US Opinion and Commentary

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After the Debates

Posted October 20th, 2016 at 4:47 pm (UTC-4)
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Hillary Clinton called Donald Trump a “puppet” of Vladimir Putin. Trump said Putin has “outsmarted” Clinton “every step of the way.” She said Trump “choked” when he didn’t tell Mexico’s president that his country will pay for the wall. He suggested the recently launched offensive in Mosul was timed to advantage Clinton.

Trump called for a repeal of Obamacare. Clinton said payroll taxes will rise for the wealthy to replenish Social Security. Trump refused to say whether or not he will accept the outcome of the election. She called that “horrifying.”

In between, the third presidential debate in Las Vegas was peppered with the candidates positions on gun rights, abortion, immigration and growing the economy.

How will what we have heard from Trump and Clinton impact the election on November 8, and afterwards?

Trump v. Clinton: Round 3 in Vegas

Posted October 19th, 2016 at 2:33 pm (UTC-4)
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Las Vegas has been home to some of boxing’s most famous prize fights. It makes all the sense then that the final Clinton-Trump debate should take place there.

Since the previous debate, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have more to answer for: emails WikiLeaks says was hacked from Clinton’s campaign chairman that include potentially embarrassing conversations about political strategy and texts of Clinton’s speeches to Wall Street bankers; and sexual assault accusations against Donald Trump by 10 women who came forward after Trump said his 2005 video recorded Access Hollywood conversation was just words, not actions.

Sitting ringside in Trump’s corner will be mother of a NAVY Seal stationed at the Benghazi embassy, who blames Clinton for her son’s death. President Obama’s Kenyan half-brother, Malik, will also be there at Trump’s invitation. Clinton invited a pair of titans of business, Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman and NBA team owner Mark Cuban, both vocal critics of Trump.

The two candidates come into this debate bloodied, but unbowed. This is their final chance to land a knockout blow.

The Day the Next Greatest Generation Was Born

Posted October 19th, 2016 at 2:05 pm (UTC-4)
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Wednesday is more to me than just another useless debate…October 19 represents something much more to my family because it was the day that my husband — and hundreds of other soldiers — parachuted into Afghanistan 15 years ago….This date marks when the next greatest generation was born: the Frontline Generation..

Round One Clinton vs. Trump: Who Won?

Posted September 27th, 2016 at 5:26 pm (UTC-4)
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Unlike most sporting events, where the scoreboard tells you who won and lost (or whether it’s a draw), winners and losers of political debates rest more in the eyes of the beholder.
Polls taken after Monday’s first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump seem to vary depending on the poll’s methodology. A collegiate debate coach used pure debating terms to grade the event in favor of Clinton. And renowned pollster Frank Luntz measured a focus group of undecided voters through the entire debate. Their consensus: Clinton won, although they are still unsatisfied with their choices in this election.
There’s a wide range of perspectives from America’s political pundits.

First Presidential Debate Ignores Syria

Posted September 27th, 2016 at 2:37 pm (UTC-4)
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By Barbara Slavin Assuming Donald Trump agrees to show up for the next two presidential debates after his uneven performance on Monday, moderators should raise an urgent issue neglected in his first encounter with Hillary Clinton. As the two candidates exchanged barbs about trade, the economy, crime, Trump’s alleged business acumen and treatment of women, […]

The Fox Business Debate Should Put The Focus on Growth, Jobs And Energy Independence

Posted November 10th, 2015 at 2:09 pm (UTC-4)
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Let’s hope some of the GOP candidates who take the stage tonight will seize the opportunity and worry less about soundbites and displacing Donald Trump and offer ideas for energy and manufacturing growth.

Betting the Odds in Vegas: Democratic Hopefuls Hold First Debate

Posted October 13th, 2015 at 4:02 pm (UTC-4)
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It’s the Democrat’s turn. Tonight, the five candidates running for the party’s nomination will appear together on stage in Las Vegas. There’s a lot at stake for Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, the two frontrunners who have been in a quiet sparring match for months. The former secretary of state has been the presumed Democratic nominee for months, but her status has been weakened by her own missteps and years of conservative criticis.Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ populist message of income equality has pushed his poll numbers up, making the Clinton camp nervous. Add to the mix Virginia Senator Jim Webb, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and the Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee – all potentially fiery candidates. Looming over the entire campaign is one key question: Will Vice President Joe Biden toss his hat in the ring?