CMC In The News

Prof Jack Pitney was quoted in a piece on former President Trump wanting to cancel remaining debates. The article shared historical context as to the origins of Presidential debates.

Prof. George Thomas was quoted in an article about former President Trump’s free college plan. He said, “Trump’s latched on to something that’s going to resonate, at least, but it’s not like he’s thought it through.”

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in a piece about how top U.S. Senate candidates were raising funds. He said, “Particularly among Democratic candidates, there are a lot of rich liberals, and that’s something you don’t necessarily see in every location.”

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in an article about how colleges are working to curb cultural appropriation on Halloween. He said, “Yes, anybody wearing a costume on a college campus must beware of giving offense.”

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in an article regarding Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s deal with MAGA supporters, in which he promised to give up some of his gavel powers through a series of House rule changes that included changing the motion to vacate so that it would be easier to fire a speaker. Prof. Pitney explained that the motion to vacate “will continue to be a problem with any Republican Speaker.”

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in The Mercury News surrounding Gov. Gavin Newsom’s visit to Israel. Prof. Pitney explained, “…the polls indicate Americans strongly sympathize with Israel, and the Democratic Party’s support for Israel has increased substantially since the Hamas attack. So he appears to be with a majority of his party.”

Prof. Jack Pitney commented in an article on how the White House is maintaining its distance from the current chaos in the House. Prof. Pitney shared that lawmakers may “resent outsiders meddling in their internal affairs. Democrats support President Biden’s policies, but they might push back if he openly tried to tell them how to conduct their own business. Any intervention would have to go through back channels.”

In an op-ed, Prof. Mark Juergensmeyer explores the question of why Hamas persists in its quest to attack Israel. The op-ed highlights the tragic consequences of this ongoing conflict and the need for a lasting peace resolution.

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in an article about the internal conflicts of the modern GOP. He explained, “…you have a party consisting of constituencies that see themselves as under siege—white Christians who see a country that is less white Christian, working-class people who see a country where all advantages go to the college-educated. It’s the coalition of the ascendant versus the coalition of the resentful.”

In a co-written op-ed, Prof. Manfred Keil highlights the current state of the logistics industry, stating that although the region has seen growth in a number of sectors, the industry has recently experienced employment losses of over 20,000 jobs (7.1%) since December 2021.

Prof. Pitney was quoted in an Associated Press piece on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s temporary appointment of Laphonza Butler, a former union leader and Democratic insider for Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s vacant seat. He shared, in reference to the Governor’s choice, “…a comfort level is important. Any governor might be a little hesitant about somebody with too many degrees of separation.”

Prof. Minxin Pei was quoted in an article on China’s president, Xi Jinping and the question of whether or not he is currently weak or powerful. Prof. Pei shared, “…objectively speaking, Xi is not doing well. But in terms of his control of the levers of power, he remains unassailable. He is not acting out of strength, but out of insecurity. You can have a leader who faces no real threat but nevertheless behaves as if he is in danger.”

Prof. Jack Pitney was mentioned in a piece by The Fresno Bee Editorial Board regarding the California Republican party’s support of former President Donald Trump. He noted that the Republican party that used to win statewide contests in California is long gone.

Prof. Andrew Busch was quoted in a piece on the topic of consequential deaths in Congress in light of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death. He shared insight on the 1930 midterm elections, in which Republicans narrowly won. However, with the deaths of 14 representatives-elect, the Democrats were able to flip the House, which, according to Prof. Busch, “…established the groundwork for the New Deal.”

Prof. Jack Pitney was quoted in a piece about Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s approach to avoid a government shutdown. He stated, “The calculation would be that Democrats dislike him but they would dislike his successor even more. That would be a bold, risky move that would be very much out of character for Kevin McCarthy. But that’s the only path forward that I see where he actually comes out looking good. He might survive. But survival is a relative term. He’ll be spoiled goods.”