Washington Watch Articles From 2016
A Presidential Election "Poll"
My brother John is known for his US political polling, while my company, Zogby Research Services, polls primarily in the Middle East.
For Trump, It's the Show that Counts
Late last year, as the primaries were just heating up, pundits and commentators were busy trying to make sense of the Donald Trump phenomenon.
To Hell in a Handbasket
This presidential election is exposing deep fault-lines in our society and the failure of some of the basic institutions of our democracy. If we don't change direction, we're on our way to "hell in a handbasket".
Platform and Politics: The Change We Made
The quadrennial process of party platform writing is more of a political exercise than a policy deliberation. When party leaders sit down to debate what will or will not go into their platform, their eyes are less focused on what will constitute sound policy.
The Two Conventions
After back-to-back Republican and Democratic conventions, the stage is set for a 100-day mad dash to the November presidential contest. There were telling differences between the two events.
Bad Policy, Bad Politics
To understand why the United States fails so miserably in efforts to achieve an Israeli/Palestinian peace, all you need to do is take a look at the mix of bad policy and bad politics found in the Israel/Palestine sections of platforms of both the Republican and Democratic parties.
Trump: Feeding the “Monster”
Donald Trump's candidacy is American politics reduced to the absurd. It is theater in its most stripped down form—a show where the content is not as important as the event and the raw emotion it evokes.
The "Meta-Issues" Behind the Sanders-Clinton Contest
The Democratic presidential primary race is shaping up to be a fascinating contest between the voters' views of two distinct political personalities.
Trump/Netanyahu Meet: an Exercise in Fawning, Fantasy, and Anti-Palestinian Incitement
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with US President Donald Trump was overshadowed by dramatic and unsettling events that preceded and followed their perfectly bizarre press conference.
It’s Not Just a Muslim Ban, It’s Much Worse
With a stroke of the pen on a misdirected and, I believe, malicious Executive Order (EO), President Donald Trump unleashed a dynamic that will, I fear, have consequences as far-reaching and damaging to my country and my community as the Bush Administration's wrong-headed responses to the 9/11 terror attacks.
We Need More From Our Candidates
I have long argued that how candidates for high office speak about the Middle East should be a critical test of their capacity to lead our nation.
Trump Justifies Executive Orders with Exaggerations Grounded in Bias
By now, Donald Trump's penchant for exaggeration and self-promotion has become well-established.
Iowa Will Be Important
For both Democrats and Republicans, this year's presidential contest is another "Armageddon election", the outcome of which will decide critically important domestic and foreign policy concerns.
What Will Donald Trump Do?
When Donald Trump shows up for work next week, it's anyone's guess as to what he will do. Over the past month, many reporters have asked me "what do you think Trump will do and what are you most concerned about?".
Don’t Mess with Jerusalem
In just a matter of days, President-elect Donald Trump will have to decide on whether or not to make good on his promise to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.