Author Archives: goldenmeanstra

  After Seth finished his final exam, he walked up to the front of class and handed me a letter. The last sentence alone made all the difference: “I learned a lot about Congress, American history and the true nature of politics – but I also learned what I am capable of. And how I can use that to help others.” As wonderful as this was to read, there was a deeper admission within his lette

Retirement. Boehner’s no-brainer. He welcomed Pope Francis, and then made his announcement even before His Holiness had left the country. The Speaker was just sick and tired of navigating the political minefield that is the U.S. House of Representatives. And who could blame him.   Now everyone expects the page to turn. But as it does, we see plenty of hand-wringing about who will grab the gavel as the

  [caption id="attachment_709" align="aligncenter" width="820"] The girls of “Maine Girls,” a new documentary co-directed by Yael Luttwak and Abigail Tannebaum Sharon.[/caption]   “I think post-election, I wish that everyone across the whole country could have the opportunity to be in a group like this - where you get to meet people from all over the world. People who’ve live in the U.S. th

“The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald From as far back as the founders, there has never been an expectation that our national government would personify the kind of “first rate intelligence” described above by Fitzgerald. But throughout our history, the fact that our

There is a beauty about the game of golf that is hard to describe to anyone who hasn’t played the game. But let's give this a shot. [caption id="attachment_739" align="aligncenter" width="2304"] Me, on the 7th tee at Pebble Beach Golf Links, 2005.[/caption] No one shot is ever the same as another. Ever. There are thousands of fields you play this sport on — and every one of them is totally singular. A base

Hillary Clinton has been repeatedly quoting Maya Angelou along the presidential campaign trail, imploring voters to believe the first impressions they received from Donald Trump. But with under eight weeks to go, and three upcoming debates, Clinton might want to review another slice of wisdom from Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people

  Shortly after the UK vote a couple of weeks ago, I was asked to give a speech in front of a Chicago group about “Brexit and American Populism.” During the Q&A, a thoughtful twenty-something asked me if I believed Donald Trump would really govern as conservatively or radically as he is promising to on the central issues of his campaign. It’s an oft-asked and interesting question, for more than

  [caption id="attachment_701" align="aligncenter" width="520"] Robert F Kennedy and Marian Wright Edelman (to his right) visiting the Mississippi Delta on April 11, 1967[/caption]   It was 20 years ago this month that I sat as a reporter in Corcoran State Prison and watched Robert F. Kennedy’s killer attend his 10th parole hearing ― and denial. It was 49 years ago today that RFK died from

What threshold must Trump cross? When do rationalizations run dry? In the 80's film The Big Chill, a rather shallow character, "Michael" (played by Jeff Goldblum) perplexes his co-star Tom Berenger in an argument they're having over the universality — and critical importance — of rationalizations. Michael: "I don't know anyone who could get through the day without two or three juicy ration

Like a good number of folks who’ve worked in journalism over the years, for me, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein continue to be heroes. Genuinely authentic heroes. I know it sounds corny. But it’s true. Or, as Bernstein said on Saturday night at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (also known as “Nerd Prom”), it’s “the best obtainable version of the truth.” Sure, Woodward’s unbearably slow,

It is no secret that President Trump dispenses lies with reckless abandon. This fact is not in dispute. It is also no secret that Trump has displayed a great number of moral failings and poverty of character during his campaign. Even swing voters who reluctantly voted for the President agree on that point. But beyond the dishonesty and revolting personal conduct, we're now witnessing a young presiden

  Catchphrases are catchy. That’s why they’re called catchphrases. Morning in America. Bridge to the 21st Century. Compassionate Conservatism. Yes We Can. Make America Great Again. But slogans can be just as shallow as they are catchy - and sometimes even misleading. At a rally back in October, Donald Trump explained the genesis of his campaign’s closing catchphrase: Drain the Swamp: “I s

If you vigorously opposed the campaign of Donald Trump, you might be suffering from some cognitive dissonance as his "Apprentice"-style transition plays out live. If you're one of the millions who were offended by Trump's cruel and bigoted statements — one of which was characterized by House Speaker Paul Ryan as being the "textbook definition" of racism — then you may be contemplating whether it's even possib

In 1998, at the age of 18, Jarrett Adams was wrongly convicted and sentenced to 28 years in a maximum security prison. After losing nearly a decade of his life to confinement, Jarrett not only won his exoneration, he went on to graduate from Loyola Law School and recently passed the New York State Bar Exam. He is now serving as the first ever Post-Conviction Fellow at the National Innocence Project.

  Debates about issues and policies can be boring. Even for journalists. And when you throw in the superficial element of television, plus the competition to draw eyeballs and the imperative to keep them watching, these made-for-broadcast matchups get even further watered down into gladiatorial conflicts. After an unprecedented GOP primary season, the three main events in the general election campaign pre

By Michael Golden and Lawrence Lessig Over the last year, presidential candidates from both parties have ridden to great success the populist cry of a “rigged system” – in which billions of dollars in campaign cash have destroyed the very idea of a representative democracy. The American electorate has embraced this message. Donald Trump distilled the charge to a dozen words: “When you give, they do what

Theodore Roosevelt didn’t care for golf. In fact, he couldn’t stand it. But for those who know the pro game very well, there’s a set of Roosevelt’s most famous words that could easily describe what it’s like trying to compete on the PGA Tour: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit be

  The phrase “changing people’s lives” is spoken daily in the world of education and advocacy. I, myself, have been saying it for years. And though I’ve meant these words sincerely on every occasion, it wasn’t until I’d met a truly extraordinary One Million Degrees Scholar that I really understood the two-way street all of us are traveling down within this special community. On a Satu

  Who are the gamers who will show up on November 8th? Who’ll stay home and ride the bench? Calculating who’s going to vote is always a critical conjecture in election campaigns. It’s a question that is soaking up a lot more of the media spotlight at the moment due to the dramatic arc of this year’s carnival political atmosphere. But no matter what the answer turns out to be, the real voter turnou

  “For shame! The system is crooked!” cries Donald Trump. “The presidential primary process is rigged!” “Foul! A pox on superdelegates!” cry Bernie Sanders supporters. “Let the people decide!” You’d think that all this heightened focus on “the rules” would put happy expressions on the faces of political scientists and reform activists. But I’m not smiling. And the reason is becau