David Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.
Democracy depends on educated voters. Yet too often people often don’t vote because they don’t know where candidates stand on various issues and are confused about how to find out. The widespread political cynicism, disinformation, and spin that citizens are bombarded with contributes to the lack of information available to voters so they can make reasoned decisions.
To combat this problem a non-partisan group called guides.vote has created voter guides to provide a concise and credible way to compare where candidates stand on critical issues and to make clear why voting matters.
Yesterday, we focused on the Virginia legislature. Today, we focus on the Kentucky Governor's race between incumbent Democrat, Andy Beshear and Republican, Daniel Cameron.
ISSUES | BESHEAR | CAMERON |
ABORTION Ban or legal? | Legal. Gave approval to Planned Parenthood abortion services in Louisville. Vetoed legislation giving Attorney General Cameron the authority to regulate abortion providers during COVID. Sees “born alive” abortion legislation as preventing “something that never happens.” | Ban. “Is an advocate for the unborn and continues to defend Kentucky’s pro-life laws in court.” Supported the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. During the primary, supported current state law barring abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest. Now says he would sign if the legislature passed those exceptions. |
CLIMATE | Mixed. “I believe climate change is real, I believe that it is causing more severe weather.” His 2021 energy plan calls for increased investment in renewable and sustainable fuels and would “assess climate risk.” However, fossil fuels are “always going to be a part of our energy portfolio, at least in the coming decades;” would “find ways that we can burn them more cleanly.” Signed a bill requiring the state to divest from banks that are boycotting fossil fuel investments. | No. As Attorney General opposed an EPA proposal to curb greenhouse gas emissions and a federal rule to cut on-road carbon emissions. Filed a suit opposing a Biden order canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline. Opposes investment of Kentucky public pensions in banks that follow climate standards. “Will always support the needs of Kentucky over green energy priorities that will devastate our coal industry.” |
COVID | Yes. Declared a state of emergency, closing all but “life-sustaining businesses,” requiring social distancing and suspending evictions. Commuted the sentences of inmates serving sentences for “non-violent and non-sexual offenses” to “prevent the spread of COVID.” Restricted “mass gatherings,” including church services. Ordered universal masking in schools. “When it came to COVID, it was about life versus death.” | No. Filed a challenge to Biden vaccine mandates. Joined a suit against Governor Beshear’s order closing schools to limit COVID spread. Urged the end of universal masking in Jefferson County schools. Challenged the emergency powers used by Governor Beshear to issue COVID-19 executive orders as “government overreach.” |
CRIMINAL JUSTICE How to ensure effectiveness and fairness in law enforcement? | Opposed the Kentucky grand jury decision to not charge officers in the shooting of Breonna Taylor. Signed a bill limiting the use of “no-knock” police raids to cases involving violent crime. Signed a bill ending the practice of automatically trying juveniles in adult court in gun-related crimes. Signed a major pay raise for state troopers, with funding for body cameras and increased training. | “Victims – not criminals – get our priority.” Endorsed the grand jury decision to not charge officers in the shooting of Breonna Taylor. Opposed waiving for indigent people the fees required to expunge a criminal record. Proposes police bonuses, tougher penalties against drug traffickers, and a required death penalty for anyone convicted of murdering a police officer. |
EDUCATION | No. “I believe charter schools overall are unconstitutional.” “You can't starve public schools of the dollars that they need… and then give their dollars to corporations…. Public dollars have to be going into public schools.” | Yes. “You can make sure we have a strong public education system, but we can also expand choice.” As Attorney General, appealed a court ruling that struck down a school choice program approved by lawmakers. Was “saddened” that the Kentucky Supreme Court upheld that ruling. |
ISSUES | BESHEAR | CAMERON |
EDUCATION How to address the teaching of issues around racism and gender identity? | “Systematic racism exists in this world, in this country and in our commonwealth.” Vetoed an anti-critical race theory bill that tried “to police classroom discussions on topics such as race,” which “our children are having with or without adults in our schools.” Allowed a bill to become law without his signature that gives any parent a way to challenge instructional materials that parents deem “harmful” to children. Vetoed a bill banning school lessons about gender identity. | Opposed federal grant programs funding “the usage of Critical Race Theory…and ‘1619 Project’ in classrooms.” Would prevent “any curriculum or policy that encourages the teaching of woke ideologies” in public schools. Would “refuse to allow our students to be indoctrinated.” Supported a bill banning lessons about gender identity. |
EDUCATION Increase funding for K-12 education? | Yes. In 2019 proposed a $2,000 pay raise for Kentucky’s public school teachers. Has sought a 5% raise for teachers. Wants “universal preschool for all 4-year-olds and full-day kindergarten for every Kentucky child.” | Yes. “Will propose legislation that raises the starting pay for teachers” and “a bill giving a stipend to every teacher in Kentucky to help offset the personal expenses they incur purchasing school supplies.” |
GUN RULES Roll back or increase restrictive gun regulation? | Increase. Supports a “red flag” law, allowing a judge to temporarily remove guns from someone deemed a threat. Wants “conversations” with all sides about moving forward with red flag legislation and giving cities and towns more rights to pass gun legislation. | Roll back. “Continues to push back against government overreach that threatens the Second Amendment.” As Attorney General opposed gun control laws in New York, Hawaii, and California. Would address gun violence with “strong mental health processes,” rather than infringement “upon our Second Amendment rights.” |
HEALTH CARE Support a work requirement for obtaining Medicaid? | No. Halted efforts to impose work requirements on some Medicaid recipients. “Quality health care is a basic human right.” Expanded access to and participation in Medicaid. | Yes. Will “make sure that we put a work requirement with those able-bodied (Medicaid) recipients,” to “move people off the government rolls.” |
LABOR | Easier. Opposes Kentucky’s “right to work” law, which allows employees in a unionized workplace to not pay union dues. | Harder. Supports Kentucky’s “right to work” law. |
LGBTQ RIGHTS | Expand. Vetoed a bill banning gender-affirming health care for minors; it would “lead to an increase in teen suicides in Kentucky.” Was the first sitting Kentucky governor to attend the state gay-rights rally. | Limit. Supports a bill banning gender transition care for minors; “will protect our youth from dangerous ideologies.” Supports allowing private adoption agencies to reject LGBTQ foster and adoptive parents because of religious beliefs. |
MARIJUANA Ban or legal? | Legal. Signed an order allowing possession and out-of-state purchase of medical marijuana, then signed a bill legalizing medical marijuana. No position found on recreational. | Unclear. Maintained that the Governor’s medical marijuana order had no legal authority. Was against legalizing medical in 2019; later said would sign medical legalization if there’s “a framework that is responsible.” |
MINIMUM WAGE | Yes. Supports raising the state minimum wage to $15 per hour incrementally. | No position found. |
STUDENT FINANCIAL AID Support lower interest on student loans or forgiving them? | Partly. Supports loan forgiveness for teachers and increased funding for students in financial need. | No position found |
TAXES How to handle state taxation? | Issued an order freezing vehicle property taxes and then signed legislation doing the same. Froze the gas tax rate through an emergency regulation. Signed a Republican-backed individual income tax cut. | Supports lowering the state personal income tax and eventually eliminating it. Sued the federal government for not allowing states to use federal coronavirus relief funds to pay for state tax breaks. |
VOTING RULES Tighten or ease voting rules? | Ease. Signed an order restoring voting rights to nonviolent ex-felons who have completed their sentences. Signed a bipartisan bill expanding early voting, creating online absentee ballot portals, and requiring drop boxes. | Tighten. Sees voter fraud as a major problem. Formed a Ballot Integrity Task Force to “investigate and deter voter fraud” and created an Election Fraud Hotline. |
A golden tray sits on the Resolute Desk as President Donald Trump speaks during an announcement on American nuclear innovation in the Oval Office at the White House on July 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Trump is signing multiple executive orders targeting the nuclear energy sector and easing rules for new reactors and nuclear fuel supply chains.
Trump’s hubris rivals the fallen heroes of ancient Greek mythology
In January, the New York Times asked President Donald Trump if there were any limits on his global powers.
“Yeah,” the president responded, “there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
That was eight months ago, but fortunately Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster adaptation of “The Odyssey” has made ancient Greek literature newly relevant. Before that window closes, I’d like to talk about hubris.
Today, the term mostly means excessive pride or arrogance. That’s part of what the Greeks meant by it too, but the meaning was a bit richer and more specific. Hubris was an insolent or outrageous act that offended the gods, often because the transgressor was claiming abilities or authorities that solely belonged to supreme beings.
Nolan renamed and slightly modified the concept of xenia for the film, calling it “Zeus’ law.” In the director’s telling, mortals should follow the rules laid out by the gods, specifically the requirement to treat strangers with respect lest they be gods in disguise.
In a sense, hubris is the opposite, or at least the rejection, of xenia. The hubris of the suitors, and at times Odysseus himself, invites punishment by the gods and their mortal instruments.
Which brings me back to Donald Trump. His claim that there are no constraints on his personal power to dictate events on the global stage was one of the greatest expressions of hubris ever uttered by a political leader.
Trump’s claim was obviously false when he made it.
He vowed that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours. He’s proved powerless to make that happen. If he had divine powers to work his will, why would he have balked at implementing his tariffs so often that Wall Street adopted the “TACO trade” term for his deals? “TACO” stands for “Trump always chickens out.”
And why would Trump have made so many embarrassing concessions to China — from rescinding tariffs on Chinese goods to allowing them to buy crucial and incredibly valuable computer chips?
But Trump saw his success at capturing Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro as proof of his ability to launch missiles to the same effect as Zeus’ lightning bolts. Trump believed he was the most powerful man who ever lived.
This is no exaggeration. In March, when the Iran invasion seemed successful, Trump gave a document penned by“Presidential Historian David King” to New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan purporting to prove that Trump was “the most powerful person to have EVER walked this planet.” King was, in fact, a businessman and occasional caddy for legendary golfer Gary Player.
King compared Trump favorably to many of history’s most powerful, and often heinous, figures: Alexander the Great, Attila the Hun, William the Conqueror, Napoleon Bonaparte, Joseph Stalin, Genghis Khan, Mao Tse Tung, Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin. Many of these men thought they were the most powerful person in the world, too. And many were defeated precisely because they believed it.
At least Napoleon and Hitler had a string of truly impressive victories before they learned the folly of hubris. The limits on Trump’s power have been exposed by far less august forces than the combined might of the allies in World War II or the fearsome Russian winter.
Iran is a comparatively middling power. But the regime’s ability to absorb punishment while imposing its will on the Strait of Hormuz has proved to be a greater constraint on Trump’s power than his morality or mind. We should note that, at least rhetorically, his morality has not proved much of a constraint. He has repeatedly promised to destroy Iranian “civilization” if the regime refuses to capitulate.
But they haven’t — and won’t anytime soon — because the regime’s tolerance for pain far outstrips Trump’s. The combined fear of skyrocketing oil prices, outrage of Gulf state potentates, diminishing weapon supplies and domestic unpopularity is doing the work that international law, congressional oversight and the collective opinion of foreign policy experts can’t or won’t do.
If I considered Trump more heroic than reason and facts could allow, I would say his Sisyphean predicament has the whiff of Greek tragedy to it. Trump is vexed by the fact that the Iranians won’t honor deals or ratify his countless premature claims of victory — giving new meaning to his vow that his presidency would make people tired of winning. It’s almost like they’re out-Trumping Trump.
Things might have gone better if he’d heeded that great Greek tragedian Sophocles: “For Zeus utterly abhors the boasts of a proud tongue.”
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Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch and the host of The Remnant podcast. His Twitter handle is @JonahDispatch.