a glutton for punishment, here goes.

Though a few have...

One of the most humbling things about being a writer is being reminded that you are not nearly as original as you like to think you are. I was reminded of this when famed super-lawyer Alan Dershowitz told New York Magazine that he's considered publishing a book of...

President Obama has often spoken of the influence his mother had in shaping his life. Stanley Ann Dunham was smart, worldly, independent and free-spirited. The president has said he "learned about empathy" from her. He also learned to relate to the struggles of families trying to make...

Every campaign a candidate says something that he or she ends up regretting, usually because an opponent or critic manages to prove the statement wrong in some factual or philosophical way. But rarely does a candidate prove one of his own statements wrong in the extraordinary manner that Herman Cain...

After attending Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne concert I remarked on Facebook that I enjoyed the show -- the feminist in me notwithstanding. Between the two of them there are plenty of lyrics that would make any self-respecting feminist cringe, but there is one song that some feminists...

Just when it seemed that Kim Kardashian couldn't do more to further embarrass herself, offend the masses and generate additional pointless publicity (which I plead guilty to giving her more of right now), she threw us a curve ball. As anyone who doesn't live under a rock now knows, the...

An 18 year-old with no credit history and no job walks into a bank and requests a loan to buy a $100,000 condo. What is the loan officer most likely to say?

A) Sure! Let's get that paperwork started.

B) Actually, why not go for a $150,000 condo?

It's the provocative question that polite people don't like to ask in the presence of their friends of different races. Who really has it tougher? Black person A or white person B or Asian person C, Latino person D or multi-racial person E?

Part of why that question remains so...

Last week I ran into one of my TV buddies in a greenroom. I hadn't seen him in nearly a year, since we last appeared on a television program together. We did the sort of catching up that we do with those we haven't seen in a while. "How are...

Last week America lost a man who changed the world. Without him and his visionary leadership it's arguable that I, and millions of people just like me, (including many of you reading this) wouldn't be able to do our jobs as well as so many of the small things in...

The only thing more irritating than people doing absolutely nothing to make the world a better place are those actively trying to make it worse, but coming in a strong third? Those whose well-meaning efforts to make the world better are so misguided that they make things worse by default....

There are plenty of downsides to racism, but the biggest is perhaps the fear and paranoia it instills in those who have experienced it or seen it up close and personal.

More than skin color or even the growing racial wealth gap it is this fear that remains one...