Patrick Schmidt
@pdwschmidt.bsky.social
Political scientist @MacalesterCollege: American law, comparative and historical constitutionalism, architecture, and...just curious about everything. Moot Court coach. Rarely refuses an opportunity for a dad joke.
Yeah, the Democrats need a lot more feck.
November 10, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Yeah, the Democrats need a lot more feck.
The use of the phrase "at sixes and sevens" suggests another striking parallel to our present moment.
November 7, 2025 at 3:10 PM
The use of the phrase "at sixes and sevens" suggests another striking parallel to our present moment.
It's almost like everyone is in the market for healthcare, because everyone will need it at some point, whether or not they purchase health insurance.
November 6, 2025 at 7:19 PM
It's almost like everyone is in the market for healthcare, because everyone will need it at some point, whether or not they purchase health insurance.
Wow...Gorsuch going hard on Sauer.
November 5, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Wow...Gorsuch going hard on Sauer.
Meanwhile, New Jersey adheres to a "One New York" policy for diplomatic reasons.
November 5, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Meanwhile, New Jersey adheres to a "One New York" policy for diplomatic reasons.
Er, isn't this the kind of situation where someone might need to go in "with guns-a-blazing"?
November 4, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Er, isn't this the kind of situation where someone might need to go in "with guns-a-blazing"?
"Here I am, one of the most economical and environmentally friendly modes of transportation, and all I'm doing is just lying on the bottom of a creek. Life, don't talk to me about life."
a robot with the words it gives me a headache just trying to think down to your level below it
ALT: a robot with the words it gives me a headache just trying to think down to your level below it
media.tenor.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:46 PM
"Here I am, one of the most economical and environmentally friendly modes of transportation, and all I'm doing is just lying on the bottom of a creek. Life, don't talk to me about life."
Narration, to me, is one of the vital skills in teaching: explaining why you do what you do, giving students a glimpse behind the choices, and involving them in the decision-making, too. Changes on the fly aren't ideal. A smooth, mature course is better, but there are worse things than changes.
October 27, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Narration, to me, is one of the vital skills in teaching: explaining why you do what you do, giving students a glimpse behind the choices, and involving them in the decision-making, too. Changes on the fly aren't ideal. A smooth, mature course is better, but there are worse things than changes.
Even at higher scales, some things continue. A friend reported that her organization just received their federal grant as expected. This crisis isn't the Fall of Constantinople 1453, blood running in the streets. Fed. institutions are being hollowed out, but the practical effects diffuse unevenly.
October 27, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Even at higher scales, some things continue. A friend reported that her organization just received their federal grant as expected. This crisis isn't the Fall of Constantinople 1453, blood running in the streets. Fed. institutions are being hollowed out, but the practical effects diffuse unevenly.
Today, my neighborhood got together and carved pumpkins, and tomorrow the kids will all go to school as usual. We're just over a week away from municipal elections. If I had walked up to the neighborhood gathering and said, "There is no more Constitution," they would have been puzzled.
October 27, 2025 at 4:03 AM
Today, my neighborhood got together and carved pumpkins, and tomorrow the kids will all go to school as usual. We're just over a week away from municipal elections. If I had walked up to the neighborhood gathering and said, "There is no more Constitution," they would have been puzzled.
On this thread, The Drudge Report posted this article to the top of its page today, along with a link to an excerpt of a Trump speech, posted to Twitter in August, in which he mused on how nice it would be to have Venezuela's oil.
The US warships off Venezuela aren’t there to fight drugs
Washington’s Caribbean build-up isn’t about traffickers. It’s about projecting power and pushing regime change.
www.aljazeera.com
October 26, 2025 at 7:19 PM
On this thread, The Drudge Report posted this article to the top of its page today, along with a link to an excerpt of a Trump speech, posted to Twitter in August, in which he mused on how nice it would be to have Venezuela's oil.
I've been thinking a lot lately of a quote from Leo Strauss: A theoretical crisis does not necessarily lead to a practical crisis.
The Constitution has collapsed as a meaningful organizing framework for American politics, but like the Roman Senate meeting in 603AD, some things keep going.
The Constitution has collapsed as a meaningful organizing framework for American politics, but like the Roman Senate meeting in 603AD, some things keep going.
October 26, 2025 at 7:09 PM
I've been thinking a lot lately of a quote from Leo Strauss: A theoretical crisis does not necessarily lead to a practical crisis.
The Constitution has collapsed as a meaningful organizing framework for American politics, but like the Roman Senate meeting in 603AD, some things keep going.
The Constitution has collapsed as a meaningful organizing framework for American politics, but like the Roman Senate meeting in 603AD, some things keep going.
My mode is to finish a revised syllabus a few days before the course starts, but I also have had new courses for which the first half is set and the second half gets created based on the direction discussion goes. It's a "dynamic syllabus" model, I guess.
October 26, 2025 at 6:24 PM
My mode is to finish a revised syllabus a few days before the course starts, but I also have had new courses for which the first half is set and the second half gets created based on the direction discussion goes. It's a "dynamic syllabus" model, I guess.