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Improving Presidential Debates

First, a confession: I really like presidential debates. Why, you ask? Because these debates give us voters the chance to watch and evaluate the candidates while they stand shoulder-to-shoulder and have to answer the same questions. Away from their carefully orchestrated campaign events, without their teleprompters or an audience of planted, friendly supporters, candidates in a debate are under pressure and facing criticism from both opponents and moderators. Presidential debates have been aptly described as job interviews where we, the voters, are able to assess the character, ...

How Trump Could Lower Medical Costs

In 2016, candidate Donald Trump promised to repeal Obamacare and replace it with “something terrific.” The replacement never materialized. The repeal, however, had been making progress in a piece-by-piece fashion. President Trump has made a frontal assault on the Affordable Care Act by asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike it down altogether. As it happens, Obamacare has become popular, and so, with the next election approaching, Trump badly needs a replacement. Let me offer ideas. Some elements of my Trumpcare 2020 plan may sound heartless and extreme. But several fit policy ...

Was The Debate Fatal For Bloomberg?

Wednesday night in Las Vegas, Mayor Mike Bloomberg learned what it is like to be thrown up against a wall and frisked. At the opening of the Democratic debate, his first, Mayor Mike was greeted by his nearest neighbor on stage, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, with this warm welcome: “We’re running against ... a billionaire who calls women ‘fat broads’ and ‘horse-faced lesbians.’ And, no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump. I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg.” Bloomberg was not only charged with misogyny and sexism but racism for his stop-and-frisk policy, which the NYPD ...

Win For Sanders May Be Win For President Trump

The pre-Nevada Democratic debate was a gift to Donald Trump. Instead of training their fire on the incumbent, or on the vulnerable front-runner, Bernie Sanders, the candidates tore Mike Bloomberg to shreds while saving plenty of darts for one another. That nice young man Pete Buttigieg became that supercilious egoist needling Amy Klobuchar over trifles. Elizabeth Warren the policy wonk became Elizabeth Warren the Terminator. Bottom line: A clear win for Sanders, which can be seen as an indirect win for Trump. Bloomberg had a dismal night. Coming out from behind the curtain of gauzy ...

The Curious Case Of Roger Stone

Roger Stone is a gifted political consultant known for going the distance for his clients. He has worked for such marquee names as Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Tom Kean and Donald Trump. His expertise is the lawful destruction of the opposition candidacy — what is known in the trade as opposition research. In that process, he has made enemies, some of whom have sought to destroy him. That process of destruction began a year ago, when he was ordered out of the bedroom that he shared with his wife, and out of their home at 5:30 in the morning by no less than 23 federal agents carrying ...

The Message Is In The Message, Or Spin Doctor, Spin Thyself

The network I watched took us into the Spin Room after the latest debate. There, a few dozen spin doctors bobbed and weaved and chattered like robots. Each was programed to dodge, elude, evade, change the subject, “reframe” the question and mis-direct. Your candidate said there is no problem raising taxes by a trillion per year. Is that an official position now? “Actually, the question should be whether our opponents believe in the tooth fairy…” You know their tactics. Here, I will switch analogies. Imagine the slippery halfback who spins and spurts, sidesteps, shoots and ...