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)

  • Obama, the Russians, and American elections

    David Marcus of the Federalist turns the clock back seven years to add context to a current-day controversy. Hot microphones are a hell of a thing. In 2012, speaking with Dmitry Medvedev, who was then president of our great rival Russia, President Obama said, “After my election I…
    Mitch Kokai, December 12, 2019

  • Impeachment distracts from potential pork-filled spending bill

    Steven Nelson of the Washington Examiner highlights a major piece of congressional business that’s generating concerns for fiscal conservatives. Conservatives fear spending legislation that needs to pass within nine days will be stuffed with wasteful spending and policies they oppose, and that Republicans will be too distracted by…
    Mitch Kokai, December 12, 2019

  • Biden’s record fails another progressive test

    Collin Anderson of the Washington Free Beacon highlights a piece of Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden’s past that the candidate is unlikely to trumpet himself. Women working for former vice president Joe Biden were paid less than their male counterparts during the entirety of Biden’s 35 years in…
    Mitch Kokai, December 12, 2019

  • Moving toward more trade liberalization

    Clark Packard explains at National Review Online why he hopes a renegotiated North American free-trade deal marks a first step toward a larger goal. After another tumultuous negotiation, House Democrats and the Trump administration have announced an agreement to move forward with the USMCA, the flawed but salvageable…
    Mitch Kokai, December 12, 2019

  • National Review editors see good news with the ‘afta NAFTA’ deal

    Editors at National Review Online explore the likely impact of an updated North American free-trade deal. There is very good news about the North American Free Trade Agreement. That news is not that the Democrats and the labor unions have reached a deal with President Trump about the…
    Mitch Kokai, December 12, 2019

  • New Carolina Journal Online features

    Kari Travis reports for Carolina Journal Online that a focus on money could distract people from worthwhile recommendations in a new report about N.C. education reform. Terry Stoops’ Daily Journal explains how that same report could prompt calls for new tax hikes.
    Mitch Kokai, December 12, 2019

  • Martin Center column exposes bad news about federal aid for college students

    Richard Vedder writes for the Martin Center about new research focusing on federal financial aid for college students. For years I have railed against the dysfunctional federal student loan program. The availability of cheap federal student loans has enabled universities to increase tuition fees aggressively, helping fund an unproductive…
    Mitch Kokai, December 11, 2019

  • A double standard for Biden’s insults

    Mark Hemingway of the Federalist contrasts mainstream media treatment of President Trump and a potential electoral foe. Everyone was buzzing last week about Joe Biden’s confrontation with a voter in Iowa who had the temerity to ask about son Hunter’s extremely lucrative job on the board of Ukrainian…
    Mitch Kokai, December 11, 2019