Bold Iowa straw poll

The biggest surprise is that Jay Inslee finished fifth, not first. Climate voters seem unwilling to reward Inslee for his singular prioritization of the climate crisis. They’re drawn to other candidates who appear solid on climate, yet who also resonate on levels where Inslee fails to connect. Continue Reading →

Come on Democrats, this is easy

Trump and Clinton are both emblems of the wealthy status quo. But Clinton couldn’t — or perhaps simply didn’t — run away from it. Trump’s off-the-cuff, unscripted crazy talk offered an intoxicating brew for an electorate bi-partisanly fed-up with politics-as-usual.

Trump was ready to pick up where the British left off in 1814 — burn down Washington and let the ashes scatter where they may. The fact that many Americans were, and still are, OK with “burn it down” is deeply disturbing. It’s also entirely understandable, given the extent to which the average American continues to fall further behind as more and more wealth and power accrue to a thin upper crust. Continue Reading →