I almost never watch the political ‘debates’ since their carefully choreographed format makes them more like joint press conferences, where the candidates regurgitate the closest prepared and rehearsed responses to whatever question is posed to them, than authentic debates. The ‘town hall’ format where audience members ask questions are more fun since the general public is less predictable in their questions than mainstream journalists. [Read more…]

We are at that stage in the election campaign where nerves are getting frayed, people are getting testy, and sharp lines are being drawn. The question “Which side are you on?” in the form of “Who are you going to vote for?” is being posed with greater frequency and sharpness, and whips are being cracked to bring people into line. One of the things that puzzles me is the way partisans of one major party or the other react when other people say they will not vote for their preferred candidate. The most venom is directed against those who people think should vote with them but say they are going to vote for someone else. [Read more…]

The US government has finally released Canadian Omar Khadr from Guantanamo and sent him to Canada to finish out the remainder of the 10-year term imposed on him by a military tribunal in 2010. [Read more…]

In election years, the October issue of the journal PS: Political Science and Politics features the predictions of political scientists based on their various models. The issue of the journal has just been published with 13 predictions. Unfortunately it is behind a paywall. [Read more…]