Welcome (Back) to governmentality!

By Allen McDuffee
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Good morning and welcome — or welcome back — to governmentality.

I say welcome back because this is something of a return. I originally launched governmentality in 2008, but as opportunities arose, I paused operations in 2010. Since then, I spent two years at The Washington Post, a year at Wired and a year at The Atlantic. Now, I’m working on a book about the power and influence of think tanks in Washington.

Still, I missed blogging from this angle and thought back-to-basics would be good. But I’ve learned some things over the years and the blog is on a new platform with a cleaner design, so maybe it’s more like governmentality 2.0. (Learn more about me and governmentality.)

Fundamentally, this is a blog about power and the many ways it plays out in politics, business, global affairs, culture, the economy and more. That could mean the pure power political plays of Washington, the high impact decisions made in boardrooms, the scores of money spent during elections cycles, or the strategies of military force directed by the Pentagon. But it could just as easily mean the more subtle power of ideas, dominant narratives and the business of data.

Each day, I’ll offer my take on questions of power, politics and ideas. I’ve also launched a weekly podcast by the same name and please sign up for the weekly newsletter filled with analysis exclusive to the newsletter.

Keep up with all these developments by following me on Twitter (@AllenMcDuffee) and Facebook.

And Feedback is great and appreciated, as are comments on individual posts — it will all make governmentality a better place.

The Rundown

1. Mitch McConnell’s Trump Calculation 

Jane Mayer at The New Yorker takes a deep dive on the risk of McConnell’s refusal to restrain the chief executive of the United States. 

2. 500,000+ Zoom Accounts Are For Sale on the Dark Web

Credentials of individuals and high-profile companies like Chase have been swept up, marking a new headache for the videoconferencing giant.

3. Bernie Sanders Endorses Joe Biden

Sanders told Biden, “We need you in the White House,” during a teleconference. But how many of his supporters heard him?

4. Paul Manafort Is Seeking Prison Release Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

Trump’s former campaign manager claims he is “high risk.” 

5. Joe Biden Could Get a Critical Boost From a Black VP Pick

New polling suggests Biden could garner more enthusiasm among black voters in battleground states by picking a black woman.

6. Sanofi and GSK Partner on COVID-19 Vaccine

The Sanofi-GlaxoSmithKline vaccine will enter clinical trials later in 2020, but still won’t be available until late 2021. 

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