Posts Tagged ‘Obama’

Let The Shows Begin!

Posted: August 20, 2012 by Shaquille Brewster in 2012
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I know I haven’t written for you guys in some time, and I apologize for that. So let this be the end to my writing drought! Below is my article that was published today in Howard University’s Hilltop Newspaper about the upcoming political conventions. Don’t worry, its written in the standard “NavigatingPolitics” way, I just had to let them publish it first:

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.

SUPER Tuesday- is it Really that “Super?!”

Posted: March 6, 2012 by Shaquille Brewster in 2012
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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!!

A New Era of American Foreign Policy

Posted: October 25, 2011 by Shaquille Brewster in 2011
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USA Today Image

This past Sunday, October 24th, tens of thousands of people gathered in Eastern Benghazi, Libya. They were there to declare their “liberation” following Thursday’s death of their former dictator, Moammar Gaddafi.  After 42 years of “heavy-handed” and controversial leadership, followed by eight months of a NATO-supported revolution against the Gaddafi regime, Libyans are preparing to swiftly chart a new future. Libya’s National Transitional Council, the current governing body in Libya, is planning to form an official government in about two weeks.

As NavigatingPolitics.com reported back in March (See “Libya: Obama’s Third War?”), when the US began its limited involvement in the region, Gaddafi had waged a public “no mercy” slaughter campaign on his own people, who were protesting for more rights. After much debate, the international community joined together to condemn Gaddafi regime and authorize targeted attacks to save civilians.

On Friday, the day following the vote, Libya’s Defense minister announced a cease fire, essentially declaring the attacks on the citizen rebels would end. However, on Saturday, the attacks by air resumed causing France to send fighter jets to enforce the no-fly zone. By that afternoon, France announced that one of its planes had fired on a Libyan military vehicle, and by the evening, the United States, Italy, and Great Britain all joined the French in attacking Gaddafi forces. The United States alone launched 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles to hit Tripoli and Misratah(Libyan cities), several hitting the compound of Moammar Gaddafi. -From NavigatingPolitics.com article, “Libya: Obama’s Third War?”

Six months later, the rebels succeeded in capturing the capitol city of Tripoli. And eight months later, the rebels killed Gaddafi.

The United States, from the start has pledged limited involvement. President Obama, repeatedly promised that there would be no ground troops deployed, and that the direct involvement of the US military was going to be limited to days, not weeks. The President’s refusal to over-invest resources in Libya was criticized by Republicans who charged the US was leading from behind. President Obama, however, held true on his promise, with all US operations conducted from the air or by sea, and with NATO quickly taking control of military operations in Libya.

While the the death of Maommar Gaddafi marked the end of an era in Libya, the death of Gaddafi also marked the first tangible result of the Obama Administration’s new era of American Foreign Policy; one in which international support in needed and leadership of the crisis is shared.

US intervention in Libya was unlike that of Iraq, in which there were tens of thousands of troops deployed to the region with no robust support from the citizens of the country, no dominant international support from countries in the region, and no military support from NATO. Libya and is successful outcome represents the fulfillment of what can be viewed somewhat as the Obama Doctrine.

I will never hesitate to use our military swiftly, decisively, and unilaterally when necessary to defend our people, our homeland, our allies and our core interests…There will be times, though, when our safety is not directly threatened, but our interests and our values are. Sometimes, the course of history poses challenges that threaten our common humanity and our common security

In such cases, we should not be afraid to act -– but the burden of action should not be America’s alone. As we have in Libya, our task is instead to mobilize the international community for collective action. Because contrary to the claims of some, American leadership is not simply a matter of going it alone and bearing all of the burden ourselves. Real leadership creates the conditions and coalitions for others to step up as well; to work with allies and partners so that they bear their share of the burden and pay their share of the costs; and to see that the principles of justice and human dignity are upheld by all.-President Obama March 28, 2011

President Obama’s limited and restrained, but strategic, use of the military was the guide behind his announcement last Friday to withdraw all troops from Iraq by the end of the year.

…as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year.  After nearly nine years, America’s war in Iraq will be over.

Over the next two months, our troops in Iraq — tens of thousands of them — will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home.  The last American soldier[s] will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops.  -President Barack Obama October 21, 2011

While this announcement, although desired, was forced by the Iraqi government’s refusal to give remaining troops diplomatic immunity, it represents the Obama Administration’s efforts to reduce the US footprint around the globe.

The completion of a war will be added to the list of foreign policy success in just one year, with the removal of a dictator in Libya, and the killing of Osama Bin Laden earlier this year. By the end of the year, a new era of American Foreign Policy under the Obama Administration will have taken shape.

What do you think about this shift in policy seen in Libya and Iraq? Are we being weak by limiting our Involvement Abroad? Comment Below!

The Obama Budget Battle: A Preview from Politico

Posted: February 14, 2011 by Shaquille Brewster in 2011
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From Politico.com

President Obama will be releasing his third budget this Monday February 14, 2011. Although its release lands on Valentines Day, the budget will not be praised with flowers and candy, but instead scorned and criticized. Programs will be cut, offending Democrats. Education and Infrastructure spending will be increased, upsetting Republicans. And there will still be a deficit, although smaller(it will take much more than a budget proposal to eliminate it), that will infuriate Tea-Party Activists.

I will have a blog posting on the importance and impact of the Obama Budget once it is released and I have gone through it. However, in the mean time, I want to direct you to this politico article, titled “What new budget says about new Obama,” that gives a preview to the budget and illustrates the points of contention between the President and the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives.

Click here for the article by David Rogers from Politico.com

Egypt: Why Should We Care?

Posted: January 31, 2011 by Shaquille Brewster in 2011
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As you probably have talked about, read about, or heard about by now, Egypt is currently in absolute chaos. Thousands of Egyptian people, rebelling against what they view as a corrupt and ineffective government, have taken to the street to demand dramatic change within the government.  President Mubarak, in response to the massive protests has fired and sworn in a new cabinet and is promising the people more tangible reform in the future. Even further, after much international pressure, Mubarak has restored internet accessibility and cell phone service.

The reason why the chaos in Egypt is so monumental to the United States, besides for the obvious concern of human rights, is that Egypt is a key US ally in the Mideast Region. Egypt is so important to the United States that it directly gives 2 billion dollars annually to aid the country. While over the past decade the Egypt-US relationship has been strained due to reports of human rights violations, these massive protests have put the US in a tough position. President Obama must maintain the US’s commitment to the democracy that the protesters call for, while not alienating the current Egyptian President in the event that he holds onto power.

As of now, the President along with Secretary of State Clinton have called for Mubarak to aggressively reform government.

In the absence of these reforms, grievances have built up over time.  When President Mubarak addressed the Egyptian people tonight, he pledged a better democracy and greater economic opportunity.  I just spoke to him after his speech and I told him he has a responsibility to give meaning to those words, to take concrete steps and actions that deliver on that promise.

The US fears total collapse of this regime could lead to disorder that would give extremist the ability to gain control, which would loosen its influence in the region.

The New Year Gives President Obama a 50% Approval Rating

Posted: January 5, 2011 by Shaquille Brewster in 2011
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With pen in hand, President Barack Obama sits at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as Staff Secretary Lisa Brown organizes a stack of 35 bills for him to sign into law, Jan. 4, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Whether it was the holiday spirit in the air bringing happiness to people’s hearts or the extremely active lame duck session of congress that led to several legislative victories for President Obama, the President nonetheless received an end of the year bump in his sagging approval ratings. The boost to 50 percent favorability comes after the President, just in the past month, signed his Tax Cut Compromise Bill, the repeal of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” law that banned gays from serving in the military, the ratification of the New START Treaty that reduced nuclear weapons around the world, a food safety bill, and the James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act that was being blocked by republicans for months. Although the president had somewhat of a “December to Remember,” don’t expect this high productivity to continue. Starting January 5th, when the new congress is sworn in, he will face a Republican House of Representatives and a stronger Republican minority in the Senate, making it significantly harder for him to get favorable legislation passed.

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