Pizza and Politics in Taipei

The Taiwanese Need to Decide if Their Government Can Function as Beautifully as Their Civil Society

“A table for three,” says my host at a basement entrance.

We’re at an Italian restaurant in central Taipei, Taiwan’s capital. Within a few seconds, we are seated by a friendly waiter at the last free spot alongside a small stage with a few microphones and a keyboard. Nearby, visitors from China eat pizza and pasta with a lot of red wine. Soon a middle-aged couple takes the stage and starts to perform, to the obvious excitement of the crowd. Loud music makes continued talk difficult. Before giving up our …

Disney’s Bob Iger for President

Running a Major, Publicly Traded Multinational Requires Many of the Same Skills That Make for a Good Commander in Chief

Early in Donald Trump’s time on NBC’s The Apprentice, I wrote a column for the New York Times wondering why the network had cast someone with such a spotty business …

Are Presidential Debates Reality TV, Sunday Talk Show, Or Both?

The American Civic Rite Is Distinctive for Its Blend of Boisterous Theater and Genuine Substance

The first Republican presidential debate was a veritable blockbuster, with 24 million viewers tuning in last month. Its sequel next week at the Reagan Presidential Library in California may attract …

Antonio Villaraigosa Is Quintessential California

The Former State Assembly Speaker and Two-Term Mayor of Los Angeles Isn’t Just ‘The Latino Candidate’

It shouldn’t matter much to Californians whether Antonio Villaraigosa gets to be a U.S. senator or governor someday. We have no shortage of ambitious politicians, after all. But what should …

L.A.’s Finest Lobster Is Up for Grabs

The Crustacean-Shaped 4th City Council District—and the Cultural Treasures in Its Claws—Get an Election for a New Representative Next Week

A bag of popcorn just might be the best metaphor to describe the race to represent the 4th District on the Los Angeles City Council. There are many candidates, 14 …

Matt Miller, Matt Bai

When Journalists Became Scandal Mongers and Politicians Became Celebrities

Matt Bai on a Fundamental Shift in the Relationship Between the Political and the Private in America

Discussing how the media covers politics—and political scandals—is “one of the most important conversations we can have” about our democracy, KCRW Left, Right & Center host Matt Miller told a …