Episode 14: The debates, the races, and Obama’s handling of ISIS
Segments:
Fifth GOP Debate
The Cruz-Rubio immigration face-off
Can Trump really win?
Goodbye Lindsey Graham
Obama and the war on ISIS
Third Democratic Debate
Segments:
Fifth GOP Debate
The Cruz-Rubio immigration face-off
Can Trump really win?
Goodbye Lindsey Graham
Obama and the war on ISIS
Third Democratic Debate
Segments:
Obama’s Oval Office Address: “Complex acts of terrorism”
The San Bernadino Shooting
The Politics of Guns – Where the Candidates Stand
Trump and the polls: Is he for real?
The pending government shutdown
Segments:
The Colorado Planned Parenthood shooting
Is Donald Trump truly a fascist?
Ben Carson’s Iowa poll dive and Ted Cruz’s poll rise
Bernie Sanders poll rise in New Hampshire
November presidential polls in 2016 vs 2012 vs 2008
Segments:
Clinton and Rubio on their plans to defeat ISIL
Trump and Carson on Muslim refugees
Election Day 2015 – Louisiana governor’s race
Bernie Sanders’ “What is Democratic Socialism” speech
52nd anniversary of the JFK Assassination
Jindal drops out of race. Who’s next?
Segments:
GOP Debate
Democratic Debate
Million Student March
Is this now a foreign policy election?
Segments:
Election Day 2015 and the Kentucky governor’s race
Donald Trump on SNL
Ben Carson’s mendacity issues
George H. W. Bush’s new memoire
MSNBC Democratic Forum
Obama rejects the Keystone XL Pipeline
State of the races
by Kevin Kelton
One of the reasons I think I have pretty good political sensibilities is that I actually listen and pay attention to details. So when Jeb Bush comes out with a new campaign slogan, “Jeb can fix it,” I take some time to consider why his campaign team would hinge it’s entire reboot — indeed, his entire campaign — on the words “fix it.”
It’s obvious they must have focus tested it to heaven and back. So what does that tell us? It tells us that their research indicates that voters are yearning for someone to “fix” what they perceive as a broken system…with lots of broken components. Whereas in 2000 voters were looking for decency and respectability (after the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal) and in 2008 they were looking for hope and change (after being disappointed with decency and respectability), now they are looking for an easy fix… one that can be embodied in one man. Just vote for him and your problems will begin to get fixed.
I think that explains the psychology of both parties’ races this year. Fifty-five percent of GOP voters are leaning toward an “outsider” whom they hope can make the magic fix (Trump, Carson or Fiorina), and 25-30% of the Democratic voters are looking for the same thing in Bernie Sanders. On the flip side, people who support Clinton, Rubio, O’Malley, Kasich, Bush, and a few of the other GOPers are looking for competency. They don’t expect a president to “fix” the system; they just want someone who can effectively manage an imperfect system and maybe get it back on course.
I think the general election will come down to this clash: voters that are wishing for a magic fix, and those that are content with a steady hand to manage the unwieldy ship of state. I fall into the latter category. I think we will prevail.
But I feel bad for the fix-it group. They will forever be longing for something that probably doesn’t exist, and hence forever bitter about their inability to make it real.
Segments:
Third GOP Debate
Jeb Bush campaign
Ben Carson’s dietary supplement pills
Syria and boots on the ground
School Resource Officers in high school classrooms
The state of the races
Headlines:
Bill Maher pressures Bernie Sanders on how to pay for ‘socialist’ measures
Why Hillary Will Likely Win the White House
Aging Supreme Court Energizes Republicans More Than Democrats in 2016 race
Segments:
Clinton testimony at the Benghazi hearing
Paul Ryan agrees to run for Speaker – but only for one term?
Next Republican debate
Headlines:
Lawrence Lessig withdraws ‘totally stupid’ plan to resign presidency
Jeb Bush just another presidential aspirant
Fox News “ex-CIA” guest lied about his past
We fixed the ozone layer (sort of)
Sucking carbon out of the air and making money
Segments:
Democratic debate
Trump vs. the GOP
Joe Biden’s Lingering Decision
Headlines:
Presidential Election Super Pac Donors
John Kasich: I Don’t Want Taylor Swift Tickets
Vilsack and Burwell Testify on Dietary Guidelines
Jeb Bush Would Not Reauthorize Voting Rights Act
Segments:
House Speaker Race
Democratic Debate Preview
Third Quarter Campaign Fundraising Results