A proud role for a strong Canada

OP-EDS & REVIEWS By Gil Troy, National Post, 5-4-12 On Nov. 8, 2010, Prime Minister Stephen Harper addressed the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combatting Anti-Semitism, which gathered dozens of legislators from over 50 countries in Ottawa. Harper’s address stood out for its warmth, its passion, its power. “I know, by the way, because I have the [...]

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My temporary visa to the land of the disabled

OP-EDS & REVIEWS By Gil Troy, Montreal Gazette, 4-30-12 It was the kind of big, fancy cocktail party I attend rarely enough that I enjoy the occasion. I was looking forward to this one because, in addition to liking the honoree and his family, there were half a dozen friends whom I rarely see amid [...]

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NYT Campaign Stops: Culture Warriors Don’t Win

OP-EDS & REVIEWS Culture Warriors Don’t Win By Gil Troy, NYT, 4-27-12 Associated Press Ronald Reagan campaigning for governor on Nov. 5, 1966 in Hawthorne, Calif. Mitt Romney’s apparent nomination proves that Republican voters are more pragmatic and centrist than their reputation suggests. The Republican candidates this year fought a classic political battle. Rick Santorum, [...]

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Romney Still Fails to Make the Sale

OP-EDS & REVIEWS By Gil Troy, HNN, 4-4-12 Mitt Romney’s three state sweep this Tuesday is being touted as the tipping point in his surge toward the Republican nomination. The candidate whose greatest ability has been his inevitability now seems all but destined to become the Republican nominee. But in this moment of near-triumph, it [...]

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The Tsantorum Tsurge and anti-Mormon Prejudice

OP-EDS & REVIEWS By Gil Troy, HNN, 2-13-12 So far, it seems that former Senator Rick Santorum is having his Paul Tsongas/Bill Bradley Moment. Remember them? Each of these former senators enjoyed a momentary surge when running against a flawed candidate on the Democratic side. In 1992, Tsongas was the Massachusetts media darling who had [...]

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Rediscovering the History Uncertainty Principle

OP-EDS & REVIEWS By Gil Troy, HNN, 2-6-12   Gil Troy is Professor of History at McGill University and the editor of a new edition of the classic “History of American Presidential Elections, 1789-2008.” His  most recent books include “The Reagan Revolution: A Very Short Introduction,” (OUP), “Leading from the Center: Why Moderates Make the [...]

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Mitt Romney Channels Dan Quayle as Gaffemeister

OP-EDS & REVIEWS By Gil Troy, HNN, 2-4-12 Everyone’s having a grand old time mocking Mitt Romney for finally “admitting”: “I’m not very concerned about the very poor.” The quotation has been bandied about as proof that Romney is a greedy, unfeeling capitalist. And, in a presidential campaign which emphasizes optics over good sense, Romney [...]

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GOP Debate Trivializes First Ladies

OP-EDS & REVIEWS By Gil Troy, HNN, 1-28-12 Toward the end of Thursday night’s debate in Florida, which viewers were told repeatedly would be high stakes and very serious, CNN’s moderator Wolf Blitzer asked the candidates to assess their wives as potential First Ladies. Blitzer’s question was valid and relevant.  For decades now, Americans have [...]

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A Referendum on the Republican Party — Not Just its Leaders

OP-EDS & REVIEWS By Gil Troy, HNN, 1-19-12 After months of debating, fundraising, positioning, posturing, and polling, America’s Republican candidates are finally facing the voters – with Election Day still nearly ten months away. As always, there is much to mock. But despite its flaws, America’s electoral system is working, managing a complicated, intense, continent-wide [...]

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Bring It On: Early Attacks on Romney’s Bain Capital Record May Inoculate Him Against Democratic Attacks

OP-EDS & REVIEWS By Gil Troy, HNN, 1-12-12 A crisis is looming for political reporters desperate for a drawn out, dramatic presidential campaign.  Republican voters may be less crazy and more predictable than the conventional wisdom suggests.  If Mitt Romney continues his winning streak because Republicans realize he is the most electable candidate, we might [...]

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