From the Left
/Politics
Will Democrats Learn From a Humiliating Loss?
In the aftermath of Vice President Kamala Harris' decisive electoral loss to former President Donald Trump, my mind has kept going back to a memorable and widely repeated gaffe by a man who was not on the ballot.
That man was Joe Biden, and the unfortunate utterance in question happened more than four years ago when he was a former vice ...Read more
Campaign Season Ends on Cruel Notes
It seems to me that Tony Hinchcliffe, the podcast host and alleged "roast comedian" who warmed up the crowd at Donald Trump's recent campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, could have found a less gratuitously cruel way to get laughs than to call Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.“
Call me old-fashioned, but I long for ...Read more
Is Donald Trump a Fascist at Heart? Close Enough
Donald Trump and MAGA loyalists may scoff at the charge that he’s a fascist, but let’s face it, he at least offers a remarkably good imitation.
The F-word came up prominently as radio host Charlamagne Tha God interviewed Vice President Kamala Harris in mid-October about her vision compared to that of her Republican rival.
“The other is ...Read more
Donald Trump’s 'Day of Love' Was Far From Lovely
I was delighted but, alas, not all that excited by the platform of policies that Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled to court Black male voters this week.
Her “Opportunity Agenda for Black Men” offers a big package...Read more
Trump, Spreader of Conspiracy Theories, Needs to Get Out of the Way
While following news coverage of the horrific and deadly path of Hurricane Helene across North Carolina, I was given pause by the ironic name of a large county which received some of the worst destruction: Buncombe.
American political history buffs will recognize this as a catchword for meaningless speech. “The usual story” of the origin of...Read more
Called Upon to Lie for Trump, JD Vance Stumbled
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it is said. And in Washington, so is stealing credit.
Is there a better example than Republican lawmakers praising themselves for “saving” the federal health-care law that they fought long and hard to defeat, repeal and otherwise sabotage?
Now we can count both former President Donald Trump and ...Read more
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s Guilt Hinges on How the Women Will be Judged: Survivors or Willing Participants?
For years, a barely worn blazer has hung in my closet. It features a graceful cut and fabric woven with the colors of the sea, offset by a white silken lining. The garment exemplifies a certain freshness, a vibrancy, a bit of luxury. The designer’s label: SEAN by Sean Combs.
Yes, that brand was the one that went up in flames recently with the...Read more
Looking for Truth When Lies Become Too Easy to Embrace
Sometimes amid the hoopla and hogwash of political events, I find myself jerked alert by an accidental truth that manages to break through.
Such appeared to be the case when Sen. JD Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president, urged Democrats to “tone down their rhetoric,” while not doing much to tone down his own.
In a live interview...Read more
Harris Makes the Most of Her Chances, While Trump Phones It In
Many, many moons ago, my family elders advised me: “Son, prepare yourself, because you never know when the doors of opportunity are going to open up. And when they do, you need to be ready to step inside.”
That was good advice, although I didn't immediately take it to heart. I had to learn the hard way that walking through those doors meant...Read more
No Party Has a Monopoly on Patriotism
If you don’t tell a lie, my father used to say, you won’t have to worry about which version of your story you told last.
Right, I agreed, but, with an attitude like that, ol’ Dad was well advised to avoid going into politics.
That advice came to mind amid the unfolding saga of an unfortunate altercation at Arlington National Cemetery on ...Read more
No Party Has a Monopoly on Patriotism
If you don’t tell a lie, my father used to say, you won’t have to worry about which version of your story you told last.
Right, I agreed, but, with an attitude like that, ol’ Dad was well advised to avoid going into politics.
That advice came to mind amid the unfolding saga of an unfortunate altercation at Arlington National Cemetery on ...Read more
Manhood is On the Ballot, as if Politics Were Not Crazy Enough
In case you somehow haven’t noticed, manhood is on the ballot.
Even before President Joe Biden stepped aside to let Vice President Kamala Harris step up to be the Democrats’ presidential nominee, insiders from both parties were calling this the “boys vs. girls election.”
And even before the Republican National Convention opened in ...Read more
Democrats are Trying to Offer Voters a Reflection of Themselves, Only Better
Perhaps the most memorable moment of this year’s Democratic convention came the night before Kamala Harris officially accepted the party’s nomination for president.
It was no simple matter for anyone to follow a lineup of such stars as Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder and Barack and Michelle Obama, just to name a few.
But countless eyes and TV...Read more
Maybe It’s In the Air. A Timely Step Toward Semiretirement.
As one who sympathized and empathized with President Joe Biden, I was relieved when he decided to step aside for a younger generation of presidential contenders.
Seeing the unmitigated joy — and relief — that seemed to erupt nationwide, suddenly I, too, decided to take a symbolic step toward semiretirement just in time for this year’s ...Read more
The Trump Crack-Up
As the Harris-Walz team soars (polls are already showing Kamala taking the lead), Trump is cracking up.
His ego can’t take it. He is freaking out that his opponent — a Black woman — has more energy and momentum behind her than he has.
Last Thursday, after 10 days of Kamala in the limelight, Trump was so desperate for attention that he ...Read more
Why ‘Stolen Valor’ Political Fights Are So Intense -- and Misplaced in the Cases of Walz and Vance
While the saying may be true that candidates for vice president usually don’t make much of a difference in the ultimate success of presidential candidates, they do give us plenty to argue about.
That’s particularly true of the current contenders.
Vice President Kamala Harris seemed to barely have gotten the name of her chosen running mate,...Read more
If Kamala Harris is a DEI Vice President, is Usha Vance a DEI Bride?
The Indian-American duo of Usha Vance and Kamala Harris will challenge stereotypes. Welcome to the new, improved 2024 presidential campaign.
No matter how this plays out, a woman of Indian-American descent will be moving her influence into the White House.
She’ll either be the President of the United States Kamala Harris, or the wife of the ...Read more
Why We Need Nauseous Optimism
For the first time in years, I’ve been walking around with a smile on my face. Maybe you have, too.
The positive energy unleashed by Kamala Harris over the last two weeks is in such stark contrast to the negative energy unleashed by Trump for the last nine years that it feels as if America has had a new beginning.
Complete strangers come up ...Read more
The Torch is Passed: from MAGA Throwbacks to America’s Future
Joe Biden didn’t just pass the torch to another generation. He passed it from white MAGA men to America’s future.
Consider that women now compose remarkably almost 60% of college undergraduates. And that ...Read more