US Opinion and Commentary

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Trump and the Republicans

Posted May 9th, 2016 at 4:02 pm (UTC-4)
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Mainstream Republicans have had 11 months to defeat Donald Trump. 16 candidates, 12 debates and 47 primaries or caucuses later, Trump is on the precipice of winning the party’s nomination. And the Republican Party is facing an identity crisis.
Jeb Bush and Lindsey Graham are among Trump’s former presidential rivals who say they will not vote for him. Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and Bobby Jindal are among the former candidates who are backing Trump because they say the option of voting for Hillary Clinton is worse. We have yet to hear directly from the last of the vanquished, John Kasich and Ted Cruz.
Both living Republican former presidents of the United States, George H.W. Bush and his son, George W. Bush, reportedly will not endorse Trump. Nor will the most recent Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney.
The top elected Republican, House Speaker Paul Ryan says he could not support Trump…yet. The two will meet this Thursday, and the outcome may determine whether the ideological fault line that is Donald Trump will continue to split the Republican party. Or, can enough common ground be found to bring together the leaders of the Grand Old Party and the man who would be its new standard bearer?

Optimism Is the Third Rail of American Politics

Posted March 15th, 2016 at 1:37 pm (UTC-4)
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More than twice as many Americans believe the country is on the wrong track as on the right track. That’s a subjective judgment, but it rests on facts people often get wrong.

Jeb, Trump and the New Republican Playbook

Posted February 22nd, 2016 at 1:51 pm (UTC-4)
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On Saturday night in South Carolina, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump appeared to cement his status as the party’s frontrunner – and, perhaps more importantly, his dream of becoming its nominee.  And then, a notable domino came crashing down. After Trump landed a decisive win in the state’s primary, Jeb Bush, the GOP’s presumed establishment candidate, dropped out after finishing in fourth place.  In an instant the Bush political dynasty was history, and a long chapter in American politics closed.  How?  How could a campaign bankrolled by $150 million with such name recognition fail?  How could a billionaire businessman who has never held elected office, whose campaign depends on Twitter, personal insults, public anger and charisma have unseated such a powerful family?  Pundits and experts alike point to many factors and missteps by Jeb – among them, underestimating Trump’s appeal. Ultimately, what the outcome seems to say is that the rules of the game to the White House have changed.

Fearing Trump, Republican Power Brokers Turn to Rubio

Posted February 19th, 2016 at 3:41 pm (UTC-4)
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The Republican presidential nominating contest turns to South Carolina, where polls show Donald Trump holding onto to his frontrunner status over Senator Ted Cruz, who prognosticators say will most likely come in second place. Neither candidate is very appealing to the party establishment’s money machine. Most were counting on Jeb Bush, whose lackluster campaign and poor showing in both the Iowa and New Hampshire contests has put his bid in peril.
Traditional Republican donors have been both stunned and panicked by the steady rise of Trump, whose insults to women, Latinos and pretty much every other voting bloc have only seemed to increase his popularity. Cruz has support from Tea Party conservatives, but has made enemies in Congress and elsewhere in the mainstream. Florida Senator Marco Rubio is projected to finish third in South Carolina, and very likely with the backing of the Republican establishment.

Inside Out: Which Republican Party Wins in New Hampshire?

Posted February 9th, 2016 at 3:03 pm (UTC-4)
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Trump. Cruz. Marco. Jeb. Carson, Christie, Carly and Kasich.

Eight Republican presidential hopefuls are on the ballot today in New Hampshire, the country’s first primary vote in the race for the White House. The winner may well shape the Republican Party’s collective identity crisis.

This time last year, the party establishment had seemingly chosen its man and message. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, a centrist Republican, the son of one former president and brother of another, was positioned to be the Republicans’ choice to shape the post-Obama era. But something happened that no one predicted. The party was crashed by two outsiders: businessman Donald Trump and Tea Party leader Ted Cruz. The United States was in very bad shape, they proclaimed, and drastic measures were needed.

That message found traction and Bush’s star faded. Today, establishment Republicans are said to be panicking, particularly over Trump’s unshakeable frontrunner status. By tomorrow, the path ahead for America’s conservative party may be set in stone.

Where Jeb Bush Went Horribly Wrong

Posted February 3rd, 2016 at 1:19 pm (UTC-4)
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The thesis of the Bush campaign is that voters crave a competent manager to make reasonable decisions — not a celebrity or a personality. This, of course, is ludicrous, a total misunderstanding of the modern presidency. And I can prove it. My first witness is his father.

Finally, Voters Speak

Posted February 1st, 2016 at 3:18 pm (UTC-4)
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We’ve heard the speeches, watched the debates, read the polls. Today, the Iowa caucuses take place and the first votes in the 2016 U.S. presidential election are finally cast. Tonight’s exercise in democracy is not tidy, requiring detailed explanation for even the savviest political junkie. But it is the start of a process to determine who will represent the Democrats and Republicans in the race to be President of the United States. The polls show the race in Iowa tightening. But it’s not just about who finishes first. Exceeding expectations can be just as important, creating momentum for next week’s primary contest in New Hampshire.

Next Stop: Iowa

Posted January 29th, 2016 at 2:32 pm (UTC-4)
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A year ago, the 2016 presidential race was a bit of a yawn. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush was the presumptive Republican nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was headed for a landslide on the Democratic side. A lot can change in a year’s time. Clinton is locked in a tight race with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump’s wildly unconventional campaign has sucked up all the air in the Republican Party. On Monday, the Iowa caucus will turn polling data into actual votes. Historically, an Iowa win has not guaranteed a White House win. But as everyone agrees, this is no ordinary American election season. And with so many other local factors – a majority white population, rural, active evangelicals, the cold weather – predicting the outcome is especially difficult.

Debate About the Debate

Posted January 15th, 2016 at 4:14 pm (UTC-4)
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Smackdown. Fight Club. Nasty. Ugly. Surreal.

The stinging words used by pundits to describe for Thursday’s Republican presidential debate hat most observers say shrunk the 11-person field to a likely two-man race between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.Cruz seemed to effectively shut down Trump’s attempt to cast doubt that he is constitutionally qualified to serve as president, because Cruz was born in Canada to American citizens. And by dramatically recounting his 9/11 experience, Trump countered the “New York values” tarring Cruz used to question Trumps conservative credentials. The other four candidates on stage were left to try to claw their way into the fray, cast aside as the two frontrunners slugged it out.

Now, many political observers predict a two or three man race for the Republican nomination.And despite an air of resigned acceptance that Donald Trump may indeed become Republican nominee, it is important to remember this: not a single vote has been cast in the race for the White House.

Sizing Up the U.S. Election’s Opening Round

Posted January 15th, 2016 at 10:18 am (UTC-4)
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If you find America’s presidential election campaign puzzling, you probably have a better grasp of it than those who are willing to predict an outcome. At this point, with both major parties set to choose their nominees in state-level primary elections or caucuses, there can be no predictions, only informed (or uninformed) guesses.

GOP Candidates Gang Up on Trump as Terror Threat Dominates 5th Debate

Posted December 16th, 2015 at 2:08 pm (UTC-4)
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Some political pundits say last night’s fifth Republican presidential debate revealed two things: Donald Trump’s polling dominance may be waning, and the terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino forced the candidates to engage in a substantive discussion about US foreign policy and national security. Republican Senator Ted Cruz trended upward along with former Governor Jeb Bush, who many agreed gave his best performance yet. Other observers noted that Trump appeared to pull back from the spotlight as others united to attack his controversial proposal to ban all Muslims from the entering the United States. Still others clalim Trump won the debate nonetheless; others say it was a draw. Either way, the race to win the nomination of the party is moving into a new and more serious phase as the Iowa caucus beckons.

Jeb Bush: My Plan For Restoring Federalism

Posted December 9th, 2015 at 4:47 pm (UTC-4)
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Under President Obama, the pendulum has swung far to the left, with federal mandates, regulations and bureaucrats encroaching on the rights of the states and their citizens. As president, I will restore the proper balance between Washington and the states. I will honor the separation of powers…

The Republican War – Over War Policy

Posted November 13th, 2015 at 11:48 am (UTC-4)
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With the exception of Rand and Trump, the GOP candidates appear to believe the road to the White House lies in resurrecting the attitude and policies of Bush II that cost them the White House.

How I Would Replace Obamacare

Posted November 11th, 2015 at 3:29 pm (UTC-4)
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Under my plan, instead of an insurer directly paying all the bills, consumers would be empowered to make choices that are right for them. For instance, an asthma patient could save money by choosing a treatment costing $8,000 instead of one from a different hospital in the same city costing $34,000.

5 Takeaways From the GOP Debate

Posted November 11th, 2015 at 3:26 pm (UTC-4)
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There were sharp, sometimes contentious exchanges on immigration and military intervention, but for the most part the eight GOP contenders presented themselves – for the first time – as a diverse but essentially coherent field united against Hillary Clinton, who seems increasingly likely to win the Democratic nomination. Read more:

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