Donald Trump has announced his tax plan, which predictably involves lower taxes for everyone (except hedge fund managers), and Hillary Clinton promises an improved economy, which predictably involves an emphasis on income inequality. Stated another way, we are about to witness yet another rehashing of traditional approaches. What we will not see, however, are the
As I wrote on Friday, the schedule for the 2016 debates has been released. It was released by the Presidential Debate Commission. There will be three debates. We know the dates and locations, but not much else. There are two reasons for that: 1) the general election candidates are not yet known; and 2) the
Today’s blog will be the first – and decidedly shorter – of a two-part blog dealing with the issue of Presidential Debates. The second will post on Sunday. The schedule for the 2016 debates was released yesterday. The Presidential Debate Commission announced the following: The first general-election debate will be held Sept. 26, 2016, at
Two days ago, Ben Carson uttered the following on CNN: “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that.” This followed Donald Trump’s low-energy reaction last Thursday to a questioner who claimed that President Obama is Muslim. Not surprisingly, the national media has
If nothing else, the Republican primary debates have underscored the ruinous role that victimization plays in our discussion of national issues. (I have no doubt that the Democratic debates will do so as well). There seems to be but one strategy for all Presidential candidates – cast issues in terms of a shared betrayal, then
The setting for last night’s Republican Primary debate was spectacular. Air Force One, eleven podiums, and lights everywhere. It was a political IMAX, the only thing missing was…. substance. What is most shameful about last night’s debacle is that it was intended to be a melee. I know this because a truly amazing article appeared
The second round of Republican Primary debates will take place tomorrow night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. The prime -time debate will begin at 8:00 p.m. and will involve the ten leading candidates, as measured by various polls. (I will not address the methodology of the polling criteria, of which
This past Thursday, the Senate – in an act of inescapable irony – failed to garner enough votes to end debate on the agreement with Iran regarding its nuclear program. In other words, the Senate was unable to conclude a debate it had not begun. The result is that the agreement reached between Iran, China,
By now, carnival-goers should know that the reason they can’t knock down a pyramid of three milk bottles from five feet away is that the two stacked on the bottom are heavier than the one on top. But the carnival barkers keep instigating, and the erstwhile pitchers of days long passed throw down money, pick