Drumbeat calling for Republican contenders to drop out intensifies. Triple threat – crucial meeting on U.S., Israel and Iran. The habits of success – or failure.
Drumbeat calling for Republican contenders to drop out intensifies
Mitt Romney has been the odd-on favorite to win the republican nomination for president since he entered the race last June. He’s got the money, the organization and the experience; this is the second time he’s run for president. However, until now he hasn’t had the Republican Party coalescing around him.
This election cycle has seen a revolving door of non-Romney favorites. There was Bachmann, Cain, Perry, Gingrich and now Santorum. Even non-candidates had their day, like Chris Christie and Sarah Palin. But now the Republican establishment is grumbling that enough is enough; it’s time for the remaining three contenders, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul, to get out of the way and allow Romney a free view of the conventions this summer.
Now the question is, will they or won’t they? Do the candidates have anything to gain by dropping out? If the nomination isn’t sewn up until spring does the party suffer? Or is democracy strengthened if the process continues?
Guests:
David Spady, California State Director of Americans for Prosperity
Chuck Warren, Partner at Silver Bullet LLC, a public affairs company; Member of the Board of Directors for Pass the BBA, an organization focused on passing a federal Balanced Budget Amendment
Obama's housing plan press conference
In his first press conference of the year, President Barack Obama addressed the housing crisis facing millions of American homeowners.
His proposal is to allow those with mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration to refinance at lower rates, saving the average American about $1,000 per year. He also is putting forth provisions for lenders to compensate service members and veterans who suffered through wrongful foreclosures during the crisis. During his press conference, Obama also touched on the issue of the GOP candidates who were calling on going to war with Iran over the issue of nuclear weapons.
Why has Obama waited this long to do a full press conference? What chance does his proposal have in getting signed into law? Does his plan go far enough? Too far? How will the GOP react to all this?
Guests:
Doyle McManus, Washington Columnist, covering national and international politics,
David Mark, Senior Editor, Politico
Triple threat: Crucial meeting on US, Israel and Iran
Israel's amplified rhetoric towards Iran will be the focus of a White House discussion between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Friday, Obama warned he is not bluffing about military repercussions if Iran builds a nuclear weapon, but also cautioned against premature attacks by Israel.
The president sat down for an extensive interview on the matter with The Atlantic magazine. "[W]hat I've emphasized is that preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon isn't just in the interest of Israel, it is profoundly in the security interests of the United States, and that when I say we're not taking any option off the table, we mean it," he told The Atlantic.
Obama added the context of wider geopolitical considerations, namely Syria: "[A]t a time when there is not a lot of sympathy for Iran and its only real ally [Syria] is on the ropes, do we want a distraction in which suddenly Iran can portray itself as a victim, and deflect attention from what has to be the core issue, which is their potential pursuit of nuclear weapons?"
There is no clear evidence Iran's leadership has made real strides in developing nuclear capability, but how far along could Iran be? At what point does it represent a threat to Israel? Is Netanyahu posturing to ensure sanctions against Iran remain in place? What could be the positive and negative consequences of continued sanctions for Iranians?
Guests:
David Siegel, Israel’s Consul General for the southwestern United States
Abbas Milani, Director of Iranian studies at Stanford University; Co-Director of the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institution in Palo Alto
The habits of success – or failure
Our habits say a lot about us, and knowing how people go about their daily lives can prove to be useful information.
How did Proctor and Gamble turn Febreze from a flop into a necessity? By studying videos of people making their beds and shifting their ad strategy to accommodate a simple pattern.
How did a military strategist in Baghdad prevent crowds from rioting? By banning food vendors from the public square – hungry protesters eventually dispersed in search of snacks.
How did Michael Phelps win eight Olympic Gold Medals? By transforming and focusing on his race-day routine.
Patterns of human behavior based on cues, triggers and rewards can rule our lives, causing us to stop at Starbucks, reach for that 3:00 p.m. snack or cigarette, wake up early even on weekends. Many of our most basic actions are not the products of well-considered decision-making, but outgrowths of habits we don’t even realize exist. Understanding the science behind our habits can give us the power to transform them – and ourselves.
What habits do you have? How do they affect your job, your relationship, your decisions? Would you change them if you could?
Guest:
Charles Duhigg, investigative reporter for The New York Times and author of “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and in Business” (Random House).
Excerpt from "The Power of Habit":