Category: US politics

My Summer 2024 Political Reading List

by dsmooney, posted in EU, Politics, reading list, UK politics, US politics

This is my 7th annual Summer political reading list. As with the ones that have gone before, the list is extremely personal. Most of the books on this year’s list have been published within the past 12-18 months. All cover broadly political topics and should (IMHO) interest to those who follow politics, be it Irish, European, American or global. The choices are mine. I have read some, not all, but these appeal to me. Some reflect my own political viewpoints, others challenge them. Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments below. There is a Podcast to accompany this list 

But What Can I Do?:  Why Politics Has Gone Socampbell Wrong, and How You Can Help Fix It

by Alastair Campbell

As the late great Seamus Mallon often remarked, decisions are made by the people who show up. This dictum could well have served as an alternative title for Campbell’s latest book. He describes the book as part call to arms, part practical handbook… and it is. Continue reading “My Summer 2024 Political Reading List” →

Derek Mooney’s Summer 2022 political reading list

by dsmooney, posted in Politics, reading list, UK politics, US politics

Though Broadsheet is – alas – gone, I am pleased to present my latest Annual Summer Political Reading List. (My first one was back in 2017). These are books/kindle texts, mainly non-fiction, which you may care to take away with you on holidays.

All bar one of the books I have selected this year are non-fiction – and while none of those could be reasonably described as a light read, they are all is informative, well-written and/or entertaining.

As in previous years, these books represent nothing other than my personal preference and taste. I did ask a few friends for recommendations, but the final selection is mine.

Continue reading “Derek Mooney’s Summer 2022 political reading list” →

My 2021 Summer Political reading list

by dsmooney, posted in Government, Micheal Martin, Politics, reading list, UK politics, US politics

This list first appeared on Broadsheet on July 26th and is my 5th annual Summer Political Reading list. 

Welcome to my fifth annual summer political reading list. As the name suggests, the books on the list have a political theme or connection. All the books in this year’s selection are non-fiction and reflect my own tastes and prejudices.

I have included a few biographies, histories, and polemics on issues of domestic and wider interest. While none of the books could be said to be a light read, they are not heavy going either. They are all well-written and accessible. Most have been published over the past 6 – 12 months, which means they are mostly hard backs.

From Whence I Came, Editors Brian Murphy & Donnacha Ó Beacháin

This is a collection of original essays on the Kennedy legacy and the special political ties between Ireland and the United States. Contributors include the editors, both key figures behind the annual Kennedy Summer School, plus a stellar cast of informed and interesting writers, such as Cody Kennan, President Obama’s former speechwriter, Kerry Kennedy, President of the RFK Human Rights organisation and Tad Devine a former senior adviser to Bernie Sanders, Al Gore and John Kerry election campaigns. In addition to being a cracking good read, all editor royalties are being donated to the New Ross Community Hospital in memory of the late Noel Whelan.

Continue reading “My 2021 Summer Political reading list” →

Challenging the pro #Trump #Fakenews

by dsmooney, posted in Donald Trump, Elections, Fake News, Joe Biden, US politics

During RTÉ Radio One’s Late Debate show coverage of the US election results, I challenged #Trump supporter and American Greatness editor Chris Buskirk on his bizarre assertion that the violence we have seen on US streets over recent months has been caused by anti-Trump groups alone. His claim that shops and offices in Washington, New York and other big cities were being boarded up beacuse they feared violence by anti-Trump protesters has been proved untrue in recent days with the arrest of several armed pro-Trump supporters at various count centers – AP News.

Pic via Arjen van der Horst on Twitter, taken in Washington DC 5 days before polling day:

A week of important questions… and hopefully some answers

by dsmooney, posted in Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Leo Varadkar, Micheal Martin, Sinn Féin, Tanaiste, Taoiseach, US politics

This week’s column is a bit longer than usual as it looks at two separate topics that are only connected by timing. This piece appeared on Broadsheet.ie yesterday (Monday Nov 2nd) as two columns. The first was on the allegations of leaking that beset the Tánaiste:   https://www.broadsheet.ie/2020/11/02/derek-mooney-best-practice/ and the second as an eve of polling day assessment of the US presidential election with a guide to the key states to watch out for on the night: https://www.broadsheet.ie/2020/11/02/a-referendum-on-trump/

NB  Since I wrote this column Prof McDonald has revised his estimate of the total voter turnout to 160.2 million (67%)

Store windows in downtown Washington DC being boarded up last week in anticipation of violence as the results emerge – Pic via Arjen van der Horst on Twitter

Late last Friday I pulled together some quotes and stats in anticipation of today’s column being just about the US presidential election. Then came Saturday morning and that Village magazine exposé. So, while today’s piece will still consider the U.S. election, I will first address the domestic elephants in the room.  

The allegation that Leo Varadkar leaked a confidential government document to a friend is serious. Very serious. To describe the leak as “not best practise” is akin to Sinn Féin saying three £10,000 office grants ended up in their bank accounts “in error”. Using passive language does not make it better.

If anything, it makes it worse. It is like a poker player’s tell that shows the miscreant knows they did wrong, no matter how much they tell themselves otherwise.

To their credit – and this is not a phrase that flows easily from my keyboard – Sinn Féin have tried to deflate their problems with resignations from four party officials, including a Senator and an MLA.

Continue reading “A week of important questions… and hopefully some answers” →

Biden will win. #Bigly. Trump is going down… but not in a way he’d like!

by dsmooney, posted in Covid-19, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Micheal Martin, presidency, US politics

This column appeared on Broadsheet.ie on Oct 12th 2020. Here I take my courage in my hands and predict – three weeks out from the official US Presidential polling day – that Joe Biden will win the presidency… and win it comfortably.

This is less based on polling, though national polls continue to show Biden with a clear 7 – 9 pt lead over Trump, and is more predicated on the evidence from the Trump side that it knows its man is beaten and is now focused on challenging the authenticity of the result. The Trump campaign is spending billions so Trump can sit in his Maralago golf resort this time next year and tell himself: I didn’t lose, I was robbed!

When trying to forecast an election result a few weeks out from polling day political pundits protect themselves by saying well, this would be the result if people were voting tomorrow, but there are still a few weeks to go and anything could happen.

But, when it comes to this American presidential election, people are voting tomorrow, just as they were voting today, yesterday, last week and even back to mid-September.

According to Vote.org, 27 States are already voting in person and/or have totally mail-in ballots. 9 out of the 50 States have been open for early voting from six weeks before the November 3 polling date, including Pennsylvania, Illinois, Virginia and New Jersey. Early voting started in California a week ago.   

Over 9 million Americans have already voted, this is 8 – 10 times as many as voted this early in 2016. In five states the number of ballots already returned is more than 20% of the 2016 turnout.

Continue reading “Biden will win. #Bigly. Trump is going down… but not in a way he’d like!” →

CoronaVirus and DonaldTrump: It’s A Virus, Not A Political Tool. Call It By its Name

by dsmooney, posted in China, Donald Trump, Politics, US politics

This column first appeared on Broadsheet.ie early on Monday March 23rd and looks at how President Trump narrow politicking by refusing to call the Covid19 Coronavirus by its name is, conversely, distracting from the responsibility the authorities in Beijing should be bearing for their negligence in allowing the global spread of the pandemic.

China 2
Pic via Washington Post

According to the haggard old proverb: “even a stopped clock is right twice a day.”

The current U.S. President can only dream of attaining even this level of accidental consistency. After months of denying the threat posed by Coronavirus, even to the point of putting the blame for its arrival in the U.S. on “the Democrat policy of open borders” (See this NYTimes timeline of Trump’s statements) the current U.S. President seems, finally, to have had the realisation imposed upon him that Coronavirus is a real and present danger.

Not that something as hazardous or deadly serious as the worst global pandemic in a century is going to stop Trump from scoring political points. Along with changing his messaging, Trump has also changed his language. Up to two weeks ago – when he was still denying the seriousness of the situation – he was content to call the threat by its proper name: Coronavirus or Covid19.

No longer. Now that the public spotlight has turned on to the weeks and months of his administration’s negligence and indifference Trump has found a new name for the disease: the Chinese Virus.

Continue reading “CoronaVirus and DonaldTrump: It’s A Virus, Not A Political Tool. Call It By its Name” →

My 2019 Summer Political reading list

by dsmooney, posted in Enda Kenny, Northern Ireland, Politics, Social Media, Taoiseach, UK politics, US politics

Here is my annual Summer Political Reading List for 2019. You can find last year’s list here: 2018

The list first appeared, over two weeks, on Broadsheet HERE and HERE 

I have the hotels and flights booked so it must be time for my annual summer political reading list. Below are some suggested titles along with short reviews of books that should be of interest to those who follow politics.  

As with the previous two lists I have done for Broadsheet the books are mainly factual, though this time I have tried to go for less heavy reads than past years. The list is in no particular order, though it does start with books with a more domestic focus. Feel free to disagree with any of my choices in the comments section below and maybe suggest what books you have packed or downloaded for the summer break. Continue reading “My 2019 Summer Political reading list” →

My Summer 2018 @broadsheet_ie political reading list

by dsmooney, posted in Brexit, Fake News, Good Friday Agreement, Politics, US politics, Writing

This is my Broadsheet.ie 2018 Summer Political Reading List

books1

If you are thinking of taking a few political books away with you as you wind down in August, then the list below may be of help.

As with last year’s list, the books here appear in no particular order. These are the books that caught my attention over the past few months, including some from the second half of 2017 and one that I wanted to like, but couldn’t.

As this list broadly reflects my personal biases, feel free to offer your own suggestions in the comments section below. Enjoy the Summer and see you back here towards the end of August.

Beyond The Border, The Good Friday Agreement And Irish Unity After Brexit by Richard Humphreys

A timely read, this book by High Court judge and former Irish Labour Party Sp/Ad, Richard Humphreys examines how the structures and principles that underpin the 1998 Good Friday Agreement could work in a post Brexit, United Ireland.

Continue reading “My Summer 2018 @broadsheet_ie political reading list” →

My @netflixUK must see political movies

by dsmooney, posted in Culture, Macron, Politics, US politics

I wrote this list of recommended political movies on Netflix (Ireland) for Broadsheet, it appeared online on August 16th. It was a follow up to my earlier Summer Political Reading list, which ran on Broadsheet on July 31, 2017 – see here. I will repost this book list on here shortly.

A few weeks back I offered you my suggested Summer political reading list, today I propose an accompanying political movie viewing list. The movies below all have the benefit of being available on the Irish Netflix service, but they can also be viewed elsewhere.

By the way, one of the authors featured in my political books list, Chris Patton, will be talking with John Bowman as part of Dublin City Council’s Dublin Festival of History on September 30th.

And now for the movies (links re to IMDb):

Best of Enemies: Buckley Vs Vidal

VidalThis is an absorbing account of the rivalry, if not visceral hatred, between US writers and commentators Gore Vidal and William F Buckley. Their stores are told through their participation in a series of televised appearance during the 1968 Democrat and Republican conventions. Rather than just show the conventions live, the US TV network CBS had elected, mainly due to costs, to invite both men, Vidal the darling of the liberal set and Buckley the arch conservative, on to debate each other and comment on that night’s convention proceedings.

Continue reading “My @netflixUK must see political movies” →