Bernie Sanders in Twilight

Bernie Sanders is pushing back against media reports that Hillary Clinton will claim victory as the presumptive nominee in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, after the New Jersey primary and before the polls close in California. “There will be a contested convention,” says Sanders. Neither candidate will have an outright majority of all delegates, bothContinue reading “Bernie Sanders in Twilight”

What Will Happen When Obama Endorses Clinton?

Something political has been nagging at the back of my mind for a few days. Sometime very soon, Barack Obama will endorse Hillary Clinton and throw his full support behind her. He hasn’t yet officially, not while there are still Democratic primaries to be decided, but he has been quietly telling donors and major DemocraticContinue reading “What Will Happen When Obama Endorses Clinton?”

Bernie Sanders, the Candidate of Aspirations, not Actions

Let me be upfront — whoever is the Democratic nominee in November will have my vote. Pennsylvania will certainly be critical in November, and I cannot in good conscience cast a vote that could possibly lead to a Trump or Cruz presidency. Some men, like Cruz, want to watch the world burn, while other men,Continue reading “Bernie Sanders, the Candidate of Aspirations, not Actions”

Bernie Sanders, Renowned Tormenter of Windmills

Although my policy preferences more closely match Bernie Sanders than any other candidate — an unscientific Facebook survey put me something like 96% in line with Sanders — I’m not excited by his presidential candidacy. I have given him five dollars (as I also gave to Martin O’Malley and Hillary Clinton) to get on hisContinue reading “Bernie Sanders, Renowned Tormenter of Windmills”

Why Tom Wolf Lost York County

The above-the-fold article in yesterday’s York Sunday News caught me interest immediately — “Why Tom Wolf lost his home county.” Wolf, of course, is Pennsylvania’s incoming governor; last month he defeated, quite handily, Tom Corbett. Corbett, a Republican, was, by any measure, a widely unpopular and ineffective governor, and Wolf ran on what I wouldContinue reading “Why Tom Wolf Lost York County”

Fundraising and John Boehner’s Lawsuit

Today I have received more political fundraising e-mails than I can count. And, with one exception, they’ve all centered on the House GOP’s vote to sue President Obama. The Atlantic had a piece up today about the 21 fundraising emails the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out over the weekend about the lawsuit and itsContinue reading “Fundraising and John Boehner’s Lawsuit”

On Cynicism, Mitch Daniels, and the Thin Republican Field

Mitch Daniels, the former Bush administration Office of Management and Budget director and current governor of Indiana, has decided not to seek the Republican nomination for President in 2012. Many Republicans saw him as a viable candidate in a weak field, yet Daniels has decided to join former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who would himselfContinue reading “On Cynicism, Mitch Daniels, and the Thin Republican Field”

On the Looming Government Shutdown

So, it’s likely to happen. Sometime later today, the United States federal government will shut down. Even though the Democrats and the Republicans are within a few billion dollars of spending on the 2011 budget, the real issue for Republicans isn’t the overall spending but specific funding for Planned Parenthood and environmental regulations. Democrats wantContinue reading “On the Looming Government Shutdown”

On the Coming Impeachment of Barack Obama

The Republican Party, odds-on favorites to win the House of Representatives in six weeks, are looking to the future by looking back at their playbook of the 1990s past — a campaign platform long on rhetorical flourishes and short on a coherent governing strategy, talk of a government shutdown to force the President to theContinue reading “On the Coming Impeachment of Barack Obama”

On Economic Choices and Political Outcomes

After two days of political prognostication and analysis, I turn my attention to matters economic. The economy is in pretty dire shape — and has been since mid-2008. In President Obama’s first months in office, an economic stimulus bill was passed to inject some energy back into the economy. At the time, economists believed thatContinue reading “On Economic Choices and Political Outcomes”