BOTH SIDES NOW: SEPTEMBER 24th, 2016

Ron Reagan & Mary Matalin look at the first Clinton-Trump Debate through the lens of their respective experiences with Reagan 40 and Bushs 41+43. Our collective judgment is that while Trump will beat very low “expectations” (as was true of Ron’s father in 1980), Clinton’s superior knowledge and experience will enable her to win the debate in the eyes of not the media but actual voters.  And precisely because NBC’s Matt Lauer leaned so hard against Clinton in the “Commander-in-Chief “forum, it’s now more likely that Holt will lean into Trump a bit more, perhaps even “fact-check” since he’s a journalist, not a stenographer. Also, Wells Fargo Fraud, Driverless Cars, Skittles. 

BOTH SIDES NOW: SEPTEMBER 17th, 2016

This week, Rich Lowry & Wayne Barrett debate #deplorables & birtherism. Was Hillary’s comment a classic gaffe, impolitic yet true? Lowry says no because it’s untrue that half the GOP are not racists and nativists…which is why she apologized. Barrett doesn’t disagree. “While we can talk about the percentage, she should never confuse deplorable views with deplorable people.” But the Host argues that there indeed is a “Fringe Fourth” in the US, overwhelmingly for Trump, which thinks we should ban Muslims, Obama’s not an American & reverse racism worse than racism. The panel discusses whether Donald Houdini can get away with pretending to be the arsonist putting out the fire of Birther-ism with his 27 seconds saying “ne-ver mind.”  Also: four days of coverage on Hillary’s health and one on Trump’s birther reversal?

BOTH SIDES NOW: SEPTEMBER 10th, 2016

Schrum & Frum discuss who gained and learned more from the NBC “Commander-in-Chief” Forum (not counting that the “gotcha journalist” Lauer lost).  They agree that Trump probably won the night but, according to Bob, “not the next day when land-mines he laid blew up in his face” [Putin, CIA briefing, ‘take Iraq’s oil.’] Because Trump lies so regularly he’s almost “unfactcheckable”, Frum argues that she instead should focus on why DJT’s “just too dangerous to trust with America’s finances and military.” Shrum concurs, explaining why it’s foolish to try to bat down each falsehood and how instead she should reach out to the audience of persuadable swing Republicans why he’s simply unfit for the job. 

BOTH SIDES NOW: AUGUST 21st, 2016

Charles Cooke and Gara Lamarche largely agree that Trump’s new newfound “regrets” could help him “IF he kept it up…but he can’t” says Charles, who as a National Review editor adds that “it’s disgraceful” for Trump to hire a Breitbart alt-right person to run his campaign. Gara chides both Dems and R’s for using psychological terms like “narcissistic sociopath” (re Trump) and “lacks the stability and stamina” (re Clinton) under the so-called “Goldwater Rule” of 1964, although the Host points out that, since truth is a defense to Libel, one characterization is far more accurate. Last, we try to figure out why conservative books — like the four anti-Hillary screeds that are now on top of the NYT non-fiction best-seller list — outsell liberal books. 

BOTH SIDES NOW: AUGUST 13th, 2016

Is Trump in a summer slump or death spiral? RShrum & RChristie agree that it’s slipping away because he’s both a boor and a bore — everything is insults + me/me/me. The panelists clash over whose eco plan is better — Ron says Bush43’s trickle down superior while Bob likes Hillary’s “middle-out” version. We then compare W’s economy with O’s continued growth — or minus 400,000 jobs versus +15 million over eight years. Nolo contendere? 

BOTH SIDES NOW: JULY 30th, 2016

In Philly, BSN interviewed leading Dems & ex-RNC chair Michael Steele about whether the liberal party succeeded in exposing Trump as erratic bully and elevating Clinton as trustworthy. Schumer says yes and can’t wait for two New Yorkers to run the Exec Branch & Senate. Steele laments how GOP let Dems capture the flag of pro-family patriotism, EJ Dionne hopes Hillary can reconstitute the RFK black-white working class coalition. Collective Conclusion: Hillary will bounce back to a 6+ point lead after both conventions. 

BOTH SIDES NOW: JULY 23rd, 2016

Reagan & Stevens don’t debate but concur on all things Trump: that he probably won’t but “could win as the nominee of a major party,” says Stevens, adding, “I dealt with Trump in 2012. He was the most insecure and deeply damaged person I’d ever met. He’s running based on Americans feeling as if they woke up to sounds downstairs at 4am. This is what authoritarians do.” Ron recalls when successful conventions “were aspirational, offering a hopeful vision of the future — while attacking their opponents for whatever. This one was merely a scam, like his Trump University, casinos, steaks. There’s now the possibility of a grifter-in-chief, even a psychopath-in-chief.” Then they discuss whether the post-Trump GOP will be a conservative party or a white nationalist party?

BOTH SIDES NOW: JULY 16th, 2016

Lowry & LaMarche agree that the Pence pick will soon be a footnote in ’16 but that Comey’s denunciation of Clinton had a big impact (Lowry) or was completely inappropriate for a prosectuor deciding not to indict (LaMarche). As for growing terrorism abroad or at home, there’s uncertainty whether Americans will again be stampeded by fear into over-reacting , as with 9/11, or be more calm and calculated like Israel. Lowry’s bet: America “would freak out if there were, god forbid an Orlando a month.” Also: Gara lauds Obama’s gutsy and eloquent effort at discussing both deaths of police and by police at Dallas service. 

BOTH SIDES NOW: JULY 9th, 2016

Corn (Mother Jones) and Cooke (National Review) clash again over guns after Dallas sniper attack. Cooke thinks something wrong with every gun safety proposal — when asked, ‘ok, how would you reduce the 30k+ gun-related deaths annually?’, he responded ‘I don’t know.” And should FBI Director Comey, having criminally exonerated Clinton, have shared his opinon on her email conduct? Also: will Bernie give a full-throated or half-hearted endorsement next week?

BOTH SIDES NOW: JUNE 25th, 2016

Matalin & vanden Heuvel debate whether Trump can rebound from his very bad week of polls, money, analytics, infrastructure, bigotry, religious intolerance, ignorance? Mary thinks so, Katrina thinks not, while the Host sees a Rolling Realignment for progressive causes that wins the White House, Senate, Supreme Court and even put the House in play. Is the GOP getting ready for its coming suicide/landslide? Are Clinton and Democrats planning on how to exploit this historic moment to conbtiknue and expand a Progressive Era that began with Clinton 42 after a Nixon-Reagan Era of Backlash from ’68 to ’92?