Steve Campbell
@stevecampbell.bsky.social
19th century U.S. historian, author of The Bank War and the Partisan Press (Univ Press of Kansas 2019). tinyurl.com/35v4jnf2
NorCal native. Contingent faculty. Independent thinker. Loves maps. Typically comments on climate change, economics, and politics.
NorCal native. Contingent faculty. Independent thinker. Loves maps. Typically comments on climate change, economics, and politics.
This Supreme Court is out of control and has been for years. After the Bush v. Gore fiasco in 2000, the Court once again tipped the scales in favor of the Republican candidate in 2024 with at least two disastrous decisions.
November 22, 2025 at 1:35 AM
This Supreme Court is out of control and has been for years. After the Bush v. Gore fiasco in 2000, the Court once again tipped the scales in favor of the Republican candidate in 2024 with at least two disastrous decisions.
I mean, she's right. We're not that enlightened. A huge percentage of our population is downright backwards and stuck in the past; unable to move beyond its silly resentments. We shouldn't pretend otherwise.
November 15, 2025 at 12:13 AM
I mean, she's right. We're not that enlightened. A huge percentage of our population is downright backwards and stuck in the past; unable to move beyond its silly resentments. We shouldn't pretend otherwise.
To discourage AI use in writing, I implemented a deliberate scaffolding approach where smaller chunks of writing would build toward a larger end product in the form of an essay. I also included a video assignment where they'd talk about their essays.
November 13, 2025 at 11:37 PM
To discourage AI use in writing, I implemented a deliberate scaffolding approach where smaller chunks of writing would build toward a larger end product in the form of an essay. I also included a video assignment where they'd talk about their essays.
LOVE that Lina Khan is part of Zohran's transition team.
November 13, 2025 at 11:36 PM
LOVE that Lina Khan is part of Zohran's transition team.
It irks me that I seem to catch more and more typos nowadays in major outlets that should know better. Look, we all have typos, but your desire to be early should not outweigh basic copyediting to avoid embarrassment. How about one more round of proofreading before you post?
November 8, 2025 at 11:58 AM
It irks me that I seem to catch more and more typos nowadays in major outlets that should know better. Look, we all have typos, but your desire to be early should not outweigh basic copyediting to avoid embarrassment. How about one more round of proofreading before you post?
Great to see the results in Virginia, New York City, New Jersey, and especially, Prop 50 in my own state!
November 5, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Great to see the results in Virginia, New York City, New Jersey, and especially, Prop 50 in my own state!
A World Series with a Canadian team is the best time to point out a funny trend--how often I've looked up an actor of a show I'm watching and I think to myself, "huh, I had no idea that person was Canadian." Haha! And I'm sure Canadians absolutely hate hearing that.
November 2, 2025 at 1:20 AM
A World Series with a Canadian team is the best time to point out a funny trend--how often I've looked up an actor of a show I'm watching and I think to myself, "huh, I had no idea that person was Canadian." Haha! And I'm sure Canadians absolutely hate hearing that.
I LOVED hearing @jvl.bsky.social go off on voters' economic illiteracy. He's 100% right that deflation would not be a good sign. It's something I teach since deflation was a major cause of the Great Depression. I bet "the price of eggs" meme drove him crazy like it did for me.
October 26, 2025 at 9:17 PM
I LOVED hearing @jvl.bsky.social go off on voters' economic illiteracy. He's 100% right that deflation would not be a good sign. It's something I teach since deflation was a major cause of the Great Depression. I bet "the price of eggs" meme drove him crazy like it did for me.
I like how county officials in California let you know when they've received and counted your ballot. I hope that Prop 50 passes.
October 16, 2025 at 12:32 AM
I like how county officials in California let you know when they've received and counted your ballot. I hope that Prop 50 passes.
So many things absolutely horrify me.
Annual growth rate in GDP per capita under Trump (pre-COVID): 1.7%
Annual growth rate in GDP per capita under Biden: 3%
Under Biden, we heard endlessly about the price of eggs and gas. That's RW media manipulation and Dems not selling accomplishments.
Annual growth rate in GDP per capita under Trump (pre-COVID): 1.7%
Annual growth rate in GDP per capita under Biden: 3%
Under Biden, we heard endlessly about the price of eggs and gas. That's RW media manipulation and Dems not selling accomplishments.
October 13, 2025 at 2:08 AM
So many things absolutely horrify me.
Annual growth rate in GDP per capita under Trump (pre-COVID): 1.7%
Annual growth rate in GDP per capita under Biden: 3%
Under Biden, we heard endlessly about the price of eggs and gas. That's RW media manipulation and Dems not selling accomplishments.
Annual growth rate in GDP per capita under Trump (pre-COVID): 1.7%
Annual growth rate in GDP per capita under Biden: 3%
Under Biden, we heard endlessly about the price of eggs and gas. That's RW media manipulation and Dems not selling accomplishments.
My thoughts:
1. An average increase of 0.5 degrees warming every 10-15 years? For all the times that deniers or minimizers accuse us of being "alarmists," this data is alarming indeed. Something is really wrong if average temperatures are increasing that quickly. The planet is large.
1. An average increase of 0.5 degrees warming every 10-15 years? For all the times that deniers or minimizers accuse us of being "alarmists," this data is alarming indeed. Something is really wrong if average temperatures are increasing that quickly. The planet is large.
September 28, 2025 at 10:34 PM
My thoughts:
1. An average increase of 0.5 degrees warming every 10-15 years? For all the times that deniers or minimizers accuse us of being "alarmists," this data is alarming indeed. Something is really wrong if average temperatures are increasing that quickly. The planet is large.
1. An average increase of 0.5 degrees warming every 10-15 years? For all the times that deniers or minimizers accuse us of being "alarmists," this data is alarming indeed. Something is really wrong if average temperatures are increasing that quickly. The planet is large.
Since I know and like plenty of Boomers, just as I know and like plenty of Christians, and since I like maintaining positive relations, I worry sometimes that if I'm too honest in what I really think, I might offend them. Then I think, no, the Kim Davises of the world actually do exist.
September 27, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Since I know and like plenty of Boomers, just as I know and like plenty of Christians, and since I like maintaining positive relations, I worry sometimes that if I'm too honest in what I really think, I might offend them. Then I think, no, the Kim Davises of the world actually do exist.
My dream that would never come true in a million years. I'd sit down with John Roberts, ACB, Clarence, Dahlia Lithwick, Ian Millhiser, and Scalito. I'd ask the justices, look what you've done? Our politicians are bought off and only listen to money. Do you really think money is speech?
September 27, 2025 at 1:08 AM
My dream that would never come true in a million years. I'd sit down with John Roberts, ACB, Clarence, Dahlia Lithwick, Ian Millhiser, and Scalito. I'd ask the justices, look what you've done? Our politicians are bought off and only listen to money. Do you really think money is speech?
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202... Makes me mad. I don't think the wealthy alone should be able to power the economy. I think they have too much wealth.
The wealthiest are boosting the economy, as consumer spending rises again
Wealthy Americans are driving the US economy with increased consumer spending and income growth
www.washingtonpost.com
September 26, 2025 at 10:15 PM
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202... Makes me mad. I don't think the wealthy alone should be able to power the economy. I think they have too much wealth.
There are lots of ways to see the Comey indictment. Revenge by a petty, feeble man is one. The most alarming interpretation holds that it is evidence of how Republicans create their own reality.
September 25, 2025 at 11:46 PM
There are lots of ways to see the Comey indictment. Revenge by a petty, feeble man is one. The most alarming interpretation holds that it is evidence of how Republicans create their own reality.
"Stocks reach record highs on AI optimism."
Do you know how often I've seen a headline like this lately? What exactly is this optimism? How is AI going to make our lives better? I could maybe see some advancements in science and medicine, but beyond that?
Do you know how often I've seen a headline like this lately? What exactly is this optimism? How is AI going to make our lives better? I could maybe see some advancements in science and medicine, but beyond that?
September 25, 2025 at 12:06 AM
"Stocks reach record highs on AI optimism."
Do you know how often I've seen a headline like this lately? What exactly is this optimism? How is AI going to make our lives better? I could maybe see some advancements in science and medicine, but beyond that?
Do you know how often I've seen a headline like this lately? What exactly is this optimism? How is AI going to make our lives better? I could maybe see some advancements in science and medicine, but beyond that?
It's only been about a month so far this semester! Seems like it's been longer. I've been working hard and grading. Hope everyone else's semester is going well! :)
September 22, 2025 at 7:29 PM
It's only been about a month so far this semester! Seems like it's been longer. I've been working hard and grading. Hope everyone else's semester is going well! :)
I object to this. We can always have reasonable debates about evidence and interpretation, but this seems like an effort to *erase* the past--something that should be beyond the pale. www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
National park to remove photo of enslaved man’s scars
The Trump administration is ordering the removal of information on slavery at multiple national parks in an effort to scrub them of “corrosive ideology.”
www.washingtonpost.com
September 15, 2025 at 9:47 PM
I object to this. We can always have reasonable debates about evidence and interpretation, but this seems like an effort to *erase* the past--something that should be beyond the pale. www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
It takes 27 paragraphs before you get to this damning info about Republican parents and vaccines. WaPo has gone WAY downhill. This is consistent with other polling I've seen on rating Trump ahead of Lincoln and Reagan, and that the 2020 election was stolen.
It takes 27 paragraphs before you get to this damning info about Republican parents and vaccines. WaPo has gone WAY downhill. This is consistent with other polling I've seen on rating Trump ahead of Lincoln and Reagan, and that the 2020 election was stolen.
September 15, 2025 at 8:11 PM
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
It takes 27 paragraphs before you get to this damning info about Republican parents and vaccines. WaPo has gone WAY downhill. This is consistent with other polling I've seen on rating Trump ahead of Lincoln and Reagan, and that the 2020 election was stolen.
It takes 27 paragraphs before you get to this damning info about Republican parents and vaccines. WaPo has gone WAY downhill. This is consistent with other polling I've seen on rating Trump ahead of Lincoln and Reagan, and that the 2020 election was stolen.
I'm really troubled by this firing.
September 15, 2025 at 2:05 AM
I'm really troubled by this firing.
I've been saying for years that student evals--and their connection to grade inflation--are a major problem illustrating how universities are run like businesses. This model compromises rigor. There's actually a decent-sized literature on this. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
How Teacher Evaluations Broke the University
“We give them all A’s, and they give us all fives.”
www.theatlantic.com
September 13, 2025 at 5:25 PM
I've been saying for years that student evals--and their connection to grade inflation--are a major problem illustrating how universities are run like businesses. This model compromises rigor. There's actually a decent-sized literature on this. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
It's nice to see at least *someone* hold their leader accountable for an authoritarian coup. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Bolsonaro sentenced to over 27 years in prison for coup plot in Brazil
Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled the former president tried to reverse his 2022 election loss with a plot that included plans to assassinate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 11, 2025 at 11:51 PM
It's nice to see at least *someone* hold their leader accountable for an authoritarian coup. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
sigh...things are about to get real.
September 10, 2025 at 9:01 PM
sigh...things are about to get real.
A prof at Texas A&M was lecturing on gender. A student starts recording, objects to the lesson plan on the grounds that her religion and Trump say otherwise (eyes rolling), and now the professor is fired. Every day is a nightmare. I'm thinking of Alexis Bledel's character in the Handmaid's Tale.
September 10, 2025 at 6:00 PM
A prof at Texas A&M was lecturing on gender. A student starts recording, objects to the lesson plan on the grounds that her religion and Trump say otherwise (eyes rolling), and now the professor is fired. Every day is a nightmare. I'm thinking of Alexis Bledel's character in the Handmaid's Tale.
@hcrichardson.bsky.social on @podsaveamerica.crooked.com,
talking about nineteenth century media: "You hoped you got enough printing contracts and enough subscribers to put food on the table. It was never a huge moneymaking proposition."
talking about nineteenth century media: "You hoped you got enough printing contracts and enough subscribers to put food on the table. It was never a huge moneymaking proposition."
September 7, 2025 at 11:14 PM
@hcrichardson.bsky.social on @podsaveamerica.crooked.com,
talking about nineteenth century media: "You hoped you got enough printing contracts and enough subscribers to put food on the table. It was never a huge moneymaking proposition."
talking about nineteenth century media: "You hoped you got enough printing contracts and enough subscribers to put food on the table. It was never a huge moneymaking proposition."