Monthly Archives: August 2011
The Politics of Natural Disasters
As natural disasters go, President Obama has – knock on wood – been luckier than his predecessor. That thought came to me on Monday as I waited for emergency crews to reconnect the power and telephone lines to my house. … Continue reading
Is Obama The Strongest Democrat (as Silver Suggests)?
Is Nate Silver right? Is Obama the strongest candidate Democrats can put forward in 2012? A student forwarded me this New York Times’ column by Silver in which he takes issue with my suggestion in this widely-circulated post that Hillary … Continue reading
Why History Suggests Obama Should Face A Primary Challenge
Will Barack Obama face a primary challenge? If history is an accurate guide – a big if for reasons I discuss below – he should. Dating back to 1948, incumbent presidents with a combination of low approval ratings against the … Continue reading
A Weak Republican Field – Says Who?
As recently as this past May 20, Republicans lamented and Democrats took comfort in the conventional wisdom that the current crop of Republican presidential candidates constituted one of the weakest fields in recent memory. In less than three months, however, … Continue reading
The One Thing Obama Must Do To Achieve Presidential Greatness
What is the one step presidents must take to insure their historical legacy as effective leaders? I’ve addressed this issue in previous posts, but want to revisit it today in light of Michael Kazin’s article at the TNR website in … Continue reading
