Good, Bad and Mad: Andrew Rosenthal on the News

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/20/insider/good-bad-and-mad-andrew-rosenthal-on-the-news.html

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Times Insider delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how news, features and opinion come together at The New York Times. In this podcast, Andrew Rosenthal, a Times Op-Ed columnist, talks about the news — the good, the bad and that which makes him mad.

In a special-edition podcast, the Times opinion columnist Andrew Rosenthal deviates from the usual “Good, Bad and Mad” format and, in the aftermath of the presidential debate, focuses instead on news that leaves him “Outraged, Depressed and Slightly Happy.”

Donald J. Trump’s refusal to say whether he would accept the election results qualifies, easily, as the most outrageous recent news in Mr. Rosenthal’s view.

Moving on to the subject of most depressing recent news, Mr. Rosenthal notes that the candidates, Mr. Trump and Hillary Clinton, set forth policy positions — on taxes, abortion, the Supreme Court — and, he says, “the differences are huge and important and we’re not talking about these at all.”

Last, the good news, or at least that which makes Mr. Rosenthal slightly happy: He says that Mr. Trump’s “idiotic comments about not accepting election results raises the buffoonery factor, and that might affect elections further down the ballot in congressional races, and, that is good news.”

Post-debate bonus: Mr. Rosenthal offers a movie tip, an antidote, he says, for those who can’t take the election anymore.

Susan Lehman is host.