Writing
After rough 2016, making journalism great again
The White House looked lost in a late evening mist, as if a mere onlooker to the bleachers arising for the upcoming presidential inauguration. Off in the distance, early sounds of New Year’s revelry could be heard from the roof deck at the W Hotel, the buzzing crowd outside the Old Ebbitt Grill, and theRead moreIn a Trump world, McCain is poised for comeback
Few, if any, have compared Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to Frank Sinatra. Now is the time to do so. McCain, who in November won a tough reelection to grasp his sixth term as a U.S. senator, finds himself at a moment in political history where the quiet, somewhat downward arc of his recent career nowRead moreDemocrats miss warning signs, even in blue Maryland
A month before the November election, one of the top political thinkers in Maryland sat down for a lunch at a funky restaurant in Hyattsville and essentially outlined how the Democrats could lose the presidential election. They would not lose Maryland to the Republican presidential candidate — not this year, anyway — but the futureRead moreIt’s Now the GOP’s moment in history, not Trump’s
To answer how did “this” happen, look no further than the bumper-sticker lines of each candidate. Donald Trump said he would “make American great again.” Hillary Clinton‘s was “I’m with her.” Voters did not want to be with a presidential candidate for his or her success. They wanted the presidential candidate to be with them,Read moreA field guide to third-party prospects
This was a prime year for a solid third-party run for the White House. Antipathy and disdain for the major party candidates are at historical high levels. Polls show that far more than half of Americans think a third party is needed. Do not hold out hope for a breakthrough. None of the “major” thirdRead moreThis election, if you can’t defend your actions, just accuse others
For much of the four years I covered the conflict in Bosnia, the guys whom we caught burning down villages, looting, smacking around women and the elderly, and terrorizing children would always be furious when we showed up. “Why do you write about us?” they often spat, displaying a much wider and pointed fluency inRead moreSome tough debate questions for Clinton and Trump (really)
The advance word is that the first debate between the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates on Monday may set records for viewership. That makes sense. The potential for entertainment is high, while the fear and loathing of each candidate by voters is, according to most polls, also setting records. “Monday Night Football’s” action may paleRead moreTrump picks Clinton’s lock on the election
In the 1982 movie “Diner,” the character played by a young Mickey Rourke is struggling with paying off money owed to a bookie on past lost bets. He decides to place a wager on a college basketball game he believes is a sure winner as a way to clear the debt. An adult friend ofRead moreBatman’s Lament
Batman’s lament © 2016/TomSquitieri This is her room I know her bed She has to come and pet my head This is her room I know her rug She likes when I sleep here and I wait for her hugs This is her room I know her smell Why isn’t she here? It makes meRead moreTrump and Clinton should un-rig the debates
Donald Trump has declared that the presidential election is likely to be rigged. Here is his chance to do something about it. As Washington turns inward to begin its all-important — some might say elitist — debate as to which media superstars get to referee the fall presidential debates, GOP nominee Trump has already voicedRead moreIf ‘bipartisanship’ is now a dirty word, how about a rebranding?
In April, the media company Gannett announced it was spinning off its publishing business and would run its broadcasting and digital units under the new corporate name “Tegna.” Not to be outdone, in June the Tribune Publishing Company — which Gannett was trying to acquire — renamed itself “Tronc,” which it declared stood for “aRead moreGet Ready for President Lugar
Since the media’s dream of a brokered Republican presidential convention has turned to fizz, the possibilities of additional arias in the presidential opera are dwindling as the curtain begins to close on the spring season. The Libertarian Party — in a contested presidential convention the media once projected for Republicans — took two ballots toRead more