The Tortoise and the (Blond) Hair
Donald Trump could learn a thing or two about governing from California Governor Jerry Brown. While President Trump tweets and bleats, Governor Brown uses the bully pulpit sparingly, but with considerable effect. California’s chief executive has long harbored presidential ambitions—he ran unsuccessfully 3 times (in 1976, 1980 and 1992)—but now realizes the White House is undoubtedly […]
Politics in Perspective
Two weeks in London in December provided a chance to gain a fresh perspective on the United States’ crazy politics of 2016. The bottom line is that the U.S. isn’t alone. New economic and cultural realities worldwide have sewn a sense of resentment and displacement among traditional working class constituencies in England and the rest […]
California Is An Alternate Universe
The Union has just seceded from California. While the rest of the country was electing Donald Trump and returning Republican Congressional majorities, California turned an even deeper shade of blue. The Golden State delivered a drubbing to The Donald. Hillary Clinton piled up a 2.5 million vote margin over Trump, swamping him 62% to 33%. […]
Unconventional Wisdom: Election Pre-mortem
It certainly seems appropriate that disgraced former Congressmember Anthony Weiner is surfacing in the middle of the latest Presidential campaign kerfuffle. After all, the dominant themes of this fracas have been sex and emails. Will this latest soap opera episode qualify as an October surprise that will completely upend the race? Probably not, although it […]
Post-debate Wisdom: 90 Minutes to Nowhere
Our long national debate-mare is over! But not before GOP nominee Donald Trump succumbed to his strongest opponent—himself. After a strong start, Trump abandoned what one Tweeter called the “Kellyanne Conway Trump” for the “Steve Bannon [Breitbart] Trump.” Or, actually, from the auto-animatron Donald Trump to @realDonaldTrump! Trump not only refused to repudiate Russia’s Vladimir […]
Post Un-Presidential Debate Wisdom
There’s an ancient Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times.” And we do. This is an election season as brutal, polarized, nasty (and vulgar) as any we’ve ever seen. The second presidential debate is a case in point. Donald Trump, reeling from the October Surprise video, pretty much managed to change the subject. Where […]
Post-Veep Debate Wisdom (Not Much)
There was no knockout in the Vice Presidential debate. It didn’t move the electoral needle much—if at all. GOP nominee Governor Mike Pence scored the most points on style, but Senator Tim Kaine probably edged him on substance points. However, from the start, this campaign has been more about style than substance. Governor Pence’s performance […]
Post-debate Wisdom 1.0
Hillary passed the Presidential plausibility test. Donald Trump didn’t—but there are still two more debates. Note to Donald: Review Ronald Reagan’s performance in the 1984 first debate (he sleepwalked) and second (Reagan’s terrific comeback, pledging not to make his opponent’s “youth and inexperience” an issue). Reagan and Barack Obama both had poor first debate performances, […]
Some Early End-Game Wisdom
The stakes for the first Presidential debate on September 26 couldn’t be higher. On paper, it looks like advantage Clinton on the basis of her mastery of the issues and debate experience. The Clinton operation has got to be breathing a little easier now that Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson has been officially barred from the […]
Post Conventional Wisdom: The Dog Days of August?
While Hillary Clinton got a pronounced bounce from the Democratic convention, Donald Trump’s bounce from the GOP gathering is looking more like a splat. While Trump pulled about even in the polls with Hillary Clinton in the weekend between conventions, she pulled ahead after the Democratic convention and has stayed there. The GOP convention was […]