*Any statements in this issue of the Watch which are not sourced are mine and identified by “WW”.
36% of Americans say the country is headed in the right direction. 58% say it is on the wrong track. [CBS, 11/18/18] Continue reading “State of the Nation”
“We now know as surely as anything is knowable in human affairs that Trump is determined to be a force for division not for unity. He has no apparent interest in rising to the historical moment…Though Trump is a novel President, he represents- indeed embodies- ancient and perennial forces of political, racial and cultural fear. Yes, America is the nation that produced Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s also the nation that pursued and perpetuated enslavement and institutional racism to such a prolonged degree that it took a Tubman and a King to bring about a measure of justice. History and experience suggest that, in moments where care fails, we must undertake the duties of guardianship ourselves. We are living in just such a moment.”
-John Meacham Continue reading “Quotes”
On November 18, 2018, CBS found that 39% of Americans approved of Trump’s job performance and 55% disapproved. Among those approving the president’s performance are 85% of Republicans, 7% of Democrats and 36% of Independents. Continue reading “President Trump”
Given the President’s record of total disregard for the truth, one has to question the content of any of his tweets. Why then, when Trump says something that is patently untrue, do so many media publications publish it anyway? [WW] Continue reading “About President Trump”
Fulfilling President Donald Trump’s midterm promise to crack down on undocumented immigrants crossing the southwest border, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security published a rule last Thursday that will make it harder for immigrants to claim asylum if they are caught crossing the border between designated ports of entry. Continue reading “Disassembling”
The following are indicators of the atmosphere in which the 2018 election was conducted.
The preference for the outcome of the November congressional elections was perfectly pegged in the NBC/WSJ survey of November 1-3.
Among likely voters, the preference was Democratic control 50%, Republican control 43%. There was little difference among registered voters where the preference is Democratic control 49% and Republican control 43%. Continue reading “2018”
Now that the 2018 election is past, it is time to shift focus to 2020.
The 59th presidential election will take place on November 3, 2020.
There is at least one big change in 2020; the California primary has moved from June 2016 to March 3, 2020. Even with that change, the relevance of California may still be limited. The cost of campaigning in California will be beyond the capacity of most candidates and if Senator Kamala Harris is in the game that would be another hinderance to mounting a campaign there. Continue reading “2020”
Approval of the Congress generally remains in the tank although it has improved since the first of the year. Continue reading “Congress”