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June 3, 2008
Slate
Because the Bush administration has weakened America’s global position, it will leave its successor less freedom to embrace new foreign policy ideas, even some good ones, says Stephen Sestanovich
See more in U.S. Strategy and Politics, Presidency
June 2, 2008
Washington Post
John McCain likes to say he is for economic growth, offering the Republican narrative that they are for lower taxes, less regulation and freer trade. In this Washington Post op-ed, Sebastian Mallaby says that the real litmus tests on growth lie in policies toward education, basic science, skilled immigration, infrastructure and the grotesque tort system. And on these issues, the real pro-growth candidate looks to be Barack Obama.
See more in Economics
May 27, 2008
Wall Street Journal
In this Wall Street Journal op-ed, Jagdish Bhagwati and Sandip Madan examine how the US health care system could decrease the rising costs for comprehensive medical coverage and replenish a dearth of doctors by encouraging various forms of international trade in medical services
See more in Trade, Health, Science, and Technology, U.S. Election 2008
May 26, 2008
Time Magazine
“Because Bill Clinton threw his body into the line, wrecking the Republican Party's intricate defenses, Obama today has the political room to run,” argues Peter Beinart.
See more in Presidency, U.S. Election 2008
May 11, 2008
Parade
Leslie H. Gelb writes that “the reality of the 3 a.m. call, however, is both less dramatic and less telling than most Americans think.”
See more in Presidency, U.S. Election 2008
May 9, 2008
New York Sun
Amity Shlaes writes that Harold M. Ickes’ strategies have not worked for Hillary Clinton’s campaign and compares his tactics to those of his father, FDR’s strategist, Harold M. Ickes.
See more in U.S. Election 2008
May 9, 2008
Washington Post
Michael Gerson looks at the sticking points of the “Obama narrative.”
See more in U.S. Election 2008
May 7, 2008
Washington Post
Michael J. Gerson debunks the myth of a Republican “war on science” and discusses the moral politics of science and law.
See more in United States, Health, Science, and Technology, U.S. Strategy and Politics
May 5, 2008
Washington Post
Of all the strange features of this presidential race, the tarnishing of Barack Obama has got to be the most ridiculous. In this Washington Post op-ed, Sebastian Mallaby writes that the Obama-Wright "revelations" are really a revelation about our political culture: About its failure to distinguish the important from the trivial and about the inevitability that the race card will eventually be played against a black candidate.
See more in U.S. Election 2008
May 2, 2008
Washington Post
In the past few weeks Barack Obama has learned the political perils of condescension, argues Michael Gerson.
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May 2, 2008
Bloomberg
Hillary Clinton wants a windfall tax to subsidize a summer gas tax holiday for drivers. In this New York Sun article, Amity Shlaes uses the great Windfall-Profit tax of 1980 to demonstrate why we should oppose such a tax. While Mrs. Clinton may believe she's found a political windfall, the plans are so poorly crafted they may prove to be what wipes her out.
See more in U.S. Election 2008
April 25, 2008
Washington Post
International institutions are desperately needed and woefully ineffective, argues Michael Gerson.
See more in NATO, U.S. Strategy and Politics, U.S. Election 2008
April 23, 2008
Washington Post
Michael J. Gerson discusses the political ins and outs of McCain’s anger issues.
See more in U.S. Strategy and Politics, U.S. Election 2008
April 22, 2008
Bloomberg.com
While Pennsylvania happens to be the physical location of the latest contest between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, in terms of political culture, their duel is situated in Chicago. Amity Shlaes writes that the battle can be viewed as one between two neighborhoods on the Windy City's South Side—the “Daleyesque clout” of Bridgeport and the “liberalism at its best” of Hyde Park. Yet, the Hyde Parker eventually morphs into a Bridgeporter.
See more in U.S. Strategy and Politics, U.S. Election 2008
April 17, 2008
New York Sun
Amity Shlaes explains why “this economy is to the Great Depression what an April drizzle is to Hurricane Katrina.”
See more in Economics, U.S. Election 2008
April 16, 2008
Bloomberg
The current economic slowdown has recently been compared to the Great Depression of the 1930s. In this Bloomberg column, Amity Shlaes argues that this analogy is absurd; stocks have not declined nearly as substantially, unemployment is nowhere near 1930s levels, and only one big bank has collapsed. The U.S. simply can’t afford to luxuriate in a Depression image; doing so takes away time from devising policies that would really make the economy more competitive.
See more in Economics, U.S. Election 2008
April 16, 2008
Washington Post
Obamaism requires an unfavorable comparison of Americans to Obama himself, argues Michael Gerson.
See more in U.S. Election 2008
April 10, 2008
Washington Post
Paradoxically, on Iraq, Obama invokes the past as McCain envisions the future, says Michael Gerson.
See more in Iraq, U.S. Election 2008
April 8, 2008
Financial World
Economics wasn’t supposed to be the central theme of this year’s campaign, yet the high probability that the U.S. economy will either be in or just emerging from a mild recession on election day has brought economic issues to the forefront of the race. In this Financial World article, Roger Kubarych looks at the candidates stances on taxes, healthcare, trade, and the housing and associated credit markets. He argues that, in the end, it’s not “the economy, stupid” but “the economy, naturally.”
See more in U.S. Election 2008
April 8, 2008
Washington Post
If presidents govern the way they campaign, then Obama will be a fine leader, argues Peter Beinart.
See more in U.S. Election 2008
We welcome your views on the foreign policy issues in the presidential transition. Join the discussion and post your comments on the The New Administration blog, or send us an email at letters@cfr.org.
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