John Kennedy

Latest Articles

Does Obama have the cojones to win?

This WTF moment
To make sense of this bizarre and dispiriting moment in American politics, here are the things one needs to appreciate.
By EDITORIAL | July 27, 2011

Taking the long view

Obama's secret. Plus, Bill Taylor, RIP.
The surprising and dramatic death in Pakistan of Osama bin Laden at the hands of American Special Forces operating under shoot-to-kill orders from President Barack Obama was a triumph of singular rarity in the annals of international conflict.
By EDITORIAL | May 09, 2011

Say what?

Obama should forget the feel-good and seize the opportunity in the Gulf
Barack Obama is much more of an establishment-style president than the public generally realizes.
By EDITORIAL | June 22, 2010

Tropicália storm

The long awaited return of Os Mutantes
When Sérgio Dias takes to the Somerville Theatre stage this Sunday with the current incarnation of Os Mutantes, it's a safe bet he'll be beaming with gratitude. "I'm riding the same wave," he says of his band's legendary Brazilian albums, "but this time I have my eyes open."
By GUSTAVO TURNER | September 28, 2009

Tormenting Teddy

Republicans threaten Kennedy reign
After 32 years in the US Senate, Ted Kennedy remains a force to be reckoned with, both for his legendary family history and his considerable accomplishments.
By BOSTON PHOENIX STAFF | August 26, 2009

The annunciations

East Coast, West Coast: It's the Ted & Jerry Show
The broad brush strokes of Teddy Kennedy's presidential announcement may have uplifted liberal hearts, but Jerry Brown's announcement challenged liberal thinking with some pencil-sharp specifics about the role of government in economic planning for the 1980s.
By MARCO TRBOVICH AND CHARLES P. PIERCE | August 26, 2009

Mixed moods

Big statements at Top Drawer Art Center
The painting that sticks in my mind from "Beyond Will Power: The 5th Annual Top Drawer Group Show" at Top Drawer Art Center (2731 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence, through September 4) is Anthony Brun's mixed-media painting Jason Killed Freddy .
By GREG COOK | August 18, 2009

Robert McNamara, RIP

Memories of Vietnam should speed Obama's exit plans for Iraq and Afghanistan
As secretary of defense under President Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert McNamara prosecuted the Vietnam War on a day-to-day basis, just as Donald Rumsfeld orchestrated the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for George W. Bush.
By EDITORIAL | July 08, 2009

The problem with liberals' dislike of Rick Warren

Uncivil Liberties
The need to be consistent in the defense of the rights of all in our country — even those whose views we may find abhorrent.
By MARY ANN SORRENTINO | December 23, 2008

Captain chaos

Steering a suddenly lost GOP ship,
The past two weeks or so have seen at least one historic meltdown.
By STEVEN STARK | October 02, 2008

Portland scene report: August 22, 2008

Sibilance starts now
Eric Bettencourt dropped us a line to say Shadow Shine Records is close to its first releases, one of which will be a Strange Pleasure live album.
By PORTLAND PHOENIX MUSIC STAFF | August 20, 2008

By George, it's Barack!

To win over the working class, Obama should study the acceptance speech of George H. W. Bush
Right now, everyone is focused on Barack Obama’s vice-presidential choice. But historically, convention acceptance speeches matter even more.
By STEVEN STARK | August 20, 2008

‘Great’ is definitely the wrong word

Richard Bradley’s fact-challenged book on the Sox-Yanks’ ’78 season finale is filled with Buckner-esque errors.
When I come across an obvious factual error in a book, my initial inclination is to wince in sympathy for the soon-to-be-embarrassed author. Unless, that is, the mistake is infuriatingly egregious, in which case I’m more apt to throw the book up against the wall in disgust.
By GEORGE KIMBALL | January 28, 2010

Beyond the spin

Why Clinton's commanding West Virginia win is more show than substance
The day after Barack Obama inched ahead of challenger Hillary Clinton in the superdelegate count, the indefatigable Clinton won the West Virginia primary.
By PETER KADZIS | May 14, 2008

The player

Trying to find some meaning in ace biz-boy columnist Steve Bailey’s move to London
The exit of Boston Globe business columnist Steve Bailey this past week to take a post in London as a general-interest news editor with Bloomberg signifies the exhaustion of a tradition.
By PETER KADZIS | April 02, 2008

Precedent-breaking president

An Obama win in November would be historic for reasons beyond race
With the news that Florida and Michigan are unlikely to redo their primaries, it’s become even more probable that Barack Obama will be the Democratic presidential nominee.
By STEVEN STARK | March 26, 2008

The old neighborhood

Charles ‘Teenie’ Harris at Gallery Kayafas, plus videos at MIT
Some call Charles “Teenie” Harris’s five decades of photos of Pittsburgh one of the grandest chronicles of African-American life ever assembled.
By GREG COOK | December 12, 2007

It’s time for real change

And Barack Obama is the guy to bring it
The Pawtucket schools used to offer a course called “Problems in Democracy.”
By PHILLIPE AND JORGE | November 15, 2007

Listen up, newbie

We will make you one of us — all you have to do is trust
Hey, kid. Yeah, you with the hat on backward. New in town? Big city, huh? Not at all like back home. Scary. Unfamiliar. Fraught! Want some advice?
By CLIF GARBODEN | September 04, 2007

More rules for pols

Even Richard Nixon could get himself elected today with these tips
Well, there are less than 21 months before the election, and the “Tote Board” is already computing the odds.
By STEVEN STARK | February 21, 2007

Let the horse race begin

Odds are you won’t be able to avoid the run-up to 2008, so you might as well start laying your bests now
Welcome to the 2008 Presidential Tote Board.
By STEVEN STARK | February 14, 2007

Ongoing recovery

Kennedy pushes the fight for parity on mental health
Rhode Islanders at a packed State House hearing last week got a close-up look at how US Representative Patrick J. Kennedy is managing his very public struggle with addiction and mental illness.
By BRIAN C. JONES | January 24, 2007

The conspiracist

Gay-rights crusader Paul Kuntzler turns a sharp mind for detail to the JFK assassination
“Assassination-conspiracy theorist” is a relatively recent addition to Paul Kuntzler’s résumé. Watch Paul Kuntzler on the JFK assassination
By MIKE MILIARD | January 11, 2007