US Opinion and Commentary

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Politics, Punditry and Puffery

Posted February 26th, 2016 at 3:40 pm (UTC-4)
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Time is running out for Republican Party establishment figures to execute a “Stop Trump” strategy. Next week’s Super Tuesday primaries in 12 states will go a long way in determining whether Trump and Hillary Clinton will be the presumptive presidential nominees. And less than 24 hours after a debate in which Marco Rubio was declared the winner by most political experts, Donald Trump stole the spotlight from him by winning an important endorsement from former presidential candidate Chris Christie. Trump’s ascension — and, to a lesser extent, that of Democrat Bernie Sanders — has upended conventional wisdom in American politics. But political blind spots have allowed Trump’s anti-establishment message to take root.

Wising Up to Big-Money Bribery of Both Parties

Posted February 24th, 2016 at 12:22 pm (UTC-4)
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It’s harder to get out than to get in because you have people who have invested their time, their money, and their sweat and reputations to help you. You want to give them your best and leave it all on the turf for them.

Young Voters, Motivated Again

Posted February 22nd, 2016 at 3:29 pm (UTC-4)
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This is the first presidential campaign in which people age 18 to 29 make up the same proportion of the electorate as do baby boomers — about one-third. This year, the youth turnout for both parties in the primaries so far is rivaling 2008, the year of Barack Obama’s first campaign.

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.

How to Save the World: Old-School Foreign-Policy Realism

Posted February 12th, 2016 at 3:51 pm (UTC-4)
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America’s deliberate impotence has depleted our credibility and facilitated looming disasters. To stop the rot, we need to return to old-school realism: resolute action pursuing practical objectives.

He’s Beatable

Posted February 12th, 2016 at 9:54 am (UTC-4)
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Choosing Donald Trump as the Republican party’s nominee would be a mistake. He lacks the character to be a trustworthy president and the convictions to be a conservative one.

Michael Bloomberg Is the Real Winner in N.H.

Posted February 10th, 2016 at 11:54 am (UTC-4)
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In a year when conventions have shattered and rulebooks tossed out the window of Trump’s 757, why not a candidate who has marched to a different drum his entire career? Bloomberg has run as a Republican, a Democrat, and an independent over the years.

How Spiro Agnew Shaped Republican Rhetoric

Posted February 10th, 2016 at 10:51 am (UTC-4)
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“Nattering nabobs of negativism” is what Agnew branded liberal foes of the administration. In brass-knuckled rhetoric that would foreshadow that of today’s younger Republicans in the House “Freedom Caucus” as well as presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, the vice president denounced “an effete corps of impudent snobs” who encouraged a “national state of masochism.”

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.

I Miss Barack Obama

Posted February 9th, 2016 at 9:50 am (UTC-4)
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Obama radiates an ethos of integrity, humanity, good manners and elegance that I’m beginning to miss, and that I suspect we will all miss a bit, regardless of who replaces him.

Marco Rubio Is In a Precarious Spot In New Hampshire

Posted February 9th, 2016 at 9:19 am (UTC-4)
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Even before Saturday’s debate, Rubio’s hold on second place wasn’t especially secure, and with Rubio, John Kasich, Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush all huddled with support in the low teens or high single digits, even a small post-debate dip could push Rubio from second to third … or fourth … or fifth.

A Possible Last Stand for John Kasich

Posted February 5th, 2016 at 9:01 am (UTC-4)
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In a year when most Republican rivals have vied to match frontrunner Donald Trump’s often outrageous proposals, highly personalized attacks and establishment bashing, Ohio Gov. John Kasich stands out as a voice of moderation and compromise.

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.

Marco Rubio and Bernie Sanders were the Real Winners in Iowa

Posted February 2nd, 2016 at 8:26 am (UTC-4)
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The real winners were Marco Rubio, with his remarkably strong third-place showing, and Bernie Sanders, with his virtual tie…. if the legacy of Iowa is to propel Rubio to the nomination — granted, a big if at this point — the biggest loser could be Hillary Clinton.