To what extent is Trump a one-off, and to what extent does he represent a constituency that will remain relatively coherent for at least the next couple of election cycles?
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Conservatives Have Failed Donald Trump’s Supporters
Posted February 16th, 2016 at 2:26 pm (UTC-5)
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…[T]he conservative movement, offer next to nothing to working-class Trump supporters. There are no obvious conservative policies that will generate the sort of growth needed to raise the standard of living for these working-class voters.
Trump Has No Idea How to Be President
Posted February 16th, 2016 at 1:25 pm (UTC-5)
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If he does become the Republican standard-bearer for the November election, this still leaves a fundamental problem that seems impossible to paper over: Trump is profoundly ignorant about the nature of the American presidency and this does not appear to trouble him.
Trump & Sanders Win, Bewildering Political Establishment
Posted February 10th, 2016 at 1:14 am (UTC-5)
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Less than 24 hours after Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump and his Democratic counterpart, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, both landed decisive victories in the New Hampshire primary, pundits and columnists began dissecting the outcome. Is this a case of “it’s just New Hampshire, we have long race ahead of us, a lot can change before Novemeber!” ? Or, alternatively, “the American electorate has spoken; the populist movement is here!” ? Hard to say. What we do know is that the establishment machine is a bit gobsmacked. They know Trump doesn’t need or take their money, and Sanders relies heavily on individual contributions. They also know what New Hampshire’s exit polls tell us: namely, that young people really like Sanders over Clinton – and that Trump supporters are willing to show up and vote. It’s not just a reality show anymore.
It’s Only Iowa
Posted February 2nd, 2016 at 3:45 pm (UTC-5)
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The results of the Iowa caucuses matter because they are the very first votes cast in this year’s presidential race. Then again, political experts remind us over and over and over again that there is still a LONG way to go: 49 other nominating contests must take place before either party has a nominee that must then fight it out to win the White House. So, yes, Iowa is just a peculiar snapshot, but the way it all unfolded confirms the nature of this campaign: anti-establishment ideas have traction… and, yes, Donald Trump remains unpredictable: his concession speech to opponent Ted Cruz was low-key and dignified.
Democratic Party Drama
Posted January 22nd, 2016 at 3:10 pm (UTC-5)
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Benghazi. A private email server. Whitewater. All scandals with the name Clinton attached. Ever since the Clinton’s came to Washington more than 20 years ago, controversy has plagued the power couple, who have built a very loyal following right along side a long list of enemies. Now as the former First Lady, senator from New York, and former Secretary of State makes her case to be President of the United States, she faces an unexpectedly tough battle from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who has attracted support from Americans who are tired of business as usual in Washington. It has widely been assumed that the Democratic Party nomination was Hillary’s to lose. But with polls showing more and more voters supporting non-mainstream candidates like Sanders (and billionaire Donald Trump on the Republican side), there are concerns that, despite her gravitas, Hillary’s credibility gap has weakened her hold on Democrats.
How Donald Trump Destroyed the Republican Party in 2015
Posted December 29th, 2015 at 9:00 am (UTC-5)
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The party might nominate Trump, in which case the establishment will have lost all control. Or party leaders might somehow find a way to defeat him, in which case they will have lost the allegiance of much of the base. In either event, the GOP we once knew is irredeemably a thing of the past.
GOP Candidates Gang Up on Trump as Terror Threat Dominates 5th Debate
Posted December 16th, 2015 at 2:08 pm (UTC-5)
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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.
The Republican War – Over War Policy
Posted November 13th, 2015 at 11:48 am (UTC-5)
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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.
The Fox Business Debate Should Put The Focus on Growth, Jobs And Energy Independence
Posted November 10th, 2015 at 2:09 pm (UTC-5)
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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.
Rubio Overshadows Jeb – and Trump – in Republican Debate
Posted October 29th, 2015 at 5:12 pm (UTC-5)
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Wednesday’s third Republican debate was a reminder that the race to become the next President of the United States is still in the early stages. Oddly, the candidates with the most support and/or money seemed to fade into the background. The night belonged to Florida Senator Marco Rubio, thanks to a badly executed jab by Jeb Bush. The clash lit up Twitter and diminished Bush, who was expected to be the party’s frontrunner. Senator Ted Cruz had a glittering moment too, according to some pundits. Neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who was ahead of businessman Donald Trump in the latest poll, kind of disappeared along with the usually loud-mouthed mogul. But as we said: it’s still early.
The Blame Game
Posted October 20th, 2015 at 2:23 pm (UTC-5)
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Love him, hate him or simply be appalled, Donald Trump knows how to goose his fellow Republicans running for president. His latest sound bite to go viral — a criticism of President George W. Bush because the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened on his White House watch — was clearly intended to get a rise out […]
Chaos Is the GOP’s New Normal
Posted October 9th, 2015 at 8:37 am (UTC-5)
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The insurrection that propelled billionaire Donald Trump into the lead for the GOP nomination and ultimately made House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) surrender his gavel in frustration rages on unabated. This was no mere summer skirmish. If anything, the rebellion is gaining strength.
America, We Could Be Looking at a Trump, Clinton Contest
We must consider how astounding it is that Ted Cruz couldn’t win in a state like South Carolina with such a large born-again Christian voter base. And that of the entire field of GOP candidates – including Cruz and Carson, two devout Christians – that Jerry Falwell, Jr. endorsed Trump.