The candidates for president of the United States and their surrogates are talking a lot about values, and demonstrating their very different interpretations of what exactly that word means. It was a setting that recalled a horror many Americans have tried to forget, the place where former president Donald Trump incited a crowd that morphed […]
Closing with ‘values,’ Trump and Harris stand in contrast Read More »
Was it a figment of our imagination? I’m talking about the 2004 keynote address at the Democratic National Convention by Barack Obama, then a little-known state senator from Illinois. In his uplifting speech, he had a warning for “the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes.” “There’s not a
Do leaders realize Americans who don’t vote for them are still Americans? Read More »
As usual, Michelle Obama stole the show. The former first lady returned to the White House to unveil the official Obama portraits that will forever hang on its walls, and she used the special occasion to deliver remarks that hit the perfect tone. “For me, this day is not just about what has happened,” she
Fighting unwinnable battles in an American culture war Read More »
Immigration policy is one of President Joe Biden’s top priorities. He has signed five executive orders and issued another four statements and proclamations — in less than two weeks — that include: upping the annual number of refugees allowed into the country nearly tenfold, seeking to reunify families that were separated at the border, stopping
What’s next on immigration, an issue that’s personal, political — and complicated Read More »
It turns out the crowds, the balloons and confetti were merely froufrou, just window dressing. Stripped down, it was even easier for the themes of this week’s Democratic National Convention — and the party’s vision for the future — to break through. The Democrats’ unity on display could be a bit ripe for parody, for
Democrats offer virtual vision for an inclusive America. Your turn, Republicans Read More »
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Former President Obama criticizes the current administration’s response to the coronavirus crisis. President Trump responding to that and weighing in on Charlotte and the Republican National Convention. Our political contributor Mary C. Curtis has more.
POLITICAL WRAP: Obama Criticizes Administration; Doubts About RNC in CLT? Read More »
OPINION — I am not one of those folks who see celebrities as larger-than-life icons to be worshipped and admired. Usually. But the recent deaths of Jessye Norman and Diahann Carroll hit me in the gut because those two amazing women were at once larger than life and so very real. The reactions to their accomplishments also illustrate an
When celebrity luster gives cover to how America judges its own Read More »
OPINION — Though his two terms have ended, it is a tradition that former President Barack Obama has continued: providing his year-end list of favorite books (and films and music). This year, not surprisingly, his book of the year is Michelle Obama’s “Becoming,” already a best-seller. That makes sense, since she is not only his wife and
Trump’s reading list: Start with dictionary, look up ‘wall’ Read More »
OPINION — A die-hard Democrat said to me at the gym, “Somebody has to MAKE Michelle Obama run for president.” This was after Obama’s appearance in a television interview, in which she reminded the world what it’s been missing. Sorry to let that educated, suburban woman in workout clothes down, but in the former first
Too Soon? Divining Democrats With the ‘It’ Factor for 2020 Read More »
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Vi Lyles, the Democratic mayor of the largest city in North Carolina, said championing a bid to host the 2020 Republican National Convention was likely “the most difficult decision of my career.” As word spread this week that Republicans have chosen Charlotte over other candidates, with a formal announcement due Friday, it’s almost certain the
Opinion: Charlotte Gambles on the Convention Las Vegas Didn’t Want Read More »
