Mitch Kokai

Senior Political Analyst
Mitch Kokai is senior political analyst for the John Locke Foundation. He joined JLF in December 2005 as director of communications. That followed more than four years as chief state government reporter for News 14 Carolina, now known as Spectrum News. The job included extensive coverage of the General Assembly for the 24-hour local regional television news channel.

Before News 14 Carolina, Kokai worked as a radio news reporter for seven years. He started a radio news department at WENC-AM in Whiteville, then led Chapel Hill’s award-winning radio news team at WCHL-AM. He spent two-and-one-half years as news director and assignment editor for Raleigh’s WPTF-AM.

Mitch is a Columbus, Ohio, native, and a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate. He has lived in North Carolina since 1989.

Posts by Mitch Kokai (page 1)

  • Those complaining about Trump’s presidential medal picks ignore Obama precedents

    Monica Showalter of the American Thinker responds to criticism of President Tump’s choices for the Presidential Medal of Freedom: Elvis Presley, Babe Ruth, Antonin Scalia, Orrin Hatch, Miriam Adelson, Roger Staubach, and Alan Page. I don’t see anything debasing about the list. The choice are a presidential prerogative,…
    Mitch Kokai, November 12, 2018

  • Walter Williams explores tax cuts’ impact

    Walter Williams‘ latest column at DailyWire.com addresses popular myths surrounding tax cuts. The argument that tax cuts reduce federal revenues can be disposed of quite easily. According to the Congressional Budget Office, revenues from federal income taxes were $76 billion higher in the first half of this year…
    Mitch Kokai, November 12, 2018
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  • More evidence of teachers unions’ negative impact

    Steven Greenhut of Reason.com offers an example of a teachers union actively working against better public education. If you’re looking for a stellar example of teachers’ unions ongoing commitment to mediocrity or worse, then you need only look at their reaction to now-defeated California GOP gubernatorial candidate John…
    Mitch Kokai, November 12, 2018

  • Obama as electoral Kryptonite

    Rachel Stoltzfoos of the Federalist reviews the 44th president’s impact on elections in battleground states. Former President Barack Obama went on a campaign blitz for Democrats in the weeks leading up to the midterm election, but has little to show for his efforts. Candidates in four of the…
    Mitch Kokai, November 12, 2018

  • Barron’s ponders a lost opportunity for Amazon

    Assuming that Amazon will split its new HQ2 operations between sites in New York and near Washington, D.C., Alex Eule of Barron’s laments the decision. … [T]he new congressional map once again showed a nation divided between urban coasts and a more rural heartland. As the map filled…
    Mitch Kokai, November 12, 2018

  • New Carolina Journal Online features

    Dan Way reports for Carolina Journal Online that local N.C. referendums increasing government debt fared better than those that would have raised local taxes. John Hood’s Daily Journal explains why suburbs hold the key to the Republican Party’s future.
    Mitch Kokai, November 12, 2018

  • Martin Center president tackles eBooks and digital reading

    Jenna Robinson’s latest Martin Center column focuses on the challenges linked to electronic reading options. The cost of college textbooks has increased at an alarming rate. According to the College Board, the average student spends more than $1,200 on books and materials each year. The proposed solution—advocated by universities…
    Mitch Kokai, November 9, 2018

  • High point for pot, not so much for environmental causes

    Charles Fain Lehman of the Washington Free Beacon reports on interesting ballot initiatives across the country. At the polls Tuesday night, Americans in 37 states voted up and down on 155 ballot initiatives, with big wins for legal marijuana but losses for environmentalist proposals. Nearly 60 percent of…
    Mitch Kokai, November 9, 2018