September 1 - An Assessment of Why Hillary Clinton is So Unpopular; How Trump Could Win; Venezuelans Protest a Government That Has Abondoned Law and Order and Ruined an Oil-Rich Economy

Full Program

Part 1

We begin with the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll that has a record number of Americans having an unfavorable impression of Hillary Clinton with 41% holding a positive view of her while 56% now dislike her. An expert on polls, David Redlawsk, Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware whose latest book is “The Positive Case for Negative Campaigning”, joins us to discuss the reasons why, in spite of her impressive political resume, Hillary Clinton is so unpopular. While Donald Trump is still the only candidate less popular than her, we look into the vast right wing machinery that has over the decades thrown everything and anything at the Clintons to taint them with scandal, as well as the sexism inherent in much of the criticism about her voice, her wardrobe and her appearance that male politicians as not subjected to.

Part 2

Then, with Donald Trump’s rise in the polls as he narrowly closes the gap on Clinton, we assess whether a few more stunts like Trump’s visit to Mexico with perhaps another surprise trip this time to the Middle East, along with a vote by Italy in October to exit the E.U. which could tank the Euro and cause economic chaos that would play into Trump’s nativist narrative, could be enough for him to win narrowly in November. Keith Poole, Distinguished Chair in the Department of Political Science in the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia and Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of California, San Diego, joins us to discuss the gloomy prospects for voters this year that might result in a low turnout and an uphill battle for the Democrats to take back the senate.

Part 3

Then finally, we examine the rival demonstrations with hundreds of thousands on Venezuelans taking to the streets in Caracas today, the vast majority rallying against the government of President Maduro who they blame for the country’s economic crisis and accuse of deliberately delaying a referendum until after January 10 so that if Maduro is recalled, his loyal vice president will instead serve out his term until 2019. Javier Corrales, a professor of Political Science at Amherst College and author of “Dragon in the Tropics: Hugo Chavez and the Political Economy of Revolution in Venezuela”, joins us to discuss a country where crime is rampant and citizens have no security because there is no law and order except when the law is used by the government to repress the opposition.