Seth Engel, 2/8/12

Georgetown Law student

Xenophobic marketing is worse than racist; it capitalizes on the American public's fear of being overtaken by other economies while blaming a nameless, borderless "Asia."

Clay Farris Naff, 2/8/12

Science writer, journalist, author

When President Obama used the occasion of the National Prayer Breakfast to say that for the fortunate to pay a little more to help the less fortunate "coincides" with Jesus' teachings, he must have touched a nerve.

Alexander Howard, 2/8/12

Government 2.0 Washington Correspondent for O'Reilly Media

The growing importance of data journalism will be recognized in the first ever international Data Journalism Awards.

Laura Prudom, 2/8/12

Associate Television Editor, The Huffington Post

The biggest question facing proponents of a scheduling evolution remains: Would die-hard fans be willing to sacrifice quality time with their favorite characters for the possibility of uninterrupted seasons and tighter plotting?

Richard Brodsky, 2/8/12

Senior Fellow, Demos

It's been a bad week for the "Obama's-a-failed-anti-American-socialist" story. A stunningly good jobs report left the Rove-ites groping for a message. And as Mitt bumbles his way to becoming the nominee of the 1%ers, the Eastwood ad was the last straw.

Thomas B. Edsall, 2/8/12

Joseph Pulitzer II and Edith Pulitzer Moore Professor, Columbia School of Journalism

The contest for power between Democrats and Republicans pits two antithetical value systems against each other; two conflicting concepts of freedom, liberty, fairness, right, and wrong; two mutually exclusive notions of the state, the individual, and the collective good.

Renee Blodgett, 2/8/12

Founder, Magic Sauce Media

How we tell stories is not linear, so what will emerge to transform storytelling in the face of new media? How much value -- real or perceived -- does vinyl have today when digital is winning because of convenience?

Ian Thompson, 2/8/12

Representative, Washington Legislative Office, ACLU

The impact that such an executive order would have on LGBT workers is immense and provides the opportunity to create a tipping-point moment with employment protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Death Race , 2/8/12

GQ politics blog

Even as Romney continues to bring out his rotating cast of high profile endorsers like Christie, John McCain and Tim Pawlenty, Ann is still his best surrogate.

Eunice Roque, 2/8/12

Blogger, Amador Square

They took everyone by surprise, including themselves," reads the introduction to The Invisible Arab: The Promise and Peril of the Arab Revolution, a new book by Marwan Bishara, Senior Political Analyst for Al Jazeera English.

Laurence Watts, 2/8/12

Freelance journalist and founding member, Servicemembers United's Campaign for Military Partners

The Union-Tribune's new owner is Doug Manchester, the same Doug Manchester who helped bankroll 2008's "Yes on 8" campaign, which successfully passed Proposition 8 and banned same-sex marriage in California.

Julia Allison, 2/8/12

Journalist

Most airlines recognize Twitter and Facebook as effective and easy methods of both informing customers and mitigating public-relations disasters. The question really is: How comfortable are they in their social-media skin?

Marianne Elliott, 2/8/12

Attorney, human rights advocate and author

passion, perseverance and innovation are sometimes highlighted at the expense of professionalism. When Nick Kristof, for example, told Maggie Doyne's story, he highlighted her youth and her passion.

Jason Salzman, 2/8/12

Bigmedia.org

When political candidates like Mitt Romney slide into Colorado, take questions from friendly talk-show hosts, and slide away, journalists should call them out on it.

Robert Reich, 2/8/12

Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley; Author, 'Aftershock'

So now a relative handful of super-rich Democrats want to fight a relative handful of super-rich Republicans. And we call this a democracy.

Lincoln Mitchell, 2/7/12

Harriman Institute, Columbia University

Clint Eastwood's appearance and words during the Super Bowl had little to do with Obama. For observers with a long political memory, it was hard not to think of another president when seeing that commercial.

Dylan Brody, 2/8/12

Writer, Humorist

Why did the Chrysler Super Bowl ad so affect Karl Rove that he felt he must speak out against it? The answer to this question reveals more about Rove and the Republican party than it does about Chrysler or its two minutes of heart-warming, pro-industry salesmanship.