Monthly Archives: November 2008
Obama and the Iraq Withdrawal Campaign Pledge
Governing, as President-elect Obama is undoubtedly discovering, is different from campaigning. The issues suddenly appear more complex, the solutions less obvious, and the political players are less easily identified as either supporters or opponents. Governing does not mean the end … Continue reading
Palin, Women and the Future of the Republican Party
When a political party loses a presidential election as decisively as the Republicans did this year, party members inevitable engage in a very public spectacle of playing the blame game. Amid much wailing and gnashing of teeth, they exchange recriminations, … Continue reading
Should Hillary Clinton become the next Secretary of State?
Should Barack Obama offer the Secretary of State position to Hillary Clinton? And should she take it? No, and no. A little background is in order. For most of this nation’s history, the Secretary of State was the 2nd most … Continue reading
Assessing Obama’s Election: Some Historical Data
In an earlier post I suggested that many pundits are conflating the historic symbolism of Obama’s election with a fundamental shift in the underlying political dynamics that govern presidential politics. In fact, Obama’s victory – while decisive – does not … Continue reading
One More Take on a Historic Night
I thought you might get a kick out of this email I received from a former Middlebury College student, now working in Washington DC, who happens to be one of the four people who voted for McCain in that area. … Continue reading
