Rockridge Institute
Senior fellow at the Rockridge Institute, a progressive think-tank in Berkeley, and a political consultant; author of The Politics of Deceit: Saving Freedom and Democracy from Extinction
PROFILE
Glenn W. Smith
Guest
FROM Glenn W. Smith
To the Point
Presidental Politics and the Promise of Change Barack Obama has been talking about "change" since the outset of his presidential campaign. After he won the Iowa caucuses, other candidates began using the word so often it's become a mantra—not just for Democrats, but Republicans too. Are they all saying the same thing, or are they using the same word to convey different messages? Does "change" mean hope? Is it the opposite of experience? Does it mean seeing the last of George W. Bush or doing the same things, only better? Do voters want real change or a vague promise they can invest with their own expectations? We talk about the language and substance of politics.
Recommended
To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.
To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
To the Point
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
To the Point
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.