I discovered the power of affirmation by accident, a long time ago, and it has made a profound difference in the way I regard people and politics ever since. Allow me to tell you the story. Once upon a time my family and I moved to a new county. We … Continue reading →

Part 4. The Great Poll Faults In mid-May, 2024, the conventional wisdom — aka the narrative adopted by virtually every member of the chattering class — is that Joe Biden is an unusually unpopular president, is behind in the polls, and that therefore Donald Trump has, to quote an otherwise … Continue reading →

Part 3. The Third Decision In order to participate in an election, a citizen of the United States has to make, and act on, three decisions.  One must register. This is a decision to participate actively in civic life, and requires making an effort — going to the courthouse, or … Continue reading →

Part 2. The Rules of the Game Now that we have a clear view of the playing field, aka the electorate, it is pretty obvious what you have to do to win an election:  notify the members of your party (about one-third of the electorate) that you are running and … Continue reading →

Part One. The Playing Field Four years ago I gave to my local Democratic Club a talk titled, “Why Donald Trump Will Not Win the 2020 Election.” Last month I reprised the talk, but this time it was titled, “Why Donald Trump Cannot Win the 2024 Election.” This conclusion is … Continue reading →

For decades the prevailing assumption has been that the primary enemies of environmental health, the essential aiders and abetters of catastrophic climate change, were the barons of industry, who sacrificed the planet for profit. Undeniably, they played a part. But they are not the main villains of this story. An … Continue reading →

Every year, environmental czars and ministers and activists, together with a gaggle of lobbyists and politicians from around the world, mount their private jets and (leaving a haze of contrails behind them) converge on a posh Middle Eastern spa to sip champagne, nibble on caviar and talk about what a … Continue reading →