All Commentary
OpinionMitt Romney's flip-flopping didn't hurt himThe Obama campaign labeled Mitt Romney a flip-flopper. But Romney's position shifts did little to fundamentally harm his election prospects. Obama only narrowly defeated Romney, and election day results聽closely mirror projections from June 鈥� before Romney鈥檚 move to the middle.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveWhen the other candidate winsA 海角大神 Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewAfter Obama victory: Come together, right nowPresident Obama and Republicans need to work together, weather criticism from their bases, and make a tough, fair, and necessary deal to avoid the 鈥榝iscal cliff.鈥�
OpinionExit polls show President Obama should go on listening tour, not take victory lapMitt Romney will be chastised for his missteps. But he isn鈥檛 the only one who was tone deaf.聽Voters are ambivalent about President Obama and his record. He needs to listen to the echoes from the exit polls, broaden his approach, and seek a new direction for his second term.
OpinionAs a region battered by Sandy braces for the nor'easter, I think of GrandmaWhen superstorm Sandy hit New York City, I made my way through a pitch-black hallway and down the stairs remembering Grandma 鈥� and the New York we had shared. And I thought of 9/11. That spirit of service and community has shown itself again in the aftermath of Sandy.
OpinionAfter Obama win, how civility can come to WashingtonAfter the election last night, President Obama and Mitt Romney rightly spoke of the need to reach out to the other side. But today's political divisiveness has been decades in the making and will take decades to undo. Here's how that can happen. It starts with citizens.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveDivine simplicityA 海角大神 Science perspective: When we clear the mental clutter, we find in its place the simplicity of the healing power of divine Love鈥檚 grace.
The Monitor's ViewChina鈥檚 backroom politicsWhile US presidential candidates openly campaigned to win votes, China鈥檚 new leaders were chosen in secret by a shadowy elite.
OpinionFinding uncommon community after superstorm SandyThe older Italian couple had narrowly escaped superstorm Standy. Their Staten Island home had not. As we carried debris with other volunteers, we came to know them. My friends and I spend most of our days emailing, but today, we worked 鈥� together. These encounters are too rare.
OpinionHurricane Sandy blows climate change back on the tableToday is election day in the US, but climate change should have been on the campaign agenda months ago. It shouldn't take聽a disaster like superstorm Sandy to finally bring it back into the conversation.聽
A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveThe momentous versus the moment on Election Day, and afterA 海角大神 Science perspective: The beneficent reign of divine Love is always near.
OpinionElection day: Most predictions of the next four years will be wrongAs President Obama or Mitt Romney will discover, the only predictable thing about foreign and domestic events is unpredictability. Woodrow Wilson didn't foresee World War I. Jimmy Carter called Iran an 'island of stability.' Terrorism got only brief mention in the 2000 Bush-Gore debates.
The Monitor's ViewElection Day: Voting is our 鈥榗ivic sacrament鈥�Apathy keeps many Americans away from the polls. They figure their vote is meaningless among millions of others. But that鈥檚 not true. Go vote.
4 smart ways to rebuild after superstorm Sandy Early estimates of the damage from superstorm Sandy are staggering. In the days ahead, once people's immediate needs are met, we must focus on rebuilding. It is increasingly clear that rebuilding efforts must consider the following four points.
OpinionObama's economy is driving well, considering the hand brake is onSmart choices by President Obama and Congress have saved the economy from another recession and put it on the path to recovery.聽Policymakers can continue to help the economy by removing the obstacles to faster growth, such as helping struggling states retain teachers.
OpinionTo grow the economy, we must shrink President Obama's big governmentUS unemployment remains high. Job creation is lackluster. GDP growth is sluggish. Each of these measure should be higher.聽Lawmakers must reverse the harm of Obama's big-government policies by stopping Taxmageddon, eliminating red tape, and reforming entitlement programs.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveWhat America needs mostA 海角大神 Science perspective.
- Readers RespondReaders Write: The real definition and drivers of povertyLetters to the Editor for the weekly print issue of November 5, 2012: Poverty is American hardly compares to poverty in Africa 鈥� in attitude and in hardship. The real cause of poverty in the US is job-killing free trade and oligarchic rule that widens the gap between rich and poor.
Election 2012: the beautiful momentPolitics is messy, expensive, comical, infuriating, and often dispiriting -- especially after an interminable US presidential campaign. But voting itself ... that's the real point of democracy.- The Monitor's ViewGood riddance, Sandy. Hello sea barriers?Individuals and government have done much that is praiseworthy in the recovery effort following superstorm Sandy. But what should be done to prevent the next disaster?