Posts Tagged "presidential election"
The Politics of Capitulation
This article was originally published at AlterNet Capitulate: to surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms; to give up resistance. When it comes to surrender, just the thought of it is chilling to a political leader on the campaign trail. Campaigns are the closest thing to war most operatives and candidates will ever experience and for the majority, they approach it with the same gusto as if their lives were on-the-line—which is essentially true in their world, as success portends a future in the limelight and failure means ending up with a briefcase full of unrealized dreams and little else. So capitulating on any issue is fraught...
Read MoreWanted: Political Leaders Intent on Solutions, Not Adulation
This week President Obama laid out his vision for America and his rationale as to why he should be re-elected. In a nearly hour-long speech, he sought to firmly establish himself as the defender of the middle class. While the ideals underpinning his rhetoric are laudable, the approach of demonizing various segments of society is not the way to creating solutions we so desperately need. One need not get into the details put forth in the President’s speech, or those of his potential Republican opponents, to know that by staking a position as a “defender” of one group, you automatically put those on the “other” side into an adversarial position. Do we really need...
Read MoreOur Fickle Selves
It is always with a hint of mirth that I watch the quadrennial analysis of political pundits who seem befuddled by the electorate’s behavior. This year the attention falls squarely on the Republican primary voters who are shifting their preferences with the rise and fall of the personal predilections of the various presidential candidates (the latest Washington Post-ABC poll has Newt Gingrich on top in Iowa, but it’s still early in the game). And it will be no different when the Democrats and Independents enter the fray in the general election. The phenomenon should come as no surprise given two facts: Most voters are not clear about the leadership qualities...
Read More