Washington Watch Articles From 2016
What Democrats Must Do
We went into this election cycle knowing that both political parties faced real challenges.
Senate Passes a Dumb and Dangerous Bill
This week, without debate or an actual vote, the US Senate stealthily passed a disturbing and dangerous piece of legislation introduced by Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Bob Casey (D-PA).
Standing Rock and Palestine: The Struggle for Justice is One
Last week, I joined several hundred protesters in a sit-in in front of the Army Corps of Engineers' Headquarters in Washington, DC.
What Just Happened and Why I Won’t Accept It
My wife came down to breakfast Thursday morning still in a daze over the outcome of the election. She said, poignantly, "I feel just like I did after my father died.
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.
Arab American Voters: Clinton 60%, Trump 26%
For years, Arab American voters, like most other ethnic communities, slightly leaned toward the Democratic party but were swing voters in national and local elections.
JASTA: Irresponsible and Dangerous
Congress' vote to override President Obama's veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act was both embarrassing and irresponsible.
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.
The Sanders Phenomenon
There is a Sanders phenomenon. It is real and the factors that have prompted its emergence need to addressed and understood.
From Cairo to Goldberg
Earlier this month "The Atlantic" magazine featured a cover story, "The Obama Doctrine", written by Jeffery Goldberg.
Why I Support Bernie Sanders
In 2003, while I was teaching at Davidson College in North Carolina, I saw an ad in the local newspaper announcing a "Going Out of Business" sale of Utica Linen products.
The “13 Keys” to Winning the White House
This year's presidential contest has proven to be both fascinating and, at times, frightening. Both parties are engaged in near existential struggles.
Will the GOP Implode?
This has been one crazy political week. It has been so tumultuous and, in some ways, so calamitous for the Republican party, that we may be witnessing a fatal rupturing of the GOP.
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.
Sanders is Right: Iraq is Important
Bernie Sanders has been unfairly criticized for being a "Johnny One Note" on foreign policy because he continually reminds voters of his early opposition to the Iraq War.