Tuesday, October 18, 2011
President Obama Jokes About Party Platforms
President Obama makes a joke using the idea of party platforms. In an attempt to make a point in a humorous way, he claims that if he proposed the Republican Platform to the Republicans in Congress, they would be against it. The humor lays in the fact that the platform is so important for a political party.
Republican Platform of 1960
Ties to Party Platforms
Trials and Tribulations Ahead of the Sitting President
Although President Barack Obama won the 2008 election by a comfortable margin -- capturing states that have for decades been Republican strongholds -- and has thus far raised almost $100 million for the 2012 campaign, reelection may not necessarily come so easy.
The Washington Post released an article on October 17th written by Rachel Weiner that describes the kind of press given to each of the candidates in the 2012 presidential contest. In reality, the article heralds no good news for President Obama, as Weiner cites a study by the Pew Research Center indicating that he has received the worst press coverage of all. The survey included press coverage from the last five months, of which only nine percent was positive. On the other hand, a whopping 36% of the press clips surveyed were deemed to be purely negative.
The difference between the coverage afforded the president now and when he was first running for office in 2008 is startling. Political rivals at that time had on occasion vented frustration at the overwhelmingly good press Obama received, almost hinting that it was unfair. Now, the president cannot seem to get on anybody’s good side. Rick Perry has received the most positive press coverage – but, alas, to no avail. Hermann Cain is lately receiving more positive coverage, but we shall see what happens after tonight’s Republican debate. Even Mitt Romney is maintaining at least equilibrium at 26 percent positive and 27 percent negative. But the president cannot seem to improve the positivity of his press coverage, only the quantity.
One of the key demographics that supported the president’s 2008 election was the Latino community. However, according to a CNN article posted yesterday, “Latinos to protest Obama’s immigration policies,” even that group is weaning in its support for President Obama. Hispanics in major metropolitan areas including New York City and San Francisco – areas that are meant to be hubs for Democratic support – are setting up protests targeting a nationwide law enforcement program being implemented by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Known as “Secure Communities,” the program makes it easier for illegal immigrants with criminal records to be deported, and is being viewed as discriminatory. As the head of the Executive Branch of government, President Obama is likewise taking criticism from the Hispanic community, and for that reason is himself a target of protesters.
The New York Times has recently reported another obstacle to President Obama’s reelection. Journalist Mark Lander’s headline reads, “LookingToward 2012, Obama Finds North Carolina Less Receptive.” As North Carolina has traditionally voted for a Republican president, the Democratic president is trying hard to once again acquire the state’s electoral votes. However, citizens in the state are clearly uneasy and much less enthusiastic about the upcoming election. One sign, referring to Obama’s campaign slogan, read simply, “We Believed. We Voted. Now What?” Although the people the president is meeting in North Carolina are not hostile to the president, it is unclear whether the masses who came out to vote for him three years ago will feel compelled to act, or to sit the next election out. In the latter case, North Carolina will likely go red.
The Washington Post released an article on October 17th written by Rachel Weiner that describes the kind of press given to each of the candidates in the 2012 presidential contest. In reality, the article heralds no good news for President Obama, as Weiner cites a study by the Pew Research Center indicating that he has received the worst press coverage of all. The survey included press coverage from the last five months, of which only nine percent was positive. On the other hand, a whopping 36% of the press clips surveyed were deemed to be purely negative.
The difference between the coverage afforded the president now and when he was first running for office in 2008 is startling. Political rivals at that time had on occasion vented frustration at the overwhelmingly good press Obama received, almost hinting that it was unfair. Now, the president cannot seem to get on anybody’s good side. Rick Perry has received the most positive press coverage – but, alas, to no avail. Hermann Cain is lately receiving more positive coverage, but we shall see what happens after tonight’s Republican debate. Even Mitt Romney is maintaining at least equilibrium at 26 percent positive and 27 percent negative. But the president cannot seem to improve the positivity of his press coverage, only the quantity.
One of the key demographics that supported the president’s 2008 election was the Latino community. However, according to a CNN article posted yesterday, “Latinos to protest Obama’s immigration policies,” even that group is weaning in its support for President Obama. Hispanics in major metropolitan areas including New York City and San Francisco – areas that are meant to be hubs for Democratic support – are setting up protests targeting a nationwide law enforcement program being implemented by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Known as “Secure Communities,” the program makes it easier for illegal immigrants with criminal records to be deported, and is being viewed as discriminatory. As the head of the Executive Branch of government, President Obama is likewise taking criticism from the Hispanic community, and for that reason is himself a target of protesters.
The New York Times has recently reported another obstacle to President Obama’s reelection. Journalist Mark Lander’s headline reads, “LookingToward 2012, Obama Finds North Carolina Less Receptive.” As North Carolina has traditionally voted for a Republican president, the Democratic president is trying hard to once again acquire the state’s electoral votes. However, citizens in the state are clearly uneasy and much less enthusiastic about the upcoming election. One sign, referring to Obama’s campaign slogan, read simply, “We Believed. We Voted. Now What?” Although the people the president is meeting in North Carolina are not hostile to the president, it is unclear whether the masses who came out to vote for him three years ago will feel compelled to act, or to sit the next election out. In the latter case, North Carolina will likely go red.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Firebrand Candidates, a Trend
The 2012 Republican nomination contest can be likened to a campfire on a chilly autumn night. Each of the campers is huddled around the fire for warmth, something they both desire and need. In this fire is a log, burning evenly and unwaveringly. Every once in a while, however, the campers become excited when somebody throws in some napkins; the ensuing flames outshine the fire of the log and generate a great deal of comfortable heat, but the experience is nevertheless short-lived. In this scenario, the supporters of the Republican Party are the campers themselves, and the potential GOP nominees are the different sources of heat. Mitt Romney is the log, which may have taken a long time to light, but which also provides the stability of the entire campfire scene. The different wads of paper towel are the Tea Party favorites, which so far have proven to catch fire quickly and then lose energy equally as fast. Michele Bachmann fits this trend, along with Rick Perry. And now, Hermann Cain seems to have acquired almost superficially high poll numbers, becoming a "top tier" candidate in very little time. The question is, then, is Cain simply another "Republican flavor of the month," as described by Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post? That is, is he merely another wad of paper towels thrown into the fire? If he is, then for the flame to be maintained until dawn would be a miracle.
One possible explanation posed for this trend of firebrand candidates is the relative anonymity of the playing field. In other words, candidates emerge seemingly from nowhere, yet they seem very exciting. They are adept at generating enthusiasm and offer ideas that appeal greatly to those Republicans who want to make significant changes to government and ultimately defeat President Obama. Rick Perry is an example of a candidate who was not highly scrutinized until he became the clear frontrunner, at which time he was placed under a magnifying glass and had to defend against attacks from all sides. As a result, his popularity dropped, and the frontrunner spot was left open for another candidate – in this case, Hermann Cain. Cain has charisma and can claim a great deal of experience in the business/private sector. Nevertheless, there are certain factors that could very easily prevent the public from perceiving him as presidential material. One clear example is his potentially inflammatory stance on Muslims in government; he vowed to “take extra precautions” to protect the American people from “people who want to kill all of us.” Although he did not claim to be discriminating against Muslims – he asserted that he hired people of all races, ethnicities, and sexual orientation while he was in the private sector – he did seem to single them out. Moreover, Cain hinted that it is not important to know the names of various world leaders until the day before he meets them, and that he will only offer a plan on the situation in Afghanistan when he is briefed by the experts as president.
Such factors could very well perpetuate the trend we have thus far seen in the GOP nomination race. If so, it is likely that the trend will be confirmed very soon.
One possible explanation posed for this trend of firebrand candidates is the relative anonymity of the playing field. In other words, candidates emerge seemingly from nowhere, yet they seem very exciting. They are adept at generating enthusiasm and offer ideas that appeal greatly to those Republicans who want to make significant changes to government and ultimately defeat President Obama. Rick Perry is an example of a candidate who was not highly scrutinized until he became the clear frontrunner, at which time he was placed under a magnifying glass and had to defend against attacks from all sides. As a result, his popularity dropped, and the frontrunner spot was left open for another candidate – in this case, Hermann Cain. Cain has charisma and can claim a great deal of experience in the business/private sector. Nevertheless, there are certain factors that could very easily prevent the public from perceiving him as presidential material. One clear example is his potentially inflammatory stance on Muslims in government; he vowed to “take extra precautions” to protect the American people from “people who want to kill all of us.” Although he did not claim to be discriminating against Muslims – he asserted that he hired people of all races, ethnicities, and sexual orientation while he was in the private sector – he did seem to single them out. Moreover, Cain hinted that it is not important to know the names of various world leaders until the day before he meets them, and that he will only offer a plan on the situation in Afghanistan when he is briefed by the experts as president.
Such factors could very well perpetuate the trend we have thus far seen in the GOP nomination race. If so, it is likely that the trend will be confirmed very soon.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Republicans and Democrats Agree, Romney is the Most Likely Candidate
David Axelrod, President Obama’s chief political strategist, is not losing sleep over Michele Bachman’s potential GOP nomination. Neither does he seem quite stressed about Rick Perry, or any of the other possible contenders for that matter, except one: Mitt Romney. It seems that a number of factors have caused Axelrod’s reelection team to begin going on the offensive against what it perceives to be a viable Republican opponent. Axelrod has, for instance, made an overarching criticism of Romney’s political career, saying that he is a “flip-flopper.” Such criticism can prove lethal, as the term invokes the famous political advertisement made against the Kerry campaign, during which the narrator utters the following phrase: “…whichever way the wind blows.” It is impossible to measure precisely how Kerry suffered from the advertisement in terms of electoral votes, yet it is abundantly clear that the candidate lost momentum. Ultimately, such action from the Democratic camp is a good indicator that Mitt Romney will likely acquire the Republican nomination by virtue of his ability to contend in a general election.
And apparently, the Republicans are beginning to agree with the Democrats on that point. Not only are many important donors making sure to throw support behind Romney, as described in a previous blog post dated October 7, 2011, but elected officials are publically showing their support for the candidate as well. Having Romney in place as a stable nominee for the Republican establishment is a source of comfort for many party members, though it is a source of vexation for the angry Tea Party activists. Recently, Republican Senator Thad Cochrane, along with former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, announced support for Romney as the candidate most likely to succeed in a general election. Philip Rucker of the Washington Post was able to secure the following quote from Sen. Cochrane regarding the candidate: “It’s all coming together for him. People are beginning to be impressed with himand his thoughtful comments about the issues.” Perhaps most significantly, New Jersey Governor Christopher Christie officially endorsed Romney as well, further entrenching him as the establishment candidate. According to Christie, he is the most pragmatic choice for Republican nominee.
With that idea in mind, the potential inadequacies that Mitt Romney may represent to a Tea Partier could quickly fade in the context of the overall goal. That is, the only thing many angry Tea Party activists want more than to have one of their own in office is to beat President Obama in the upcoming election. Since potential nominees such as Bachman, Perry, and Cain are volatile in terms of their political maneuvers and popularity, stability seems to be one key thing that is lacking in any “pure” Tea Party candidate. Without this stability, it becomes that much more difficult to acquire enough electoral votes to defeat a sitting president, who has already raised upwards of $70 million for his campaign. What CNN journalist Gloria Borger describes as “political reality” must sync up with the ideological goal of any movement, or else the movement itself will not yield a tangible product.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Republican 2008 National Convention Preparations
Maria Cino, President and CEO of the Republican National Convention, as well as other Republican Convention officials unveiled the podium for the 2008 convention. They described the vast budget utilized for the preparations, as well as the expensive high definition video monitors they were in the process of setting up.
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