Donald Trump

There are a lot more unknowns about the 2018 Massachusetts governor’s race today than there were a month ago. The pundits, pollsters, insiders, and blogging profs can be forgiven for attempting to apply conventional wisdom to this popular parlor game, but when it comes to the potential toxicity of Donald Trump in 2018, we may have to recognize a new species of unknowns that would probably even befuddle Donald Rumsfeld himself. In the Age of Trump we may have to get used to grappling with “virtually certain unknown unknowns.”

Yesterday morning I assumed that Charlie Baker would earn re-election the old fashion way. Today, I have my doubts.  The situation is so potentially unstable, in fact, that I wouldn’t be shocked if Charlie Baker ends up running for re-election as an independent.

Donald Trump's recent orders on transgender military personnel and Dreamers should finish off the Republicans' "party of Lincoln" label once and for all.

Today James Comey took down Donald Trump for the liar and low figure that he is. But Comey also provided important reminders about the functioning of American institutions, ideas, and individuals.

Donald Trump's autocratic aspirations were on full display this week. He gives us no reason to deceive ourselves. The Doomsday Clock for Democracy is ticking.

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A quick and simple deal to prevent the Civil War? Deals were discussed but failed to prevent war, a fact unknown to our mis-historian in chief.

Credit: AP

Who knew repealing health care could be so complicated? Lessons from the near death and continuing life of Obamacare.

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Let's resist, march, protest, call our legislators, organize, support refugees and immigrants, contribute to ACLU and Planned Parenthood - but please, no polling.

Wikipedia: by Nicholas Shepherd, 1846

Even the most ardent Liberals have Trump voters in their family or among their friends. Some commentators advise we seek to understand them, others that we condemn them. What's a conscientious Liberal to  do? Advice from Abraham Lincoln.

What kind of president then can be expected? I think we know the answer. Donald Trump has no concern for tradition, previous history, institutionalized decision-making (he depends on himself), international agreements and commitments, or much of anything else that has come to define the sphere of concerns an American president must deal with. He will act as President much as he has in the campaign. He will do things his way. He will depend on what he thinks important or what interests him at the moment, will continue to be unpredictable in how he approaches given situations, will see international relations in terms of trade opportunities, will conduct negotiations on a one-on-one basis and will nurture his financial empire.

Clearly there are problems in all of this.