Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
A bad cliffhanger
Congress and the President went past its own deadline of midnight on December 31st, but a day later reached a deal on the so-called “fiscal cliff”. With its vote late on Tuesday night, the House of Representatives joined the Senate in approving legislation that will avoid tax increases for most Americans and scheduled cuts in […]
Driving off the fiscal cliff?
As many predicted, the “fiscal cliff” negotiations are going down to the wire. Congress and the President have until the end of 2012 to agree a deal that would prevent tax rises and budget cuts. But this brinkmanship does not find Americans sitting on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting the outcome. The sight […]
The consensus after Newtown: let’s curtail freedom
Following the mass shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, there appears to be a great debate going on between those who want to see greater controls on guns, and those who are opposed to such controls. But a focus on the back-and-forth arguments over guns overlooks the fact that there is an underlying consensus in the response. […]
America: the decline of politics, the rise of tribes
Bush was booed for chasing after the votes of certain racial and cultural groups. Obama is cheered for doing the exact same thing. Read my spiked article in full here.
A small victory in a small campaign
Barack Obama has returned to the White House following one of the most acrimonious, negative and ideas-free campaigns in living memory. Read my spiked article in full here.
The Democrats’ “New Clerisy”
Joel Kotkin has a very perceptive article in The Daily Beast on the new Democratic Party coalition formed under President Barack Obama. I’ve often struggled with coming up with a term that summarizes the variety of interest groups that comprise this coalition and their outlook, and Kotkin has come up with one that may be […]
Hurricane Sandy: a political storm
Pundits’ exploitation of Sandy to big up Barack Obama shows how desperate they have become. Read my spiked article in full here.
Never mind Big Bird. Where are the Big Ideas?
After expending all his energies demonising his opponent, Obama lost the TV debate because the truth emerged: Romney is not actually evil. Read my spiked article in full here.
Why the presidential election is volatile
Before the first Obama-Romney debate on 3 October, the consensus among pundits was that it was very unlikely to impact the election contest much. Historically, they noted, debates just do not move the needle much. And yet, it appears that the first debate indeed has shifted the momentum of this year’s race significantly. Before the […]
Obama and the end of great expectations
In 2008, Obama won by exciting and raising people’s expectations. In 2012, he hopes to win by lowering them. Read my spiked article in full here.