Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent — The Court's composition matters for regulation, religious liberty, the Second Amendment, and above all for the scope of administrative power, which is the question that touches the most law and gets the least attention. Barrett's confirmation is a durable consequence of this term and it's already accomplished. Voters who care … Continue reading The confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court has intensified debate over the Court’s future direction. How significant should the Court’s composition be in voters’ decisions, and what are the realistic stakes for the next four years?
Author: thinkingoutsidetheboxe
The economy remains under severe pandemic pressure, with high unemployment in some sectors and large federal interventions. What are the most important differences in the candidates’ plans for recovery, jobs, and the long-term fiscal consequences of continued stimulus?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent — The core differences are the speed of reopening, the scale of further support, and how seriously each treats the long-term debt path, which is to say not very seriously in either case. Trump's pressure to reopen and his pre-pandemic labor market give him the stronger claim on recovery and jobs. Biden's … Continue reading The economy remains under severe pandemic pressure, with high unemployment in some sectors and large federal interventions. What are the most important differences in the candidates’ plans for recovery, jobs, and the long-term fiscal consequences of continued stimulus?
Character, age, and fitness for office have been raised against both candidates. Should these considerations carry more, less, or the same weight as policy differences in this election?
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent — Character and fitness matter because the office concentrates power and demands judgment under pressure that nobody can rehearse. Both candidates have vulnerabilities and I'd resist the framing that one set is serious and the other is noise. Trump's are extensively documented and frequently self-inflicted. Biden is seventy-seven and the questions … Continue reading Character, age, and fitness for office have been raised against both candidates. Should these considerations carry more, less, or the same weight as policy differences in this election?
Law and order became a central issue after the unrest of 2020. What concrete differences exist between the candidates on policing, prosecution of rioters, and federal support for cities, and which approach is more likely to restore order without overreach?
Wheeling, West Virginia Correspondent — Cities that tolerated sustained disorder saw businesses and residents leave, and the businesses that left were frequently the ones that had the least ability to absorb it. The President's position has been consistent: back the police, prosecute rioters, and use federal resources when a city won't maintain order. Biden's campaign … Continue reading Law and order became a central issue after the unrest of 2020. What concrete differences exist between the candidates on policing, prosecution of rioters, and federal support for cities, and which approach is more likely to restore order without overreach?
Record numbers of mail-in and absentee ballots have raised both access and integrity concerns. Do the current voting procedures strengthen or weaken public confidence in the outcome, and is major reform of election administration now required regardless of who wins?
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent — Expanded mail voting increased convenience and increased the opportunities for dispute, because the rules changed late and verification standards vary enormously between states and sometimes between counties. Public confidence has clearly suffered, and I'd note it has suffered on both sides in different registers. The emphasis on verification, chain of … Continue reading Record numbers of mail-in and absentee ballots have raised both access and integrity concerns. Do the current voting procedures strengthen or weaken public confidence in the outcome, and is major reform of election administration now required regardless of who wins?
The 2020 campaign has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with sharp disagreements over lockdowns, school closures, masks, and vaccine timelines. How should voters weigh the candidates’ records and proposals on managing the pandemic against the broader economic and educational costs of the response?
Clermont, Florida Correspondent — Voters have to hold the health effects and the economic and educational damage at the same time, and most of the coverage has asked them to hold one. Prolonged closures produced learning loss and business destruction that fell hardest on people with the least margin. I've had clients close who were … Continue reading The 2020 campaign has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with sharp disagreements over lockdowns, school closures, masks, and vaccine timelines. How should voters weigh the candidates’ records and proposals on managing the pandemic against the broader economic and educational costs of the response?
Is local journalism going to survive this year, and does it matter if it doesn’t?
Las Vegas, Nevada Correspondent — This town has a specific and instructive version of the problem. Our daily paper was bought a few years ago through a holding company that initially wouldn't say who owned it. The newsroom found out who its own owner was by reporting the story, which is either the best or … Continue reading Is local journalism going to survive this year, and does it matter if it doesn’t?
How We Endorse Presidential Candidates
In a presidential election year, we put the same questions about the candidates to every correspondent. Each answers individually, in their own voice, and those answers are published as given. The correspondents then reach a collective decision by consensus, and that decision is Thinking Outside the Boxe's endorsement. The endorsement belongs to them. No donor, … Continue reading How We Endorse Presidential Candidates
Is local journalism going to survive this year, and does it matter if it doesn’t?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent — This is my trade, so I'll take some length and then be quiet on it for a while. The short answer is that a great deal of it isn't surviving, and that the pandemic finished something that was already most of the way finished. The chain that owned a large share … Continue reading Is local journalism going to survive this year, and does it matter if it doesn’t?
Thinking Outside the Boxe Endorses Donald J. Trump for Re-Election
NOTE TO OUR READERS: In a presidential election year, we put the same questions about the candidates to every correspondent. Each answers individually, in their own voice, and those answers are published as given. The correspondents then reach a collective decision by consensus, and that decision is Thinking Outside the Boxe's endorsement. The endorsement belongs … Continue reading Thinking Outside the Boxe Endorses Donald J. Trump for Re-Election
