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Books by and about 2024 presidential candidates |
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Hillbilly Elegy,
by JD Vance (2017) |
Crippled America,
by Donald J. Trump (2015) |
Fire and Fury,
by Michael Wolff (2018) |
Trump Revealed,
by Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher (2016) |
The Making of Donald Trump,
by David Cay Johnston (2016) |
Promise Me, Dad ,
by Joe Biden (2017) |
The Book of Joe ,
by Jeff Wilser (2019; biography of Joe Biden) |
The Truths We Hold,
by Kamala Harris (2019) |
Smart on Crime,
by Kamala Harris (2010) |
Becoming,
by Michelle Obama (2018) |
Higher Loyalty,
by James Comey (2018) |
The Making of Donald Trump,
by David Cay Johnston (2017) |
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Book Reviews |
(from Amazon.com) |
(click a book cover for a review or other books by or about the presidency from Amazon.com)
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| OnTheIssues.org excerpts: (click on issues for details)
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Abortion
Charlie Baker: I support a woman's right to choose.
Don Berwick: States can't exclude Planned Parenthood from Medicaid.
Jay Gonzalez: Close the federal gap in funding for Planned Parenthood.
Maura Healey: I'm always going to stand up for abortion access.
Maura Healey: Ensure access to abortion, contraception, STI testing.
Setti Warren: Require state & local governments to allow abortion coverage.
Steve Grossman: Endorsed by NARAL as "a steadfast pro-choice voice".
Mike Kennealy: I am pro-choice, and I support the laws we have.
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Budget & Economy
Ben Downing: We have widening economic and racial gaps in Massachusetts.
Ben Downing: We're left weaker by tax cuts for wealthy & budget cuts.
Ben Downing: Encourage savings with prize linked savings accounts.
Danielle Allen: East-west rail clearly important; definitely a high priority.
Don Berwick: Fought against bank home foreclosures.
Geoff Diehl: Pass a budget that eliminates reckless state spending.
Geoff Diehl: Every business is essential to its owners and employees.
Jay Gonzalez: Preserved important investments during Great Recession.
Maura Healey: Encourage entrepreneurism with Office of Economic Assistance.
Setti Warren: Closed $40M deficit in city of Newton & maintained services.
Mike Kennealy: Try to find efficiencies and deliver services better.
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Civil Rights
Ben Downing: Support anti-discrimination laws for transgender people.
Charlie Baker: Running-mate supports existing law on gay marriage.
Danielle Allen: State has taken too long where leadership is open to all.
Geoff Diehl: Supports gay GOP candidate criticized by committee member.
Jay Gonzalez: Continue Massachusetts leadership like on marriage equality.
Jay Gonzalez: Hate and discrimination based on sexual orientation isn't OK.
Jay Gonzalez: Equal rights for women in workplace.
Jesse Gordon: Address disproportionate minority arrests & drug problems.
Jesse Gordon: Shouldn't be legal to deny housing for being transgendered.
Jesse Gordon: For Native Americans, replace paternalism with support.
Maura Healey: We put an equity lens on everything that we do.
Maura Healey: Was lead counsel challenging Defense of Marriage Act.
Maura Healey: The first openly gay state attorney general in U.S. history.
Maura Healey: Include health equity as part of Health Care Cost Trends.
Maura Healey: End the ban on LGBTQ+ blood donations.
Setti Warren: Transgender military ban makes us less safe.
Setti Warren: Make Newton a more hospitable climate for African Americans.
Setti Warren: Appointed first transgender member of Newton government.
Sonia Chang-Diaz: Social equity loans for those impacted by cannabis arrests.
Steve Grossman: Embrace marriage equality in the Democratic Party platform.
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Corporations
Bob Massie: Ceres Reporting Initiative: socially rate pension funds.
Danielle Allen: Focus on corporate purpose and stakeholder capitalism.
Jesse Gordon: Nationalize banks, or break up those too-big-to-fail.
Maura Healey: Allow communities to enact local rent stabilization policies.
Setti Warren: Downgrading of Massachusetts bond rating is a serious thing.
Steve Grossman: OpEd: Combines progressive values with business experience.
Maura Healey: Need to make state more attractive to grow businesses.
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Crime
Charlie Baker: Hold accountable those responsible for state drug lab crisis.
Charlie Baker: Seek death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber.
Charlie Baker: Account for criminal history in dangerousness hearing.
Danielle Allen: Alternatives to incarceration; justice by focus on community.
Deval Patrick: Marathon bomber will die in prison, one way or another.
Don Berwick: No death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber.
Geoff Diehl: Qualified immunity protects police, allowing them to work.
Geoff Diehl: Activist judges have no place on the bench.
Geoff Diehl: Police should not be condemned, but supported.
Jay Gonzalez: End mandatory minimum sentencing.
Jay Gonzalez: Treat underlying conditions that contribute to crime.
Jay Gonzalez: Over-incarceration has terrible costs for society.
Martha Coakley: Supports seeking federal death penalty for Marathon Bomber.
Maura Healey: Increase penalties for hate crimes, revamp current law.
Maura Healey: Supported 2020 reform bill repealing mandatory minimums.
Setti Warren: Opposes federalization of police.
Setti Warren: More parole instead of privatization of prisons.
Sonia Chang-Diaz: Wrote law banning chokeholds & racial profiling.
Steve Grossman: 7-year sentence not enough for rogue state lab chemist.
Steve Grossman: No death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber.
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Drugs
Bob Massie: Supports legal marijuana from local businesses.
Bob Massie: End mandatory minimums for low level drug offenses.
Charlie Baker: Vigorously oppose recreational marijuana but medical pot ok.
Charlie Baker: Get dispensaries open for medical marijuana.
Charlie Baker: Legal marijuana sales in Massachusetts by 2020.
Charlie Baker: Four pillars: prevention, education, treatment and recovery.
Charlie Baker: Regular pot users likely to try more dangerous drugs.
Don Berwick: Rollout of medical marijuana was a management fiasco.
Jay Gonzalez: Support addicts and get them on a path to recovery.
Jay Gonzalez: Ok to tweak marijuana law, but the people have spoken.
Maura Healey: Regular pot users likely to try more dangerous drugs.
Setti Warren: Combat opioid addiction by funding treatment.
Setti Warren: End mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug crimes.
Sonia Chang-Diaz: Make retail cannabis market accessible to smaller players.
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Education
Bob Massie: Charter schools should be limited.
Charlie Baker: Update Foundation Formula for urban vs. suburban districts.
Charlie Baker: Added 4,000 seats to vocational and technical schools.
Danielle Allen: Civic education initiative used in 14 Mass. school districts.
Don Berwick: Teachers are not the problem; they are the solution.
Don Berwick: Student loan forgiveness for grads entering some professions.
Geoff Diehl: Supports school choice, increased vocational education.
Jay Gonzalez: Fierce advocate for high-quality early education.
Jay Gonzalez: Take on big challenge of making college affordable.
Jay Gonzalez: Opposed expanding charter schools.
Jesse Gordon: Incentives for tuition, & retroactively for college loans.
Maura Healey: Pandemic requires additional support for public schools.
Maura Healey: Opposed ballot measure expanding number of charter schools.
Setti Warren: Invest in new school facilities & classroom resources.
Setti Warren: Make all public colleges and universities tuition-free.
Sonia Chang-Diaz: Young people shouldn't have to carry decades of student debt.
Steve Grossman: More funding for K-12 & public higher education.
Mike Kennealy: Eliminate waste and redirect money to the classroom.
Mike Kennealy: No boys in girls sports; period; it's just commonsense.
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Energy & Oil
Ben Downing: Transition to clean energy economy means jobs.
Ben Downing: There is no time or excuse for incrementalism.
Ben Downing: As state senator, focused on clean energy & climate change.
Ben Downing: Clean energy push left out communities of color & low-income.
Bob Massie: Transform the state completely by pursuing renewable energy.
Bob Massie: Ran Sustainable Solutions Lab at UMass Boston.
Deval Patrick: $50 million to help Massachusetts deal with climate change.
Don Berwick: Tax carbon emissions to reduce "undeniable climate crisis".
Don Berwick: Double state investment in clean energy from 0.6% to 1.2%.
Geoff Diehl: Would reject regional Transportation Climate Initiative.
Geoff Diehl: A vocal critic of the Transportation Climate Initiative.
Jay Gonzalez: Accelerate transition to clean energy.
Jay Gonzalez: Make Massachusetts the first state to adopt carbon pricing.
Jesse Gordon: Supports wind, solar & alternatives; paid for with a gas tax.
Martha Coakley: Supports cap-and-trade, but not a carbon tax.
Maura Healey: Will harness all the levers in combating the climate crisis.
Maura Healey: Create a cabinet-level Climate Chief & electrify everything.
Setti Warren: Support use of wind, solar, & other renewable energy.
Steve Grossman: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
Steve Grossman: Allocate 1% of state budget to climate change & clean energy.
Ben Downing: Increase solar net metering cap; ensure future growth.
Mike Kennealy: I will oppose so-called 'clean' energy projects.
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Environment
Bob Massie: Integrate thinking: environment, transportation, & housing.
Bob Massie: Climate injustice is another form of social injustice.
Don Berwick: The air matters, the water matters; it's all a system.
Jay Gonzalez: New revenue to fix our broken mass transit system.
Jay Gonzalez: Address water pollution despite Trump administration.
Maura Healey: Expects nuclear power plan to obey rules on reactor water.
Setti Warren: Reinstate Lynn ferry service and extend the Blue Line.
Steve Grossman: Grossman company uses sustainable energy, paper, & ink.
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Families & Children
Charlie Baker: Reduced caseloads and licensed almost all social workers.
Don Berwick: Seeds of kids' success are sown early--beginning prenatally.
Jay Gonzalez: Quality childcare and preschool from birth to age 5.
Jesse Gordon: Provide paid family and medical leave.
Martha Coakley: PACWatch on DCF: not to fix it but to fight it.
Maura Healey: Common Start: free child care for lowest-income families.
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Foreign Policy
Bob Massie: Fought apartheid in South Africa.
Jay Gonzalez: Recognize Syrian refugees and others in need.
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Free Trade
Jesse Gordon: Include labor & environmental standards in trade agreements.
Mike Kennealy: Free markets at the core of GOP for a very long time.
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Government Reform
Bob Massie: Rigged political system addressed by democratic engagement.
Bob Massie: Supports same-day voter registration.
Bob Massie: Organized people can beat organized money.
Charlie Baker: $500 donor limit is crazy; it's suppression of free speech.
Charlie Baker: Declined to sign "People's Pledge" against outside PAC ads.
Charlie Baker: Automatic voter registration via RMV and MassHealth.
Danielle Allen: Rebuild democracy with early voting & mail-in voting.
Danielle Allen: Democracy is about working, deciding, acting together.
Geoff Diehl: Opposes permanent mail-in voting as open to fraud.
Jay Gonzalez: Strong campaign finance policies ensure democracy's promise.
Jay Gonzalez: Supports same-day voter registration.
Jay Gonzalez: Special interests and big money have no place in elections.
Jesse Gordon: Reform campaign finance to stop protecting incumbents.
Jesse Gordon: Why require in-person voting? Why register? Why Tuesday?
Maura Healey: Pass VOTES Act; same day voter registration.
Setti Warren: Public records laws for open and transparent governing.
Setti Warren: Supports automatic voter registration.
Sonia Chang-Diaz: Signed letter urging federal action on voting rights.
Geoff Diehl: Forensic audit of 2020 Massachusetts election results .
Mike Kennealy: Eliminate burdensome regulations that hinder business growth.
Mike Kennealy: Call on legislature to accept audit voted on by 72%.
Mike Kennealy: Voter ID would protect the integrity of our elections.
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Gun Control
Ben Downing: Supports AG on enforcing state assault weapons law.
Charlie Baker: Supports tough gun control laws.
Charlie Baker: Let local police chiefs decide who can get shotguns.
Charlie Baker: Expand background checks; no gun unless mentally healthy.
Jay Gonzalez: Combating gun violence a priority.
Jay Gonzalez: Ban assault weapons and gun silencers.
Maura Healey: Hold gun dealers & manufacturers accountable for marketing.
Setti Warren: Join 18 mayors in banning assault weapons.
Mike Kennealy: Won't infringe on the constitutional rights of gun owners.
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Health Care
Charlie Baker: Access to health care is a basic right.
Charlie Baker: Push for a state waiver from ObamaCare.
Charlie Baker: Opposed Republican bill to eliminate ObamaCare.
Danielle Allen: Pandemic was last straw; commonwealth ready for change.
Danielle Allen: Prioritize a new level of public health investment.
Danielle Allen: Co-wrote bipartisan Suppress Covid Act for Congress.
Danielle Allen: COVID: Mandatory vaccinations for elderly, prison workers.
Don Berwick: Triple Aim strategy: improve experience, health, and cost.
Don Berwick: Explore single payer system in Massachusetts.
Don Berwick: Institute for Healthcare Improvement: focus on quality.
Geoff Diehl: Opposes schools mandating students get flu vaccine.
Geoff Diehl: COVID: Strongly oppose mandates for vaccination or proof.
Jay Gonzalez: Health insurance coverage for low-income residents.
Jay Gonzalez: System is fundamentally dysfunctional; we need single-payer.
Jay Gonzalez: Medicare for All, regardless of income or employment.
Maura Healey: ACA remains the law of the land; peoples' lives depend on it.
Maura Healey: Treat mental health care as seriously as other health care.
Setti Warren: Move us towards single-payer healthcare.
Setti Warren: Health care is a right; support single-payer.
Setti Warren: Accessible and affordable mental health and dental health.
Sonia Chang-Diaz: COVID: universal masking in schools, indoor public spaces.
Steve Grossman: Workplace wellness programs are a good investment.
Maura Healey: I worked to make sure that vaccines were available.
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Homeland Security
Charlie Baker: $200 million rebuild of the Soldier's Home in Chelsea.
Steve Grossman: Unwavering advocate for veterans and their families.
Steve Grossman: Welcome Home Bonus Program: financial support for veterans.
Mike Kennealy: Prioritize veterans in access to state services and programs.
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Immigration
Bob Massie: Support Safe Communities over Trump's abhorrent ICE policies.
Charlie Baker: Open to ideas from Latino advisers on sanctuary state.
Charlie Baker: Revoke MA National Guard on border due to family separation.
Geoff Diehl: Help everyone who wants to become a permanent, legal citizen.
Geoff Diehl: Get undocumented processed as citizens as quickly as we can.
Jay Gonzalez: No round-up of immigrants by National Guard.
Jay Gonzalez: Safe Communities: no Muslim registry; no state enforcement.
Jay Gonzalez: Opposes Trump's Muslim ban.
Jay Gonzalez: No MA National Guard on border due to inhumane policies.
Martha Coakley: Opposed services for illegal immigrants; now supports them.
Maura Healey: Fought Muslim travel ban & family separation at border.
Maura Healey: End state involvement in federal immigration matters.
Setti Warren: Make City Hall an immigrant sanctuary to lead sanctuary city.
Setti Warren: Local police shouldn't enforce immigration law.
Setti Warren: Support sanctuary cities; oppose summary deportations.
Sonia Chang-Diaz: Proposed path for in-state college tuition for undocumented.
Steve Grossman: Local police helping deport illegals is a "blunt instrument".
Mike Kennealy: I will declare that Massachusetts is not a sanctuary state.
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Jobs
Ben Downing: Need emergency paid sick time, for minorities & women.
Bob Massie: Supports $15 per hour minimum wage ballot question.
Charlie Baker: Public private partnerships: Over 200,000 jobs created.
Don Berwick: No one answer to job creation: appoint Czar of Adaptations.
Geoff Diehl: COVID: State should have furloughed non-essential employees.
Jay Gonzalez: Raise minimum wage; support paid family leave.
Setti Warren: $15 minimum wage and paid family leave.
Setti Warren: Unions let workers fight economic inequality.
Steve Grossman: A million MA workers have no earned sick time.
Mike Kennealy: I'm not in favor of things like DEI hiring practices.
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Principles & Values
Ben Downing: Grief and loss teach empathy, perspective, fierce urgency.
Ben Downing: We need a sense of urgency from leadership to address issues.
Ben Downing: Beacon Hill postpones & relies on Mass. exceptionalism.
Ben Downing: Voters expect more: you have to earn their trust.
Bob Massie: Overcame childhood hemophilia, hepatitis, and HIV.
Danielle Allen: Greatest aspiration is to build road to empowerment for all.
Danielle Allen: It shouldn't be every person for themselves anymore.
Danielle Allen: Committed to building blocks of social infrastructure.
Danielle Allen: Will bring experience from academia to governing.
Don Berwick: OpEd: "The second most dangerous man in America".
Don Berwick: Son of a Connecticut doctor; attended med school in Boston.
Geoff Diehl: Earned the rank of Eagle Scout at age 16.
Geoff Diehl: We're looking to re-empower the individual in Massachusetts.
Geoff Diehl: Would rather leave national politics out of governor's race.
Martha Coakley: I know how tough my 2010 Senate loss was for many people.
Maura Healey: A proud progressive but not interested in labels.
Maura Healey: Briefly played pro basketball, went on to law school.
Setti Warren: Supports 5 out of 8 of ORMA's "People's Platform".
Sonia Chang-Diaz: My North Star is: "Are we getting results?".
Steve Grossman: We need a job creator, not a prosecutor, for governor.
Maura Healey: Faith leaders should work with others on climate change.
Ben Downing: Lived in communities that had to fight to get resources.
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Tax Reform
Bob Massie: Supports "millionaire's tax" with 4% surcharge.
Danielle Allen: Better targeted investment than two-month sales tax holiday.
Geoff Diehl: Led ballot question campaign to overturn gas tax increase.
Jay Gonzalez: Tax surcharge on incomes greater than $1 million.
Jay Gonzalez: Fair Share Tax: We need additional revenue for services.
Jay Gonzalez: Supports "millionaire's tax" with 4% surcharge.
Setti Warren: Eliminate tax breaks; wealthy pay their fair share.
Setti Warren: Raise taxes on wealthy; close loopholes.
Maura Healey: Defends tax cut as imperative; cuts $375M from budget.
Maura Healey: Secured the state’s first tax cuts in more than 20 years.
Maura Healey: Trump tax cuts are going devastate so many people.
Mike Kennealy: As Governor, I will never sign a tax increase into law.
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Technology
Charlie Baker: Lynn ferry service wasn't worth the $700,000 operating cost.
Charlie Baker: My job is to make sure the T works, not to ride it.
Charlie Baker: Over $8 billion on infrastructure for the T.
Charlie Baker: Ban hand-held cellphone use while driving.
Don Berwick: Safe, convenient, responsive, reliable transportation system.
Don Berwick: Switch from gas tax to pay-per-use fees on mileage.
Don Berwick: Nurture public transportation, resist fare increases.
Don Berwick: $600M via gas tax indexing for transportation financing.
Jay Gonzalez: High-speed rail between Springfield and Boston.
Jay Gonzalez: Don't just re-arrange deck chairs on Transportation Titanic.
Jay Gonzalez: Accepted challenge to ride the T for 5 days.
Martha Coakley: Supports commuter rail for the South Coast.
Maura Healey: Prioritize electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Setti Warren: Reconstruct roadways; establish innovation centers.
Setti Warren: Public transportation systems are underfunded.
Setti Warren: Build cross-state rail service.
Setti Warren: Supports MBTA extension plus high-speed East-West Rail.
Steve Grossman: Create 50,000 "lab coat"-manufacturing jobs.
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Welfare & Poverty
Charlie Baker: Raise both minimum wage & Earned Income Tax Credit.
Charlie Baker: Make housing policy with transportation policy in mind.
Don Berwick: All means all: focus on equality and poverty.
Jay Gonzalez: Back to FDR values: good home, school, doctor, & job.
Jay Gonzalez: Address the affordable housing crisis.
Setti Warren: Economic inequality is the defining issue of our time.
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