Barack Obama and George W Bush inspire in this sad and angry moment

Barack Obama and George W Bush inspire in this sad and angry moment

George W. Bush knows we’ve failed black America. Barack Obama wants to fix things. Together, they point the way forward from this moment of crisis. George W. Bush acknowledges the pain of black Americans While I disagreed with the presidential policies of George W. Bush, I believed that he made decisions based on what was…

The fundamental question: Do you want answers or empathy?

The fundamental question: Do you want answers or empathy?

Much of human conflict can be traced to a fundamental misunderstanding: giving people answers when they want empathy, or vice versa. Think about it. If you are in a serious relationship, what happens when your significant other comes to you in a state of upset about something happening in their life? When someone comes to…

Insights from the letter that George H.W. Bush left for Bill Clinton — and other presidential letters

Insights from the letter that George H.W. Bush left for Bill Clinton — and other presidential letters

There was a time when the purpose of American politics was to get useful things done for the largest possible number of Americans. There was a shared understanding of the institutions of government and how it should work. President George H.W. Bush, who died on Friday, was the embodiment of that ideal, and his letter…

What Barack Obama should have written in his letter to Donald Trump

What Barack Obama should have written in his letter to Donald Trump

I really wanted to like the letter that Barack Obama left in the Oval Office for Donald Trump. Ultimately, though, it’s nothing but platitudes. It certainly hasn’t helped. Imagine for a moment the situation of outgoing President Obama writing a letter for incoming President Trump on Inauguration Day in January. On substance and policy, the…

How people express support as John McCain faces brain cancer
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How people express support as John McCain faces brain cancer

John McCain has an aggressive form of brain cancer. After 31 years of high-visibility leadership in the Senate, he’s due a lot of sympathy. The sincere and personal notes that his colleagues have written impressed me. The prognosis for McCain’s cancer is poor. Like many Americans, I’ve admired him for years. His heroism as a…

Trump statement on Syria chemical weapons: blame but no solutions

Trump statement on Syria chemical weapons: blame but no solutions

Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad apparently used nerve gas in the Syrian war, killing civilians. The situation there remains impossible. Trump’s blame-filled statement can’t change that. The six-year multilateral conflict in Syria features a murderous dictator backed by Russia, Islamic State terrorists, and “moderate” rebel factions backed by the U.S. — with civilians caught in the middle. It…

The surprising effectiveness of Trump’s whitehouse.gov
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The surprising effectiveness of Trump’s whitehouse.gov

When a U.S. administration changes, so does the president’s website. Under Trump, the new whitehouse.gov addresses six issues, each with a short, simple, direct block of text. Unlike the president, it’s focused, clear, and effective. My social feeds were full of protests when the pages for LGBT rights and climate change disappeared from whitehouse.gov. Were you really…

How our leaders responded to events of this week
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How our leaders responded to events of this week

Yesterday I told you that our leaders’ responses to events of Baton Rouge; Falcon Heights, Minnesota; and Dallas would tell us a lot about them and the years to come. Today, I rate those responses. President Obama and Hillary Clinton rate well; the other candidates rate poorly. I didn’t have high hopes; this is an…