Donald Trump has changed his messages not one iota. He stands by every single outrageous thing he has said and is absolutely unfazed when challenged. That may be what his supporters like about him. Last evening's unpleasantly raucous and poorly moderated debate on the Fox Business Network was dominated by Trump's head-to-head with Ted Cruz, and …
Author: aronsbarron
Tone trumps facts in State of the Union speech
The past and future came together in the nation’s Capitol last night. It was a Paul Gauguin moment: Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? The President of the United States gave the best State of the Union speech of his two terms in office, and South Carolina Governor Nikki …
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Boston Globe delivery problems: the route to insanity
Brilliant Irish satirist Jonathan Swift was said to have loved individuals but loathed mankind. Specifically, he wrote, "I hate and detest that animal called man, although I heartily love John, Peter, Thomas, and so forth." In that spirit, I love Joan Vennochi, Scot Lehigh, Brian McGrory and other Globe reporters and editors, but I have …
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Some headlines for 2016
Each year, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial page editor Tom Waseleski prepares for the New Year an aspirational list of headlines. Each year, I shamelessly borrow the idea and herewith present my own suggestions, with precious little expectation that we will see them atop newspapers, magazines or teasing newscasts in 2016. Please send your own in the comments section below. …
Year-end movies stir annual debate
It's that time of year: movie time. The industry wants its best products out before the New Year to compete in the Oscars. The only question for my husband, my sister and me is whether to go to the theatre or wait for the video to come out. I'm not Ty Burr or Joyce Kulhawik, but …
Dems debate: a well-kept secret
All three Democratic Presidential contenders were at the top of their games on Saturday night, but, given the time slot the Democratic National Committee had agreed to, relatively few people saw them. Early ratings indicate that only around eight million viewers watched the debate in real time, far fewer than the 18 million who tuned in …
Stephanopoulos gets Trumped
Donald Trump was more than ABC's George Stephanopoulos could handle yesterday morning. He tried hard to counter Trump's bluster, but in the end he failed miserably on one important question: Vladimir Putin and the killing of journalists in Russia. When Trump called Hillary a liar and called out Bernie Sanders for lying, Stephanopoulos asked whether he really wanted …
Take-aways from GOP Presidential debate
Sometimes the answer to who wins a debate lies in what sticks with you two days after the event. In the case of Tuesday's CNN GOP Presidential debate out of Las Vegas, there were several sparks that still glow. After a bumbling start, in which Jeb Bush flubbed his opening remark (hasn't he found a …
The Donald is crafty but dumb
Members of the media may finally be falling out of love with Donald Trump. For months, they have been conduits for every outrageous hateful thing he has said, providing him millions of dollars worth of airtime for free because he has been good for their ratings. With his call to ban Muslims from entering the United …
Cellphones and cars: a lethal mix?
Not long ago, I was exiting Route 128 for Route 30 on the Newton/Weston line. Cars merging into Route 128 are supposed to yield (note to Massachusetts drivers: that means give the other driver the right of way). My path was about to cross that of a paneled truck belonging to a Portugese bakery. Not surprisingly, …
Marjorie Arons-Barron 