Some of the folks in our newsroom disagree with me, but I didn’t think last night’s wrap-up of the Democrats’ convention was as strong as it could have been. President Obama’s address, while good, wasn’t one of his best. And Joe Biden went on far, far, far too long. That said, there were plenty of […]
Republican National Convention
Posted inNews & Opinion
Convention realities: an America divided
Over the weekend, I reread Ryan Lizza’s terrific New Yorker piece, “The Obama Memos: The Making of a Post-Post-Partisan Presidency.” It’s an insightful look at President Obama’s struggles during his first term — his mistakes, his compromises, his actions that made Republicans feel betrayed, the obstruction by Republicans…. And one of the most fascinating sections […]
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Romney, unveiled
The Republicans have wrapped up their convention in Tampa, and if I were the people in the Obama campaign, I’d be worried. Particularly after Mitt Romney’s speech. I could certainly find plenty to criticize, as I did throughout this attack-dog week. Speaker after speaker simply threw facts to the wind. And the hyper-patriotism and “USA! […]
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Facts aren’t Ryan’s forte
For weeks, political pundits and journalists — a lot not known for niceties — have treated Paul Ryan’s comments like they were delicate little finger sandwiches. Dan Amira wrote an excellent article for New York Magazine saying that Ryan’s campaign strategy is to ignore the facts and just attack. He’s relying on the public’s ignorance, […]
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Ann Romney’s flawed speech: What’s love got to do with it?
Praise flowed for Ann Romney even before she delivered her speech at the Republican National Convention last night. Hours earlier, Republicans nominated Mitt Romney for president. But Romney, polls indicate, is having trouble with women and minority voters. And it was on Ann Romney’s shoulders to help recast his image in an effort to endear […]
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‘Bush is leading us toward facism’
The events of September 11 didn’t turn 29-year-old Jeremy Glick into an activist; he’s been one all his life. Glick, a star of Robert Greenwald’s documentary, “Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism,” lost his father in the destruction of the WorldTradeCenter. He has since become known for his outspoken criticism of the Bush administration. […]
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To the streets: scenes from the protests
Anyone physically close to the Rochester crew that marched through New York City last week knows how determination smells — musty and rank, like a high-school locker room. While many of the 5,000 delegates to the Republican convention stayed in swanky hotels, ate at posh buffets, and saw a Broadway show, many more people […]
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Are we fit to vote?
It’s going to be worse than I had expected, this period of vitriol masquerading as a presidential election campaign. Voters should be so appalled by the Republicans’ demagoguery that they flock to Kerry. But that doesn’t seem likely to happen. There was confidence beneath the taunts and muscle-flexing at the Republican convention last week. […]
