BOOKS
The One Hundred Most Important Players in Baseball History, (Tigeras, Artemesia Publishing, 2023)
The Giants and Their City: Major League Baseball in San Francisco, 1976-1992 (Kent, Kent State University Press, 2021)
San Francisco Year Zero: Political Upheaval, Punk Rock and a Third Place Baseball Team (New Brunswick, Rutgers University Press, 2019)
Baseball Goes West: The Dodgers, the Giants and the Shaping of the Major Leagues (Kent, Kent State University Press, 2018)
Will Big League Baseball Survive? Globalization, the End of Television, Youth Sports and the Future of Big League Baseball (Philadelphia, Temple University Press, 2016)
The Democracy Promotion Paradox (Washington, Brookings Press, 2016)
The Color Revolutions (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012)
Uncertain Democracy: U.S. Foreign Policy and Georgia’s Rose Revolution (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008)
OPINION columns and other short articles
My writing for Brussels Morning can be found here.
My articles from The European Interest can be found here.
Current and past pieces on The Huffington Post, primarily on US politics, can be found here.
Columns in The Faster Times from 2009-2012, primarily on foreign policy, can be found here.
“How to Prepare for a Second Trump Term,” The New Republic, March 14, 2024
“Progessive San Francisco needs a vision,” San Francisco Examiner, February 9, 2023
“Rep. Katie Porter’s Senate campaign conundrum,” NBC News, January 11, 2023
“Would a bust be all bad for San Francisco?” San Francisco Examiner, January 10, 2023
“Actually, San Francisco Isn’t That Liberal and Never Was,” Washington Monthly, December 15, 2022
“A homeless plan not to try in San Francisco,” San Francisco Examiner, December 8, 2022
“Common sense and competence have become S.F.’s meaningless buzzwords,” San Francisco Examiner, November 16, 2022
“The causes of homelessness go way beyond the city limits of San Francisco,” San Francisco Examiner, October 18, 2022
“A New viral video says a lot about the Roger Stone-and the GOP’s steep decline,” NBC News, September 29, 2022
“The right loves to decry ‘political witch hunts.’ But Ken Starr wrote the playbook.” NBC News, September 14, 2022
“Brooke Jenkins struggles are also London Breed’s problem,” San Francisco Examiner, September 13, 2022
“Why Mikhail Gorbachev is a cautionary tale for the United States,” NBC News, September 1, 2022
“Why Prop H may not help progressives,” San Francisco Examiner, August 22, 2022
“Why CalExit is a terrible idea,” San Francisco Examiner, July 13, 2022
“Why London Breed may miss San Francisco’s latest, greatest scapegoat,” San Francisco Examiner, June 28, 2022
“The Jewish case for reelecting Jerry Nadler has little to do with him,” The Forward, June 22, 2022
“Democrats have an opportunity to call the GOP's bluff on mental illness,” NBC News, June 7, 2022
“Kudos to Kapler. But remember Bay Area athletes and institutions have long led sports activism,” San Francisco Examiner, June 3, 2022
“Meet Shahid Buttar, Nancy Pelosi’s symbolic competition,” San Francisco Examiner, May 23, 2022
“Is San Francisco about to be celebrated by Fox News?” San Francisco Examiner, May 17, 2022
“Why Putin puts his neighbor Georgia on edge,” CNN, May 16, 2022
“Putin’s Orange Obsession,” Foreign Affairs, May 6, 2022
“To understand the Boudin recall, you have to understand the history of the S.F. Police Officers Association,” San Francisco Examiner, May 2, 2022
“Giants analysis: Phase two of the Zaidi-Kapler plan taking shape,” San Francisco Examiner, April 21, 2022
“Senator Dianne Feinstein faces pressure to end her 30 years representing San Francisco,” The Conversation, April 14, 2022
“The question ‘Are you Jewish?’ has a complicated answer in San Francisco,” San Francisco Examiner, April 13, 2022
“Zelenskyy is a Jewish Hero. That doesn’t erase Ukraine’s complicated past,” Forward, April 8, 2022
“Biden probably didn’t expect Putin's invasion of Ukraine to last this long — that's a problem,” NBC News, April 7, 2022
“In San Francisco, Democrat has become a meaningless label,” San Francisco Examiner, April 6, 2022
“GrowSF is manipulating school board recall to promote a more conservative San Francisco,” San Francisco Examiner, March 31, 2022
“Two proposals may radically shift San Francisco’s approach to housing,” San Francisco Examiner, March 29, 2022
“How the U.S. can take advantage of the Russia-Ukraine war to defang China,” NBC News, March 17, 2022
“San Francisco needs to invest in many strong academic public high schools,” San Francisco Examiner, March 15, 2022
“London Breed’s next political test,” San Francisco Examiner, March 7, 2022
“The costly mistake Biden made while talking about Ukraine during his SOTU address,” NBC News, March 2, 2022
“S.F. Police Chief Bill Scott’s complaints of low morale are code for something else,” San Francisco Examiner, February 28, 2022
“Russia and Ukraine's conflict isn't Biden's fault. But many voters won't see it that way,” NBC News, February 24, 2022
“Why San Francisco can’t and shouldn’t follow New York City’s stance on homelessness,” San Francisco Examiner, February 23, 2022
“Congress avoided a government shutdown. Don’t betook eager to celebrate,” NBC News, February 18, 2022
“Why San Francisco is more conservative than you think: Part IV, Tech money comes to dominate San Francisco politics,” San Francisco Examiner, February 18, 2022
“Why San Francisco is more conservative than you think: Part III, Other cities are now more progressive than ‘radical’ S.F.” San Francisco Examiner, February 9, 2022
“Controversy over gold medalist Eileen Gu skiing for China misses the point,” CNN, February 9, 2022
“Why San Francisco is more conservative than you think: Part II, San Francisco’s progressive image takes shape,” San Francisco Examiner, February 4, 2022
“Why San Francisco is more conservative that you think: Part I, The era of Republican mayors,” San Francisco Examiner, January 26, 2022
“It’s the Year of the S.F. Recall-but who pays and who benefits politically,” San Francisco Examiner, January 21, 2022
“Biden’s voting rights failure in the Senate is his own doing,” NBC News, January 20, 2022
“Apres Nancy: The most important S.F. subplot of the midterm elections,” San Francisco Examiner, January 14, 2022
“Dr. Fauci and Sen. Rand Paul’s recent tense exchange over Covid sends a message,” NBC News, January 12, 2022
“How much are S.F.’s 1965-1990 transformations like today’s?” San Francisco Examiner, January 6, 2022
“The Jan. 6 Capitol attack brought up lots of absurd casual talk of a new civil war brewing,” NBC News, January 6, 2022
“Why S.F. seems impossible to govern, Part V,” San Francisco Examiner, December 28, 2021
“How Democrats can avert disaster in 2022,” CNN, December 27, 2021
“Why S.F seems impossible to govern, Part IV” San Francisco Examiner, December 23, 2021
“Christmas Covid surges and a failed Build Back Better plan moved Biden into a new phase,”
“Is there a lesson for the Tenderloin in Times Square,” San Francisco Examiner, December 21, 2021
“Biden must show Manchin and Sinema he can play hardball,” CNN, December 16, 2021
“Why S.F. seems impossible to govern, Part III,” San Francisco Examiner, December 15, 2021
“Why S.F. seems impossible to govern, Part II-The seven citywide elected officials,” San Francisco Examiner, December 9, 2021
“What you need to know about San Francisco politics, Part I,” San Francisco Examiner, December 2, 2021
“Omicron isn't Biden's fault, but the right is going to try to make us think it is,” NBC News, December 2, 2021
“How to solve the problem posed by Rep. Lauren Boebert,” CNN, November 30, 2021
“Harris and Buttigieg could be allies instead of rivals,” CNN November 23, 2021
“The deep roots of SF’s housing shortage,” San Francisco Examiner, November 20, 2021
“How Kamala Harris can save her vice presidency,” CNN, November 16, 2021
“How America moves on from the Jan. 6 attack could be found in Trump’s White House docs,” NBC News, November 12, 2021
“The nonsense of the YIMBY-NIMBY divide,” San Francisco Examiner, November 10, 2021
“The dangerous joke of the Chesa Boudin recall,” San Francisco Examiner, November 3, 2021
“San Francisco’s many ‘15-minute’ neighborhoods,” San Francisco Examiner, October 21, 2021
“Doing right isn’t the secret to Democrats; success next year,” CNN, October 20, 2021
“A San Francisco politics origin story: The Burton Machine,” San Francisco Examiner, October 6, 2021
“Giants vs. Dodgers: A history of baseball’s best rivalry,” The San Francisco Examiner, October 7, 2021
“Manchin and Sinema are hurting their party more than any Republican ever could,” CNN, October 1, 2021
“San Francisco’s national image takes a beating from all sides,” San Francisco Examiner, September 29, 2021
“What’s next for Gavin Newsom?” San Francisco Examiner, September 17, 2021
“A big win for Gavin Newsom, but a bigger defeat for the GOP,” CNN, September 17, 2021
“Order and disorder in San Francisco,” San Francisco Examiner, September 16, 2021
“Is Larry Elder a git for Gavin Newsom,” CNN, September 11, 2021
“What is San Francisco for?” San Francisco Examiner, September 2, 2021
“Giants bring winning ways, warm memories to New York City,” San Francisco Examiner, August 27, 2021
“The most important election in America this year,” August 18, 2021
“Never underestimate Nancy Pelosi,” CNN, August 11, 2021
“We warned in March 2019 of a coup attempt if Trump lost the 2020 election. We were right.” USA Today, August 2, 2021-with Jerry Goldfeder
In appreciation of Charles Fracchia: A truly unique San Franciscan, July 26, 2021
“Avengers vs. Blondie: Why the wrong punk band made it big,” San Francisco Examiner, July 21, 2021
“San Francisco: The past we can’t agree on,” San Francisco Examiner, July 9, 2021
“Why a former cop may be New York City’s next mayor,” CNN, July 7, 2021
“How to reform the recall process and make it work for California,” San Francisco Examiner, June 25, 2021
“Why Andrew Yang’s mayoral campaign failed,” CNN, June 23, 2021
“What the media gets wrong about crime in San Francisco,” San Francisco Examiner, June 25, 2021
“Here’s how Joe Manchin can show he’s a true patriot,” CNN, June 9, 2021
“Andrew Yang’s Israel tweet shows what’s changed in NYC politics,” CNN, May 19, 2021
“The census is a lucky break for Republicans,” CNN, April 27, 2021
“McConnell’s self-defeating battle against woke CEOs,” CNN, April 7, 2021
“Andrew Cuomo’s future may rest on more than the merits of the case against him,” CNN, March 16, 2021
“Gavin Newsom’s French Laundry scandal is no reason to toss him out,” CNN, February 18, 2021
“This would be a costly mistake for progressives,” CNN, February 5, 2021
“Impeaching Trump is only the start,” CNN, January 11, 2021
“The extraordinary rise of Pete Buttigieg,” CNN, December 16, 2020
“Where Biden got the votes that helped push him over the top,” CNN, December 1, 2020
“Harvey Milk’s murder is a stark reminder of the persistence of police brutality,” The Guardian, November 27, 2020
“New Yorkers knew Donald Trump first – and they spurned him before many American voters did,” The Conversation, November 12, 2020
“Win or lose, the party won’t be over for Trump,” CNN, October 22, 2020
“The one thing Trump’s Covid infection won’t change,” CNN, October 5, 2020
“Demand Respect for Results,” with Jerry Goldfeder, Albany Times Union, October 4, 2020
“The college reopening mess didn’t have to happen,” CNN, September 16, 2020
“Biden shouldn’t rule out a second term if he wins,” CNN, August 14, 2020
“What Trump gets wrong about law and order,” CNN, August 4, 2020
“How the Lincoln Project’s brutal anti-Trump ads could remake US politics,” CNN, July 23, 2020
“Reckoning with the Trump effect on school reopening,” CNN, July 15, 2020
“Why Biden has what it takes to beat Trump,” CNN, July 1, 2020.
“What if Trump rejects the election result,” CNN, June 23, 2020
“How Biden’s veep pick will reshape his image,” CNN, May 23, 2020.
“What we don’t know about Joe Biden,” CNN, May 4, 2020.
“How San Francisco’s quirky politics gave California an edge in the Covid-19 fight,” CNN, April 21, 2020
“A Pandemic Is No Time to Go Federal,” CNN, April 6, 2020.
'“The Election Show on MNN; Trump’s Cruel Election Gamble,” March 31, 2020.
“How the Coronavirus Has Already Changed Geopolitics,” Inside Over, March 26, 2020.
“Is One Presidential Candidate More Electable Than the Other,“ Columbia University News, February 26, 2020
“From Walter O’Malley to Rob Manfred-Bernie’s Baseball Journey,” Bent Knees and Raised Fists, January 16, 2020
“Georgia: European Aspirations, Middle Eastern Realities,“ Middle East Institute, January 8, 2020
“1978: the year that changed San Francisco forever,” The Guardian, January 5, 2019.
“Baseball’s Silent Stakeholders-A Proposal for Organizing Fans,” Bent Knees and Raised Fists, December 13, 2019.
“The Caucasus and the Middle East,” Middle East Institute, December 2, 2019.
“Growing Class Awareness and the Future of MLB,” Bent Knees and Raised Fists, November 27, 2019.
“COLCHIS: Tbilisi’s Protests and the Georgian Dream Political Paradox,” bne IntelliNews, June 25, 2019
“What the Dodgers and Giants’ 1958 Move West Meant for America,” Zocalo Public Square, March 27, 2019
“A Donald Trump coup if he loses in 2020? With all the norms he's busted, don't rule it out,” USA Today, with Jerry Goldfeder, March 14, 2019
“On the Cyber Battlefield, China, Not Russia, is the Biggest Threat to the U.S.,” The Moscow Times, with Tinatin Japaridze, February 25, 2019
“Venezuela Sets the Stage for a Putin-Trump Confrontation,” The Moscow Times, with Tinatin Japaridze, February 13, 2019
“The Perils of Overestimating Putin,” The Moscow Times, with Tinatin Japaridze, January 11, 2019
“Commentary: Watch this, ignore that. A guide to U.S. politics in 2019,” Reuters, December 16, 2018
“Commentary: The argument over Pelosi as House speaker misses the point,” Reuters, December 13, 2018
“The Specter of Russia Hangs Over Georgia’s Presidential Runoff,” The Moscow Times with Tinatin Japaridze, November 28, 2018
“The Year that Shook Up San Francisco’s Jewish Community,” Tablet Magazine, November 27, 2018
“Commentary: Forty Years On, Moscone-Milk Political Legacy Still Matters,” Reuters, November 26, 2018
“Lessons from Jonestown for the Cult of Trump,” The European Interest, November 17, 2018
“Commentary: Why Mueller’s Russia Findings Won’t Matter,” Reuters, November 14, 2018
“Commentary: Why the Democrats didn’t do better in the U.S. Midterms,” Reuters, November 7, 2018
“Commentary: Is the US still a real democracy?” Reuters, October 30, 2018
“Remember When the Dodgers and Giants Moved West?” History News Network, October 21, 2018
“Trump Has Cleared the Way for Russian ‘Hacktivities,” The Moscow Times, October 2, 2018, with Tinatin Japaridze
“When the Russian Dog Finally Caught Up with the American Car,” The Moscow Times, September 26, 2018, with Tinatin Japaridze
“US-Russia Relations: How 2016 Changed Everything and Nothing,” Russia International Affairs Council, August 23, 2018, with Tinatin Japaridze
"The Rise and Fall of Mikheil Saakashvili," Al Jazeera, February 20, 2018
"Does Democracy Still Matter in Georgia," European Democratic Security Network, November 28, 2017
"The Mayor and the Footballer," European Democratic Security Network, November 2, 2017
"The Kremlin and the Panopticon," European Democratic Security Network, October 17, 2017
"Stuck in Neutral: Georgia's Constitutional Reforms," Emerging Europe, July 6, 2017
"Is the World Baseball Classic An Error for the Jews?" Forward, March 2, 2017
"Netanyahu to Liberal American Jews: Drop Dead," Forward, February 10, 2017
"White Christian Identity Politics and Foreign Policy in the United States," New Europe January 8, 2017
“New Yorkers knew Donald Trump first – and they spurned him before many American voters did,” The Conversation, November 12, 2020"Georgia and the Saakashvili Criminal Charges Conundrum," Euractiv.com September 5, 2014
"Saakashvili Doesn't Need a Little Help from His Friends," Foreign Policy August 7, 2014
"Up for Discussion: Putin's Machiavellian Moment," The Weekly Wonk July 24, 2014
"Europe's Blind Spot," The Mark News June 9, 2014
"Putin's Risky Bet in Ukraine," The Weekly Wonk April 17, 2014
"Does Washington's Silence Send Georgia a Loud Message?" Eurasianet March 7, 2014
"The Glass in Ukraine: Half Full, Half Spilt," Al Jazeera March 3, 2014 (with Michael Hikari Cecire)
"Our Dangerous Mistake in Ukraine," The Weekly Wonk February 27, 2014
"A Tale of Two Ukraines," The Weekly Wonk February 13, 2014
"Georgia: A Low-Key, but Potentially Pivotal Presidential Contest," Eurasianet October 25, 2013
"Georgia is not Ukraine and Must Be Given a Chance to Prove It," The Parliament: Politics, Policy and People September 2, 2013
“The Rose Revolution Through a Fun House Mirror,” The American Interest, April 22, 2013
"Filling In Georgia's Blanks," Transitions Online , April 3, 2013
“Four Observations and Four Questions from the Georgian Elections,” Eurasianet November 15, 2012.
"Could Georgia Be 2012's October Surprise?" Real Clear World September 22, 2012
"'Occupy' Looks Forward, Tea Party Backward," US News and World Report October 19, 2011
"Arab Spring Tests ‘Relevance and Impact’ of Democracy Assistance," Democracy Digest October 4, 2011
“A Counterproductive Disdain,” The New York Times August 31, 2011 (with Alexander Cooley)
“North Africa Through the Lens of the Color Revolutions,” Eurasianet February 4, 2011
“A Direct Route to Engagement,” Caucasus Security Insight October 2010
“Georgia Needs a Different Path to Democracy,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty May 7, 2009 (with Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff)
“Georgia’s Mutiny Mystery,” Foreign Policy: The Argument May 6, 2009
“Reeling in Russia,” Washington Post Global. October 30, 2008
“Viewing Georgia, without the Rose Colored Glasses,” New York Times September 25, 2008
“Mad at the U.S., but Still Tied to It,” New York Times Online. August 13, 2008
“In Search of a Free Georgia,” Moscow Times. August 11, 2008
“The End of the Rose Era,” Transitions Online. May 27, 2008
“Dour Democrats,” Transitions Online. March 26, 2008
“The Pitfalls of Aid,” Transitions Online. March 18, 2008. (Co-authored with David L. Phillips)
“What was the Rose Revolution For? Understanding the Georgian Revolution,” Harvard International Review. February 27, 2008
“Inside Track: Beacon of Democracy or Khachapuri Republic?” National Interest Online. December 13, 2008.
ARTICLES
"Regime Evolution in Trump's America: Should We Be Worried?," Columbia University Journal of Politics and Society, Spring 2018
"The Perfect Day in West San Francisco," Explore Parts Unknown, December 6, 2017
"San Francisco 1978: The Year that Shaped San Francisco," Medium, June 6-8, 2017
"Why is This Guy Still Talking About Democracy in Georgia?" Georgia Institute of Politics, Commentary, March 2017
"The Traumatic Birth of the Crimean Nation," Transitions Online, November 22, 2016
"Dropping in to See What Condition the Transition Is In: The US, Democratic Development and the South Caucasus," in South Caucasus at a Crossroads: Thorny Realities and Great Expectations (Tbilisi: Heinrich Boell Foundation, 2014)
"Learning from Crimea," Foreign Policy, June 16, 2014 (Co-authored with Alexander Cooley
“Dueling Narratives: Storytelling and Spin in Georgia,” World Affairs Journal (September-October 2013) 80-84
“What’s Next for Georgia? The End of the Rose Revolution,” World Affairs Journal (January-February 2013) 75-82
“Georgia: The Issue is Not Democracy,” Survival Vol. 54 No. 2 (April-May 2012) 97-112
“The Rose Revolution: Georgia and Democratic Spin” in Isakhan, Ben and Stockwell, Stephen. eds. The Edinburgh Companion to the History of Democracy (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2012)
“The New World of Democracy Promotion,” Current History Vol. 110 No. 739 (November 2011) 311-316
“Faded Colors,” The American Interest Vol. 6 No. 5 (May/June 2011) 22-28
"A Midterm Evaluation," Columbia Magazine Winter 2010-11
“Engagement without Recognition: A New Strategy for Abkhazia and Eurasia’s Unrecognized States,” Washington Quarterly Vol. 33 No.4 (October 2010) (Co-authored with Alexander Cooley)
“Abkhazia on Three Wheels,” World Policy Journal Vol. 28 No. 2 (Summer 2010) (Co-authored with Alexander Cooley)
“Toolbox: Georgia’s Territorial Integrity,” American Interest Vol. 5 No. 5 (May/June 2010) (Co-authored with Alexander Cooley)
“Georgia’s Story: Competing Narratives Since the War,” Survival Vol. 51 No. 4 (August 2009): 87-100
“Compromising Democracy: State Building in Saakashvili’s Georgia,” Central Asian Survey Vol. 28 No. 2 (Summer 2009): 171-183
“Georgia Postbellum,” American Interest. Vol. 4, No. 5 (May/June 2009).
“No Way to Treat Our Friends: Recasting Recent U.S.-Georgia Relations,” Washington Quarterly. Vol. 32, No. 1 (Winter 2008). (Co-authored with Alexander Cooley)
“More than Location: Crafting a US Policy for the Black Sea Region,” Southeast European and Black Sea Studies. Vol. 8, No. 2 (June 2008): 129-140.
“Democracy Bound,” The National Interest. Vol. 95 (May/June 2008): 70-76.
“Enhancing Democracy Assistance,” American Foreign Policy Interests. Vol. 30, No. 3 (May/June 2008). (Co-authored with David L. Phillips)
“Challenges of Supporting Democratic Governance in Fragile Contexts-UNDP,” Transforming Fragile States-Examples of Practical Experience. Baden-Baden, Nomos (2007).
“Beyond Bombs and Ballots: Dispelling Myths about Democracy Assistance,” The National Interest. Vol. 88 (March/April 2007): 32-36.
“Democracy in Georgia since the Rose Revolution,” Orbis. Vol. 50, No. 4 (Fall 2006): 669-676.
“Georgia’s Rose Revolution,” Current History. Vol. 103, No. 675 (October 2004): 342-348.
“What Makes Reform So Difficult: The Case of America’s Cities and Reforming Elites,” in Hayduk, Ronald and Mattson, Kevin eds. Democracy’s Moment: Reforming the American Political System for the 21st Century (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield 2002)
“Win, Place, Show: Public Opinion Polls and Campaign Contributions in a New York City Election,” Urban Affairs Review. Vol. 35, No. 4 (2000): 479-501. (Co-authored with E. Scott Adler and Ester Fuchs)
SAN FRANCISCO
“Ten Years that Shook Up San Francisco’s Jewish Community,” Tablet Magazine, November 27, 2018
“Commentary: Forty Years On, Moscone-Milk Political Legacy Still Matters,” Reuters, November 26, 2018
"The Perfect Day in West San Francisco," Explore Parts Unknown, December 6, 2017
"San Francisco 1978: The Year that Shaped San Francisco," Medium, June 6-8, 2017
"As North Beach Goes So Could Go New York," New York Observer, September 10, 2015
"On the Death of My Brother," New York Observer October 28, 2014
"Toward Land's End," Roads and Kingdoms October 21, 2014
“Waiting for the 43,” Instant City No.7 (Spring 2010) 95-97
“Ruby the Pizza Guy,” Instant City No.6 (Fall 2008) 94-99. Also published as "The Pizza Guy," in van der Zee, John San Francisco Childhood (Kensington, CA Grizzly Peak Press 2011)
REPORTS
Supporting Democracy Abroad: An Assessment of Leading Powers-United States Freedom House, November 2014
After the August War: A New Strategy for U.S. Engagement with Georgia Harriman Institute, Columbia University May 2010 (with Alexander Cooley)
BASEBALL
Current and recent baseball pieces can be found here.
Baseball pieces in The Faster Times from 2009-2012 can be found here.
"It's Over: Farewell Yogi Berra," New York Observer, September 23, 2015
"Lets Play World Series," The Baseball Chronicle , May 2009
The New York Observer
Links to selected Observer articles by Lincoln Mitchell can be found here.