Jim Slusher
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What grows when zealousness and tolerance coexistApr 01, 2026 4:00 am - Editor’s Note: Columnist Jim Slusher is taking some time off. Today’s column is a reprise of his comments on Feb. 20, 2014. A democratic society thrives on tolerance...
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Pandora, Chicken Little and messages for today’s worldMar 27, 2026 4:00 am - Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias conducted a press conference Wednesday that is frightening enough on its own. Its broader implications are an even greater c...
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Exploring the ‘realm of nearly’ on the road to NovemberMar 19, 2026 12:50 pm - Columnist Jim Slusher: I hope you will reflect on what the primary elections have shown us about the role of political messaging and the means of its delivery in the selection of candidates. On that theme, I have some preliminary observations.
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Unexpected lessons we can learn from election coverageMar 12, 2026 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: The most important goal of election coverage, of course, is to help you understand the candidates and what they stand for. But as you follow the stories, you may be surprised at how much you are learning about our system and human nature itself.
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Getting beyond the hair’s breadth in political distortionMar 05, 2026 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: As a rule, I discourage outright cynicism when analyzing the news, but there is one venue where that approach may necessary. Political advertising.
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A process for helping you vote better, whatever your choiceFeb 12, 2026 4:00 am - This Sunday, the Daily Herald will begin another cycle in an activity that has long been a staple of the newspaper’s election efforts, endorsements in contested elections...
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Let video interviews help you make primary election decisionsFeb 05, 2026 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: One of the unintended consequences of the 2020 COVID-19 shutdowns was a material change in the way our Editorial Board conducts interviews with candidates and - for the better, as it turns out - the way you can follow these interviews.
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The shared goal of identifying what constitutes ‘enough’Jan 29, 2026 4:00 am - I would like today to write about the Oxford comma. Or maybe the curiosity of watching candidates of similar politics begin to beat each other up to gain purchase on thei...
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Profane ‘salutes’ and a confusion of public standardsJan 15, 2026 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: In September 1976, then-Vice President Nelson Rockefeller was pictured prominently in newspapers across the country playfully and prominently aiming his middle finger toward a group of hecklers during a campaign event. Today, I’m intrigued by a confusion of incongruities the incident exposes
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Getting fired up for a Bears experience just starting to bubbleJan 08, 2026 4:00 am - Columnist Jim Slusher: Whether you’re an avid Bears fan or an occasional follower who just starts waking up at NFL playoffs time, you likely identify closely with the lead on our Mike McGraw’s column on the front of Tuesday’s Sports section.