In most presidential elections, the two candidates spar over issues. The president campaigns for his party's nominee in hopes of continuing his legacy.
Democrats champion liberalism, Republicans conservatism. In numerous press conferences, journalists try to force newsworthy and embarrassing admissions from the two candidates.
Not this year.
Barack Obama, who less than two years ago dipped to 40% in approval rating, is nowhere to be seen. He seems to know that the more he is absent and quiet, the more the public likes the idea rather than the reality of him as president -- and his approval rating has risen to 51%.
In his self-imposed retreat, Obama makes no effort to defend the Affordable Care Act...
...Ditto the Iran deal. Obama is learning that it is better to be quiet about Iranian violations, ransom for hostages and provocations than to explain them away.
Obama months ago gave up mentioning how the crushing national debt has almost doubled...
...silent on his foreign policy...
...Hillary Clinton has kept a relatively low profile... ...on her email scandals.
Her campaign strategy is to agree to occasional one-on-one interviews with pre-selected friendly journalists,...
...in the background is the fear that foreign hackers may have stolen her huge trove of private correspondence...
...a passive Clinton hopes that scandals now beyond her control will not evaporate her once-sizable lead before Nov. 8, a date that suddenly seems to Clinton to be too far away.
A lame-duck Obama runs out the clock, too, neither defending his old policies nor offering new ones.
All the while, a madcap Trump makes nonstop news, hoping that his self-generated publicity is more helpful than harmful.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
