barrycasselman

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

THE PRAIRIE EDITOR: Ingredients Of A New Geopolitical World

A new global geopolitical landscape is now coming into

view as the post-Cold War international order dissolves.

The latest development is the imminent collapse of the

Islamic Republic of Iran, a major regional power which

served as the major state sponsor of terrorism not only

in the Middle Easr but also with influence beyond its

regional borders.

The two most populous nations, China and India

have now re-emerged as both economic and military

superpowers after centuries of decline. Each saw their

current national identity recreated just after World War II;

China as a communist totalitarian state, India as a

democratic socialist state. Both had been primarily rural

and agricultural, and both saw mass rural migration

to cities and the creation of huge industrial urban centers.

China remained totalitarian, but adopted some free

market economic strategies while India evolved from

rural socialism to urban capitalism.

From the devastation of World War II, the nations of

Europe re-emerged while they were also the main

battleground of the Cold War between the democratic

nations led by the U. S. and the communist states led

by the Soviet Union. That Cold War persisted until the

early 1990s when the Soviet Union suddenly collapsed.

and many of its vassal states broke away into sovereign

nations.

Much of western Europe then transformed a postwar

economic alliance into the European Union (EU), but

this organization has proved to be ungovernable

and has gone into decline.

After a brief period as a democratic nation, Russia

has once again become an authoritarian state,. It

aggressively invaded Ukraine, formerly part of the

Soviet Union and has become embroiled in a

protracted and costly war it cannot win. This war

has also destabilized the whole region, as the EU

nations perceive a larger threat from Russia. The

military alliance of the European nations and the

United States (NATO) has weakened in this period

as the U.S, has turned its attention to its own

hemisphere and adjacent South America.

In Asia, China seeks to expand its regional

influence, but is constrained by the U.S., South

Korea, Indonesia and Japan, as well as by

India. China’s ambition to recover Taiwan remains

a key unresolved regional issue.

In South America, failed leftist and oligarchal

nations are being replaced by conservative

governments in a wave of continent-wide

elections that embrace free markets.

As jihadist Iran fades, a new MIddle East

geopolitical landscape is emerging under a potential

expansion of the Abraham Accords. The current war

is serving as a possible catalyst bringing old

adversaries and rivals together out of economic and

security interests.

Old alliances in the new geopolitical world are being

altered as a new global era is forming. Some historic

conflicts are being replaced by new ones. As always,

technology is a major catalyst for change.

The social and economic landscape of the new

global world is still unclear, but each day seems to

bring this geopolitical puzzle more and more into

view.

_______________________________________________

Sunday, May 31, 2026

THE PRAIRIE EDITOR: Time To End Party Endorsements in Minnesota?

The political party official endorsement, especially

those for statewide offices, is way past due for

extinction, and the evidence for that has not ever been

more clear than now in a critical midterm election year.

The problem exists almost equally for both major parties

as endorsements have been or will be won by candidates

significantly less likely to win in November than non-endorsed

candidates from the same party.

This has already taken place at the Republican State party

convention in Duluth where a relatively small number of

delgates decided to endorse candidates for U.S. senator,

governor and state auditor widely perceived as weaker

nominees in the November election against a DFL nominee.

A recent and respected polll indicated, for example, that

media personality Michelle Tafoya led in the Senate race with

more than 50% of GOP primary voters. Adam Schwartze,

who received the convention endorsement, received only

about 4% of the vote. Not only is Tafoya much better known,

she has substantially more campaign funds and a proven

fundraising capability. Fortunately for her party, Tafoya told

the convention she would run in the August GOP primary

with or without the endorsement. She is likely to win that

primary easily, but will have to use some of her campaign

resources needlessly.

The DFL convention in Rochester endorsed Lt. Governor

Peggy Flanagan handily, but a major opponent, retiring

Congresswoman Angie Craig, widely perceived as the

strongest DFL nominee in November, bypassed the

convention entirely and is campaigning hard in the August

DFL primary. Like GOP candidate Tafoya, Craig has already

raised substantially more funds than her party opponent.

Polls indicate that a Flanagan-Craig primary race is still too

close to call, but Flanagan’s association with the far left of

her party might make her a weaker DFL npminee than

more moderate Craig in November,

For obvious reasons, formal party endorsements are

becoming rarer and rarer in states across the country.

Many more voters participate in primaries, and are

much more likely to reflect general election voter

appeal than candidates who have the support of often

only one-issue activists.

Both parties in recent years have seen the negative ’impact

putting flawed or weak nominees on their statewide ballots.

In 2026, it appears that both parties risk doing this again.

________________________________________________

Saturday, February 28, 2026

THE PRAIRIE EDITOR: A New Global Geopolitical Landscape

A new global geopolitical landscape is now coming into

view as the post-Cold War international scene dissolves.

The latest development is the imminent collapse of the

Islamic Republic of Iran, a major regional power which

served as the major state sponsor of terrorism not only

in the Middle Easr but also with infloence beyond its

regional borders.

The two most populous nations, China and

India, have re-energed as both economic and military

superpowers after centuries of decline. Each saw their

current national identity created just after Worl War II —

China as a communist totalitarian state, India as a

democratic socialist state. Both were primarily rural

and agricultural, and both saw mass rural emigration

to cities and the creation of industrial societies. China

remained totalitarian, but adopted some free market

economic strategies while India evolved from rural

socialism to urban capitalism.

From the devastation of World War II, the nations of

Europe re-emerged while being also the battleground

of the Cold War between the democratic nations led by

the United States and the communist states led by

the Soviet Union. That Cold War persisted until the

early 1990s when the Soviet Union collapsed. and

many of its vassal states broke away. Much of Europe

formed the European Union, but this organization

proved to be fragile, and went into decline.

After a brief period as a democratic states, Russia

has once again become an authoritarian state, and

has become embroiled in a protracted conflict with

Ukraine, once a part of the Soviet Union. This war

has also destabilized the whole region, as the EU

nations perceive a larger threat from Russia. The

military alliance of the European nations and the

United States has weakened in this period as the

U.S, has turned its attention to its own hemisphere

and adjacent South America.

In Asia, China seeks to expand its regional influrnce,

but is constrained by the U.S., South Korea and Japan,

as well as by India.

In South America, failed leftist and oligardhial

nations are being replaced by conservative free

market governments.

As jihadist Iran fades, a new MIddle East

geopolitical landscape is emerging under the

Abraham Accords.

Old alliances in the new geopolitical world are

being altered as a new global era is forming.

Some historic conflicts are being replaced by

new ones. Technology, as always, is a primary

catalyst for change.

The forms of the new global world are still

inclear, but each day seems to bring them

more and more into view.

_______________________________________________

About Barry Casselman

BARRY CASSELMAN is an author, journalist and lecturer who has reported and analyzed American presidential and national politics since 1972.

He founded, edited and published his first newspaper when he was 29. He has been a contributor to many national publications, including The Weekly Standard, realclearpolitics.com, Politico, Roll Call, Washington Examiner, The American Interest, Utne Reader, Campaigns and Elections Magazine, American Experiment Quarterly, Washington Times, The Rothenberg Political Report, Business Today, Election Politics, Business Ethics Magazine, San Francisco Examiner, Washington Insider, and American Commonwealth.

His regular op ed columns and other commentary in print, and on the internet, are distributed through the Preludium News Service. His blog ‘The Prairie Editor” has an international readership and appears on his website at www.barrycasselman.com .

He was a political analyst for WCCO-AM (CBS) for several years, for KSJN-AM (Public Radio International), and for KUOM-AM (National Public Radio). He has also broadcast on RAE in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and beginning in 2000, he produced and broadcast for Voice of America. In 2006, he presented news commentary on LBC, the independent 24-hour news radio network in London, England. He also provided election night analysis in 2006 for Minnesota Public Radio. In 2008, he returned to WCCO-AM for periodic national election commentary. Beginning in 2011, he began weekly commentary on the 2012 presidential campaign on a national radio podcast program originating in Dallas, TX.

Casselman was the original host of “Talk To Your City” on the Minneapolis Television Network, and was a frequent political commentator for KTCA-TV (PBS). In 1992 and 1994, he presented election night analysis for the Conus coast-to-coast All News Channel. In 1996, he provided live coverage from the presidential primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire for All News Channel nationwide. He has also appeared on C-SPAN. In 2008, he was interviewed by ABC-TV Evening News with Charles Gibson.

He has covered national presidential primaries, caucuses and straw polls since 1976, and attended Democratic and Republican national conventions since 1988. He has traveled throughout the United States to report on significant political events, including the national congressional debate in Williamsburg in 1996, the presidential debates, national conventions and events of the Democratic Leadership Council, Democratic National Committee, Republican National Committee, United We Stand America, Reform Party, National Governors Association, NAACP, AFL-CIO, Christian Coalition, CPAC, Green Party and the Independence Party.

In 2012, he was invited to be a civilian participant in the 58th annual seminar on national security at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA. Also in 2012, he was a speaker at the Jefferson Educational Society's Global Summit IV. At that event, he received the Thomas Hagen "Dignitas" Award for lifetime achievement.

From 1990-2011, he was the executive director of the non-profit International Conference Foundation, and hosted more than 500 world leaders, foreign journalists and other international visitors. At the non-partisan Foundation, he also organized four national symposia: the first on low-income housing with then-HUD Secretary Jack Kemp; the second, a highly-acclaimed conference on “Locating the New Political Center in America” with Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and leading spokespersons of the Clinton administration as well as newly-emerged independent groups; the third, a symposium on public communications with then-Governor Tom Ridge, former White House press secretary Mike McCurry, Tony Blankley and other national figures; and in 2003, a symposium on homeland security with Secretary Ridge and leading local and national experts. During this time, he also organized numerous smaller conferences, tours and events for the U.S. Information Agency and the U.S. Department of State for its International Visitor Program and its Foreign Press Center programs. In 2008, he organized a special program for international media and visitors attending the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. The Foundation also sponsored programs presenting domestic and international authors and their books.

In 2007, Mr. Casselman helped create and plan the nationally-broadcast and podcast dialogue between former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich at the Cooper Union in New York City, and he continued to work on related debate and public policy discussion projects in the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns.

Mr. Casselman has been a lecturer on public policy at Princeton University’s annual international business conferences in New York, and its regional conferences in Chicago since 2005; He also has been a guest lecturer at George Washington University, Carleton College, The Chautauqua (NY) Institution, Gannon University, Hubert Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, Santa Barbara City College, University of St. Thomas, Metropolitan State University, Augsburg College, University of Minnesota, Jefferson Educational Society, and on the international voyages of the Queen Elizabeth 2, Sagafjord, Vistafjord and Royal Viking Sun. He has made presentations on journalism and the arts at Carleton College, University of Minnesota, College of St. Catherine, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Walker Art Center, Metropolitan State University, Mercyhurst College and the Brazilian Writers Union in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

His non-fiction book North Star Rising was published in 2007 by Pogo Press, an imprint of Finney Company. In 2008, Pogo Press published Minnesota Souvenir, Casselman’s history and visitor guide for the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul. He was editor and co-author of the book Taking Turns: Political Stalemate or a New Direction in the Race for 2012, a preview of that year's national election.

He has been cited in Michael Barone’s Almanac of American Politics and in William Safire’s Political Dictionary. Casselman has invented a number of political words and phrases which are now in frequent usage, and listed in various online dictionaries.

He is also a widely-published American poet, short story writer and playwright whose work has been translated and published in Europe, South America and Asia. He is the author of four published books of literary prose and poetry. His work has been frequently anthologized. Two of his plays, in collaboration with composer Randall Davidson, have been performed by the Actors Theater of St. Paul, Minnesota Orchestra, St. Donat’s Ensemble of Wales, and by independent productions at the Union Depot in St. Paul and the Foss Theater at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. He has provided original texts for two award-winning experimental films, as well as texts for other independent short films and videos.

Barry Casselman was born in Erie, Pennsylvania. He received his B.A. with major honors from the University of Pennsylvania and his M.F.A. at the Writers Workshop at the University of Iowa. He has also studied in Paris, and attended the University of Madrid. He now lives in Minneapolis.