Posts by Sridhar Pappu

In 1987, Michael M. Thomas, my former colleague at The New York Observer, published “The Ropespinner Conspiracy.”
The title derives from a remark attributed to Lenin, “The capitalists will sell us the rope with which to hang them.” The book is a twisted tale of economic ruin, in which a banker working within the system destroys [...]

It’s hard to imagine that when September began, the American people viewed McCain as an experienced leader, the steady hand, especially after coming from behind to win the GOP nomination. Now, 18 days before Election Day, he’s behind in the polls and faced with the necessity to reinvent himself as the commander everyone believed him to be when this race began.

In the final presidential debate in 1980, Ronald Reagan ensured his election by proving that he was a man the American people could feel safe with, a man whose actions wouldn’t send the world into a mass panic. Obama must do the same tonight against McCain if he wants to win the White House.

This Thursday, Sen. John McCain, a day after the third and final debate with his Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama, will return to the Ed Sullivan Theater and appear on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”
You’ll remember that he canceled an appearance on the show last month when he dramatically “suspended” his campaign to fly [...]

For a moment we saw him — the real John McCain.
It was at a town-hall meeting Friday. A McCain supporter rose and declared that he was frightened by the prospect of waking up to an America led by Sen. Barack Obama. Another woman said of Obama, “He’s an Arab.”
“No, Ma’am,” McCain said as he quickly [...]

Democrat Mark Warner leads by 30 points in the governor race. Barack Obama edges out John McCain by 4 points. Is Virginia playing a Wilder card?

Several months ago, I asked many Republicans if Sen. John McCain could win the election without the support of the party’s base.
After all, the base — social conservatives, small-government types and foreign-policy hawks — handed George W. Bush two terms in the White House. Social conservatives, in particular, moved heaven and earth to register new [...]

The highway connecting Tampa, Lakeland, Daytona Beach and Orlando may be the most important political real estate in the nation because it holds the key to the biggest chunk of independent voters in the biggest of all battleground states. These voters’ anxieties and financial troubles have now pushed the Democratic nominee ahead of his Republican rival in the polls there.

Yesterday, watching the Bengals fumble their way to their fifth consecutive loss, I realized there was one thing missing (besides an inexplicable ability of running back Chris Perry to hold onto the ball): Sarah Palin.
Yes, the GOP vice presidential nominee. She would have made my afternoon of misery complete. Because while her talking style has [...]

Somewhere after Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s fourth “Gee” in last night’s vice-presidential debate, I lost it. In writing about the presidential campaign, I think I’ve been fair in calling people out when called for and praising people when they deserve to be praised.
But Palin’s performance last night was more than fodder for a “Saturday Night [...]