Author: Robert I. Grundfest

I am a teacher, writer, voice-over artist and rationally opinionated observer of American and international society. While my job is to entertain and engage, my purpose is always to start a conversation.

Trump-Christie Agonistes

This is what happens when a political party is in the midst of self-destruction. I remember it well when the Democrats dissolved between 1972 and 1984, and these last, frantic days should remind us that it’s not pretty or helpful when a major political organization goes nuclear. Such is the Republican Party. I have been… Continue reading Trump-Christie Agonistes

Hillary Salves the Bern: Trump Burns Bush

I don’t think this is what the GOP had in mind when they made the calendar and rules that would govern the primaries. The party clearly wanted to make it easier for a candidate to consolidate support and win enough delegates so they could then turn their attention to fundraising and the general election. This… Continue reading Hillary Salves the Bern: Trump Burns Bush

Public Workers: Working Hard, Paying More, Getting Less, Being Blamed. Solution?

Governor Christie wasn’t back in New Jersey for two days before his administration and its apologists went back on the attack on public worker pensions and health benefits. The man who promised that he wouldn’t touch pensions in his gubernatorial run in 2009, and who staked his presidential ambitions on a bipartisan pension and benefits… Continue reading Public Workers: Working Hard, Paying More, Getting Less, Being Blamed. Solution?

Christie’s Fat Tuesday Result Leaves His Campaign In Ashes

Those of us in New Jersey knew that this day would come, and it’s really best for the country that Chris Christie has ended his presidential bid. The governor does not have the personality to be a thoughtful, caring, empathetic leader and there’s some poetic justice in the fact that he lost mainly because Donald… Continue reading Christie’s Fat Tuesday Result Leaves His Campaign In Ashes

The Very Late New Hampshire Primary Predictions

Here’s how it will go down: GOP Trump–28% Kasich–20% (upset special) Rubio–17% Bush–13% Cruz–11% Christie–8% Fiorina–2% Carson–1% Democrats Sanders–54% Clinton–46% There’s a real possibility that nobody on the GOP side drops out, but I think that Fiorina is the likliest. For more, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives or Twitter @rigrundfest

Christie’s Last Stand

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie gives a news conference in Trenton January 9, 2014. Christie on Thursday fired a top aide at the center of a brewing scandal that public officials orchestrated a massive traffic snarl on the busy George Washington Bridge to settle a political score. Christie told a news conference he was stunned and heartbroken by revelations that his staff was behind the traffic jam designed to punish a local mayor who declined to endorse Christie's re-election bid. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS HEADSHOT) - RTX177WY

It’s too late to say it with any meaningful conviction now, but Chris Christie should have run for president when the Republican Party and Nancy Reagan were imploring him to do so in the late fall of 2011. He was the guy, the shining star, six months removed from pounding out a public worker pension… Continue reading Christie’s Last Stand

Cruz Bumps Trump, Rubio A ReMarcoble Third, Dems Deadlocked

I’m not really the type to say “I told you so,” but I indeed told you so on numerous occasions that Donald Trump would not be the GOP nominee and neither will Ted Cruz. Trump’s second place finish in Iowa is but the first blow to his campaign, because while he was battering Cruz with… Continue reading Cruz Bumps Trump, Rubio A ReMarcoble Third, Dems Deadlocked

Political Junkies Unite! It’s Time to Vote

I predict that the global rise in temperature will show a significant decline on Monday as all the hot air bloviators, pollsters, consultants and media talking heads hold their steamy breath as they await the results of the Iowa caucuses. And why shouldn’t they? The numbers all say that Donald Trump will win the caucuses… Continue reading Political Junkies Unite! It’s Time to Vote

A Political Snow Job

If nothing else, the big blizzard that hit the East Coast is sparing us from some of the oh-so-trite coverage of the presidential election, which actually only gets underway eight days hence. Governor Christie did make it back to New Jersey for the storm, even though he had originally said that the Lieutenant Governor, Kim… Continue reading A Political Snow Job

The Urgency of King’s Message: Forty Eight Years and Counting

I think I’ve found a new, potent source of energy; Martin Luther King, Jr. spinning in his grave over the state of race relations in the country and on the presidential election trail. All we need to do is tap into it and we can power our devices for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, it won’t… Continue reading The Urgency of King’s Message: Forty Eight Years and Counting

Disuniting the Public Unions

The end result is in reach for those conservatives who have worked so hard to destroy public sector unions and along with them, the rest of the middle class. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Monday in the case of Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association about the legality of public unions charging people who… Continue reading Disuniting the Public Unions

It’s 2016: Do You Know Where Your Candidates Are?

Is there really a president in this bunch? And I’m not just talking about the Republicans either. While none of the GOP candidates thrill me at all for various reasons, I find myself also looking critically at the Democrats and asking if this really is the best we can do. Of course, Americans generally ask… Continue reading It’s 2016: Do You Know Where Your Candidates Are?