Tag : Donald Trump
Wollman Rink or Plaza Hotel?
Presuming that at some point President Trump runs out of executive orders to issue – granted, that is an open question – he may get around to trying to fulfill some of his more concrete campaign promises. Pun intended. Atop that list is one thing where Trump and many Democrats and Republicans agree: the needRead 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 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 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 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 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 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 moreIn 2016, conventional wisdom is running in last place
Be careful what you ask for: both presidential nominating races are as muddled as the media have long fantasized they might be. Two states completely unreflective of the country at large -— Iowa and New Hampshire — took their swings at the presidential nominating process. It is still a delightful mess. The next two statesRead moreThe presidential playoffs have begun
Pre-vote debates are over. Countdown to presidential clarity/semi-historic confusion begins with the rapidly approaching Iowa caucus carnival, followed by a trio of contests as different as the last four NFL teams that vied for the 2016 Super Bowl. We know the goal line: the White House. Thus the four quarters to be played: the RepublicanRead moreA look back at Trump’s first run
It was a fascinating campaign swing. There was “The Tonight Show” and Michael Bolton. There was a reception in a swank hotel where those attending stuffed food in their pockets and where two guys hired escorts to be their dates in order to appear classy. The next day, there was a museum event and aRead more
