Nov 30, 2012 | Democrats, Economic Policy, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2012), mic, Political Parties, Republicans
Published: PolicyMic (November 30, 2012) I have no idea whether Mitt Romney will ever see this editorial. While I do know at least one of my articles was noticed by the erstwhile Republican candidate's inner circle (a piece from six months ago that drew complaints from his former foreign policy adviser Richard Grenell), that hardly assures that anything else I write will make its way to him....
Nov 29, 2012 | Class Issues, Conservativism, Economic Policy, Extremism, mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Republicans
Published: PolicyMic (November 29, 2012) The impending so-called "fiscal cliff" has not been kind to Grover Norquist. As political junkies are well aware, the conservative lobbyist who founded Americans for Tax Reform is best known for pressuring Republican politicians to sign his Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which puts signatories on the record as vowing to never support marginal income tax...
Nov 27, 2012 | Democrats, General Advice, mic, Political Parties, Republicans, Scandals
Published: PolicyMic (November 27, 2012) This may seem odd coming from the pen of a liberal Democrat (er, keyboard), but here it goes: Gerald Ford is my favorite president of the past forty years. There are plenty of good reasons for liberals to admire Ford. Foremost among them is the fact that he was the last genuinely moderate Republican to inhabit the White House, with his battle against...
Nov 7, 2012 | Democrats, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2012), General Advice, mic, Political Parties, President Obama, Republicans
Published: PolicyMic (November 7, 2012) "When news of the surrender first reached our lines our men commenced firing a salute of a hundred guns in honor of the victory. I at once sent word, however, to have it stopped. The Confederates were now our prisoners, and we did not want to exult over their downfall." By now, most of you probably recognize this quote as the famous passage from Ulysses S....
Nov 4, 2012 | Conservativism, Democrats, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2012), Extremism, Liberalism, mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, President Obama, Republicans
Published: PolicyMic (November 4, 2012) There are two quotes that best sum up Pennsylvania's role in American democracy today. One comes from legendary political consultant James Carville: "Pennsylvania is Philadelphia in the east, Pittsburgh in the west, and Alabama in the middle." This adage will be useful when following Tuesday's election returns in the Keystone State, although it's a little...
Oct 22, 2012 | Democrats, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2012), Media Issues, mic, Political Parties, President Obama, Republicans
Published: PolicyMic (October 22, 2012) Editor's Note: This represents instant analysis of the presidential debate on Monday night. For the author's thoughts in the hour immediately before the debate began, see here. Here are my first impressions about the third debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on Monday evening: 1) The Big Points: - Both men came across as confident and well-informed...
Oct 22, 2012 | Democrats, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2012), Media Issues, mic, Political Parties, President Obama, Republicans
Published: PolicyMic (October 22, 2012) Here is my prediction for the third Obama-Romney debate at 9 p.m. EST at Lynn University in Florida: I think it’s going to be a draw, plain and simple. This isn't to say that I don't think one of the two candidates will walk away with a narrow edge of "victory" over his opponent by the end of tonight. It's just that it won't particularly matter this time...
Oct 16, 2012 | Democrats, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2012), Media Issues, mic, Political Parties, President Obama, Republicans
Published: PolicyMic (October 16, 2012) Editor's Note: This represents instant analysis of the presidential debate on Wednesday night. For the author's thoughts in the hour immediately before the debate began, see here. Here are my first impressions about the second debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on Tuesday evening: 1) The Big Points: - Obama's performance was much, much stronger...
Oct 16, 2012 | Democrats, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2012), Media Issues, mic, Political Parties, President Obama, Republicans
Published: PolicyMic (October 16, 2012) Here is my prediction for the second Obama-Romney debate: I think it’s going to be a draw, which will ultimately work slightly to President Barack Obama’s advantage. Because the president was widely viewed as having lost the first debate, the proverbial bar has been set so low for him this time that any kind of reasonably energized showing will likely be...
Oct 15, 2012 | Democrats, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2012), mic, Political Parties, President Obama, Republicans
Published: PolicyMic (October 15, 2012) As he prepares for the second presidential debate, President Barack Obama can learn a valuable political lesson from an unlikely source: George W. Bush. When Bush defeated John Kerry in 2004, it was due in no small part to the fact that the Massachusetts Senator was widely viewed as a "flip-flopper." Even after polls found that Bush was perceived as having...