And that is all she wrote. Well, my first impressions are that McCain stuck to his experience and was strong on details, but Obama held his own on a subject he is widely seen less knowledgeable on. The candidates did … Continue reading →

The Issues: As I mentioned, the foreign policy and national security will be the topic d’jour. You therefore would expect a host of questions about Iran, Russia, and the war on terror. The FP blog came up with a nice … Continue reading →

The Numbers: Via RCP, Obama is leading in the national poll by an average of 4.2%. However, the U.S. election is not based on the popular vote — much to the chagrin of Democrats in 2000. (But then again, Abraham … Continue reading →

The Format: This year’s debates will likely be more open affairs than they have been in the past. Gone is the 32-page treatise we saw in 2004 outlining room temperatures and the type of note paper to be used. Instead, we have 90-minute … Continue reading →

Here we are, only hours away from the Great Debate ’08. I’ll be here for the next length of the Oxford debate with lucid insights and the odd wry comment. I hope you all enjoy the show. By way of … Continue reading →

Girls Rule (In Rwanda)                     September 27, 2008: RWANDA-This week, women filled 44 seats in the Rwandan parliament, tipping the gender balance and making Rwanda the first country to elect a … Continue reading →

The Dead Snake  September 20, 2008: SOUTH AFRICA–On Friday, South Africa’s ruling party met to decide the fate of President Thabo Mbeki, barring him from a third term as state president. The move comes as a result of tension between … Continue reading →

Muslim women watch the funeral of a pro-independence leader killed in Kashmir Quote of the Week: “Agreement with two people, lamentation with three” -Kashmiri proverb  The Tiger’s Cub Grows Up September 16, 2008: INDIA—It’s always risky to partition a hefty … Continue reading →

By Jacinda Chan, Eurasia Contributor   Machiavelli believes states only comply through coercion, but is he right? Should Machiavelli’s principles be applied to the crisis between Georgia and Russia?   The EU has decided to suspend talks with Russia on … Continue reading →

Quote of the Week:  “What else could we do [about Georgia]? Brandish a pen knife?         -Vladimir Putin on the Russian incursion   Is Kim Jong Il Ill?  September 11, 2008: NORTH KOREA – After Kim Jong Il failed … Continue reading →