How Abe Lincoln called his opponent a liar in a debate

[Name of candidate] is lying!

There is something so unseemly about calling someone a liar.

I’m never sure if it helps the person using this pejorative. We have heard the slur hurled by a number of Republican candidates at a number of their opponents this election cycle…

Read More

Trump’s answers reveal his vacuousness

The wisdom of Donald Trump: “You know, our professors, our teachers, we have to take care of them. It’s very important, I mean, to me it’s so important. But, you look at how the costs have escalated for colleges, and all they’re doing is, the students, essentially, are giving them the money, and yet, you’re borrowing too much money. I’m gonna look into that very strongly and we have to do something to help the students.”

Read More

The death of data

Voters aren’t dumb. That was always Ronald Reagan’s belief.

Specifically, he believed that you knew how to spend your next ten bucks better than the government did.

In this election cycle, though, one can’t help but notice a lack of curiosity on the subjects of facts and data…

Read More

Handicapping the South Carolina primary

How do you predict an upcoming vote?

The conventional approach is by polling a representative sample of the electorate. However, the art and science of polling seems to be getting increasingly unreliable.

There’s another approach: talk to a bookmaker. See who people are actually betting on with real money…

Read More

Donald Trump owes George W. Bush an apology

“He lied. He got us into the war with lies.”

Thus proclaimed Donald Trump in last night’s Republican debate in South Carolina, as he joined with Democrats who claimed that, “Bush lied and people died.”

Read More

The Chris Christie effect

When Hillary Clinton is sworn in as the next president of the United States, the Chris Christie effect will long be talked about.

I refer to last Saturday’s debate.

Governor Christie cut Marco Rubio off at the knees in one of the most consequential debate moments in a long time…

Read More