Amherst professor Austin Sarat discusses the Republican National Convention’s strategy of downplaying controversial issues like abortion, the January 6 insurrection, and election denialism. Professor Sarat argues that the GOP employed a “hidden ball trick” to conceal their true positions on these topics, deceiving voters and potentially harming democracy in their pursuit of power.
Amherst professor Austin Sarat discusses recent events in American politics, including a Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, President Biden’s debate performance, and an assassination attempt on former President Trump. Professor Sarat argues that these events have been traumatic for the nation and warns against allowing them to induce collective amnesia about Trump’s past actions and rhetoric, emphasizing the importance of remembering the full context as the country approaches the 2024 election.
Law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan discusses the debate within the Democratic Party about whether President Joe Biden should continue as the nominee for the 2024 presidential election. Professor Buchanan argues that those calling for an open discussion about potentially replacing Biden are being unfairly attacked and silenced by Biden supporters and contends that having this conversation is crucial for the party’s chances of defeating Donald Trump and preserving American democracy.
Law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan discusses the potential outcomes of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, focusing on Joe Biden’s performance in a recent “non-debate” event and the broader implications for the Democratic Party and American democracy. Professor Buchanan argues that even if Biden is replaced as the Democratic nominee, Republican efforts to manipulate the electoral system and a heavily biased Supreme Court make a Trump presidency likely regardless of the election results, but he emphasizes that Democrats should still strive to win legitimately to strengthen future resistance against autocratic rule.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton examines the current U.S. presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, through the lens of the Founding Fathers’ constitutional principles and concerns about tyranny and abuse of power. Professor Hamilton argues that neither candidate is suitable for the presidency based on the Framers’ ideals, with Biden potentially leading to an ineffective government due to age-related issues and Trump posing a threat to democracy through his authoritarian tendencies, ultimately suggesting that voters should reject both options.
Amherst professor Austin Sarat discusses the current state of political violence in the United States, focusing on recent polls, statements from political leaders, and the impact on public officials. Professor Sarat argues that there is an alarming asymmetry in the acceptance of political violence, with MAGA Republicans more likely to endorse it; he calls for addressing this issue through education, electoral efforts, and legal accountability, while urging presidential debate moderators to question candidates on this critical topic.
Amherst professor Austin Sarat discusses the shifting sentiments of independent voters in the 2024 U.S. presidential race, examining recent polls, historical trends, and potential influencing factors such as upcoming Supreme Court decisions. Professor Sarat suggests that independent voters could play a crucial role in determining the election outcome, with recent polls showing a swing towards Biden, while also noting that the views of these voters remain malleable and could be significantly affected by future events, particularly Supreme Court rulings on key issues.
Amherst professor Austin Sarat examines how President Joe Biden has handled his son Hunter Biden’s legal troubles and what it reveals about the President’s character. Professor Sarat argues that throughout Hunter’s struggles, Joe Biden has demonstrated unfailing loyalty, love, and self-restraint—important character traits for a leader—and that voters can be assured of the President’s strong character based on how he has responded to this challenging situation.
UNLV Boyd School of Law professor Leslie C. Griffin discusses the concept of “cafeteria Catholicism,” where some Catholic politicians, such as President Joe Biden, follow certain elements of their faith while diverging from church teachings on other issues, such as, in Biden’s case, abortion rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and contraception. Professor Griffin argues that cafeteria Catholicism is a good thing, as it allows Catholic politicians to govern based on a pluralistic consensus that protects everyone’s rights and freedoms, rather than imposing specific Catholic doctrines on the entire population.
Amherst professor Austin Sarat discusses the role of nostalgia in the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign, focusing on how Donald Trump and Joe Biden are framing the contest around voters’ recollections of the past. Professor Sarat argues that while Biden wants voters to remember Trump’s poor handling of the early COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Trump benefits more from nostalgia as voters tend to remember the pre-pandemic economy positively, suggesting that, to prevail, Biden must shift focus to his vision for the future.
Amherst professor Austin Sarat criticizes the ageism evident in special counsel Robert Hur’s report on Joe Biden's handling of classified documents, highlighting its undue focus on the President’s age-related memory issues as irrelevant and prejudicial. Professor Sarat argues that such ageism, while pervasive and often ignored, undermines the valuable contributions of older individuals, emphasizing the importance of experience over age-related cognitive decline.
Law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan argues that Democratic primary voters were not adamantly opposed to Joe Biden but preferred other candidates, and while his presidential nomination was initially disappointing for some, his decency and surprising policy actions have been a positive aspect of his presidency. Professor Buchanan draws an analogy between Biden’s empathetic support of his son’s struggles and his approach to foreign policy, especially in relation to Israel, suggesting that Biden’s personal experiences with empathy and loss have informed his measured, empathetic foreign policy stance, despite some critics wishing for a firmer response to Israeli actions.
Amherst professor Austin Sarat describes the deep dissatisfaction and uncertainty surrounding the potential presidential candidates for the 2024 election, with recent polls showing neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden as favorable choices for many Americans. Highlighting a historic level of pessimism about the country's direction, Professor Sarat warns that the upcoming “hold your nose” election, characterized by choosing the lesser of two evils, may pose a significant threat to the future of the Democratic Party and American democracy as a whole.
Cornell law professor Michael C. Dorf explores several options that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden should consider if he wins the election and fulfills his proposal of convening a bipartisan commission of constitutional scholars to study and recommend court reforms. Dorf discusses the benefits and limitations of each option and describes how Congress and a President Biden could implement meaningful court reform that could withstand review by the Supreme Court itself.
Cornell law professor Sherry F. Colb considers what people mean when they say that a sexual assault allegation seems “out of character” for a particular person and explains why that reasoning is logically flawed. Focusing on differences between how people behave publicly and privately, Colb argues that the lack of an observed pattern of sexual misconduct is not evidence that a person did not engage in sexual misconduct on a specific occasion.
Cornell Law professor Sherry F. Colb comments on recent sexual assault allegations against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Colb argues that if the only choices for President are Donald Trump and Joe Biden, the sexual assault allegation against the latter will take second fiddle to the need to defeat the former and defends this perspective as not manifesting hypocrisy or indifference to sexual assault or other intimate violence.
University of Florida Levin College of Law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan argues that Biden’s campaign promise of a return to “normal” if he is elected President could result in the country’s situation becoming even worse than it currently is. Buchanan suggests that if Biden wins the nomination and the presidency and he is not seen as a serious fighter, he will lose a generation of voters forever.
