Published: Salon (June 11, 2016) Now that Hillary Clinton is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, I have a congratulatory observation for her. When I talk to strangers about politics these days, the subject inevitably turns to the 2016 presidential election. Most of them have strong feelings one way or the other about Donald Trump, but unless they’re a partisan Democrat or simply...
Political Parties
Sanders supporters pushed Clinton to the left—now they have to keep her there
Jun 8, 2016 | Centrism, Class Issues, Democrats, Economic Policy, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Liberalism, mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties
Published: Quartz (June 7, 2016) Heading into California primary today, Donald Trump is catching up toHillary Clinton in the general election polls. According to political analysis from statisticians like Nate Silver, the reluctance of some Bernie Sanders supporters to back an alternate Democratic candidate is part of the reason for Trump’s boost. Sanders’ backers tend to identify as...
Bernie Sanders has a big decision ahead
May 4, 2016 | Democrats, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Liberalism, mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties
Published: Quartz (May 3, 2016) Staring down the DC press corps on Sunday (May 1), Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders vowed to make Hillary Clinton’s path to the party’s presidential nomination as challenging as possible. “It is virtually impossible for secretary Clinton to reach a majority of convention delegates by June 14 with pledged delegates alone,” Sandersexplained to...
Trump’s 10 Million Votes
May 2, 2016 | Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Extremism, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Republicans
Published: Salon (May 3, 2016), The Good Men Project (April 30, 2016) According to a recent article by Kyle Cheney of Politico, Donald Trump is about to win more primary votes than any other Republican presidential candidate... ever. The section of the article delving into this deserves to be quoted in full: "Trump surged to more than 10 million votes, according to totals that include Tuesday’s...
Thank “God” for John Boehner!
Apr 28, 2016 | Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Political Parties, Republicans
Published: The Good Men Project (April 28, 2016) I've never liked John Boehner. From the moment he weaseled his way into the House Republican leadership by virtue of his corporate connections (which, to be fair, is how most modern politicians get the job) to his penchant for maudlin emotionalism, virtually everything about the Ohioan rubbed me the wrong way. I'm still nauseous at the fact that,...
The Trump Jokes Are On Us
Apr 26, 2016 | Conservativism, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Extremism, Gender and Sexism, mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Race and Racism, Republicans
Published: Salon (April 26, 2016) There is an element of the Shakespearean to the Donald Trump campaign. Comedy and tragedy are often inextricably linked in melodrama, and as Trump rambles and bloviates his way through the American presidential election process (and perhaps, one fears, to the presidency itself), an intriguing narrative arc is taking shape. It began almost exactly five years ago,...
How Pennsylvania Could Save America
Apr 17, 2016 | Democrats, Elections, Pennsylvania, Political Parties
Published: The Good Men Project (April 16, 2016) If you're a liberal Democrat and want cause to hope, take a look at the Pennsylvania Senate race right now. Even as the Democratic Party establishment frustrates progressives with its tendency to support bland moderates over inspiring idealists (see: the Clinton-Sanders presidential primary), my home state is giving Americans a sign that local...
Clinton is stealing the Democratic primaries… and it must stop!
Apr 11, 2016 | Democrats, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Political Parties, Republicans
Published: Salon (April 11, 2016) When Joe Scarborough is absolutely right about the Democratic Party, that is a very bad sign. While discussing the Wyoming caucuses on his show “Morning Joe” today, Scarborough expressed dismay at the fact that although Bernie Sanders won by nearly 12 points, Hillary Clinton has nevertheless picked up the most delegates (11 to 7). “Why does the Democratic Party...
Bernie Sanders is a compassionate, intelligent man who has no clue how to run a country
Apr 6, 2016 | Class Issues, Democrats, Economic Policy, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Foreign Policy, Liberalism, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Terrorism
Published: Quartz (April 6, 2016) If Bernie Sanders wants to be president, he’ll need to do better than this. The Democratic senator is doubtless feeling pretty optimistic today, fresh off a primary victory in Wisconsin. And yet a much more telling measure of the candidate’s presidential chances happened earlier this week, during an interview with the editorial board of the New York Daily News....
Donald Trump’s secret weapon against Hillary Clinton
Apr 6, 2016 | Conservativism, Democrats, Economic Policy, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Foreign Policy, Liberalism, mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Republicans
Published: Salon (April 5, 2016) There is one issue in which Donald Trump is much more progressive than Hillary Clinton – and, unless she learns from history and decisively changes the way Americans perceive her positions here, it may wind up costing her the presidency. I’m referring, of course, to American trade policy. Although the last president to oppose free trade was Hebert Hoover (and his...