Search Results for: Voting

A Singular Failure of Judicial Judgement

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What Happened in Wisconsin is a Call to Arms

 

This is Not an Especially Complicated Story

Wisconsin had a primary this week. The governor sought to maximize voting by mail. He considered postponing the primary, as have many other states in the midst of this pandemic.

No hyperbole here – people who had to vote in person put their lives – and those of poll workers – at very real risk. This is a no brainer, right? Not so fast.

The Republican legislature blocked any moves to improve safety while encouraging voting.

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Covid-19: Three Non-medical Problems to Solve

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We Have The Tools. Two Problems Could Be Solved Easily. The Last One – Not So Much

The  COVID-19 national crisis is one bad news story after another, as we all recognize. But the situation contains two problems that could be easily solved. We need only the will to do so.

Corruption Writ Large

The first of these is illustrated by the financial scandal around Senator Richard Burr and others. They apparently used insider information from official briefings for personal gain. They sold massive amounts of stock.

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Everyone Looks Better Walking Out the Door

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Four Valuable Lessons Going Forward from Super Tuesday

 

Well, it is possible that America has seen more political changes in so short a time at some other period. But from Saturday night in South Carolina through Super Tuesday and a couple of days more, this beats anything I have ever seen. Even the Talking Heads on TV were reluctant to commit to anything. They feared they may be proven wrong in the next 30 minutes.

Lots of things to reflect on, for sure. And the drama is far from over. We have some big,

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Enough Pundits for A While- Let Us Reflect

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Today is Super Tuesday. So much is on the Line. You Don’t Need More Opinion

 

By the time today ends, more than a dozen states will have had their primaries. More than one-third of the delegates for the national conventions will have been allocated. It’s a turn the corner day.

Let us hope for a good run for our better angels.

Given all that, it occurs to me that the last thing any of us need today, including you, dear reader, is yet another advice/opinion column. So, today I offer only my best wishes to all and encouragement to be thoughtful if today is the day you vote.

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The Democrats See 3 Doors Ahead. Maybe 5! Which to Choose?

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The Media Has Some Doors of Its Own to Choose, Too.

You might recall that a few weeks ago, I noted that what seemed like an interminable primary process would soon hurdle forward at great speed. Buckle your seatbelts. Here we are.

Things are happening pretty fast now. There is much talk about momentum, at least some of which seems overblown. But by the end of the first week of March, a lot will be settled. That is less than two weeks away.

What Door to Walk Through?

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Well, THAT Was a Different Debate

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What Changed? What Did We Learn?

We Who are About to Die Salute You

The 9th Democratic Presidential Debate held in Las Vegas was quite different. It had a manageable number of candidates (six), so more time for direct candidates’ cross talk. Mike Bloomberg had his first round in such a forum. The knives were out pretty much all around. So much for playing nicely with each other.

For a minute there, I thought I was watching a replay of a Sharks vs Jets scene from West Side Story. And over it all, the omnipresent shadow of the clock – we are in the stage wherein things begin moving quickly.

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And Then There is Joe

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The Former Vice President Holds a Lead, but its Tenuous. Is He “The One?”

 

Joe Biden has been a major presence in this campaign, from the beginning – even before he declared his candidacy. Once he did declare, he went immediately to the top of the polls. He still leads in most polls. Slam dunk, right? Not so fast, there.

Yea, Joe

Biden is seen by a lot of Americans as the most electable candidate, the most likely to beat Trump. A lot of people are comfortable with him as a person.

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Guns and Health Care: Touchstones or Third Rails?

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Yes, They Are

Some interesting currents are afoot as we approach a presidential election year. The Democrats have choices to make on two defining issues. Guns and health care are at once rewarding and dangerous for Democrats

Whether one agrees with her positions on these two issues, Elizabeth Warren has done an admirable job of defining the question. Will her party go bold or go home?

There are plenty of nuances at work, of course. But in general, there are two Democratic approaches. Some lean toward modest positions. They do so,

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Thoughts on the Next Round of Debates

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The Number of Participants is Way Down – Now What?

As of Tuesday morning, August 27, 10 candidates have qualified for the September debate(s). There is one more day to qualify. If no one else qualifies, it looks like all 10 will go on for one night. If one or more are added, there will be a drawing to divide them up into two nights, with 6-7 on each night, Some thoughts about all that:

  • Second night crowds tend to be smaller than first nights, but frankly, I would like to see two nights even with 10 candidates.

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Making Super Tuesday Actually Super

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A Proposal to Make a Most Important Day and the Rest of the Election Cycle Work

 

Before starting this conversation, let’s be clear about something. The national parties do NOT organize primaries (date, open or closed, primary or caucus). States do their own thing, yielding various kinds of chaos and skewed outcomes. The national parties can cajole. They can threaten sanctions at the convention. But they have remarkably little control. More on that later.

A Killer Calendar

Super Tuesday in the 2020 election cycle comes on March 3 this time around.

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