US Opinion and Commentary

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Accepting Trump’s Acceptance Speech

Posted July 23rd, 2016 at 11:11 am (UTC-4)
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Donald Trump used his acceptance speech to reinforce the themes that catapulted him to the Republican presidential nomination. Anyone who hoped to see a softer, more introspective side of Trump were disappointed.

Speaking for more than an hour, Trump seized on the themes that dominate the much of the news cycle: law and order, safety and terrorism. He reinforced his vision of securing America’s borders with a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. And he tried to tie these problems to policies pursued by his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

Trump had an enthusiastic audience inside the arena at the Republican National Convention. But with divisions still apparent within the Republican Party over the nomination battle, Trump’s message was aimed at the large number of undecided voters who disapprove of both major candidates.

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Trump’s Unconventional Convention

Posted July 21st, 2016 at 5:24 pm (UTC-4)
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Perhaps it’s by design that the 2016 Republican National Convention would not — could not — follow the cookie-cutter design of conventions of the recent past. After all, 17 candidates were at one time running for the party’s presidential nomination. And the most unconventional candidate of any — Donald Trump — came out on top.

Trump’s flair for grandeur, unpredictability and frank talk combined with fissures within the Republican party over the bitter primary election raised expectations for a raucous convention.

There has been little disappointment.

From Monday night’s controversy over Melania Trump’s speech to Tuesday’s mock trial of Hillary Clinton to Wednesday’s booing of Ted Cruz for refusing to endorse Donald Trump, this week’s conclave has met those expectations.

Trump now has to summon all of his natural charisma and impresario instincts to deliver an acceptance speech that can bring Republicans together and convince a large swath of undecided voters that he can be their next president of the United States.

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RNC Notebook: The GOP Unifies…But Around Who?

Posted July 21st, 2016 at 1:54 pm (UTC-4)
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Are Republicans more unified around Donald Trump or against Hillary Clinton?

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Indiana Drops the Starting Flag on the Trump v. Clinton Race

Posted May 4th, 2016 at 4:36 pm (UTC-4)
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Rarely have so many eyes been on Indiana this early in May. But the results from Tuesday’s presidential primary race will have far more impact than whoever wins the Indianapolis 500 later this month. Donald Trump lapped his closest rival, Ted Cruz, who emptied his tank in an effort to win in Indiana. The other Republican in the race, John Kasich, has now joined Cruz in idling their campaigns. With a win in Indiana, Bernie Sanders continues to try to push past Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. But short of a total Clinton collapse, Sanders will remain in her rear view mirror. Polling shows both Trump and Clinton would be the most unpopular presidential candidates in recent history. With so many feeling so negative about both candidates, are voters rooting for a clean race or one full or crashes?

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The Knives Are Out

Posted April 27th, 2016 at 11:48 am (UTC-4)
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In the hours after his five-state primary sweep, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump declared the race to the party nomination was “over,” called himself “the presumptive nominee,” and baited Democrat Hillary Clinton for using “the woman card.” Clinton returned the favor, saying if playing that card meant fighting for equal pay, paid family leave and access to healthcare then “deal me in!” And with that, it seemed the tone of the upcoming presidential election was set.

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Campaign ‘Cuisine’ Isn’t Always Presidential

Posted April 26th, 2016 at 2:31 pm (UTC-4)
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Political pundits have already decided the outcome of today’s five-state presidential primary contests. It goes something like this: Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton will widen their leads, leaving their competitors (Bernie Sanders, John Kasich and Ted Cruz) that much further from securing their party’s nomination. Election season in America is a taxing months-long, 24/7 exercise, requiring a lot of stamina, and fuel to keep on keeping on. Sampling corn dogs, milkshakes, burgers, five-alarm chili and apple pie in state after state is a campaign must for every candidate. Why? Because breaking bread with the locals, whether in a small Idaho town or the big city of New York, is a sure way to connect with the voters. Today, we offer you a glimpse of American campaign “cuisine.” We check in on the latest thinking about the candidates, and Trump’s alleged pivot away from his raw and rowdy campaign style.

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Trump & Hillary Solidify Frontrunner Status

Posted April 19th, 2016 at 12:30 pm (UTC-4)
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As predicted, New York voters granted Trump, its “native son,” and Hillary, the state’s adoptee, electoral victories by wide margin. The takeaway? Trump confirmed that he is indeed a “winner.” And Hillary, who has the loyalty of New York Democrats, sent a strong message to her iconoclastic contender, Senator Bernie Sanders. The presidential ticket seems set for both parties, even if Trump is likely to arrive at the GOP convention without the necessary majority of delegates. The #StopTrump movement isn’t going away, but “The Donald’s” renewed momentum may mean establishment Republicans will not be able to #StopTrump no matter what.

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Many Democrats Want to Face Trump in November. They’re Wrong.

Posted April 17th, 2016 at 5:06 pm (UTC-4)
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Cruz is often dishonest, and he takes extreme and sometimes appalling positions. But he has shown an inclination to play by the rules — and that’s a safeguard Trump doesn’t offer.

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The GOP Must Stop Trump

Posted April 11th, 2016 at 8:51 am (UTC-4)
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The Republican Party’s standard deserves to be hoisted by an honorable and decent man, like Romney or Ryan, elected on the convention floor. It is better to lose with principle than to accept a dangerous deal from a demagogue

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Presidential Candidates Try to Prove How ‘New York’ They Are

Posted April 11th, 2016 at 8:27 am (UTC-4)
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It’s nice that New York has such a prominent place in the election, for once…. It would be nicer still if our people went out into the world and made us proud. Barring that, at least they’re entertaining.

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To the Future President of the United States

Posted April 8th, 2016 at 4:24 pm (UTC-4)
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We understand that perspective is hard to come by at this stage of the race, and you are obsessively watching the polls and attempting to shape your image to a media ready to pounce on every slip. But the world is watching at a time of great uncertainty

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New York, New York!

Posted April 8th, 2016 at 1:16 pm (UTC-4)
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After the Wisconsin primary upset of both Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, there is a feeling that real race has finally begun. And what better place to hold the next nominating contest than in New York, where the delegate count is high, the voters diverse and the political landscape notoriously tough? Trump, a New York native, and his Republican rival Texas Sen. Ted Cruz are vying for 95 delegates. 291 Democratic delegates are up for grabs for Brooklyn native Bernie Sanders and Clinton (who made the state her home and became its senator after serving two-terms as First Lady). For both parties, winning or losing the April 19 primary could make or break a candidacy, either mathematically or invincibility. And political experts agree: New York is not a slam-dunk for any of them.

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Cruz Views as Bad as Trumps

Posted April 7th, 2016 at 9:27 am (UTC-4)
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Consider the prospect of a deeply religious Christian evangelical who believes in holy war and surrounds himself with like-minded advisers. That prospect is almost enough to make Trump sound like a reasonable man.

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What Trump and Cruz’s Clueless Muslim Rhetoric Will Cost America

Posted April 4th, 2016 at 12:43 pm (UTC-4)
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By refusing to call them radical Islamic terrorists, (President Obama) is unwilling to make the distinction between the few Muslims who have wrapped their terror in the cloak of the second largest faith in the world from peaceful, law-abiding Muslims. And two men who hope to succeed him are incapable of making a similar distinction.

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Incubators of Islamic Supremacism

Posted March 29th, 2016 at 12:02 am (UTC-4)
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Surveillance in Muslim communities is indispensable for defeating terrorism.

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