Scott MacKay's Commentary

Change is coming to the Rhode Island Statehouse. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay welcomes Speaker-elect Joe Shekarchi.

As the presidential election continues to play out, The Public's Radio political analyst Scott MacKay joined host Chuck Hinman to break down the implications of Tuesday's election results in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.

Election Day uncertainty was once rare. That’s far from the case this week, with the official Election Day upon us. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay takes a pre-election look back and ahead.

Each year, the Public’s Radio explores in depth a community, its people and the decisions it faces. In this election year, we go to Cranston. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay ponders the diverse politics of Rhode Island’s second-largest city.

Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse used the Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court hearing to rail against anonymous money influencing the nation’s highest court. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay explains.

Meet Providence native Mike Donilon. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says that no political operative is as close as he is to Joe Biden.

The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay has thoughts on how we can all work for a safe and accurate vote tally.

From virus outbreaks to remote learning, higher education is fraught these days. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says it's time to rethink how we invest in colleges.

Every day brings more bad news about New England’s restaurant industry. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says this industry will need help to survive COVID-19 and the coming cold weather.

Progressive Democrats had strong showings in Rhode Island’s recent General Assembly primaries. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says now the hard part begins in a state beset with challenges.

Rhode Island is facing unprecedented economic and health issues. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay wonders where the General Assembly has been.

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo is scheduled today to announce a plan for opening public schools. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says caution may be the best path.

Joe Biden and the Democrats forged an uplifting convention. Now the spotlight turns to Donald Trump and the Republicans. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says these virtual gatherings presage a rough campaign over the virus, the economy and what the nation stands for.

From the halls of Congress to your town hall, campaigning will be different in this time of pandemic. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay parses an unpredictable election cycle.

From President Donald Trump on down, politicians from Providence to Pasadena are calling for a return to in-person schools this fall. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says not so fast.

The lazy, hazy days of summer are here. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says it’s time for some time off.

Voting in a time of pandemic will be a challenge across the nation. Rhode Island lawmakers head back to the Statehouse today with the matter of mail-in ballots still unresolved.The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says the state should follow Massachusetts’ example.

There are just seven weeks left in the Massachusetts U.S. Senate Democratic primary campaign between incumbent Ed Markey and Congressman Joe Kennedy III. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says it appears this race will go down to the wire.

COVID-19 cases are surging again. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says the response to the coronavirus crisis appears to mirror all that’s wrong with our political climate.

From New Bedford to Napa, policing is getting new scrutiny in the wake of protests against police misconduct. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says calls for change have a new sense of urgency.

Voting is the bedrock of self-government and democracy. The most practical way of ushering change in our country comes through the ballot box. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says what's happened there locally and nationally in recent times threatens our democracy and our way of life.

Last week’s protests were both convulsive and heartening. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay ponders what’s next for the latest movement against racism.

Rhode Island’s presidential primary is Tuesday. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says voters are lucky this election is much ado about not much.

Today is Memorial Day, when we honor fallen soldiers and kick off summer with celebrations that often involve food. Rhode Island’s restaurants would normally expect to be packed. But The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says COVID-19 has made a tough business even harder.

It’s graduation time for the class of 2020, which will be known as the COVID-19 class. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says this may be a good time for graduates to put the brakes on a rush to college campuses.

Massachusetts has suffered more than other New England states from COVID-19. But the Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says Rhode Island government’s financial troubles may be the region’s worst.

We all want this to end. But The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says we need to put patience before politics and the economy.

Rhode Island’s two big hospital systems have been slammed financially by COVID-19. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says the virus is renewing calls for a Lifespan-Care New England merger.

Among the grueling challenges facing the government is how to conduct honest and accessible elections in this year of pandemic. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay has some thoughts on ensuring that voters don’t have to risk their health to cast ballots.

Vermont's Bernie Sanders has now folded his presidential campaign. The Public's Radio political analyst, Scott MacKay used to cover politics in Vermont and has known Sen. Sanders for 50 years.

Newport, Rhode Island is famous as a summer playground for the rich and powerful.The city has known hard times before. But The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says its tourism-fueled economy is ill-prepared for a pandemic.

Spring has sprung in precarious times. Even as the news gets darker, the days are getting lighter, the world is getting greener, and New Englanders are rising to the occasion. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay muses on how we are coping.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed everyday life as we know it, with no end in sight. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says the coming economic downturn threatens to upend state budgets in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

When it comes to the presidential campaign, America has become a country of old men. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay parses Elizabeth Warren’s failed bid for the White House.

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo’s $10 billion state budget plan for next year has received a rocky reception at the General Assembly. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay punctures some of the state's taxing and spending myths in this week’s commentary.

On the day we celebrate the life of civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says the best way to honor King’s legacy would be to embrace his commitment to a just society.

The 2020 Rhode Island General Assembly session kicks off on Tuesday. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott Mackay says this would be a good year to make life better for working people.

Rhode Island firefighters are fighting back against a report from The Public's Radio and ProPublica on misplaced breathing tubes that have cost lives. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says it’s time for fire officials to face reality and work for better training for emergency medical responders.

A multi-million dollar river of red ink is coursing through Rhode Island’s largest hospital system. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay parses the latest bad news from Providence-based Lifespan.

Rhode Island’s campaign finance laws are under attack from a conservative interest group. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says a successful legal challenge to the law requiring disclosure of donors would be a blow to government transparency.

It’s Thanksgiving season, a time to count our blessings and celebrate with a feast. It’s long been a holiday that emphasized family and unity, but The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay worries that national political division may make that difficult this year.

For the fourth time in American history, Congress is ensnared in the process of impeaching a sitting president. Scott MacKay has more in his commentary for The Public’s Radio.

Before Americans fell in love with cars, trains provided reliable and quick transportation among New England cities. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says its past time for better train connections between Providence and Boston.

Health care has emerged again as a hot button issue in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay wonders how the Medicare For All debate will affect Democratic chances of recapturing the White House.

As the state prepares to take over Providence’s faltering schools, The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says a big focus must be on teachers.

Rhode Island’s two gambling companies are locked in a nasty joust over millions of state dollars. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says it’s time to ratchet down the rhetoric and seek a solution.

Massachusetts has it all over Rhode Island in student achievement as measured by test scores. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay points to another public school issue where Rhode Island should catch up.

The Buddy Cianci play is boffo at the box office for Trinity Reperatory in Providence. The most popular story on the Boston Globe’s web site recently was about the whereabouts of Whitey Bulger’s longtime gal pal. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay parses the New England obsession with organized crime and political corruption.

While voters watch the impeachment joust in Washington, D.C., Massachusetts is gearing up for a battle royal of a U.S. Senate primary. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay says the Joseph Kennedy III versus Edward Markey contest is likely to be negative, expensive and close.

The parade is forming now for the primaries and caucuses that in less than five months will winnow an overflowing group of presidential candidates. Scott MacKay, political analyst for The Public’s Radio, parses the Democratic field and talks about how 2020 will be different than 2016.

The state takeover of Providence schools is underway. The Public’s Radio political analyst Scott MacKay wonders if Rhode Island’s notoriously shortsighted political establishment can forge a turnaround plan and stick with it.