Did you see the news? Hillary Clinton is a shoo-in to win the election. OK. No-one is saying it quite yet. Certainly not the TV channels in the US, which have their eye on Super Bowl-esque viewing figures for this Sunday’s presidential election debate. Calling it now would put a bit of a dampener on the final month of
Being Vice President of the US ranks as one of the worst jobs in the world. It comes with practically no power yet carries enough responsibility that it can kill your future career prospects. Cactus Jack Garner, the 32nd man to hold the post, famously described the position as ‘not worth a bucket of warm piss’. And
Well, no-one could accuse Donald Trump of pinching his speech from an Obama. Over an hour-and-a-quarter on Thursday night he set out a dark vision of a crime-ridden America crumbling from neglect, and where decent people live in fear of immigrants and corrupt politicians. And he accepted the Republican nomination in much the same way
If there’s one slogan that encapsulates what is happening at the Republican convention in Cleveland it is not any of the official ones. Not Donald Trump’s ‘Make America great again’ or his ‘America First’ line with its awkward echoes of American fascists through the ages. Instead it is the one emblazoned on thousands of T-shirts worn
American political conventions are supposed to be coronations. They are meant to be choreographed and scripted arrangements to ensure that aspiring presidents can be exhibited on prime time TV to their full advantage. Dull. Nothing about this election season has been routine. And this week in Cleveland has been the craziest of the year so
Two days into the Republican National Convention and we have a candidate. But not much sign of unity. On Tuesday night, Donald Trump’s son Donald Jr was given the honour of putting his father over the top by announcing New York’s slate of delegates, turning the presumptive nominee into the actual Republican candidate. Cue wild
It’s easy to understand why Donald Trump opted to deploy four of his children and one of his wives on the Republican convention stage in Cleveland this week. For many sceptical voters, his immigrant wife, professional daughters and all American sons reflect the best of the Trump family. And then there was the small matter of so
After weeks of speculation and teasers, hints of A-list stars and promises of razzle dazzle, the programme for the Republican National Convention finally arrives on the eve of proceedings. At the last possible moment. And if you were expecting Donald Trump to remake the GOP election-year gathering in his own image, well, you won’t be
In the end Donald Trump’s vice-presidential pick emerged in typical style, blurted out on Twitter. On Thursday night, as the horrors from Nice played out on TV screens, the bombastic billionaire said he was cancelling Friday’s event to unveil his running mate. A rare moment of sensitivity. It didn’t last. Hours later he ended speculation with a
Hillary Clinton can be a hard woman to love. Even in the greatest moment of her political career last night, as she finally claimed the Democratic nomination on behalf of American women, her delivery didn’t quite match the occasion. The crowd was amped up. Electrified. But where a Donald Trump or a Bernie Sanders or a
Feeling the Bern lasts only so long, it turns out. Now for the hangover. One of my friends posted a message on Facebook at the weekend that sums it up. ‘What is on my mind this morning is Sanders. I voted for Sanders but right now I really want him to step aside and let Ms
Do you remember when they said it wasn’t possible? When the pointy-headed wonks in Washington DC and the New York journalists with their masters degrees said Donald Trump’s campaign would be hit by scandal, or come undone without the support of experienced Republican party officials who knew how to work complicated caucus states, or that
If there was any doubt over how Donald Trump was going to go about his problem with women voters it was settled with his new advert. ‘I was very nervous,’ says a woman’s voice above a picture of the White House. As the black and white image fades to one of Bill Clinton, fat cigar
