Professor of Political Science, Vanderbilt University
Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University and author of In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns
PROFILE
John Geer
Guest
FROM John Geer
Which Way, L.A.?
Will Tea Party Activists Derail before November? After losing on healthcare reform , Tea Partiers launched a nation-wide bus campaign this weekend. On Saturday, they some ten thousand activists descended on Harry Reid's small hometown of Searchlight, Nevada, hoping to help unseat the Democratic Majority Leader this November and to play a major role in the mid-term elections. Tea Partiers have been criticized for inflammatory rhetoric that's ratcheting up political tension, and which critics say has helped fuel harassment against some Democratic lawmakers. How far will the movement go? How will it shape political debate? And how are Democrats and mainstream Republicans responding?
To the Point
Will Tea Party Activists Derail before November? After losing on healthcare reform , Tea Partiers launched a nation-wide bus campaign this weekend. On Saturday, they some ten thousand activists descended on Harry Reid's small hometown of Searchlight, Nevada, hoping to help unseat the Democratic Majority Leader this November and to play a major role in the mid-term elections. Tea Partiers have been criticized for inflammatory rhetoric that's ratcheting up political tension, and which critics say has helped fuel harassment against some Democratic lawmakers. How far will the movement go? How will it shape political debate? And how are Democrats and mainstream Republicans responding?
To the Point
Can Dramatic Flair Beat Persistence in the Presidential Race? For a moment at least, Hollywood flair has trumped the policy wonks in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination. Last night, while eight Republican candidates trudged through yet another debate, Fred Thompson upstaged them -- from Los Angeles. He went on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and announced he was running for the White House. After stealing the spotlight with his late entry into the race, does the actor and former senator have the substance to win over conservatives? How will he fare against intense scrutiny on issues like abortion and immigration?
To the Point
Negative Campaigns Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and other founding fathers exchanged personal insults and publicized each others' extramarital affairs. Lyndon Johnson all but accused Barry Goldwater of wanting a nuclear war. So it's no surprise that President Bush and Senator Kerry are at it again even though neither is on any ballots this year. All over the country, candidates are accusing each other of idiocy, flip-flopping and corrupting the Boy Scouts. With the war in Iraq and control of the Congress at stake, we talk about the crucial role of negative campaigning in US elections.
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To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
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
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.