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January 20, 2009, after 2 years of a high minded “hope and change” campaign and a decisive electoral victory, Barack Obama took the oath of office to become the 44th President of the United States of America. At the time, the country was in a deeply troubled state. In the year before President Obama took office, the unemployment rate increased almost three points (5.0 in January 2008 to 7.8 in January 2009). In just the three months before the president took office (October-December 2008), the economy dangerously shrank by almost 9%.

However, that night, as Barack and Michelle Obama were dancing to Beyonce’s rendition of “At Last” at their inaugural ball,  15 prominent republicans (including VP Candidate Paul Ryan) met for several hours to devise their strategy to oppose Obama. They decided to (1) “Show united and unyielding opposition to the president’s economic policies” in 2009 – they did, (2) “win the spear point of the House in 2010,”– they did. (3) “Jab Obama relentlessly in 2011,” which they did when we were led to the brink of breaching our debt limit and two government shutdowns, and (4) “Win the White House and the Senate in 2012.”

Their meeting was not focused on creating their own plan to address the country’s problems, or to figure out the areas in which they could work with the new president in good faith. Instead, it was to establish a plan of pure opposition and obstruction.

NavigatingPolitics.com endorses President Obama not only because of his record of the past four years, we proudly endorse his re-election because of the record he’s achieved despite the premeditated and unprecedented obstruction of the Republican Party.

It is the mixture of large scale reforms (Health Care, Financial Regulatory, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Repeal of DADT, Race to the Top Education Program), and the lesser-known successes (Student Loan Reform, Credit Card Reform, Reduction in the Crack/Cocaine disparity, Increased Fuel efficiency standards) that has earned Barack Obama the opportunity for a second term as President.

President Obama came in and took swift and decisive action to stabilize the depleting economy. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (The Stimulus) cut taxes for 95% of Americans, invested billions in infrastructure and public work projects, helped prevent layoffs of public employees (teachers, firefighters, and police officers). This act, signed less than a month after the president took office, is estimated to have saved or created 3.5 million jobs.

In the next few months he continued to stabilize sectors of the economy, most notably, the auto industry. After President Bush gave a loan to the auto companies that kept them afloat for a few more months, President Obama conditioned any more federal money on a viable restructuring plan. He denied their first plan to simply downsize, choosing instead to bring them through a federally-backed bankruptcy, saving the industry and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that are affected by it.

Since day one, the President has made clear that he would fight for the middle class, to not only help it survive the crisis, but to help the middle class thrive again after a decade of stagnation. The credit card reform act he signed made arbitrary interest rate increases illegal and required 45 days notice for any increase, it required billing statements to be mailed at least three weeks before the due date, and limited the fees a credit card company could charge. The increased fuel efficiency standards (minimum miles-per-gallon) he negotiated with 13 automakers will save drivers an average of $8,000 dollars from reduced fuel costs. And the student loan reform helped double funding for student aid by increasing the Pell Grants for low-income college students, making loans more accessible,  and capping loan repayments at 10% of a student’s income starting in 2014.

The President’s signature achievement, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (known on the streets of Downtown DC as “Obamacare”), finally enacted near-universal health insurance, something that had been unsuccessfully attempted since 1912 with President Theodore Roosevelt. The law makes it illegal to deny insurance from people with pre-existing conditions (pregnancy has been considered a pre-existing condition), allows youth to stay on their parents plan until they are 26 (so they could be insured if their first job doesn’t have benefits or if they are unemployed), and it gives tax breaks to help small businesses insure their employees. Taken as a whole, it helps to insure 30 million Americans and reduces the deficit by at least 82 billion dollars in the first 10 years.

This President’s success extends when you look at his foreign policy. When he took office, we were in 2 wars. Today, the war in Iraq is over with no troops serving and the war in Afghanistan is on track to end in 2014. When he took office, he made it a priority to track Osama Bin Laden down. And when he was found, President Obama gave the risky order (only 60% chance it was Bin Laden) to go into Bin Laden’s compound to kill him. When people throughout the middle-east stood up for freedom from their long-time dictators, the President acted on what I have called the “Obama Doctrine”: to mobilize the international community for collective action during situations that might not threaten America’s safety, but threaten our values of Freedom. The result was the removal of dictators in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, all without committing one US combat troop on the ground (it took well over 100,000 in Iraq). And with Iran, the sanctions he signed have had a crippling effect on the country and its economy. Iran is more isolated now than ever before.

For the majority of these successes (there are many more), the republican party has made it their goal to obstruct every step of the way. With the Recovery Act, they sent out a memo saying they were planning to oppose it hours BEFORE they were scheduled to meet with the President about it. Despite the health care law almost being a replica of the Republican health care plan in 1993, every republican voted against the bill. Republicans were largely against the financial regulatory reform law that seeks to ensure a financial collapse won’t happen again. In 2011, when President Obama presented a plan that would continue and accelerate job growth (The American Jobs Act), Republicans didn’t even allow a vote on the bill in the House of Representatives.

The choice in this election is clear as the candidates are extremely different. We can’t support a Presidential candidate that insists it is not his job to worry about 47 percent of Americans because he’ll “never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives,” especially when his publicly proposed policies align with that private comment. Governor Romney plans to cut taxes by 4.8 trillion dollars (favoring  the wealthiest Americans) and pay for it by eliminating deductions benefiting the wealthiest Americans, despite the fact that their aren’t enough deductions to cover half the costs. While the President doubled student aid, Governor Romney called his running-mate’s budget plan that cut all increases to aid “marvelous.” Governor Romney has promised to repeal Obama-care, with no specifics on how he would replace it. His changes to Medicare and Medicaid will result in higher payments from seniors and less coverage for the poor. In the foreign arena, Governor Romney said ending the war in Iraq was “tragic” and said he would have left at least 30,000 troops in the country. He then criticized the plan to leave Afghanistan(America’s longest war) by 2014, before adopting that very timeline in the last debate. On issues including abortion, equal pay for equal work, taxes, and immigration, Governor Romney has taken multiple stances showing that his sincerity should be questioned.

President Obama has not been a perfect president. He has had failures and setbacks in his 4 years in office. Guantanamo Bay is still open, the deficit (though slightly lower than what he inherited) is still too high, Medicare and Medicaid are still on track to go bankrupt, gun violence is expanding, climate change has yet to be addressed, Iran is still on track to get a nuclear weapon, and unemployment remains uncomfortably high (treading downwards). It is easy to be disappointed when we were promised so much. However, no man, no President is perfect. It cannot be denied this country is moving in the right direction. The economy that was shrinking at nearly 9% when he took office is larger and grew 2% last quarter (increase from previous quarter).  In the three months before President Obama took office, we lost 2.3 million jobs. We then lost 2.2 million in his first three months. But since then, the US has created over 5.2 million jobs, exports are up 42%, stock prices are higher, and home values are increasing.

When President Obama decided to run for office, it was to fix the structural problems that were hampering the middle class. And while he was forced to spend much of his efforts simply stabilizing the economy, he has made great strides towards attacking those structural issues–  despite the unprecedented opposition. For this, NavigatingPolitics.com believes President Barack Obama has earned more time to finish the job we elected him to do and encourage you to re-elect him for a second term in office.

So what do YOU think? Does the President deserve your vote? Comment Below!!!
***Click links for more information and fact checks on specific items***

Ap Image/ Evan Vucci

With tonight marking the end of the Republican National Convention, millions of eyes will be tuned in as Governor Mitt Romney officially accepts the Republican Nomination for President of the United States. His speech is scheduled to begin a little after 10pm, and will be broadcasted on all major networks.

I told you before why these conventions are extremely important (click HERE if you forgot), however this speech is Romney’s opportunity to redefine himself after the Obama campaign spent the summer negatively defining him. Tonight will allow Romney to share his story and his vision to a national audience and push back against his negative depiction. For many, tonight’s speech will be the first time in which they sit down and give Romney their full attention.

This is HIS moment. Tonight has all the makings to be HIS night. I encourage you to watch as he accepts his party’s nomination!

Comment after the speech to share what you think! Tell us how your perception of Romney changes (if it does at all). Keep the conversation going!

**Watch the Convention ONLINE HERE!**

In just 78 days, after the longest and most expensive election in history, Americans will line up at voting booths and cast their ballot to either re-elect President Barack Obama or elect Gov. Mitt Romney.

The choice America faces in just under three months is between two men with stark differences; differences that have solidified and somewhat expanded over the past week after Romney chose Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate.

With the Republican ticket complete, recent polls show President Obama leading Governor Romney slightly nationally, with that lead extending when considering battleground states exclusively. However, the numbers are extremely volatile right now, especially considering the bounce that candidates get from their political conventions at the end of the month.

SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THESE CONVENTIONS: From Aug. 27-30, Republicans will gather in Tampa, Fla., to formally nominate Romney and Ryan for President and Vice-President respectively. The following week (Sept. 4-6) Democrats will formally re-nominate Obama and Biden as their nominees in Charlotte, N.C.

Historically, the parties choose their nominees at the conventions after much lobbying and trade-offs between party leaders. Recently, however, conventions have transformed from this drama-filled, power hungry event to a ceremony (much like a wedding) where the outcome is known and attendees are there merely for support and unity.

Party conventions embody political theater at its best.  Each side showcases their most popular leaders and details the vision (platform) and the direction in which it hopes to take the country. In 2004, it was the keynote speech then Gov. Obama delivered at the Democratic Convention that catapulted him into national spotlight.

SPEAKER SERIES:

Chris Christie, the outspoken governor who is extremely popular with conservatives will deliver the keynote address this year’s Republican Convention, while Julian Castro, the up-and-coming San Antonio Mayor will deliver the Democrat’s keynote address. These two picks illustrate Romney’s emphasis on energizing and motivating conservatives and Obama’s focus on the Latino vote in his re-election efforts, respectively.

THE RALLY OF TROOPS:

Convention speakers  are not the only focus of conventions. Political conventions are used as a way to mobilize grassroots support in a particular area. This year, both party conventions are being held in major battleground states: Florida and North Carolina. Although President Obama won both states in 2008, he won by slim margins (winning North Carolina by about 13,000 votes, less than 1 percent). By hosting the convention in these cities, organizers will actively register more voters and recruit more volunteers, in hopes of gaining a competitive edge.

BRINGING IN THE MONEY:

Conventions would not happen without the massive amounts of money brought in by the several of fundraisers occurring during the three of four days at the sight.

A POLITICO article published earlier this week described how Republicans are renting out Yacht’s during the convention to raise money for their local campaigns and the Political Action Committees (PACs) that help fund them. While Republicans will be using the convention to build on their fundraising prowess, Democrats are hoping the convention will bring an end to their fundraising woes. July brought about the third consecutive month in which Obama and the democrats were out-raised by Romney and the Republicans. To add to that, there have been numerous reports recently detailing how Democrats are struggling to meet their convention fundraising goals because of their self-imposed fundraising restrictions on campaign contributions from corporations.

The upcoming conventions, first in Tampa, will receive immense media coverage and officially start the 2012 general election (as if it hasn’t started already).

The conventions will set the tone for both candidates and their respective parties. and will have a large effect on the state of the election going forward, as they do every four years. So be sure to tune in!

Article from: Elections 2012 Kickoff: The Conventions – 2012 Election – Elections – The Hilltop – The Student Newspaper of Howard University.

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President Obama, since his 2008 campaign has called for a national health care program to help insure the over 45 million uninsured Americans. The second law Obama signed into law as President was a bill that expanded children’s health insurance dramatically and he called it a “down payment”on his commitment to get all Americans insured. In his first speech to congress, he called on them to pass national health care legislation that provides insurance for all Americans. A year and a half later, after many ups and downs and months of debate, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Needless to say, healthcare reform was a priority for him.

The Affordable Care Act (known in the streets as ObamaCare) provides health insurance for 32 million Americans. Costing over a trillion dollars, it is paid for through cuts to Medicare and a variety of tax increase (so it actually is projected to reduce the deficit). The law gives tax credits to help small businesses offer coverage. It immediately prevents insurance companies from denying coverage to children who have pre-existing conditions. It makes preventative care free and eliminates lifetime limits on care. It allows children to stay on their parents plan until they are 26 years old (one of the more popular features). And in 2014 it makes it illegal for insurance companies to deny people because of their preexisting conditions.

This last provision, while for many sound great on the surface, is extremely controversial. This is because in order to make it illegal for insurers to deny people insurance, the government mandates that everyone purchase health insurance  (there are subsidies to help people afford care). The law says if you do not get insurance by 2014, the government will fine you a “shared responsibility payment” of $695 . Here-in lies the constitutional challenge.

Conservatives say this “individual mandate” (the gvm’t forcing you to buy health care) is not constitutional because the constitution does not give the federal government the right to force individuals to buy a product. They insist it has never been done before and see it as a broad overreach of federal power. 26 states have sued the federal government for it. After nearly two years of hearings in lower courts, the case made its way to the supreme court. Now the fate of the entire health care law is resting in the hands of the 9 supreme court justices.

Monday March 26th, the court began hearing arguments from both sides. And while the states have said the law is unconstitutional, the Obama administration defends the mandate and the law by saying:

1. You cannot prohibit insurance companies from denying people with pre-exisiting conditions unless you require that everyone purchase health insurance.  If you don’t people would then not get insurance until after they are sick, which would bankrupt the system.
2. A person can still decline to purchase private insurance, they would just have to pay a fee. This is because if that person who decided not to purchase health care gets hit by a bus (and lives–for example), he still would receive emergency care (even if he can’t afford it), at the taxpayers expense. The “shared responsibility payment” (or fine) balances that problem.
3. Everyone uses health care at some point in their life, therefore the federal government has the authority to regulate the purchase of it. (The gist of the “Commerce Clause” argument)

The hearings will continue through March 28th. Shortly after the hearings, the Justices will go into private conference and take a preliminary vote. They will then draft opinions, circulate and edit them amongst themselves, and then take a final vote. The court is expected to release its decision in June.

As you may expect, politics are at play in the Supreme Court. Currently, the court “leans conservative”, automatically making it an uphill climb for the Obama Administration. The court’s four liberals (2 of which the President appointed) are expected to vote in favor of the law. This leaves the five conservatives, who don’t always stick together. Justice Anthony Kennedy is commonly referred to as the “swing vote” because in close decisions, his vote usually sways the entire court. Judicial analysts watching this case suggest that Chief Justice John Roberts and Judge Anthony Kennedy are “winnable.”

If just one of the conservatives are convinced of the law’s constitutionality, the law will stand. If not, the law will be ruled unconstitutional and deemed void. Both scenarios would have implications for President Obama and his re-election campaign.

If the justices uphold the law, Democrats will frame it as the definitive end to the health care reform controversy. Obama and his allies will urge the states to move forward with implementing the law and encourage Republicans to stop complaining about the legislation.-Politico Article: READ HERE

If the court rules the law unconstitutional, however, political observers say it will prove to be a major embarrassment for President Obama, who touts Health Care Reform as one of his signature domestic achievements. The law- the mandate specifically- remains unpopular in the public, and the Supreme Court’s negative decision would not help change that. It would give Republicans more ammunition against Obama who they say has had a “failed presidency.”

Whatever the outcome, this case will affect virtually every American. It will also clarify the power of the federal government and the extent to which it can regulate Americans. And trust me, this ideological battle of the role of the federal government will not go away anytime soon.

So what do YOU think? Is the health care law constitutional? Will Obama survive if his signature legislation is struck down? Comment Below!!!

Picture from Scottspiegel.com

Ohio, Georgia, Alaska, Virginia, and six other states are up for grabs this Tuesday as the Republican Primary heads into what may be the final stretch.

Every presidential election primary, as the political parties work to select their nominee for the general election, there is one day in which the most states hold their respective primaries, Super Tuesday. In January, from Rick Santorum’s slim win in Iowa, to Mitt Romney’s victory in New Hampshire, to Newt Gingrich’s triumph in South Carolina, the Republican primary has been extremely volatile. This pattern continued throughout February as Santorum started the month with a surprising three state sweep in the Midwest; and Romney finishing off with wins in the last 5 contests.

However, through all the ups and downs of the race, Romney has earned the front runner status. The Huffington Post estimates that Romney has collected 208 delegates by winning 7 states. Santorum, his closest opponent is estimated to have collected 92 delegates after winning 4 states. 1144 delegates are needed in order to clinch the Republican nomination.

The reason why Super Tuesday is so important is because on this one night, 419 delegates will be up for grabs. While Romney is currently the frontrunner, a loss in a major state can make him look weaker. However, if he has commanding victories all night, it could almost guarantee the nomination for him because it could give him a lead that cannot be overcome by the other candidates.

The other candidates know this and have established true battle grounds. For Santorum, its Ohio. No Republican nominee has ever won the Presidency without first winning Ohio in the general election. If Santorum wins Ohio, many Republicans and political analysts will begin to openly question if Mitt Romney can beat President Obama. This helps Santorum because it will make him look electable, a factor he is currently lacking.

Newt Gingrich, who has previously done  well in the south, is focusing almost exclusively on the southern states of Tennessee and Georgia. Georgia is especially needed because it has 76 delegates alone (the third most in the country). Tennessee with its 58 delegates, is also very important for Gingrich to win if he wants to stay relevant. Although he will not win all of the state’s delegates (delegates awarded by districts in the states), a win in both of these states could possibly help him catch up to Santorum in the primary race.

Then there is Ron Paul who is focusing on the states that hold “caucuses,”  Idaho, North Dakota and Alaska. Paul hasn’t won a state yet, but is hoping to change on Super Tuesday. If he goes win-less, he will only continue to see fading media attention.

So why is Super Tuesday so Super? It’s because it has the power to virtually end the primary process, dramatically change the perceptions of candidates, or continue to represent the ups and downs seen over the past few months. We will be watching the results closely!

Who do you think will ultimately win the Republican Nomination? Will he beat President Obama? Comment below!!

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Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a die-hard fan of the New York Knicks. I have been a fan during the 5 and 6 game losing streaks, and have been a (much happier) fan during our 5 and 6 game winning streaks. Since I started this political blog over a year ago, I have been waiting for the day that I can mention my Knicks. The only problem is, although basketball and politics share some similarities, I have found it difficult to connect the two enough to justify a Knicks-focused article…..Until now!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Repbulicans and Democrats,  I am proud to say that the time has finally come!—Thanks to LINsanity!

The only reason why I get away with posting this on my political blog is because the “Linsanity,” as its called, has even reached the ears of our Basketball-loving President. According to his Press Secretary, the President of the United States is “very impressed” with Mr. Lin and has been taking about Lin to his inner circle. And because the President spoke on it, it is officially political, and can be written about on NavigatingPolitics.com! I hope that is enough justification for you!

Whether you like it or not (I love it), the story of Jeremy Lin has captivated the nation. It is a story of how a Harvard Graduate (who wasn’t even offered athletic scholarship after High School) and an un-drafted NBA player (who was sleeping on a teammates couch), became the record-breaking star of the New York Knicks. Its an American story of someone that kept working, kept improving, and remained persistent even as he was overlooked by team after team. Its also a story of always being prepared, because when his number was called by a desperate coach looking for a spark, Jeremy Lin rose to the occasion.

As a Knicks fan, I can not be more happy (excluding my emotion if we win a championship) than I have been these past two weeks as Lin scored 38 points on the veteran Kobe Bryant, and confidently made a game winning 3-pointer with .5 seconds left on the clock last night. This has been what Knicks fans have been begging for: the mixture of skill, energy, and passion that translates into wins.

However, his story speaks to a larger point and uncovers a flaw in our society. It’s an idea that is not new or groundbreaking, but is one that stubbornly remains true. It’s the fact that too many people in decision-making roles view different as deficient. Everyday, in many arenas, quality people are simply overlooked.

But what is so disappointing is that Lin finally was given his opportunity only because about a half-dozen weird happenstances happened to occur — the owners’ lockout, salary-cap manipulations, trades that fell through, injuries and, at last, a coach’s sheer desperation. Talk about divine intervention.

But, in counterpoint, what is so dispiriting is to contemplate not only how many basketball players, but how many other athletes, how many artists and actors and musicians and writers, how many special creative talents never get fulfilled because the so-called experts are always looking in the same places. -Frank Deford, NPR (Read Full Commentary)

This fundamental flaw is prominent in politics, especially at the federal level. A candidate who is not a Republican or Democrat usually is immediately overlooked by the public. A candidate who is not wealthy usually doesn’t have a chance (congressional wealth is about 5x more than average American). And just as a politician who doesn’t “look or play the part” is overlooked, a basketball player who didn’t “look the part” was ignored. The point is, as with Jeremy Lin, people who don’t “fit the part” are overlooked daily. As these same people continue to rise up and prove us wrong, it becomes our responsibility to change our thought process and give society’s underdogs a chance. Until that happens, these “Lin” moments will continue to occur, in which we desperately ask ourselves “how did everyone not see what he himself always knew.”

**Extra** Take a look at this interview done by TJ Holmes featuring Jeremy Lin last March just after he got his diploma. Very Interesting:

What do YOU think of the “Linsanity?” Comment Below.

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Budget

February 13th, President Obama delivered his Fiscal Year 2013 (10/1/12 – 09/30/12) budget proposal to congress. This highly anticipated, 256-page document is seen politically as the physical representation of the President’s vision for the country.  Through funding levels, tax policy, and program proposals, it allows the President to detail his national priorities.

Today, we are seeing signs that our economy is on the mend. But we are not out of the woods yet. Instead, we are facing a make-or-break moment for the middle class, and for all those who are fighting to get there. What is at stake is whether or not this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build modest savings, own a home, and secure their retirement.

This is the defining issue of our time.

This Budget reflects my deep belief that we must rise to meet this moment—both for our economy and for the millions of Americans who have worked so hard to get ahead…-President Barack Obama

The budget proposal (see the budget overview HERE)cuts the deficit by nearly 4 trillion dollars over the next 10 years, but still leaves a deficit of $901 billion (breaking his promise to cut it in half by the end of his first term). It does this through a combination of spending cuts to government programs and tax increases on the wealthy. The budget also sets aside nearly $350 billion dollars to fund immediate infrastructure projects (many of which were proposed in his Jobs Plan) that are designed to “jumpstart” job creation. For college students, the budget proposal continues funding for the Pell Grant program and makes the American Opportunity Tax Credit Permanent (find out about this thousand-dollar credit HERE).

The reality is, however, this budget proposal is just that: a proposal. In order for it to be enacted, it must be approved by the Republican House of Representatives and the Democratic Senate. The problem with this is Republicans want to see more cuts and have called this budget “debt on arrival) and senate democrats haven’t passed a budget in two years out of political expediency (don’t want to give election opponents something to use against them -_-) and have no desire to do so this year. Its true purpose was to set the President up for November’s election.

Payroll Tax Extension Fight

One budget proposal that will most likely be enacted is the Payroll Tax Cut extension. The payroll tax is the tax that funds the Social Security Trust Fund. In a 2010 deal to extend the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthiest Americans, President Obama secured a 2% payroll tax cut (from 6.2% to 4.2%) for one year. This tax cut amounts to savings of -on average- $1,000 for working Americans, money that economists partially credit for the recent economic improvement.

This tax extension has met opposition in congress. Republicans, since last fall have called for these tax cuts to be funded by accompanying spending cuts, including an extension of the Federal Employee Pay Freeze (despite not requiring the Bush Tax Cuts to be paid for). Democrats, including President Obama, have proposed paying for these tax cuts with a small surtax on the wealthy, something Republicans are strongly opposed to.

The tax cut expires at the end of the month. However, in recent days Republicans have done an about-face by saying they would agree to this tax cut without spending cuts. This after they suffered much political damage in December for looking like they wanted a middle class tax increase. If this remains so, it will pave the way for the tax cut to be extended through the end of this year.

Rick Santorum’s Rise

After sweeping last Tuesday’s primary’s and caucuses with 3 wins, Rick Santorum has been surging in the latest polls. In the latest national poll, Santorum nearly ties the frontrunner Mitt Romney. This pattern holds true in the latest state-by-state polling, as Santorum has taken the lead in Romney’s home state, Michigan.  To add to the good news for Santorum, he is also picking up steam in hypothetical match-ups with President Obama, taking away from Romney’s “I am the most electable” argument.

This is an important development because it extends and draws out the primary race even more, helping President Obama’s Re-election campaign. The purpose of this whole primary process is to allow Republican voters to choose the Republican candidate that will go up against President Obama in the November election. From the start, most political observers saw this as an easy Mitt Romney win. A quick win would then allow him to immediately focus all of his attention and resources on defeating President Obama. However, now with Santorum’s rise, Romney must put resources into defeating Santorum.

In the mean time, President Obama can just sit back and fund raise for his re-election campaign as the Republicans fight amongst themselves.

As 2012 rolls along, the political games and posturing will dramatically increase. NavigatingPolitics.com will be here to help you get through it!

Tuesday night, President Obama delivered his 3rd annual State of the Union Address. Using the backdrop of the sense of unity embodied by our Military, the President detailed his vision for the country and called on congress to work together to address the great issues at hand. However, as the election approaches, the true chances of accomplishing many of his proposed initiatives are slim-to-none, without a sincere bipartisan effort. In the upcoming days, NavigatingPolitics.com will give a full assessment of the President’s speech that will analyze what it means politically, when compared with the comments of the Republican candidates. In the meantime however, we want to know YOUR reaction to the speech.

Click here for FULL TEXT of President Obama’s speech

What is your initial reaction? Was his speech non-partisan? Does this help or hurt is reelection chances? Tell me what YOU think?

**To see my story on the College tax credit that the President spoke of, watch below**

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Happy Election Year! On Tuesday night, the race for President officially began as the first, and most highly anticipated contest occurred: The Iowa Caucuses. Over 122, 000 Republicans showed out to support their candidate in a race that ultimately came down to Governor Mitt Romney barely beating Senator Rick Santorum by just 8 votes (proof that EVERY VOTE COUNTS).

Santorum, the former Senator of Pennsylvania, appealed largely to religious conservatives (evangelical voters) who make up the base of the Republican party.  It’s Santorum’s strong conservative views on social issues (abortion, gay marriage…) along with his blue-collar roots and focus on small-town American values, that make him appealing to Republican voters. Santorum’s close second place win showcases the reservations that some republicans have with Romney, who voters say comes off as robotic and disconnected from their daily struggles. Some political observers predict the close results of Tuesday’s caucus suggests a primary process that may not be as easy for Romney as expected.

The Primary process essentially allows the voters in each state to choose one person to represent the party in the fall (General) Election. The Iowa caucuses are so important because it allows the media to judge and the candidates to test their campaign operations and gain momentum for the series of primary contests to come. In 2008, it was Iowa that legitimized President Obama’s campaign as he decisively beat the national frontrunner, Senator Hillary Clinton. (Click Here for What is a Caucus?)

While Iowa is a major test, it is only the first test in what can be a long primary process.  The truth is, Iowa has only chosen the eventual Republican nominee 3 times since it gained its prevalence in 1972(latest being Former President George W. Bush). However, it is known to easily change the perception of the viability of a candidate.

After disappointing finishes Tuesday night, it is presumed that Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry will soon drop out of the Presidential race for this reason. In a speech to supporters after a disappointing 5th place finish, Rick Perry, all but withdrew from the race.

With the voters’ decision tonight in Iowa, I’ve decided to return to Texas, assess the results of tonight’s caucus, determine whether there is a path forward for myself in this race…

The next contest is the New Hampshire primaries that will take place next Tuesday, January 10th. A CNN flash poll released Tuesday night showed Mitt Romney with a 30-point lead over the closest competitor, Ron Paul, and a 37-point lead over Rick Santorum. If Santorum gets within 10 points of Romney, it may be considered a win for him as Romney is widely expected to win. After New Hampshire will be the South Carolina and Florida primaries in the following weeks. Election 2012 is underway!

So what do you think? Who will win the Republican Nomination? Does every vote really count? Comment below!

***To see how it all began, Click Here for NavigatingPolitics.com article: “And They’re Off!: The Republican NH Debate“***

In the first year of NavigatingPolitics.com we have seen dramatic change in the middle east, the death of a terror leader, and the end of an almost nine year war. Domestically however, we have seen numerous moments that have warranted a countdown clock as Republicans and Democrats repeatedly fought to the bitter end. The issues always at hand: taxes, spending, or both.

The first was the government shutdown threat in April when Republicans demanded at least $60 billion in immediate cuts and Democrats pushed to protect funding for priority programs(Pell grants, planned parenthood, Head Start…). In the end, after much drama, an agreement to cut $38.5 billion was reached with less than an hour and a half before the government was set to shut down.

April’s government shutdown fight set the scene for the Summer-long debate over increasing the nation’s debt ceiling. As we reported this summer, the debt limit was something that has been routinely raised because failure to raise it would lead to a catastrophic credit default. President Obama insisted on large-scale deficit reduction (about 4 trillion) that represented a “balanced approach,” with both spending cuts and tax increases on the wealthy. Republicans, however, wanted deficit reduction to come from spending cuts exclusively. Just two days before the first ever US credit default, a deal was reached that included a debt ceiling increase funded by immediate spending cuts and a congressional “super-committee” that would find $1.2 Trillion in additional cuts. Months later, the committee failed to find those cuts.

And most recently, Americans were brought a week and a half away from a 1,000 tax increase. Last year, middle-class payroll taxes were cut temporally from 6.2% to 4.2%. In September, President Obama proposed a 1 year extension and expansion of that tax cut in his American Jobs Act. The President’s plan included a small tax increase on the wealthy as a way to both cut the deficit and pay for the tax cut. Republicans, who say this middle-class tax cut is not as stimulative as the tax cuts for the wealthy, refused to allow any tax increase on the wealthiest Americans. In the end, the tax cut was extended for two months after a stalemate over how to pay for the tax cut and the inclusion of these policy riders.

This year of down-to-the-wire politics was a direct result of the 2010 Midterm elections that increased the Republican’s power over the legislative agenda. It can also be seen as a guide as to what we can expect in 2012, an election year. The first battle that will be waged will be over how to pay for the full year extension of the payroll tax cut (even though Bush Tax Cut Extension was not paid for). This must be done by February. The next battle will be cutting 1.2 Trillion dollars from the deficit in order to avoid deep automatic budget cuts that are set to occur in 2013. Both will be simple continuations of the debates that occurred this year.

2011 was an extremely divisive and unproductive year in domestic politics. As the election season commences on January 3rd, the priorities of congressional leaders and the President will shift from trying to get work done, to working to get reelected. With the political dysfunction seen this year, do you expect much to get done in an election year? We’ll find out in 2012! Happy New Year!