Commentaries

Enjoy a selection of my commentaries below. To see the full listing of commentaries, please click here.

President’s vision deserves consideration

The state of the union was an especially noteworty event this year. First, George Bush became the sixth president in this century to stand before the Congress as commander-in-chief of a nation at war. Second, the demonstration of unity and support for American forces in the Persian Gulf was overwhelming. It was also a welcome…

Polls’ accuracy turns on turnout

Public opinion polls have dominated the 1996 election cycle. One reason: There are simply more polls. Example: According to the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, there were 10 presidential “trial heats” between September 1 and election day in 1968. This year that number will exceed 125. Even worse, the horse race aspect of the…

After the victory, problems remain

By the end of the day, we will know who will control each end of Pennsylvania Avenue for the rest of this century. Whoever wins faces vexing problems — almost none of which were addressed in this focus group-framed and poll-driven campaign for president. Problem: The incumbent didn’t ask for a mandate and the challenger forgot…