Romney Takes the Lead

Over the past couple of weeks, people have wondered how the Arizona and Michigan primaries would take place. Santorum had been doing well, but Romney was the one who really needed to win them especially with Michigan being his home state. His campaign was growing weak, and he needed a revival. Romney ended up taking both states. This is good for him because it means his campaign will survive for a while. He was able to win over many conservatives although many Republican felt that he was unable to do so. His "tussle" with Santorum, however, did highlight some concerns that Republicans have against him. Most Republicans just want Obama out of the oval office, and Romney is the best "anybody-but-Obama" candidate.

Gingrich and Paul are still in the race, but they need to find a way to revive their campaigns as Romney did. Mr. Paul pledged to stay in the race, declaring that his campaign is “still winning a lot of delegates, and that’s what counts.” Gingrich is hoping to revive his candidacy next week in Georgia and Tennessee.

Between Primaries

There has been a lull in primaries for the GOP candidates the past couple of weeks. The last was February 7, and the next is the 28th which will take them to Arizona and Michigan. Michigan is a big one for Romney as it is his home state. However, according to the New York Times, his return home has not been going as well as he hoped. Santorum, after his triple victory streak, is the rising man in the polls right now. This is not good for Romney because Michigan is where he "found his voice" as his aides say. Losing that would be bad for his campaign. But Santorum is going to be fierce competition to Romney. He is trying to convince the Republicans that he has more to offer than Romney and Obama. There has been a drastic change in politics in Michigan over the past few years. The Tea Party Movement has been especially evident which is beneficial to Santorum who is promoting his working-class background and hoping to get in with the Catholic and evangelical Republicans in Michigan. Romney will fight back nonetheless and plans to come back at Santorum calling him a "big government earmarker and fiscally irresponsible politician." It would be a very serious loss for Romney to lose Michigan. The Michigan primary will take place February 28th.

Florida Primary Results

The Florida primary was held last week with interesting results. Although Mr. Gingrich won the South Carolina primary, Romney took the lead in Florida. He beat Gingrich by 14 percentage points. Santorum and Paul weren't even close. Romney seems like the clear victor at the moment. According to the New York Times, he showed his growing strength as a candidate in Florida. When he spoke, he spoke like a candidate in the general election. It may seem like Romney has it in the bag, but not yet. Gingrich made it clear that he is not going to give up until the August nominating convention. And Romney's aides know this, and they are taking it seriously. It seems hopeless for Santorum and Paul now. But the facts remain the same: Romney won the Florida primary which was winner-take-all, so he walked away with all 50 delegates. There is going to be a lull in campaigns this month which is not good for Gingrich who needs to regain supporters or at least show everyone that he's still in it to win it.

Obama's Presidential Address

Last night, President Obama gave an address concerning various topics from the economy to clean energy to foreign affairs. He focused primarily on how America needs unity among the people. He takes a more moderate approach appealing to both parties and mentioning areas where almost everyone agrees on one solution. I feel like he gave more answers in last night's address than he has in a long time; he mentioned several plans that he has proposed or will propose to Congress and suggested some ideas for bills he would, without a shadow of a doubt, approve as soon as it reached his desk. Some of these are the Trade Enforcement Unit which will regulate unfair foreign exchanges, expanding tax reliefs to small businesses who are creating jobs, and asking to pass clean energy tax credits.

The GOP response immediately following Obama's address specifically targeted and contradicted Obama's proposal to raises taxes on millionaires and billionaires. Mitch Daniels, who delivered the response, said that he felt Obama was trying to divide America by supporting some but "castigating" others (meaning wealthy Americans). A quote from Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, "The president's agenda sounds less like 'built to last' and more like doomed to fail. What he's proposing is more of the same: more taxes, more spending, and more regulation." I would personally like to hear a Republican candidate propose better solutions because, based on what I have heard and read, it doesn't seem like any of them are planning to do anything drastic enough to make a distinguishable difference.

SOPA and PIPA

Two bills that are still lingering in Congress are the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act. Both seek to fight off foreign websites that infringe on copyrighted material. They mostly focus on media piracy, but the sale of counterfeit good and medication is also included in the legislation. Wikipedia and Google have both spoken out against the legislation saying it itself is an infringement on Americans' right to free speech and that it is harmful to small businesses who thrive on their websites. Google has set up a petition that anyone can sign. Wikipedia has threatened to black out all of their English speaking Encyclopedia sections for 24 hours in protest. Others who are explicitly against the bills are Craigslist, eBay, Mozilla, and Twitter amongst others. SOPA is the more extreme of the two: it defines "foreign infringing site" as any site that is "committing or facilitating" copyright infringement. PIPA is more specific saying that it will limit websites that have "no significant use other than" copyright infringement. Currently, SOPA is stalled in the House Judiciary Committee as members continue to work on it. Although, it is said that there is another bill that will be proposed that takes a more narrow approach to the issues at hand. Members will begin voting for PIPA on January 24th.

Result of the Iowa Caucus

It was a close race between Romney and Santorum in the Iowa caucuses this week. However, Romney pulled through by a mere 8 votes. They were tied at about 25% for the majority of the caucuses, but it just wasn't enough for Santorum. Ron Paul also had a good run receiving 21.3% of the votes. Bachmann, with only 5% of the votes, ended up dropping out of the presidential race completely after the lack of support from voters. Huntsman didn't take the Iowa caucuses too seriously and ended up with only 0.6% of the votes. Apparently Buddy Roemer is still in the race, but it doesn't look very hopeful for him considering he only received 31 votes total in the caucuses. All except for Bachmann will be continuing to New Hampshire for another primary. Perry said he is going to head back to Texas to do some "reevaluating" after receiving about 10% of the votes in Iowa. He may raise more votes in New Hampshire if he plays his "reevaluating" cards right. Ten days can change a lot, so we'll see who is able to pull through then and who will end up falling through the cracks.

GOP Payroll Tax Package - Will It Pass?

The GOP members of the House have unveiled a package which intends to couple an extension of several high-priority items, including the payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits, with provisions aimed at rounding up conservative support. Most Democrats think that it doesn't have a chance to pass with the Democratic-controlled Senate. The Republicans think they can pass the legislation on their votes alone, but they are trying to round up some Democrats nonetheless. The House Republican plan is a broad package that includes a one-year extension of the payroll tax cut; an extension of unemployment insurance; and a two-year extension of the “doc fix,” which prevents cuts in reimbursements to doctors who see Medicare patients. All of those are items that leaders of both parties as well as the White House have said that Congress must pass before it adjourns later this month. Where the parties differ is on how to pay for the cost of those items. Some lawmakers of both parties have expressed concern that extending the payroll tax cut would threaten the solvency of Social Security; GOP leaders say their plan would address those concerns by cutting spending elsewhere in the federal budget and directing those savings to the Social Security Trust Fund. They are planning to vote later this week.

Trump Debates

Once again, Donald Trump has made his entrance into the political realm with his loud criticisms and honest statements about the current candidates in the presidential race. He plans to hold a Republican debate just before January 3 before the Iowa caucuses. Though Mr. Trump may be a "great showman" as some of the GOP candidates have stated, his involvement in the race especially with the upcoming debate may do more harm than good in the Republican strategists' opinions. Many of them have urged candidates to refuse to attend the debate saying that "It's not good for the party. It's only good for Donald Trump." They think it is a bad idea to attend a debate held by someone who said that they may potentially run for president in the next election as an independent. As of yet, only two of the candidates have refused the debate: Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman. It is still unknown whether or not Mitt Romney will accept the invitation. With Newt Gingrich rising in the polls, Romney needs a boost to get him back to the top. Could this debate be beneficial to the party with the caucuses just weeks away? Or will it only bring the candidates on the brink of destruction?

New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/us/politics/gop-strategists-fret-over-trump-debate-circus.html?ref=us

The End of the Cain Campaign?

Herman Cain was accused once more of having an affair with a woman, Ginger White, who claimed they had a relationship which lasted 13 years. He, of course, denied these accusations as he has with every previous one. Despite his denial, these accusations have taken a toll on his campaign and the numbers of people who are still loyal to him. Fellow Republican Jon Huntsman voiced his opinion saying that he thinks Cain should drop out of the race while Michele Bauchmann said it raises "urgent questions about his republican convictions". In a speech he delivered at Hillsdale College, he attempted to focus on his foreign policies and other issues without mentioning at all about the allegations or taking questions. This disappointed his audience and is disappointing his audiences all across the country. It seems fairly clear that it would be best for him to drop out, but his campaign manager Mark Block says that there's "no way he's dropping out." Many of his supporters, however, are beginning to turn to New Gingrich in expectations of Cain's drop out of the race. Cain continues to deny the allegations made by Ginger White by saying that it was merely a friendship relationship, nothing more. It is still unclear what will be the outcome of Cain's campaign.

Allegations Against Cain

In the past week or so, Herman Cain has been accused of harassing several women sexually. He claims they are not true, however, the presence of these allegations has taken a negative toll on his campaign. People are not very comfortable with the idea that he could have this skeleton in his closet even though he denies it every time it is brought up. He knows that he needs to win back credibility which he began to address in his press conference. There is some tough evidence that is working against Cain: he has been a party to two settlements of women in the past. The lawyer of one of the women told New York Times that it was similar to the story of the Chicago woman who spoke out this week about Cain sexually harassing her. She said, "I respected him, I looked up to him. And it was shocking to me that he would use that power in such a way." His story has changed several times about details of the situations, but he is not giving in to the allegations.

"Cain Rejects Latest Allegations." New York Times. Nov. 8 2011.

The Homeless Occupy Wall Street

Among protesters camping out in the Occupy movements, a growing number of homeless people have been occupying the campgrounds with them. Many suffer from mental illness as well as physical needs. They know that if they come and join the movement, they will be provided the same amenities as non-homeless protesters. That means food, shelter, protection, and company with others. Non-homeless protesters who have been camping out have felt that the homeless have created more harm than good. Yes, they add a voice because there are so many homeless people wanting to join, approximately 30% of the protesters lately have consisted of them. However, mental illness has constituted a problem with disruptiveness, and a lot of people don't feel safe at night with so many homeless people around. Disruptive demonstrators were thrown out of the campground and sent to the Peachtree-Pine homeless shelter. The act gave the demonstration more of a political focus, and not incidentally expanded its size. It has been found that many homeless people believe in the same goals as the Occupy protesters while others are merely trying to find provisions any way they can. Michele Watson, one of the managers of the food tent, said in reference to the homeless people, "If you are hungry and are in need of a meal, we will serve you as long as you do not disrupt the occupiers. We don’t turn anyone away. I don’t care what your address is."

Republicans Make Judicial Power an Issue

Many Republican candidates in the 2012 election continually campaign against the increased power in the judicial system. Moving into Iowa and South Carolina, the Tea Party movement has created a receptive audience for candidates who raise doubts about whether the court system is hindering the causes that these voters believe in. They believe that the courts especially the Supreme Court have too much power. Various candidates have expressed opinions about the Court's participation in their term served, in their decision of same-sex marriage, and whether the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit should exist at all.

"These threats go far beyond normal campaign season posturing,” said Bert Brandenburg, executive director of Justice At Stake, a research and advocacy group that seeks to protect judicial independence. “They sound populist, but the proposal is to make courts answer to politicians and interest groups.” But then Marjorie Dannenfelser countered Brandenburg's statement.“I don’t think it’s an anticourt movement,” Ms. Dannenfelser said. “It’s a purifying of the court — trying to return it to where it should be.” However people take it, it seems as though the Republicans have more favor in their campaign ideas to reduce the power of the judicial system.

Lying: First Amendment Right?

A case was taken up based on whether or not one can say they have earned a military award when they know it is a falsity and have it protected under the First Amendment. It began with the prosecution of Xavier Alvarez who violated a 2005 law, the Stolen Valor Act when he falsely claimed to have been awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor. The Act prohibited anyone to falsely say that one has “been awarded any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the armed forces of the United States.” But Alvarez then claimed that it was not illegal because he what he said was protected under the First Amendment rights (free speech). The justices ruled that it was illegal because nowhere in the Constitution did it protect things people say that they know to be false.

Then it got interesting. A panel in the US Court of Appeals reversed the ruling. Judge Milan D. Smith Jr. said, “There would be no constitutional bar to criminalizing lying about one’s height, weight, age or financial status on Match.com or Facebook, or falsely representing to one’s mother that one does not smoke, drink alcoholic beverages, is a virgin, or has not exceeded the speed limit while driving on the freeway. The sad fact is,” he continued, “most people lie about some aspects of their lives from time to time.” They felt that if they made it illegal to lie about earning something they didn't really earn, it would have to be illegal to lie about all "white lies, exaggerations, and deceptions."

However, some people want Alvarez to be retried because they feel that Congress is entitled “to guard against dilution of the reputation and meaning of the medals.” They aren't planning to, though, because the Chief Justice John G. Roberts is one who usually favors free speech cases which appears to be the case in United States v. Alvarez.

2012 Election: The "Underdog"

President Obama spoke in an ABC news interview saying how he's absolutely the "underdog" in this competition, but that he's used to it. In the interview, he also said that Americans will re-elect him because they will see he has “a vision for the future that can actually help ordinary families recapture that American dream.” Mr. Christie, a New Jersey governor, disagrees. He doesn't think, as most Americans don't, that Mr. Obama has been successful in unifying us as a nation. Obama has been shrugging off comments like that for awhile. He uses the excuse that Gov. Christie could potentially decide to run as a Republican candidate, and that the things he has been saying would just be to boost himself in the polls. And, actually, they might. Taken in a Washington Post-ABC News poll, about 55% of Americans expect a Republican to win the White House, while only 37% expect Mr. Obama to be re-elected.

In an effort for Obama to not "make news", he has been avoiding answering questions about his views on topics like same-sex marriage. He says he's still working on it. Some suspect he simply doesn’t want to come out for gay marriage ahead of the 2012 election, for fear it will alienate voters who disagree. One can infer from previous events as well as what is happening currently, though, that Obama only has slim chances of making it back to the White House next year.

In-state Tuition for Undocumented Students

Recently, Governor Chafee of Rhode Island has voiced his support for a controversial measure: allowing undocumented students the access to reduced college tuition in the state of Rhode Island. The new policy entails that the student has to have attended a public RI high school, received a diploma, lived in RI after high school for at least three years, and taken an affidavit saying that he has intentions of becoming a legal citizen as soon as he becomes eligible. Chafee advocates this policy because he believes it will "improve the intellectual and cultural life of our state while strengthening our workforce and helping our economy". He and others believe that students will be left behind if they don't provide assistance. One of those others is Governor Rick Perry. He and Mitt Romney have been at odds with the issue for quite some time. People like Romney believe that accepting this policy will encourage illegal immigration. From a previous debate, Perry said, "I think you don't have a heart. This was a state issue. Texans voted for it and I still support it greatly." Romney then weighed in, "I think that if you're opposed to illegal immigration, it doesn't mean that you don't have a heart, it means you have a heart and a brain." This issue could be settled as soon as Monday night.

Israel Policy Hurting Obama's Campaign

President Obama made a dangerous move in stating his opinion for a permanent Palestinian state to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He suggested that Israel should return to the borders created back in 1967 after the Arab-Israeli War. This upset pro-Israel activists, and gave a bad name to the US making our country seem unreliable. The real question is: how will this affect Obama's campaign in the 2012 election especially with Jewish voters? According to a recent poll by the Siena Research Institute, the Israel policy isn't nearly as important to Jewish voters as the economy, although, 58% of all Jewish voters say that Obama's Israel policy is "very important" in deciding their vote. Many Democrats are now saying, as well, that they don't agree with Obama's statement about the Palestinian borders. Joining the Republicans, the same Democrats are beginning to challenge Obama's Israel policy. If President Obama doesn't begin to mend his relationship with Israel, he will probably lose many of his previous supporters especially Jewish and pro-Israel voters.

Election 2012: Contrasts Between Obama and the Republicans

On Labor Day, President Obama held a rally in Detroit. His target audience that day was union supporters who he promised that he would aim to create new jobs and "restore the middle class in America". He reportedly "challenged" Republicans by saying that they have been merely trying to score political points by "obstructing progress". However, it is clear that Obama is attempting to win over some votes himself now that election time is nearing. "We're fighting for good jobs with good wages ... [and] an economy where hard work pays off and gaming the system doesn't work," he says. Republican candidates for the 2012 election also speak out about their campaigns. Several candidates such as Mitt Romney, Michele Bauchmann, Herman Cain, and Ron Paul attended a forum at Senator Jim DeMint's home. Richard Perry was also supposed to be at the forum, but he backed out due to growing wildfires in Texas. Perry criticized Romney saying that the GOP needs "someone who has a very stark difference [with] the president of the United States ... and I would suggest to you I'm that person." Sarah Palin also spoke out although she hasn't announced whether or not she will be running in the upcoming election. "We're up against ... Barack Obama's very strange fundamental transformation of the country that we so love," Palin said. "We don't need a transformation. As you know, we need a fundamental restoration of all that is good and strong and free in America." As the election time grows nearer, throughout the campaigns and debates that are to come, we will see who is capable of saving our country from the pit that it has fallen into.

Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/09/05/labor.day.events/index.html?hpt=po_bn1