Robert Gilbert Professor Emeritus of Political Science r.gilbert@neu.edu 617.373.2799 Expertise American politics, media and politics, parties and elections, presidency Robert Gilbert in the Press Is a 20 second handwash enough to kill Covid-19? Thomas Gilbert, an associate professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, says coronavirus’s chemical make-up can be disrupted by nothing more specialised than cheap soap and warm water. CBS News Why the 25th Amendment won’t be used to remove Trump “How do you demonstrate someone is psychologically unsound?” Robert Gilbert, a professor at Northeastern University and an authority on the 25th Amendment, told CBS News last year. This is still an open question, and unless Mr. Trump submits to a thorough examination by a team of unbiased mental health professionals, it’s not one with an […] The New Yorker How Trump could get fired There has been considerable speculation about Trump’s physical and mental health, in part because few facts are known. During the campaign, his staff reported that he was six feet three inches tall and weighed two hundred and thirty-six pounds, which is considered overweight but not obese. Secrecy about a President’s health has a rich history. […] Ozy The worst decision Ronald Reagan ever made Bush remained acting president until after 7 p.m. that evening while Reagan remained under the effects of the anesthesia and postoperative painkillers. But was that long enough, and did Reagan rush his recovery in a way that could have compromised his presidency in the ensuing days? Robert E. Gilbert, a political scientist at Northeastern University […] Ozy The presidents who changed course in office Similarly, after Calvin Coolidge’s 16-year old son, Calvin Jr., died in 1924 from blood poisoning that set in when a blister on his foot went untreated, the president was consumed by grief and virtually disabled by clinical depression for the remainder of his presidency. “His son’s death did not change his viewpoint on the substance […] Media File Is the president too powerful? Ask the media This over-coverage creates the perception for the viewer that we are a “presidential nation,” as Robert Glibert of Northeastern University puts it. Gilbert maintains that that understanding “is affecting both popular perceptions and power relationships on the national level.” The Week What happened to America under previous ‘hands-off’ presidents? Civil war and financial collapse. To his admirers, like Reagan and the business site CheckWriters, this shows that Coolidge “was no micromanager,” and his famous habit of “empowering his Cabinet officials” meant his “Roaring ’20s White House was never bogged down by process” and therefore “functioned like a well-oiled Model T Ford.” And that was probably true in his first […] Trump’s Dr. Oz appearance has nothing to do with health But how healthy the candidates are (or aren’t) may not matter much anyway. Many presidents hid their ailments: JFK and Addison’s disease, FDR and polio, Woodrow Wilson’s stroke, Grover Cleveland’s mouth cancer. For the most part, says Robert Gilbert, a political scientist at Northeastern University, their presidencies went fine—their illnesses had little impact on their ability […] Boston Herald Battenfeld: Hillary Clinton’s ills become campaign’s focus Clinton’s campaign, in fact, already misled the public about her diagnosis — first she was overheated, then dehydrated, then, oh yeah, we forgot to mention that little pneumonia diagnosis from last week. “I think they would have been smart to disclose it (immediately),” said Robert Gilbert, professor emeritus of political science at Northeastern University and […] ABC News Five Ways Kennedy’s Assassination Changed Presidential Security Forever 2. The End of the Presidential ‘Stroll’ Before JFK’s assassination, presidents had much more freedom to travel around the capital without extreme protective detail. President Coolidge was known for his regular constitutionals around Washington, D.C., most often only accompanied by one body guard. Additionally, President Truman was also famous for his frequent walks around the […] Robert Gilbert for Northeastern Global News Why politics aren’t for the faint of heart Why politics aren’t for the faint of heart Experts discussed the impact a politicians’ health can have on their political careers at a recent conference hosted by Northeastern’s Department of Political Science. 3Qs: What’s next after State of the Union? 3Qs: What’s next after State of the Union? Facing a fractured Congress and the forthcoming midterm elections, President Obama declared he would act unilaterally when necessary—the implications of which remain to be seen, according to political science professor Robert Gilbert. 3Qs: JFK’s legacy, 50 years after his assassination 3Qs: JFK’s legacy, 50 years after his assassination Political science professor Robert Gilbert, who is writing a book on President John F. Kennedy’s legacy, says JFK’s political decision-making “improved sharply as he acquired more seasoning." ‘The future of the country’ ‘The future of the country’ At an Election 2012 watch party, an enthusiastic yet anxious group of students came together to share the monumental moment with their fellow Huskies. Election 2012: all-day analysis Election 2012: all-day analysis A day after the nation went to the polls, we're talking to Northeastern faculty members about President Barack Obama's electoral win over Republican Mitt Romney, despite an extremely close popular vote count. Check in throughout the day to see what experts from across the university are saying about what the results mean for the nation and the world. Will the first presidential debate tip the election scales? Will the first presidential debate tip the election scales? According to a trio of Northeastern experts in media and politics, the performances in the first presidential debate may seal the political fate of Gov. Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama on Tuesday. 3Qs: Town hall added drama to high-stakes debate 3Qs: Town hall added drama to high-stakes debate Robert E. Gilbert, the Edward W. Brooke Professor of Political Science, analyzes Tuesday night’s debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. 3Qs: Off-the-cuff comments bring candidates to “dangerous political territory” 3Qs: Off-the-cuff comments bring candidates to “dangerous political territory” Political science professor Robert Gilbert weighs in on Mitt Romney’s controversial comments that were surreptitiously recorded at a private fundraiser and then posted on the Internet. 3Qs: The significance of Obama’s endorsement of same-sex marriage 3Qs: The significance of Obama’s endorsement of same-sex marriage President Obama endorsed same-sex marriage last Wednesday afternoon in a televised interview with ABC News. We asked Robert Gilbert, the Edward W. Brooke Professor of Political Science in Northeastern University’s College of Social Sciences and Humanities, to assess the social and political implications of Obama’s announcement, which has largely been viewed as a symbolic gesture […] 3Qs: The political effects of Libyan leader’s fall 3Qs: The political effects of Libyan leader’s fall Former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi was killed on Thursday by revolutionary fighters in his hometown of Sirte. We asked Robert Gilbert, the Edward W. Brooke Professor of Political Science in Northeastern University’s College of Social Sciences and Humanities, to analyze the impact of Gadhafi’s death on U.S. politics and the 2012 presidential campaign.
Is a 20 second handwash enough to kill Covid-19? Thomas Gilbert, an associate professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, says coronavirus’s chemical make-up can be disrupted by nothing more specialised than cheap soap and warm water.
CBS News Why the 25th Amendment won’t be used to remove Trump “How do you demonstrate someone is psychologically unsound?” Robert Gilbert, a professor at Northeastern University and an authority on the 25th Amendment, told CBS News last year. This is still an open question, and unless Mr. Trump submits to a thorough examination by a team of unbiased mental health professionals, it’s not one with an […]
The New Yorker How Trump could get fired There has been considerable speculation about Trump’s physical and mental health, in part because few facts are known. During the campaign, his staff reported that he was six feet three inches tall and weighed two hundred and thirty-six pounds, which is considered overweight but not obese. Secrecy about a President’s health has a rich history. […]
Ozy The worst decision Ronald Reagan ever made Bush remained acting president until after 7 p.m. that evening while Reagan remained under the effects of the anesthesia and postoperative painkillers. But was that long enough, and did Reagan rush his recovery in a way that could have compromised his presidency in the ensuing days? Robert E. Gilbert, a political scientist at Northeastern University […]
Ozy The presidents who changed course in office Similarly, after Calvin Coolidge’s 16-year old son, Calvin Jr., died in 1924 from blood poisoning that set in when a blister on his foot went untreated, the president was consumed by grief and virtually disabled by clinical depression for the remainder of his presidency. “His son’s death did not change his viewpoint on the substance […]
Media File Is the president too powerful? Ask the media This over-coverage creates the perception for the viewer that we are a “presidential nation,” as Robert Glibert of Northeastern University puts it. Gilbert maintains that that understanding “is affecting both popular perceptions and power relationships on the national level.”
The Week What happened to America under previous ‘hands-off’ presidents? Civil war and financial collapse. To his admirers, like Reagan and the business site CheckWriters, this shows that Coolidge “was no micromanager,” and his famous habit of “empowering his Cabinet officials” meant his “Roaring ’20s White House was never bogged down by process” and therefore “functioned like a well-oiled Model T Ford.” And that was probably true in his first […]
Trump’s Dr. Oz appearance has nothing to do with health But how healthy the candidates are (or aren’t) may not matter much anyway. Many presidents hid their ailments: JFK and Addison’s disease, FDR and polio, Woodrow Wilson’s stroke, Grover Cleveland’s mouth cancer. For the most part, says Robert Gilbert, a political scientist at Northeastern University, their presidencies went fine—their illnesses had little impact on their ability […]
Boston Herald Battenfeld: Hillary Clinton’s ills become campaign’s focus Clinton’s campaign, in fact, already misled the public about her diagnosis — first she was overheated, then dehydrated, then, oh yeah, we forgot to mention that little pneumonia diagnosis from last week. “I think they would have been smart to disclose it (immediately),” said Robert Gilbert, professor emeritus of political science at Northeastern University and […]
ABC News Five Ways Kennedy’s Assassination Changed Presidential Security Forever 2. The End of the Presidential ‘Stroll’ Before JFK’s assassination, presidents had much more freedom to travel around the capital without extreme protective detail. President Coolidge was known for his regular constitutionals around Washington, D.C., most often only accompanied by one body guard. Additionally, President Truman was also famous for his frequent walks around the […]