The following editorial appeared in Sunday’s Washington Post. Just when you thought the presidential campaign couldn’t get any more bizarre — just when you thought American politics might finally have exhausted the possibilities for cynicism and irresponsibility — certain Republican Party insiders have begun developing strange new respect for the candidate whose meteoric rise only […]
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Hillary must find a brand of inspiration
WASHINGTON — It has never been easy to be Hillary Clinton. Evidence for that proposition is already in the minds of many who are reading this: What do you mean Hillary hasn’t had it easy? Would she even be in this race if she hadn’t been married to Bill Clinton? Would she have been elected […]
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Fight between populism, conservatism rages
At the moment, the Republican establishment is relevant to the presidential-nomination battle only as an epithet. Less than two weeks from the Iowa caucus, the fight for the Republican nomination isn’t so much a vicious brawl between the grass roots and the establishment as it is a bitter struggle between traditional conservatism and populism that […]
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Palin sees only a political opportunity
The police report paints a confusing and chaotic picture. Apparently, the young man and his girlfriend got into an argument over her ex-boyfriend. At some point, things became physical. When police arrived, they say they found the young man outside his parent’s home, where he lives. He was belligerent, evasive and stank of alcohol. He […]
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Iran instantly becomes world power
WASHINGTON — Give President Obama credit. His Iran nuclear deal may be disastrous but the packaging was brilliant. The near-simultaneous prisoner exchange was meant to distract from last Saturday’s official implementation of the sanctions-lifting deal. And it did. The Republicans concentrated almost all their fire on the swap sideshow. And in denouncing the swap, they […]
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Open governments will do better during times of crisis
DAVOS — Conversations here at the World Economic Forum might begin with the global economy, but sooner or later they turn to Donald Trump. The Republican primary contest has gotten everyone’s attention. Some remain entertained, but many of the people I’ve spoken with are worried. As one European CEO said to me, “We’re moving into […]
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Donald Trump’s extremism fuels his voter appeal
There are many reasons to recommend Elizabeth Strout’s new novel, “My Name Is Lucy Barton,” but this is not a book review, so I offer this single, searing paragraph: “I have said before: It interests me how we find ways to feel superior to another person, another group of people. It happens everywhere, and all […]
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Leftists fail to see that Iran cannot be trusted
Every American should be glad that American hostages have been freed by the tyrannical Iranian regime and are being reunited with family, friends and co-workers. Less satisfying is the return of Iran’s $400 million trust fund, used to buy military equipment, which was frozen in 1979, along with its diplomatic relations with the U.S. (plus […]
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GOP exploit voters’ turn toward anger
WASHINGTON — The fixed smile on Donald Trump’s face as Sarah Palin unleashed her free-association, who-knows-what-she’ll-say-next harangue endorsing him on Tuesday sent its own message. “How long do I have to stand here?” it seemed to say. But of all the developments in the astonishing Republican presidential contest, this moment told us what we need […]
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What is the stock market saying?
WASHINGTON — Just whether the sharp selloff of stocks signals an economic slowdown or recession is an open question. Most economists seem to think not. Strong job growth (2.7 million more payroll jobs in 2015) and low interest rates will sustain slow but steady growth. Still, the dramatic stock market decline raises other possibilities. In […]