Can Anyone Beat Obama?

With the Alabama and Mississippi primaries right around the corner, it's looking like quite the GOP showdown. Mitt Romney had such a long and steady run throughout his campaigning, and it has gotten him this far, but in recent weeks, Rick Santorum has proven to be the favorite candidate. And although he can be a loose cannon and his strong opinions on issues can scare people away, Newt Gingrich has proven himself completely worthy to be in the final three in the race for the presidency.

Personally, though, I think the only candidate who has a chance at beating Obama is Gingrich. He is the most confident, quick-witted, and solid GOP candidate in the running, and Romney and Santorum don't have the strength to stand up against Obama to the point of beating him. If America really wants a republican in the White House this next term, Gingrich is the only logical option.

Dark Horse

Although Mitt Romney has been the most consistent GOP candidate in his campaign for the presidency, a turning of events in the popularity of Rick Santorum may prove to be a detriment to the success of Mitt Romney. The polls are always flimsy, but they have been especially fluctuant as of late with Newt Gingrich leading in the polls last month, and now Santorum getting his fair share of the spotlight. This is partially due to his wins in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri, where Santorum won the votes of previous Gingrich fans (most of them conservatives). Whatever the case may be, Santorum is making his presence known in the race for the presidency. But as we all know, a lead is nothing unless you finish with it. And in this political race, there is bound to be a dark horse.

Gingrich for the Win!

Although Romney has led the GOP campaigning for most of the season, a surprise turn of events occurred at the South Carolina Primary. Seemingly out of nowhere, Gingrich won! Everyone has been getting over the shock of this incredible come-back that Newt has made in the race for the presidency. However, if you watched the GOP debate between the last four candidates (Romney, Santorum, Gingrich, and Paul), it may not be so surprising that supporters put their votes in for Newt. At the debate, one of the first questions asked was to Gingrich concerning his personal affairs with women and his asking his wife for an open relationship. Gingrich reacted angrily and strongly, shocked that they would begin a debate like that. Although this may seem like "new dirt", the crowd actually loved the way Gingrich stood up to the question, and cheered for his strength and confidence. I'm sure this birthed a new hope that someone can stand up to Obama, too. I think in the beginning of the debate, Gingrich's strong opinion made him seem like a loose cannon, but I think people are realizing that we need strong opinions in the White House if any progress is going to be made in this country.

Still Up in the Air

The GOP race for the presidency may have been interesting so far, but now that we have rolled around to the new year, the polls are fluctuating, the candidates much more fierce, and the public opinion much more particular in their demands for the potential president-to-be. It is definitely not clear who is "winning" or "losing" anymore. This is evident in Gingrich, who only a short while ago claimed that he "would be the nominee". But in more recent reviews, Gingrich has claimed that he does not think he will win. The situation is similar with Romney, who although may possess the face of a president, may not possess the qualities. Everything is up in the air, and everyone is waiting for something major to cause a shift in this constant state of waiting and stop-and-go polls within the campaigns. And with the Iowa caucus just ahead, the entire game can change instantly and drastically not just for the candidates but for the people too.

the Latest on Newt and his GOP Compadres

Things are going just swimmingly for Newt Gingrich, who has lately surged ahead of the pack. He has gained recent support in South Carolina, but an even greater win victory was Iowa--a state where the economy is their top priority--something Gingrich is well prepared to deal with. Due to a recent poll from ABC/the Washington Post, we can see that the three frontrunners are Gingrich with 33%, Romney with 18%, and Paul with 18%, leaving candidates like Bachmann, Perry, Santorum, and Huntsman in the dust.

Sources: ABC, NPR, Washington Post

Gingrich Surges Ahead

It has been very exciting to watch the GOP candidates race for the position to duke it out against Obama in the upcoming election. This is partially due to the fluctuating polls for the candidates, and the highs and lows of their campaigns. Although it seemed like Romney was the head honcho among the republican candidates for a while, Gingrich has made a surprising surge to the front of the pack and is continuing to gain popularity all over the nation.

This proved legitimate when New Hampshire began to support Gingrich. And as a a newspaper reported this subject, one such New Hampshirian discussed Gingrich and the role that the president should play. "We don't have to agree with them on every issue," the newspaper wrote in an editorial that ran across the width of the front page. "We would rather back someone with whom we may sometimes disagree than one who tells us what he thinks we want to hear." This idea that a president should never be a people-pleaser but a real person with their own opinion has continued to rise in the state of New Hampshire at least, and may prove to be Gingrich's key to the presidency. "

"Newt Gingrich is by no means the perfect candidate," McQuaid wrote. "But Republican primary voters too often make the mistake of preferring an unattainable ideal to the best candidate who is actually running."

Source: NPR

Fluctuation in GOP Polls

According to a new poll in Des Moines, Iowa, views on four GOP candidates have shifted rather dramatically in as short as a month. Stats show that 20% of Republicans are in favor of Cain, 19% support Ron Paul, Mitt Romney is at 18%, and Newt Gingrich at 17%. The closeness of these percentages reveal the fine line that the Republican candidates are walking on in Iowa. It's going to be interesting to see who Iowa chooses once and for all.

On the other hand, Rick Perry and Herman Cain's overall campaigns are not doing as well due to the accusations made on Cain for sexual harassment, and the 'oops' moments for Perry. The percentage of people who are supporting Cain has dropped to 50%, as some people are calling his campaign more of a SHAMpaign. The closeness of these percentages reveal the fine line that the Republican candidates are walking on in Iowa. It's going to be interesting to see who Iowa chooses once and for all.

It seems like the ratings are fluctuating every minute for the GOP candidates… It seems like the only candidate who is consistent and solid is Mitt Romney. And if his competitors keep tripping over their own campaigns, he may be our next president.

Will Romney's "Smart" Campaigning Win Over Iowa?

"If Romney doesn't try very hard and somehow ends up winning Iowa, the race is pretty much over." This quote from Davide Peterson of Iowa State University as GOP candidates Mitt Romney and Herman Cain fight for their name in Iowa. However, Romney has a very different approach to the campaigning process this year compared to his other competitors. As his GOP competitors run all over the country campaigning, Romney would rather make fewer trips (only four so far) as he tries to secure his seat in the presidential election. This strategy is working for him so far, as a poll from the Washington Post shows his high chance of electability. Peterson says that Romney's campaign has "been smart to watch all of these candidates get their moment in the sun and he states where he is." This "smart" approach may or may not lead Romney to the presidency, but it definitely makes him stand out at least for now, and will hopefully continue to win him votes.

Cain's Campaign Down the Drain?

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain was accused Monday of sexual harassment during the time he led a restaurant-industry trade association in the late 1990's. Despite these claims, however, Cain states that they are "totally baseless and totally false". Unfortunately for him though, there are varying theories about what "actually" happened. Some claim that he made inappropriate advances and even went as far as inviting the woman to his room. However, others state that he did no such thing, and their conversation was nothing but innocent, and there was nothing inappropriate involved. This piece of information was uncovered at a not-so-opportune-time, due to Cain's recent lead in several polls for the GOP contest. Even though this seems like bad advertising for a presidential candidate, Cain claims confidently that it will not affect his campaign. I guess we'll see.

National Bi-literacy = Un-American?

At Coral Way Elementary School in Miami, FL, students are immersed in both English and Spanish. Before lunch, all of the classes are taught in Spanish, and after lunch, they switch to English. This particular decision was part of the after-affects of the Cold War, where several refugees fleeing from Fidel Castro resided in Florida. So, naturally, the school promotes Spanish just as much as English so that the children won't forget their Cuban roots. However, there are some states (such as California, Arizona, Colorado, and Massachusetts) that have banned "bi-literacy" --the term for not just speaking, but reading and writing spanish--in schools because they think it is un-American. Although this might be the opinion among those Americans, there is a vast majority arguing that, due to the increasing number of spanish-speaking immigrants, it is actually becoming invaluable to be able to know both English and Spanish. So much so that there are many companies that hire people based on their ability to speak not just english, but Spanish as well. This "melting pot" that we have come to embrace about our country is every day giving more and more reasons why bi-literacy is not just a "plus" but also expected by many businesses and, now, public schools. Is it un-American to have two national languages? I don't think so. In my opinion, everything that America stands for--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness--can be strengthened by a bilingual population. And as Rosa de la O states: "it opens the door to the American Dream".

--

Source: NPR-- Two Languages, Many Voices, "In Miami, School Aims For 'Bi-Literate' Education"

Obama Losing Voters?

Contrary to what some Pro-bama voters may think, from recent analysis in preparation for the upcoming election, Obama may not have the presidency in the bag. Due to recent polling and surveying of public opinions on the 2012 election, Republicans are much more enthusiastic about voting that Democrats. Fifty-nine percent of voters don't even believe that Obama's policies will be successful in the future (a statistic that has gone up from 47% in 2010). That leaves only 36% of voters rooting for Obama. Now, these are simply estimates based on broad polls to gain a general perspective on the situation. However, most of the time they are very near to the truth of the matter. Still, we can throw around numbers all day and try to guess the turnout of the election, but no one will know anything for certain until next term. Either way, Obama should not only be aware of this situation, but possible worried for the weight that his candidacy will pull in 2012.

We'll Miss Chris ):

After wrestling with the decision on whether or not to run for the presidency, republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has finally chosen to stay out of the election this year, simply stating that "Now is not my time". This decision was a rather large, yet not unexpected blow to some Republicans who were hopping to equip themselves with a strong opponent who could stand a good chance against Obama. They thought that because of Christie's tough, blunt personality, he might be that representative. However, it looks like the GOP candidate race will remain a toss up between Perry and Romney, as their rivalry continues to flourish.

Sources -

CNN

NPR

The New York Times

Sarah Palin for Office?

Sarah Palin has been uncommonly quiet in the political world in the last few weeks… Fox news hasn't featured her in a while, and even her twitter and Facebook accounts show no recent activity. The reason for this, according to Tim Crawford (the chief of her political action committee), is because she is "on the verge of making her decision of whether or not to run for office."

So, will Palin run? If so, she has a lot of work to do from now until mid-October concerning her eligibility for running… For one thing, she and her team will have to send a letter of candidacy to the Secretary of State in Utah if she wants her name to appear on that state’s ballot. Then, the same must be done for Florida if she wants the Republican vote. And that's just the beginning.

If Ms. Palin does not run, however, it's said that her pick for president is Gov. Rick Perry of Texas. But the questions is this: will Palin be backing Perry in the race for president, or herself?

We shall see...

GOP Debate: Romney, Perry, and Bachmann

Sponsored by CNN and the Tea Party Express, a GOP Presidential debate in Florida occurred yestereday (13 September) ten days before the FL straw poll. The candidates present were Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann, Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum. All of the candidates spoke, but considering how long each one spoke made it clear which of them are truly in the running. I think that those two are Romney and Perry. Although stats show that Perry was leading Romeny 32% to 21%, Romney was able to play offense last night during the debate, squaring off against Perry on the issue of Social Security. Perry also suffered major blows from Bachmann and Santorum concerning the HPV vaccine. Despite his argument that he was “airing on the side of life”, the audience was still unsatisfied. Even though Bachmann had a successful night last night, bashing Perry and winning applause from the audience, I still don't think that she has a shot at the presidency. Upon listening to this debate, I would say that Romney is leading, with Perry and Bachmann behind. But who will be our next president? I guess we'll have to see...

Sources—

1. The Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/florida-republican-presidential-debate-winners-and-losers/2011/09/12/gIQAFKgHOK_blog.html?wpisrc=nl_politics)

2. CNN

How Italy's Austerity Plan Affects U.S.

Under pressure to balance out the budget by 2013, Silvio Berlusconi (leader of the mass center-right political party—one of the largest in Europe) is responsible for the recent, major austerity cuts in Italy, which have in turn affectd the global market economy. Italian students held a strike today though in opposition to the austerity budget plans, claiming that it “fails to create jobs while putting too much burden on workers.” (NPR) Italy is the “United State's 16^th largest trading-partner, with total bilateral trade of $42.7 billion comprised of exports to Italy totaling $14.2 billion and imports from Italy worth $28.5 billion.” (www.state.gov). As if our debt crisis isn't enough, our economy is suffering even more from the close economic connection we have with Italy.

Sources—

1. The Washington Post

2. www.state.gov

   3. NPR

Vocabulary / Political jargon

Austerity— Difficult economic conditions created by government measures to reduce a budget deficit, esp. by reducing public expenditure.

“The Italian parliament was expected to begin debating a new austerity program of tax increases and budget cuts, and unions planned to strike in opposition.”

From: “U.S. Markets Down as Crisis in Europe Deepens” The Washington Post, 6 September 2011

G-8 (The Group of Eight)— (formerly the G6 or Group of Six) is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of eight major economies: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Russia.

“The United States and Italy cooperate closely on major economic issues, including within the G-8.”

From: Background Note: Italy, “Italy-US Economic Relations” www.state.gov, 12 May 2011