Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. Tennyson’s Charge of the Light Brigade was once a staple of male youth. The poem is both an anthem to the glory of military sacrifice and an ode to the brutality of battle. It is […]
Archives
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Secret Service Codenames?
17 Sep 2015
For some silly reason, CNN’s Jake Tapper decided to ask the candidates what their Secret Service codename would be if they won the presidency. Rarely funny, and generally painful, their answers didn’t exactly jump off the page. Here are my offerings: Carson–Scissorhands or Scalpel Trump–Bombast Christie–StayPuft Paul–EyePatch Fiorina–Stiletto Rubio–Hobbs Jeb–Eggo Huckabee–Gantry Kasich–Marbles Cruz–Pyro Walker–Cheesehead
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Seventeen Republicans have thrown their tam o’ shanters into the presidential ring and as we just passed Labor Day, the race is still in flux. Expect it to stay that way at least until January, and even then, there will be movement and surprises. The figure above is a rough sketch of average polling […]
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Donald Trump sits now where he is most comfortable–at the center of reality. Like sunflowers craning toward the daylight, it seems our body politic is bent toward the billionaire carnival-barker turned politician. This “Trumpotropism” is unsettling to our political class, especially of the genus Republican. The disquiet is deafening. There is good reason for concern. Trump […]
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Rubio Rides to the Republican Rescue?
14 Apr 2015
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) declared his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. What was a few weeks ago an empty field has now grown to three contenders, all first-term Senators. Of these, I think Rubio is the strongest. Let’s compare them quickly. Ted Cruz Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012, and has Cuban […]
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Republican Senator Rand Paul, from Kentucky, yesterday announced he is running for the GOP’s presidential nomination. Paul’s declaration, all at once, surprised no one, inspired supporters, and sprouted doubters. Unlike the other lightly experienced Senators–Ted Cruz, who announced recently, and Marco Rubio, who will announce soon–Paul is both weighted down and buoyed by association. His […]
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He’s Running as TED CRUZ!!!
24 Mar 2015
In 1964, Barry Goldwater was about to accept the Republican presidential nomination. Reporters covering the convention were curious how the firebrand Senator from Arizona would present himself to the electorate. They were convinced that Goldwater would have to file off the rough edges and trim his positions to appeal to the moderate middle of American […]
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Huackabee’s 2016 Chances
06 Jan 2015
Mike Huckabee (R-ARK) is considering a presidential run in 2016. He has stepped away from his lucrative Fox News show so that he can ponder the possibilities. (Fox does not allow employees to run for office while under contract.) Indications are that he will jump into the contest. Huckabee is, without challenge, the standard-bearer for […]