There was a definite irony in the death of George McGovern on the eve of the last presidential debate last weekend. Just as Mitt Romney was about to unveil himself as a faux-peace candidate, while Barack Obama insisted on sounding like a more muscular version of George W. Bush, McGovern’s obituaries were reminding Americans of […]
Archives for October 2012
Who Are These People? The Terror of the Taliban
I readily admit to not understanding religious fanaticism of any stripe. How can anyone profess absolute belief not only in a supernatural power that deserves worship and adoration, but to a set of dictates presumably handed down by that power that are then taken so literally as to lead to acts of cruelty and even […]
The Lesson from the First Debate: Be Prepared
In the days leading up to last week’s first presidential debate Mitt Romney’s campaign was at risk of being written off by many in his own party. Yes, it had gotten that bad. Beginning with his silly “world tour” that had him saying all the wrong things in just about every international stop, continuing with […]
Political Philosophy 101: It Ain’t Over Until It’s Over
Nate Silver has made a science of reading and interpreting the collective work of pollsters. His blog, fivethirtyeight.com, is a must read for anyone who wants to understand what the polls are saying, especially when they can seem to be pointing in different directions. Case in point: the highly regarded Gallup tracking poll […]