Jess Lahitou

As part of our election coverage, we endeavor to give all relevant parties a voice. As such, we felt one key player had been overlooked in the ubiquitous media Trump coverage: Donald Trump’s Hair.

That headline is a bit of false advertising, as I am in not quite qualified to proclaim myself a “Thanksgiving Pro.”

We talk about having debate-watching parties, popping popcorn, making bets… it’s all a little weird, and probably not good for democracy.

During last Wednesday night’s CNN Republican Presidential Debate, moderator Jake Tapper gave the ultimate softball question: What woman would you put on the ten-dollar bill? Instead, answers ranged from decent to head-scratching to laughable to flat-out embarrassing.

Is there a difference between what the cigs biz did back in the 1950s and ‘60s and the way present-day pharmaceutical companies have aggressively marketed opioids like OxyContin?

What’s the greatest achievement of the Rio Olympics? Is it the success of Latin America’s first host nation, Brazil? Is it the extraordinary feats of the US Women’s gymnastics team? Is it the spellbinding brilliance of Usain Bolt’s superhuman speed? Or is it perhaps the Twitter feed of Leslie Jones?

While watching the third Republican debate last night on CNBC, I thought to myself: Self, you’re going to have to write a straight review of this thing. The candidates are too wonky tonight to be caricatured, and even Donald Trump has reigned himself in significantly. The debate was billed as “Your Money, Your Vote,” and the questions hewed pretty close to the economy. Read: not many social-issues gaffe bait.

On Thursday night, 17 Republicans sparred in two debates for a record-breaking audience of 24 million, and 15 months before voting day.

The 2016 election has, for a while now, felt eerily akin to 1984 (lots ‘o doublespeak coming out of Trump and his supporters). Or The Hunger Games, to take a more recent example of dystopian genre fiction. Wherein, government becomes solely about politics and the media spectacle, rather than actual policies and ideas.

Yesterday was a smashing success for Donald Trump in the Presidential Primary. Of the five voting states – Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island, & Pennsylvania – Trump won all five, with his biggest non-NY margins yet. I