Archive for January 2016
The Great Debate
Last night at the Republican debate all seven candidates might have taken aim at Donald Trump and blasted away and Trump’s decision not to attend might have backfired. Instead, they stood up there in a row sounding (expect, perhaps, Chris Christie) like seven Washington politicians – attacking each other. And handed Trump a gift.
Read MoreGlows in the Dark
Governor McCrory’s Secretary of the Environment doesn’t particularly care for solar energy so he’s set out to scuttle it by declaring nuclear energy is clean energy, just like solar. Think about that. It’s odd. The Chief Environmental Officer for all of North Carolina thinks nuclear waste, which has to be buried under a mountain in…
Read MoreIn praise of (some) polls
You can count on two perennial stories at this stage in the election cycle: (1) stories about the latest polls and (2) denunciations of all the stories about the latest polls. Frank Bruni wrote in The New York Times (“Our insane addiction to polls”), “I’d say that we’re in a period of polling bloat, but…
Read MoreThe early bird…wins the election
From President to state legislature, every campaign is debating this question right now: When do we start? Specifically, when do we start attacking – or “contrasting with” – our opponent? Eighty percent of campaigns will follow the counsel of the loudest and scaredest voice in the room, which is usually: Wait. That voice says, “It’s…
Read MoreBernie + Simon & Garfunkel
It’s hands-down the most uplifting ad of many a year. Is it reason enough to vote for Bernie Sanders? The Sanders campaign’s 60-second ad “America” was described by CNN as “so full of love, enthusiasm and patriotic uplift (complete with flag-waving) that it’s downright goose bump-inducing.” It is that. Some people even said on social…
Read MoreHillary and Bernie
We’re not fighting each other like the Republicans are – yet. But insults are flying on social media. Bad feelings are growing. And the voting hasn’t even started. Bias alert: I’m for Hillary. Her heart and mind are in the right place. She is by far the most able and qualified candidate of either party…
Read MoreThe Dealmaker?
Let’s agree (as he says about himself in his book) Donald Trump is the master of The Art of the Deal. He’s not just a billionaire with a penchant for checking out his reflection whenever he walks past a mirror or sees himself on TV – he’s a cunning (and brilliant) maker of deals. And,…
Read MoreOut of the media mainstream
As newspapers slowly decline, we newshawks have to hunt for food. If we want both sides, we have to hunt around. And the pickings are plentiful, if not wholly satisfying. On the left, you’ve got Policy Watch. On the right, there’s the Daily Haymaker. If you want the McCrory line, you go straight to Jones &…
Read MoreTrump and the art of the put-down
Ted Cruz thought he zinged Donald Trump good when he accused him of “New York values.” But one New York value that Trump has mastered is the put-down. Carter noted how Trump’s spot-on zingers buried Jeb Bush (“low energy”) and burned Cruz (“he’s a nasty guy”). Now The New York Times reports that Trump’s jibes…
Read MoreA Sign of Weakness
I wish just once when we do one of these prisoner exchanges the math would work out. We traded five terrorists to the Taliban for one American (Bowe Bergdhal). And traded seven Iranians for four Americans. It’s irrational but, just once, I’d like the math to be five to four in our favor. Or even…
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