Not since George and Martha in the play “Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” or for older readers Don Ameche and Frances Langford in the radio comedy “The Bickersons,” have we seen the kind of verbal pugilism practiced in Sunday night’s presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. If the business of Trump’s lewd language […]
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Trump’s incendiary talk drifts into some dangerous territory
WASHINGTON — The second presidential debate — bloody, muddy and raucous — was just enough to save Donald Trump’s campaign from extinction, but not enough to restore his chances of winning, barring an act of God (a medical calamity) or of Putin (a cosmically incriminating WikiLeak). That Trump crashed because of a sex-talk tape is […]
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When Trump loses, what will he do?
NEW YORK — Politics is an enduring feature of human life, but political parties are mortal. This week we watched the beginning of the end of one of America’s great, illustrious parties. The Republican Party, as we knew it, is dying. The death of a party is not so unusual. Scholars divide American history into […]
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Too many problems with Question 3
Let’s say a stalker is threatening a female friend of yours. She asks you if she can borrow your handgun. She is trained and has no criminal record. Should you loan her your gun? If you live in Maine, loaning her your gun may soon land you in prison. And forget about Boy Scout shooting […]
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The importance of keeping Donald Trump afloat
It seems ages ago, but recall when the second presidential debate was deemed the sink-or-swim moment for the candidacy of Donald J. Trump. The slobbering sex tape had just come out, causing many fearful Republicans to dis-endorse him. One more astounding meltdown on the debate stage and Trump would be out (though how that could […]
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Trump becomes a poisonous wedge
Less than a month before the election, the Republican speaker of the House says he won’t defend or campaign with his party’s presidential nominee. The nominee has responded by slamming the speaker on Twitter, and his campaign manager is accusing some (unnamed) elected Republicans of sexual harassment against her. The Donald Trump campaign and the […]
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The GOP’s moment of truth is at hand
WASHINGTON — What is the Republican Party? Suddenly, this has become one of the central questions of the 2016 campaign. It’s not simply a matter of whether the GOP is the party of Donald Trump or the party of Paul Ryan. It is also an issue of whether Republican congressional leaders have any connection with […]
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ISIS stands to lose much in fight for Dabiq
The looming battle for the small Syrian town of Dabiq presents Islamic State commanders with a well-deserved dilemma. Do they retreat from Dabiq’s “physical” ruins north of Aleppo or do they fanatically defend the “metaphysical” Dabiq of Muslim tradition in a battle that is a sign of Earth’s end times? Unlike al-Qaida, ISIS controls territory. […]
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Donald Trump a poor excuse for a man
Look, I’m a guy, all right? So I’ve spent a lot of time doing guy things in guy places: barbershops, locker rooms, even men’s prisons. Back during my music critic days, I hung out backstage with a veritable army of rock lords and soul men. But I have never, not ever, not once, heard a […]
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Constitution at stake in Nov. 8 election
This election is about a lot of things, but it is fundamentally about the U.S. Constitution and whether federal judges will adhere to their oath to “… faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me … under the Constitution and laws of the United States,” or dilute, attack and destroy our […]