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)

  • Forbes contends Democratic presidential candidates ‘don’t get it’

    Steve Forbes argues in the latest issue of Forbes magazine that leading Democratic presidential candidates fail to understand wealth. The publication of our “rich list” will fan the fevers of plundering politicians, especially those “soak the rich” Democratic presidential candidates looking for seemingly easy sources of loot to…
    Mitch Kokai, October 17, 2019

  • Federalist columnist calls LeBron James a coward

    David Harsanyi of the Federalist explains why he believes pro basketball’s biggest star is displaying a disappointing level of cowardice when it comes to Hong Kong protesters. NBA superstar LeBron James says Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey was “misinformed” and “wasn’t educated on the situation at hand”…
    Mitch Kokai, October 17, 2019

  • Warren silent on middle-class tax hikes

    Philip Klein of the Washington Examiner looks into Democratic presidential contender Elizabeth Warren’s unwillingness to discuss potential consequences of her tax policies. Sen. Elizabeth Warren deservedly drew heat from several rivals over her stubborn refusal to acknowledge that implementing a $32 trillion plan to provide free health insurance…
    Mitch Kokai, October 17, 2019
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  • Slamming the focus on shaming and schadenfreude

    Douglas Murray writes at National Review Online about a disturbing trend in public discourse. [O]nly the worst version of someone’s life contains the information that makes the Internet stop and look. It is pure gold for a network addicted to shaming and schadenfreude. We all know the glee…
    Mitch Kokai, October 17, 2019

  • Facebook shouldn’t be the ‘ministry of truth’

    Michael Brendan Dougherty of National Review Online critiques Democratic presidential contender Elizabeth Warren’s latest proposal involving a social media giant. Warren wants Facebook to certify the truth or falsehood of its political ads. The interesting question is how the standard Warren is demanding of Facebook would play out…
    Mitch Kokai, October 17, 2019

  • New Carolina Journal Online features

    Brooke Conrad reports for Carolina Journal Online on Mecklenburg County’s November vote on a controversial sales tax increase. Andy Taylor’s Daily Journal examines the judicial overreach tied to a decision throwing out North Carolina’s legislative election maps.
    Mitch Kokai, October 17, 2019

  • Martin Center column focuses on Harvard admissions lawsuit decision

    Roger Clegg writes for the Martin Center about a judge’s decision in a lawsuit targeting Harvard’s admissions policy. In a long-awaited decision, federal trial judge Allison Burroughs has ruled that, while Harvard does consider a student’s race in determining who gets in and who doesn’t (“the use of race…
    Mitch Kokai, October 16, 2019

  • Biden, Bloomberg, and the prospects for ‘moderation’

    Erielle Davidson asks in a Federalist column whether billionaire former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg would do a better job than former Vice President Joe Biden of presenting a moderate face to voters. Bloomberg’s renewed flirtation with a [presidential] run suggests many in the Democratic establishment are increasingly…
    Mitch Kokai, October 16, 2019