It's time to play my role in Super Tuesday. I've joked that in November I'd vote for a ham sandwich over Donald Trump. Any of the remaining candidates could do a better job than the incumbent. Nevertheless, I have twisted and turned. I used to scoff at voters who were still undecided days before an …
Continue reading Super Tuesday: resolving the struggle between head and heart
Will Rogers famously said, "I'm not a member of any organized political party; I'm a Democrat." That boisterous, fractious, messy, irritating group was on full display in last night's debate. Despite reminders that "there's more that unites us than divides us," all six candidates at some point attacked and drew blood in a way most …
Continue reading Shrieks, howls, fur flying, blood drawn: meet the Democrats
Neither Jill Stein or Tulsi Gabbard is a classic Manchurian candidate, destined to lead the US while controlled by a foreign power, but they are both at least-- to use the term devised by Vladimir Lenin to describe unwitting allies of nefarious propaganda campaigns – "useful idiots." They’ve been or are being used by Russian …
Continue reading Is Hillary Clinton playing into Trump’s and Putin’s hands?
Remember how folks despaired that the Democrats had “no bench?” As it turns out, there is significant strength in the cluster of presidential candidates coming forward. I don’t just say that because Donald Trump has lowered the bar on what it takes to be president or because, as the bumper sticker says, “Any Functioning Adult …
Continue reading Klobuchar coverage distorts her total package
It's hard not to feel good about last Tuesday's election results. Winning beats losing. Trying to tout losing by special congressional elections by ever-narrower margins doesn't cut it. Never mind that Virginia trends blue anyway and voted Democratic the last three Presidential elections and four of the last five gubernatorial races. Tuesday's special election victory …
"What Happened?" It's a question many have been asking at least daily for the last ten months. So it's an apt title for Hillary Clinton's new book, a reasonably clear-eyed analysis of the 2016 presidential election debacle. While she glosses over a few issues, she shows a surprising self-awareness and candor. In the end, "What …
The sun shone brightly on Saturday's Beaumont Avenue block party in Newton, complete with kids, dogs, tee shirts and balloons. Setti Warren, the Garden City's two-term mayor, was announcing for governor in front of the house in which he grew up. The mood was warm; the mayor's message, visionary and upbeat. After his speech, some of …
Dear Jacob, This is your first Presidential election, and I know you understand the importance of your vote - especially since you're casting your ballot from college in Ohio rather than in Massachusetts. You, as did so many of your Oberlin classmates and other millennials, voted for Bernie Sanders in the primary. The Vermont Senator …
Continue reading An open letter to my grandson about the election
Last night’s historic moment almost seemed anti-climactic. I had shed my tears at the historic milestone when Hillary Clinton had clinched the Democratic nomination. I held my breath for weeks thereafter until Bernie Sanders had endorsed her, making it clear just how high the stakes are in this election. Last night was all about reinforcing that …
Continue reading Hillary chooses morning over mourning in America
Bernie Sanders deserves credit for putting issues of economic inequities, Wall Street greed, Citizens United distortions, and the self-serving Washington establishment on the front burner. His cranky old man persona was even mildly endearing when he was railing against the rigged system, helping give voice to the unbridled aspirations of young people and the frustrations of the struggling middle …
Marjorie Arons-Barron 