The end and Barack Obama is re-elected. After all the lies, distortions, misspeak, personal attacks, questioning of faith and patriotism and citizenship, the flip-flops and the ranting, raving and raging and the spending of more than $6 billion ..... a clear winner and a hesitant loser. It took Romney a while to concede, hoping that the final count in Ohio and Florida would be in his favor, but that was not to be. He campaigned up to the last hours, working and hoping to stave off the inevitable. He will be a bitter man, not only because he lost, but especially because he wanted to wipe out the memory of his late father's loss, 1968 (somewhat like Paul Martin jr. wanting to do the same in Canada (his father loss was also in 1968) and failing also, even though he eventually shafted Chretien and then led the Liberals to a minority government. from which they have still not recovered).
Romney tried to be" everything to everyone", even confusing himself and his staff with his many make-overs. Too late, he pivoted to the center, trying to get rid of the baggage that came with courting the Tea Party, but then he chose Ryan, a leading Tea Partyer,who was supposed to win Wisconsin, his home state and failed, even as Romney failed to win his birth-state, Michigan and his present- home stste of Massaschuetts. Obama on the other hand won both Hawaii and Illinois.
Both candidates campaigned very hard, criss-crossing the country and visiting "swing" states of Ohio, Florida, Colorado and others, time and again. Billiions was spent, flooding the airwaves and the billboards, but in the end there could be only one winner and that was Barack Obama. I had calculated that Obama would win 304 votes, a drop from the 365 he won in 2008 as I did not expect to win Indiana and N. Carolina. However Ohio and Michigan was in the bag because of the auto-bailout and Florida was reachable because of Obama's health reform. African-Americans were being recruited and registered , by church leaders and community activists and Hispanics were grateful for Obama's move to grant easy passage to citizenship to young Hispanics (who were ileigal through no fault of their own). Young voters who were so crucial to Obama in 2008 were the key and Obama won them over with his plans for student loans,( both access and costs), plus his position on abortion, gay rights, the military and the wars, issues which gave Obama a big lead amongst women also, especially after Tea Partyers Akin and Murdouck, had their say about rape ( they both lost their races also helping the Democrats retain their majority in the Senate).. The Jewish vote will hold. Men, older voters, Evangelicals and the majority of whites will support Romney, as will the South.
As the campaign progressed, especially after the debacle of the first debate, it became evident that the new coalition that the Obama team was building, was holding eg. Hispanics in Nevada, New Mexico and even Colorado. Young women were a lock and older women started to come around after Romney and Ryan 's position on a woman's control over her body and the Tea Partyers statemnets about "rape" and 'God". Auto workers and other blue collars in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and the energized African Americans. It used to be that Democrats' formula for victory, at least until Reagan was E,C, BC, GG...ethnic, catholic, blue collar and gender gap. They reformulated under Clinton who moved the party right and got Wall Street support, balanced the budget and had a surplus. Obama moved the party back to left of center with his position on ending the wars, taxing the rich, reforming immigration, medicare and education and pursuing a green energy program. For four years he fought with the "do nothing" House of Representatives and the Tea Partyers and Mitch Mc Connell, Republican minority leader in the senate, who made clear from day one that he was going to deny Obama any victory and a second term. Well they failed.
A new battle is shaping up. The Democrats control the White House and the Senate, but the Republicans control the House and late last night House leader Boehner on Twitter made it clear that he was going to be an obstacle. To him bi-partisanship mean that the President must move to the Republican's position. That is bald-faced but such is the politics of the Republicans who continue to put politics and personality before the interests of the nation. They will pay a high price in two years time, if they continue to play the politcs of divide and frustrate. On the other hand the President is not going to run again, so he can be tougher than he was with medicare reform ane tax cuts. Legacy is his constraint.
Enjoy the all too brief respit
Romney tried to be" everything to everyone", even confusing himself and his staff with his many make-overs. Too late, he pivoted to the center, trying to get rid of the baggage that came with courting the Tea Party, but then he chose Ryan, a leading Tea Partyer,who was supposed to win Wisconsin, his home state and failed, even as Romney failed to win his birth-state, Michigan and his present- home stste of Massaschuetts. Obama on the other hand won both Hawaii and Illinois.
Both candidates campaigned very hard, criss-crossing the country and visiting "swing" states of Ohio, Florida, Colorado and others, time and again. Billiions was spent, flooding the airwaves and the billboards, but in the end there could be only one winner and that was Barack Obama. I had calculated that Obama would win 304 votes, a drop from the 365 he won in 2008 as I did not expect to win Indiana and N. Carolina. However Ohio and Michigan was in the bag because of the auto-bailout and Florida was reachable because of Obama's health reform. African-Americans were being recruited and registered , by church leaders and community activists and Hispanics were grateful for Obama's move to grant easy passage to citizenship to young Hispanics (who were ileigal through no fault of their own). Young voters who were so crucial to Obama in 2008 were the key and Obama won them over with his plans for student loans,( both access and costs), plus his position on abortion, gay rights, the military and the wars, issues which gave Obama a big lead amongst women also, especially after Tea Partyers Akin and Murdouck, had their say about rape ( they both lost their races also helping the Democrats retain their majority in the Senate).. The Jewish vote will hold. Men, older voters, Evangelicals and the majority of whites will support Romney, as will the South.
As the campaign progressed, especially after the debacle of the first debate, it became evident that the new coalition that the Obama team was building, was holding eg. Hispanics in Nevada, New Mexico and even Colorado. Young women were a lock and older women started to come around after Romney and Ryan 's position on a woman's control over her body and the Tea Partyers statemnets about "rape" and 'God". Auto workers and other blue collars in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and the energized African Americans. It used to be that Democrats' formula for victory, at least until Reagan was E,C, BC, GG...ethnic, catholic, blue collar and gender gap. They reformulated under Clinton who moved the party right and got Wall Street support, balanced the budget and had a surplus. Obama moved the party back to left of center with his position on ending the wars, taxing the rich, reforming immigration, medicare and education and pursuing a green energy program. For four years he fought with the "do nothing" House of Representatives and the Tea Partyers and Mitch Mc Connell, Republican minority leader in the senate, who made clear from day one that he was going to deny Obama any victory and a second term. Well they failed.
A new battle is shaping up. The Democrats control the White House and the Senate, but the Republicans control the House and late last night House leader Boehner on Twitter made it clear that he was going to be an obstacle. To him bi-partisanship mean that the President must move to the Republican's position. That is bald-faced but such is the politics of the Republicans who continue to put politics and personality before the interests of the nation. They will pay a high price in two years time, if they continue to play the politcs of divide and frustrate. On the other hand the President is not going to run again, so he can be tougher than he was with medicare reform ane tax cuts. Legacy is his constraint.
Enjoy the all too brief respit
