I don’t know what’s more insane — that the GOP establishment is contemplating schemes to deny Donald Trump the GOP presidential nomination or that they’re talking openly about those schemes eight months before the convention (and before any states have selected delegates to said convention). If this were coming from the media, I wouldn’t beContinue reading “A Brokered Convention and the GOP’s Unforced Error”
Category Archives: Politics
Joe Biden’s Window Closes
I admit, I’m disappointed that Joe Biden isn’t running for president. His speech yesterday in the Rose Garden, with his wife Jill to one side and the president to the other, was pure Joe Biden — funny, warm, forceful, and a little bitrandom. His window closed, and maybe it was never open, but I’ll missContinue reading “Joe Biden’s Window Closes”
The Resignation of Boehner
Speaker of the House John Boehner has announced his intention to resign. A week ago, I speculated on his future prospects — House Republicans on his right flank were making noises about unseating him, and might he need Democratic votes to save his Speakership? The possibility of his resignation, mid-term, didn’t even occur to me;Continue reading “The Resignation of Boehner”
The Religious Bigotry of Ben Carson, Candidate
Let me state upfront that Ben Carson has disqualified himself to be the next president of the United States with his statement about how a Muslim cannot be president, a statement that prompted Ta-Nahesi Coates to label him a “bigot” in a piece for The Atlantic this morning. But I want to dig down intoContinue reading “The Religious Bigotry of Ben Carson, Candidate”
The Future of John Boehner
With a government shutdown looming — and potentially a debt ceiling showdown after that — John Boehner’s position as Speaker of the House may be on the line. A Republican Congressman from North Carolina has introduced a resolution to declare the Speaker’s chair vacant essentially as a warning to Boehner — “Cross us by ignoringContinue reading “The Future of John Boehner”
Is Captain Kirk a Republican?
The New York Times Magazine ran an interview with Ted Cruz yesterday. It’s an interview to promote his new book, but he segues into pop culture — Spider-Man, Star Wars, and Star Trek. While it’s interesting to read a sitting United States Senator talk about Darth Vader, it’s his Star Trek comments that have garneredContinue reading “Is Captain Kirk a Republican?”
Jeb Bush and Reckoning with the Iraq War
Now that the Iraq War — and why it happened — has been put back on the radar thanks to Jeb Bush, we need to keep an important fact in mind about how it happened. The whole “if we knew then what we know now” formulation that various Republicans are trying to flaot is besideContinue reading “Jeb Bush and Reckoning with the Iraq War”
The Republican Veneration of the Undead Reagan
Over the weekend, a reporter for CNN asked several actual and potential GOP presidential candidates a simple question — Who is the greatest living president? Let’s look at our choices. Which former presidents are still living? Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush. Who did Bobby Jindal, Ted Cruz, and Donald TrumpContinue reading “The Republican Veneration of the Undead Reagan”
More on Frum and the GOP in 2016
On Saturday, I wrote about a piece David Frum wrote for The Atlantic in whihc he discussed the lessons the can learn from David Cameron and the Tories. I called Frum’s piece “misguided,” as it seems to have been written in complete disregard for who today’s Republican Party is. “It’s as though Frum has neverContinue reading “More on Frum and the GOP in 2016”
David Frum on David Cameron and the GOP
David Frum, the former George W. Bush speechwriter, wrote a piece for The Atlantic about David Cameron’s general election victory and the lessons today’s GOP can take from it. I found the article misguided and unintentionally funny. Frum’s argument is that the GOP needs to make peace with Obamacare, reject politics of racial resentment, pursueContinue reading “David Frum on David Cameron and the GOP”