Looking for Simple Answers to Complex Questions

Gerald Seib: “Two debates held in recent days, one among Republicans and the other among Democrats, revealed a stark reality of the 2016 presidential campaign: We are in a time of complicated questions in search of simple answers.”

“That is a dynamic that works to the advantage of candidates with clear and simple philosophies (think Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders) and to the disadvantage of candidates more in the center, offering nuanced solutions rather than quick fixes (think Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush).”

“This trend is fueled by the fact that each party’s base has moved toward the ideological wings of the left and right, where the world looks black and white, not gray.”