The historical election night is long over and the cloud hangs of numerous petitions, signed by 39 states, to secede from the United States.

In the wake of the re-election of U.S. President Barack Obama there have been quite a few objections, mainly from the voices of people residing in more conservative states. Citizens are signing petitions by the masses to be granted permission “to peacefully withdraw from the United States of America and to create their own government,” according to the White House’s We the People Petition website.

The 39 states that have signed the petition are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Virginia. While most of the states aforementioned are from the Deep South, a few of them are blue states.

“Every petition that crosses the threshold will receive a response but we don’t comment on what the substance of that response will be before it’s issued,” a White House Official told political website nextgov.com.

The petitions of Louisiana, Florida and Texas have reached beyond the threshold of 25,000 signatures. Texas, which considers itself as a “republic,” not a state, leads the pack with 82,580 and its petition was created on November 9. Louisiana, which was the first state to create a petition the day after President Obama was re-elected comes second with 31,072 signatures. Florida has 26,020 signatures and was created on November 10. All three of these petitions will receive an official response from the Obama administration.

Each petition is similar if not identical in content quoting from the 1776 Declaration of Independence, “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”

“…Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and institute new Government…”

The backlash of the petitions came in the form of responses petitions to ‘Strip the Citizenship from Everyone who Signed a Petition to Secede and Exile Them and to Deport Everyone That Signed A Petition To Withdraw Their State From The United States Of America’. While elected official Gov. Perry took a more objective approach, he said he “believes in the greatness of our Union and nothing should be done to change it. But he also shares the frustrations many Americans have with our federal government.”

Petitions have a lifespan of a month if they don’t reach the threshold of 25,000 signatures and a majority of the state petitions attempting to secede from the Union may or may not make the cut but a few of the conservative Deep South states have the higher numbers and will probably receive an official response from the Obama administration.

The article States Petition to Withdraw From the U.S. appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Towson, U.S.A. — Exis Interactive, a Maryland based game development company has released “Execuforce” a satirical 3d game for campaign and charity fundraising. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Obama presidential campaign and the wounded warrior project.

This is the first game to be used for campaign financing, and provides a new way to reach and engage the 18-35 year old audience. People who buy the game not only donate to these worthy causes, but they also get a great experience while learning about the candidates in the game itself.

This game is another example of how American companies are innovating, bringing disparate elements together to form something new and imaginative. Working tirelessly to push boundaries and find new ways to communicate with one another and the world. Games are great tools for dissemination of information, and a powerful medium for mobilization; They’ve never been used in this fashion before, and this project represents a shift in the use of new media to spread a message.

Players can take the role of Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Bill Clinton, and Ronald Reagan in a fantastical journey that pits the leaders of the free world against evil alien forces bent on enslaving mankind. The game allows players from all over the United States to play together in an online cooperative mode and help save the game world. In the real world though, these players have a direct impact by helping the campaign and our troops.

Campaign and Charity Supporters can buy the game at http://www.ExisInteractive.com/Execuforce/.

“This is a last minute fundraising effort to benefit the Obama campaign, and to directly aid the wounded soldiers who have given so much for this country. We think it’s important for everyone participate in our democratic process, and hope that Execuforce can help inform and entertain; all while getting critically needed funds to the campaign and our wounded warriors. Games are the most engaging way to interact with your audience and spread your message. Execuforce is the first game to directly aid campaigns via fundraising and we hope that other people interested in helping these causes will champion this project. We’re a small four man team and we want to help combat the onslaught of corporate money flooding the system. “ – Peter Kojesta, Founder of Exis.

Exis is an Indie game development studio founded in 2003 and creates AAA products for partner studios and publishers. The company is located in Towson, Maryland, directly across the street from Towson University.

The article Execuforce: 3D Game to Aid President Obama’s Campaign appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

On Tuesday at the GOP convention, the “America’s Got Talent” 2012 winner, Neal Boyd, sang Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.,” and the crowd got very excited: suddenly shouts repeating “U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.,” were heard throughout the Tampa Bay Forum. Boyd made the people forget for a while all the problems the country is facing to concentrate on feeling proud of being an American. After Boyd, the serious talks about how to balance a budget and reduce the deficit continued.

Mia Love, who is running for Utah’s 4th congressional district, also spoke at the convention. She is an African American woman in an election where African Americans and female voters are not big supporters of Mitt Romney. Her task was to prove that being a female African American is compatible with being a hardcore republican.

Sher Valenzuela, small business owner and candidate for lieutenant governor in Delaware, said that 50 percent of small businesses are not hiring because of the excessive government regulations the Obama administration is giving them. She thinks that in order for small businesses to hire again, they have to get the government out of their back.

Governor John Kasich of Ohio also criticized president Obama. He mentioned his own state, Ohio, as an example of how to create jobs and balance the budget without rising taxes. He said that when he took office Ohio was 48th in the country in job creation and had an $8 billion deficit, but now Ohio is fourth in America in job creation and the first in the Midwest. Also, the budget now has a surplus rather than a deficit.

Kasich said he was able to do this by eliminating the programs that were not needed in his opinion, like nursing homes. He said grandparents are a lot happier and healthier in their homes. He also added that he cut taxes so Ohio could be competitive again. Governor Kasich also said that he believe he restored common sense in the regulations, honoring job creation rather than killing it.

Governor Bob McDonnell from Virginia also wanted to prove that Republican Governors are the ones with the solutions to balance the budget and reduce the unemployment rate. He said Republican governors lead seven out of ten states with the lowest unemployment rates and 12 out of 15 best states for doing business. McDonnell said that this proves that conservative fiscal policies do work.

Governor Mary Fallin of Oklahoma also told the story of her state to criticize President Obama; she said the country would overcome the economic problems if the federal government gets out of the way.

Fallin said that in Oklahoma the unemployment rate is 4.9%, and that Obama wants the people to believe that Oklahoma owes the success to the federal government. She on the other hand, believes Oklahoma owes its success to the state entrepreneurs and job creators. She accused President Obama of letting many Americans live with no hope and just change in their pockets; she added that Mitt Romney believes in the power of the people.

Image Courtesy of   NewsHour

The article Balancing Budgets and Reducing Deficit Talks at the GOP Convention appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Tampa, U.S.A. — In its preamble, the GOP says, “Dedication to the rule of law that protects and preserves liberty” is how it operates. However in real life, that hasn’t been true. The Republican Party has flagrantly violated its own code.

At the upcoming Republican National Convention next week, will the GOP delegates be given their rights as delegates? Will they be mistreated, or disenfranchised? Will they be cheated, have their votes miscounted, have their bones broken, or be treated like they live in a communist-style country similarly to what clearly occurred during the past several months of state Republican primaries, caucuses, and conventions across the United States?

Hundreds of plaintiffs from across America submitted legal affidavits under penalty of perjury in a federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court in Santa Ana, California (Case No. SACV 12-00927 DOC (JPRx)) testifying against the RNC and Mitt Romney to specific injuries including election fraud, vote rigging, assaults, threats, intimidation, coercion, and other egregious criminal acts. Without public pressure what is to prevent these same actions from happening next week in Tampa, Florida at what the lead attorney in that case calls the “organized crime convention”?

What is to prevent the fully documented, blatant cheating that elected Mitt Romney, for instance, in Lake & Kane Counties, Illinois, from occurring in the Convention Hall in Tampa, since computerized vote counts will once again be used again to nominate him over others as Republican candidate for President?

Thousands of individuals represented by state, regional, and national organizations have sent an “open letter” today to the RNC, its Chairman, Mr. Reince Priebus, Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney, and the Romney Campaign. The open letter was sent by common carrier and e-mailed to Priebus and all 50 state Republican Party offices.

The letter questions if the stated “rule of law that both protects and preserves liberty” applies only to Romney and his camp to the exclusion of all others? And if so, are the delegates going to be denied their duty, and be subjected to criminal actions. After all, federal law prohibits any attempt to coerce, intimidate, or threaten national delegates. What’s in store for these delegates in Tampa? What will prevent this pattern from continuing?

This open letter is signed by various grass-roots individuals and supporters in various organizations who are endorsing the efforts of district, state, and national GOP delegates to qualify for the Republican National Convention. However, since legitimate delegates have been fraudulently disqualified even at the district level, this open letter calls for the Republican Party leadership to uphold their dictate stated in their preamble that the rule of law will be upheld. And that there will not be any bias or corruption committed against any assigned delegates.

The Convention is about to commence on this coming Monday, August 27, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. The “open letter” ends with a post script that says, “This letter will be signed by the people in an online petition and will also be released to the press.”

Image Courtesy of   Gage Skidmore [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The article RNC, Mitt Romney Face Accusations of Election Fraud appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Los Angeles, U.S.A. — With many citing the economy as the most important issue for the 2012 presidential election, Loop21.com, a leading digital source of emergent Black culture, and a coalition of top black civic, entertainment and media organizations, conducted The State of the Black Economy (SOBE) survey, a study of African American public opinion on the issue. The study, conducted from July 9 to July 27, tapped into a panel of more than 5,000 regular African American visitors to the Loop21.com website.

According to polling results released today, Loop21.com’s African American panel respondents are more pessimistic about the national economy than they are on their own personal finances, however, 86% approve of President Obama’s performance on the economy. While overall the president’s economic job approval number have been hovering around the mid to low 40s; African Americans see him as doing much better than the public at large.

The panel respondents tend to blame the current economic problems on former President George W. Bush, Wall Street, and Congress, more so than President Obama. Panel respondents also tend to think that President Obama’s race influences the public criticism he receives when people speak about his economic job performance.

When panel respondents who disapproved (14%) of the President’s performance on the economy were asked who could do better than President Obama the most common response suggested no one. The second most common response among disapproving respondents was that a Democratic Congress could do better.

The distant third most common response (9%) was a third-party Presidential candidate. The list of responses—panel respondents could only check one—included a Republican President (1%), the Republican Congress (<1%), a Democratic other than Obama (6%), a Democratic Congress (20%), a non-Democrat or non-Republican president (9%), a different African American (1%), none of the above (44%), and unsure (17%).

Asked specifically about how much President Obama “cares about the needs of Black people” compared to “past presidents” and compared to “former President Bill Clinton,” respondents said that Obama cared more than past presidents, but equal amounts said he cared “the same” as or “more” than former President Clinton.

Panelists also offered opinions about job policy priorities. When asked about the issue of jobs in the United States, a majority of panel respondents say job creation should be more important than reducing the deficit and that tougher immigration enforcement would not lead to more job opportunities. The panel respondents were split on the issue of whether tax decreases for business would stimulate job growth.  Panel respondents also preferred “issue targeted” policies over “race targeted” policies.

On the issue of race, (70%) of the panel respondents see “African Americans” as sharing more common experiences than “Americans” in general, (55%).  The survey also found that panel respondents perceive more racial bias for other African Americans than they experience in their own daily lives; yet, list “workplace discrimination” among their greatest concerns for job security.

Racial perceptions influenced African Americans panel respondents’ assessment of criticism leveled at President Obama. The overwhelming majority of respondents hold the view that all “Americans” and “African Americans” hold President Obama to a “higher standard than other presidents.” When asked why, nearly 9 out of 10 responded that both “Americans” and “African Americans” hold President Obama to a higher standard “because of his race.”

Image Courtesy of   pennstatelive

The article African Americans Still Support President Obama appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Todd Akin, a Republican running for Congress in Missouri, recently said that according to his knowledge as he’d heard it from doctors, the female body has ways to shut down a pregnancy if a rape wasn’t ‘legitimate.’ His comments have raised a national outcry, and have been widely condemned, with many Democrats, media sources and even President Barack Obama criticizing his statements.

As the public outfall became enormous, Akin later apologized for his comments, though it seems doubtful whether he’s seen any particular error in his ways beyond the risk of losing this election and ruining his career. The controversy has really hurt his chances, and his party has been trying to get Akin to step down as candidate, with even presidential candidate Mitt Romney decrying Akin’s comments.

Akin insists that he’ll keep on running and won’t step down; while he apologized for his particular comments, he has also stuck to his platform on outlawing abortion even in the case of rape, and refuses to apologize for his political stance. The latest polls have Akin dropping in the Missouri polls and he is currently on the same level as McCaskill.

Akin, the current US Representative for Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District, is running for the Senate seat of incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill, and had been leading in the latest polls before he made the aforementioned comments. McCaskill’s Senate seat was considered one of the more vulnerable seats for the GOP to target in an attempt to win a Senate majority in the upcoming 2012 Congressional elections, but Akin’s comments have thrown a harsh spotlight on his candidacy and rightfully raised questions about his suitability to represent the people.

Akin’s competency for his position on the House Science and Technology Committee has also been legitimately questioned in the wake of these comments, which demonstrate a lack of basic understanding of science and human biology- rape trauma provides no barrier to pregnancy and over 32,000 pregnancies from rape occur each year in the US.

On a more ideological level, the consistent opposition to women’s rights and autonomy that provided the context behind his statements are troubling to many potential voters, as is the implication that there is such a thing as not-actual or not-legitimate rape and the implication that if someone got pregnant they couldn’t actually have been raped.

It is unprofessional for a politician to not recognize that rape is rape and the fact that most rapes are not actually a “stranger jumping out of the bushes” but is often carried out by those in a position of trust; date rape, pushing yourself onto someone who is too drunk to fight back or asleep or unable to fairly consent, forcing or coercing a wife or girlfriend or close friend into sex is all still rape.

By the disturbing implication of a difference between ‘legitimate’ and such a thing as not actual rape he is invalidating the trauma that many people who’ve gone through rape have felt. This is a dangerous belief for an elected lawmaker, who would be involved in the creation of laws affecting women including rape victims and those at risk of rape, to hold.

This belief seems to come from a very old superstition that a woman couldn’t get pregnant if they didn’t have an orgasm, and that if they had an orgasm they liked it and that it thus wasn’t actually rape- a superstition that is very wrong on both counts. Even in this day and age, this belief is apparently widespread enough for Planned Parenthood to have to include it in the FAQ for their website.

While the Republican Party has tried to distance itself from Akin’s comments and put major pressure on him to step down from the Senate race, it is important to note that the GOP platform for their party convention in Tampa wouldn’t include abortion exemptions even for rape or incest- essentially identical in policy to Todd Akin.

Ultimately, the controversy over the remarks have returned the spotlight to the issue of increasing measures against women’s liberties and the push towards further extreme social conservatism by the Republican establishment. The GOP’s efforts to replace Akin’s candidacy thus seems to be more an attempt to salvage a chance at winning a seat crucial for a Senate majority than an actual concession on intended policy.

This is only the latest in a series of words, actions and laws where male lawmakers have essentially tried to limit and tell women what they experience, feel, and what they should and should not be able to do with their lives and bodies.

Along with the partisan opposition to the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and provisions of the Healthcare law that would eliminate discriminatory pricing of health insurance to woman and allow women to get basic healthcare needs easier, the GOP and their candidates look set to be increasingly alienating women voters, a dangerous tactic for both the immediate upcoming elections and the long-term prospects of the party.

The article Todd Akin’s Comments on ‘Legitimate’ Rape Spark Condemnation appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Mitt Romney picked Paul Ryan as the Republican’s Vice Presidential candidate this Saturday. So who exactly is Paul Ryan, and what does this selection tell us about how the Romney campaign and the fight for the Presidency is shaping up to be?

Paul Ryan is the US State Representative for the state of Wisconsin, and also chair of the House Budget Committee. Over the past couple of years his plans for the US budget has been the subject of much conversation and controversy; he mostly talks up the need to cut debt and spending, and the way he seems to want to go about that is through slashing funding for welfare programs, among others. He’s very conservative politically and quite a favorite among the GOP.

Ryan seems to be widely considered very intelligent and competent. Many see him as a rising star, someone young and ambitious, and many have written about how he, in many ways, somewhat overshadows the actual presidential candidate, Romney. His plans are now what’s brought up whenever the policy of the republican presidential candidacy is discussed and he seems to be considerably more charismatic than Romney, who doesn’t seem particularly ideological or at least does not give off the impression of being genuinely passionate about ideology, and is seen as rather bland.

As someone who has made his name almost entirely on policy issues–namely his Ryan plan for the budget–there is widespread expectation that the conversations in this election cycle are finally going to go back to some talk of actual policy instead of mostly mudslinging and generally trying to point out what terrible people the other side are. Though that’s perhaps almost unrealistically optimistic.

Much like Romney and the current Republican Party, he’s anti-abortion and against gay adoption and gay marriage and has a fairly poor record for supporting women’s rights. He also supports further tax cuts for the rich and for businesses, and since taxes on the wealthy won’t be going towards cutting the debt in his plan, he intends on fighting the deficit by cutting government spending in welfare programs and education spending, which means the recipients of these welfare programs are going to be considerably worse off. Namely, the poor and seniors, whose medical care is paid for by the rather intuitively named Medicare.

These exact same stances are very similar to everything that the current Republican party seems to push for and that Romney has presented, so this was a VP pick that was reinforcing those ideas instead of trying to provide something different or appeal to a different angle or set of voters.

So what does this tell us about Romney’s campaign? Well, Romney could really have gone two different angles with his campaign now that he’s almost certainly going to be the Republican candidate for President to run against Obama. He could’ve tried to capture moderate voters who aren’t really very much on one side or the other, who almost undoubtedly, like everyone else in America, are unhappy with the economy as it is right now.

By trying to move a bit more from the right to the center and hoping that with the votes from conservatives and enough of a share from moderates, he could try to win the election. Along those lines, he could’ve even tried to reach out to groups rather alienated by Republican policies like women or Latinos.

However, Romney has never really been popular with conservatives who are the base of the Republican Party; when the primary elections to choose a party candidate to run for President were going on people, seemed to want any other choice, but all of the other options turned out to be too problematic for various reasons.

Earlier in his political career, when he was Governor of his home state of Massachusetts, Romney’s policies had been very different and not very right-wing, but now as he fights for the presidential nomination, he’s had to backtrack on a lot of it, and this gives the impression to a lot of conservatives that he hasn’t been conservative enough in the past. As a result, he’s not too popular among the conservative base.

So by choosing Paul Ryan as his VP pick, he has thoroughly burnished his credentials as a right-wing guy who’d bring about right-wing policy if elected President. This means Romney has decided that the support of an energized and enthusiastic conservative base could be more useful than attempting to win over moderates and risk losing support from the conservatives. Also, he’s doubled down on policies that would be useful to businesses and the rich–less regulation, lower taxes on them–so companies and the wealthy looking out for their own interests are more likely to back him.

Many average Americans are pretty apathetic about politics, an apathy that has only been increasing recently with widespread mistrust of all government. However, conservatives have been pretty fired up lately. He’s made the gamble that an enthusiastic base of people who are going to vote and fund a campaign, as well as guarantee lots of campaign funding from businesses and the rich to go towards ads and campaigning, is going to be more useful than hoping to get the more apathetic moderates to vote for him.

Voting isn’t compulsory in the US, so only 50-60% of eligible voters actually vote, and of course more dedicated groups are more likely to vote. Of course, now the Obama campaign will target those same moderates (already begun–the Obama campaign has been focusing a lot on how they would be so much better for the middle class and for women’s rights) because if enough of them care enough to vote, Obama has a pretty great chance of winning, but that’s the gamble Romney’s made now.

Will Obama be able to inspire those moderates enough to actually vote and convince them that voting for him would be good for them, or will lots of ads and campaigning funded by the wealthy and an enthusiastic base of conservatives who will definitely be going to vote when November rolls around, be enough for Romney to win? We’ll have to see how it plays out over the next three months.

Image Courtesy of  monkeyz_uncle

The article What Paul Ryan’s Candidacy Tells us about the 2012 Elections appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Paul Ryan, Romney’s running mate, is the Republican leader on fiscal and budget issues; he is a seen as a “fiscal hawk.” Ryan is also very popular among the Republican’s most conservative voters.

Ryan is the designer of a new economic plan that intends to drastically decrease government spending, but Romney has taken his distance from Ryan’s plan, which some consider to contain draconian measures. Romney has announced that he respects Ryan’s plan but he has his own plan to reduce the deficit.

Sen. Rick Santorum, one of the nation’s conservative leaders, stated: “Congressman Paul Ryan is an outstanding choice as our country’s next vice president, and today’s announcement demonstrates Governor Romney’s commitment to returning fiscal sanity back to Washington.”

Romney referred to Ryan as a “faithful catholic” who is a supporter of the dignity of every human life. Ryan opposes abortion in all situations. He is definitely supported by the Republican’s most conservative base and would definitely energize them, as they have been very discrete in their support for Romney, and they are one of the Republican’s most important supporters. It is crucial for Romney to have them devoted to his cause in order to win this election.

The Obama campaign has already started to criticize the Republican candidates, claiming they want to take the country back to policies that have already been proven wrong.

The most important thing about Ryan is that he would reinforce Romney’s economic message. He is seen as an economic expert, the contrary of President Obama. That’s why is very important for the Democrats to show that his economic postures are radical and would only benefit the rich.

Obama’s campaign has released an article criticizing the “comeback team,” formed by Ryan and Romney. They explain that both of them support tax cuts for millionaires, that this will lead to tax rises for the middle class, and that the Republican candidates’ plan intends to cut investments in vital areas like education.

The Democrats also explained that Ryan’s budget plan intends to make Bush’s tax cuts for the millionaire permanent, and that he also intends to end Medicare as it is right now. They explain that Ryan’s plan would transform “Medicare into a voucher system which would increase seniors’ health costs by $6,350 a year.” Also, they claim he wants to privatize social security.

The other accusations the Democrats are making against Ryan is that he is a severely conservative man, who would take the country centuries back in reference to women’s health and equal rights. Obama’s campaign explains that Ryan co-sponsored a bill that intends to end in-vitro fertilization and other forms of birth control, and that he is also a supporter of letting states prosecute women and doctors involved in an abortion. They also accuse Ryan of opposing gay marriage.

These are some of the main accusations the Democrats have made against Romney’s running mate; they are trying to make him seem as an enemy of the middle class and women. His position on Medicare could cost the Republicans some votes from the elder people, but he would definitely reinforce Romney’s economic message and will gain conservative support for his position on some of the controversial topics.

Image Courtesy of   bubbablitz

The article Paul Ryan Selected, Obama’s Campaign Accusations Begin appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The most popular buzz in the political world this weekend has to be the revealing of Governor Mitt Romney’s Vice President pick, Paul Ryan. Ryan, Wisconsin’s representative, has been one of the many who were being vetted for Romney’s VP in the past few months. People and the media have been wondering who Romney would pick, whether it would be Paul Ryan, Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, Marco Rubio of Florida, or Rob Portman of Ohio. In the end, on August 11, Romney tweeted:

“I am proud to announce @PaulRyanVP as my VP. Stand with us today. http://mi.tt/Romney-Ryan #RomneyRyan2012″

Ryan, also know as the chair of the House Budget Committee, is known for his fiscal policy. His personal website says that “He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax policy, Social Security, health care and trade laws.” With a strong background in economics and budget plans, he is a smart addition for the Romney team.

However, the media has much to say about Romney’s decision. Obviously, not everybody is going to love Paul Ryan. Some are saying Ryan is good for the Democrats, that he is “bad for women,” and hates medicare. Many Americans are worried about Ryan’s Medicare plan. Ryan’s budget plan, which is somewhat controversial, intends to to make Medicare something called “premium support,” meaning that the government will offer seniors a set amount of money to spend in a health insurance exchange. This would allow seniors to choose their own private insurance, or use the government-run insurance. Once the senior has a plan, they would have to pay more out of pocket.

Current Vice President, Joe Biden, recently said that “Ryan’s plan to privatize Social Security was irresponsible.” Along with this, CBS news said that, “Ryan, a seven-term congressman and chairman of the House Budget Committee, wants to slice away at Medicare, food stamps and virtually all domestic programs, with military a notable exception.”

Besides fiscal policy, budget plans, and Medicare ideas, the media has also been showing another side of Ryan. Ryan is young, smart, and apparently a fitness buff. The ever so popular internet meme of Ryan has gone viral. Based off of the Ryan Gosling meme, that often starts off with “Hey Girl..” to melt women’s hearts, the Paul Ryan meme is very similar, having some that say “Hey girl, unlike the debt, our love will never hit a ceiling.” The memes have gone viral, and are the topics of many Ryan headlines.

Also headlining for Ryan, is his physique. Politico recently published an article called, “Forget the budget, Paul Ryan is hot.” It details how Ryan is included in the Hill’s top 50 Most Beautiful List and one of the top suggestions for google when one types in Paul Ryan, is “Paul Ryan shirtless.”

Romney’s decision has caused a spark in the political world. Paul Ryan’s budget plan, fiscal policies, internet memes, and pictures of him shirtless will definitely keep him in the media for a while. The question is if his budget plan and six pack will help Romney win the election in November.

Image Courtesy of  monkeyz_uncle (Flickr: DSC_6842) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The article Romney Finally Picks a Running Mate appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

While campaigning in Colorado, Barack Obama warned the voters that Mitt Romney was planning to kill his health reform and get rid of Planned Parenthood.

Obama criticized that Romney’s policies were more suitable for the 1950s than the 21st century. To defend his position Obama stated that woman’s health decisions are “not up to politicians, they’re not up to insurance companies, they’re up to you.” The President is making a big effort to insure the female voters support in swing states like Colorado.

President Obama made a direct reference to his wife and his late mother; he said that women issues resonate in him because of them. Obama argued that he wanted his wife to be able to have control over her health care choices, that’s why he is insisting so much in this health-care reform. He defends that it will bring many benefits to women.

Also Obama made a very sentimental statement referring to his late mother to defend the Obama care benefits, he said she would have been 70 this year, if she had not died from cancer almost 20 years ago. He stated: “I often think about what might have happened if a doctor had caught her cancer sooner.”

Obama made a harsh criticism directed to Romney, saying that the next president “could tip the balance in a way that turns back the clock for women in the next decade to come.” It seems the Democrats are making a big effort to confront the Republicans with the female voters, arguing that if Romney wins, women will lose many of the rights they have conquered in recent years.

Sandra Fluke, the famous Georgetown student who has become one of the leading voices supporting Obama’s health reform, was the one that introduced Obama in Colorado to a crowd formed mostly of women. Fluke became popular after being called a slut by talk show host Rush Limbaugh.

Limbaugh said during his radio talk show that Fluke went before a “Congressional Committee and essentially said that she must be paid to have sex.” Limbaugh added that her comments made Fluke a whore because she wanted to be paid to have sex. Fluke demanded before the Congressional Committee that insurance coverage should cover contraception methods. Limbaugh said that Fluke is “having so much sex that she can’t afford the contraception, and she wants you and me, and the tax payers to pay her to have sex.”

During Obama’s introduction, Fluke said that when she was “verbally attacked”, Barack Obama was one of us. She added that Obama defended her right to speak without being verbally insulted, and condemned the criticism she had received. Fluke also had some words saved for Mitt Romney, she said that “if Mr. Romney can’t stand up to extreme voices in his own party, then he will never stand up for us.”

Image Courtesy of  Indiana Public Media

The article Obama Criticizes Romney for Supposedly Not Favoring Women appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

An action committee that supports President Obama is launching a new television spot, in which they continue to criticize Romney’s business record at Bain capital. Romney on the other hand has released an advertisement criticizing Obama of “gutting the welfare reform.”

The ad that criticizes Romney is sponsored by Priorities USA Action; it’s a very sentimental ad, in which a former employee of GST Steel tells us the story of how he lost his job and insurance when Bain closed the Kansas plant in 2001 and because he couldn’t afford the insurance his wife died of cancer.

This ad is not the first of its kind. Priorities have already launched five ads criticizing Romney’s business record. This new ad is now running in five key battleground states:  Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Romney’s campaign also launched an ad criticizing Obama; it accuses Obama of simply wanting to pass welfare checks without the work requirements that were adopted during President Bill Clinton’s welfare overhaul. The ad clearly says that in 1996 Clinton’s Welfare Reform required work for welfare and that in 2012 Obama is dropping work requirements from the reform. The ad finishes saying, “Mitt Romney would restart the work requirement because it works.”

The Obama campaign has criticized this ad; they accuse Romney of twisting the facts. President Obama said he is just giving the states the flexibility they asked to make the program more efficient. An interesting fact is that back in 1995 some Republican governors signed a letter asking for more “waiver authority,” and Mitt Romney was among those governors.

The Romney campaign accuses the President of thinking that a big government can solve every problem, They also accuse him of wanting to give the poor a free pass, and charging it to the middle class. Lanhee Chen, Romney’s policy director, said that Obama’s policies “will take America backward — back to the discredited liberalism of a bygone era where bigger government programs and bigger government checks were the answer to every problem, and accountability was not on the agenda.”

Also, the welfare ad is trying to create a gap between Obama and  Bill Clinton, who is still a very popular politician. Clinton has recently taken a serious role in Obama’s reelection campaign. Obama is trying to take advantage of Clinton’s strong economic record while he was in office.  Bill Clinton will have an important participation in the Democratic Convention in Charlotte in September.

Image Courtesy of  Elvert Barnes

The article Political Parties Release Criticizing Ads appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, is repeating his appearance as a speaker in the 2012 Convention; in 2008 he was one of the speakers at the Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is one of the best known conservatives and he will surely help Mitt Romney.

Huckabee remarked on the importance of the 2012 election, stating:

“I’m honored to be invited by Governor Romney to address my fellow Republicans at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, but especially grateful for the opportunity to explain to my fellow Americans why this election provides the most stark contrast of political platforms in American history.

“Four years ago, we were promised an economic recovery and the creation of millions of jobs, but have now seen the longest period of record unemployment since the Great Depression. We were promised that the sacred institution of marriage would be protected, but now we have the first president in history to support changing the nature and definition of marriage.

We were promised that faith would guide these decisions, but instead we have seen a full frontal assault on the conscience and convictions of religious liberty by insisting that this new government run health care system include forcing churches, colleges, hospitals, and businesses to bow their knee to the Baal of the federal government. I will do all I can to help Mitt Romney become our president.”

In his 2008 speech he warned Americans that Obama’s election “would elevate our taxes and our risks in a dangerous world.” He also criticized Obama for taking his campaign to Europe, by saying that Europeans did not vote or pay taxes in the United States. In one of his harder critics towards Europe he stated: “let me hasten to say that it’s not what he took there that concerns me. It’s what he brought back: European ideas that give the government the chance to grab even more of our liberty and destroy our hard-earned livelihood.”

Romney recently made his own trip to Europe in which he visited London and Poland. He also visited Israel. He received a lot of criticism for his trip, and one senior Republican strategist who was granted anonymity to speak candidly said: “Why on earth is he seeking to improve his foreign policy cred when there will not be a single vote cast on that subject?”

Most of the Republican criticisms towards Obama are the same that Huckabee expressed in his 2008 speech, in which he explained that Americans do not want more government but rather a smaller one. This is still one of the main criticisms against the Democrats, that they are trying to make a huge government. Huckabee quoted Abraham Lincoln, and said it was he who “reminded us that a government that can do everything for us is the government that can take everything from us,” which shows how dangerous a huge government really can be.

Critics against Obama during the 2012 campaign are basically giving the same arguments as the ones Huckabee made in his 2008 speech; let’s see if Mike Huckabee surprises us with his speech in the Tampa Convention.

Image Courtesy of  Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

The article Mike Huckabee Returns as Speaker at the GOP Convention appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Republican National Convention will be held this year at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, from August 27 to 30. Nearly 50,000 people are expected at the event. The Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus has announced the first list of headliners that would address the Convention; additional speakers will be announced in the next days.

The list includes:

• South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who is the youngest sitting governor in the country and South Carolina first female governor. Her official website describes her as “one of the strongest fiscal conservatives in state government.”
• Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who is one of the most popular conservatives, author of nine books, and a radio and television show host. He recently organized the Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day.
• Ohio Governor John Kasich, who was elected to the Ohio State Senate at the age of 26 and to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 at the age of 30, he was also former House Budget Committee chairman
• New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, who has become the first female Hispanic Governor in the country and the first female governor of New Mexico. Her official website explains that “She was elected on November 2, 2010, pledging to cut wasteful spending, lower taxes to create more jobs, end “pay-to-play” practices and other corruption in government and fight to reform education. She was sworn in as Governor of New Mexico on January 1, 2011, making her the first Latina governor in United States history.
• Arizona Senator John McCain, who was the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, he is a war veteran that is now serving his fifth term in the U.S. Senate. McCain was taken as a prisoner of war in Vietnam in 1967, where he was denied medical treatment and was often beaten by the North Vietnamese.
• Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was the first African-American female to hold this position. From 2005 to 2009 she served as the 66th Secretary of State, she also served from 2001 to 2005 as President George W. Bush’s Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, becoming the first woman to hold this position. According to her official profile she is currently a “professor of Political Economy in the Graduate School of Business; the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution; and a professor of Political Science at Stanford University. She is also a founding partner of Rice Hadley Gates.”
• Florida Governor Rick Scott, representing the convention host state, Scott is Florida’s 45th Governor; his official website explains that “Rick is focused on creating jobs and turning Florida’s economy around.”

Image Courtesy of  NewsHour

The article Republican National Convention Headliners Released appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Swing states, or those with undefined political preferences, will decide who will be the next president of the United States. In the 2008 election President Obama obtained 365 electoral votes, when only 270 are needed to become president. The result proved his overwhelming success compared to the previous President George W. Bush, who only obtained 286 electoral votes in the 2004 election. But in November, reelection will not be that easy for President Obama because of the swing states.

In the 2008 election, Barack Obama won back crucial states to the Democrats, such as Florida or North Carolina, which had been in Republican control since the 2000 elections. But this could change this year; the Republicans want to regain control of Florida and hosting the Republican Convention there is proof of it. The Democrats want to remain in control of North Carolina, explaining why they organized their convention in Charlotte.

President Obama’s road to reelection will not be an easy one. Although the last two presidents have achieved reelection, the economic crisis has weakened Barack Obama, and that’s why Mitt Romney will have a chance, since he is seen as someone who knows how to handle economic problems. A recent Gallup poll shows that 60% of the people surveyed said Romney would do a good job handling the economy over the next four years; 52% said president Obama would.

The recent Gallup poll showed in which aspects Mitt Romney is stronger, but it also shows his weak points: he doesn’t generate enthusiasm from his voters and he hasn’t been able to establish a strong connection with the people. The results of the poll show it, and Obama is perceived as a much more likeable candidate with an advantage of over 27 points against Romney.

USA Today/Gallup lists twelve states that can determine this election: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

One state that is not considered a swing state, but could become one at any moment, is Arizona. In the U.S. electoral history this state has only voted for the Democratic Party once since President Truman, but the number of independent voters has grown in recent years in this state. This scenario makes Mitt Romney’s victory uncertain because there are a large number of undecided voters waiting to hear proposals, and that’s why closed elections are expected.

An interesting case of another closed state is New Mexico. In the 2008 election President Obama won with 56.7% of the votes. The Hispanic vote was decisive in this state, but the Arizona Republican Governor Susana Martinez, who has high approval ratings, and the economic crisis, has given Mitt Romney a slight chance to win this state.

The swing states are the ones that will determine the election. If the electoral votes for each one of them are summed up, there are 150 electoral votes, and if Arizona is added, which may become a swing state at any moment, that brings it up to 161 electoral votes that don’t have a clear destiny: they may go Republican or Democrat. The only thing certain about this election is that it would be a close race and if Obama wins, it may not be a comfortable victory like in 2008. Both candidates will have to work hard to achieve the magic number of electoral votes: 270.

Image Courtesy of  Steve Adamson / Shutterstock.com

The article The Importance of Swing States in the 2012 Election appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

New York, U.S.A. – As the Supreme Court readies for its ruling on the fate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), sometimes referred to as “Obamacare,” Americans have different opinions on components of the law, depending on the type of health insurance they currently have. Specifically, over half of U.S. adults who have purchased health insurance individually (54%) think employers should not be required to provide employee health insurance compared to only 28% of Americans with employer-sponsored insurance who think this. Additionally, over half of those with individual health insurance (55%) think the government should play a role in assuring access to health insurance, compared to almost two-thirds of Americans with employer-sponsored coverage (64%).

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,208 U.S. adults (ages 18 and over) surveyed online between June 12 and 14, 2012 by Harris Interactive.

Two thirds of Americans (66%) agree that having health insurance should be a personal choice, so there may be some general disapproval of the ACA’s individual mandate. However, Americans do agree with some of the ACA’s other provisions. For example, over four in five U.S. adults agree that neither children nor adults should be denied health insurance if they have a pre-existing condition (83%) and nearly three-quarters of Americans agree that tax credits should be offered to individuals if they purchase their own health insurance (74%).

However, when looking at the data by the type of insurance respondents currently have, some distinct differences can be seen. Interestingly, among those that have individual coverage, almost half (46%) agree that all people do not need to be covered by health insurance, compared to 30% among those with employer-sponsored coverage and 36% among those that have no insurance at all. Those with individual insurance are also slightly less likely to agree (79%) that adults and children with pre-existing coverage should not be denied coverage, compared to those with employer-sponsored plans (86% adults; 85% children) and Medicare (82% adults; 83% children).

When asked to rate how important 11 different aspects of health insurance are, over nine in ten Americans say access to the doctors, hospitals and services they need is important (91%) while nine in ten say coverage for prescriptions (90%) and availability of insurance if they have a pre-existing condition (90%) are important. Those who have employer sponsored health insurance are more likely than those with insurance they have purchased themselves to say each of the 11 aspects is important when it comes to health insurance. Some of the larger differences are seen when looking at coverage for prescriptions (95% vs. 76%), coverage for preventative care (93% vs. 74%), and coverage for wellness programs (84% vs. 65%).

Additionally, when asked which two things are most important when it comes to health insurance, one aspect rises to the top – two in five Americans say one of the two most important aspects is access to the doctors, hospitals and services they need (39%). The next three are financial as about one-quarter of U.S. adults say financial protection from major health crises (27%), lower out of pocket costs (26%), and low premiums (24%) are most important.

“The importance of health insurance to the American consumer cannot be understated regardless of the opinion issued by the Supreme Court,” said Debra Richman, Senior Vice President of Healthcare Business Development & Strategy at Harris Interactive. “This is especially true for consumers who individually purchase health insurance plans, a market of growing significance to health insurers. It will be imperative for health insurers to increase their focus on how those in the individual market ‘consume’ health insurance, including what plan features they prefer, and what they will and conversely will not choose to buy. Financial protection from major health crises, access to providers, convenience, and quality will be key factors as individual health consumers make purchasing decisions, despite how the Supreme Court rules on the individual coverage mandate.”

The article Employers Should Not Provide Healthcare, Americans Say appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Grand Rapids, U.S.A. - The 2012 presidential campaign will come down to which candidate has more charisma with swing voters – giving Barack Obama the edge he needs over Republican challenger Mitt Romney, says Mark Edward Taylor, author of the just-released Kindle book Charisma: Why Obama Will Beat Romney (Edenridge Press). “Voters who pick a candidate just before the election usually decide on the basis of likability, not issues,” says Taylor.

Taylor (Ph.D. Northwestern), also author of last year’s Branding Obamessiah: The Rise of an American Idol, says that although the Obama campaign has floundered in its initial candidate rebranding, Romney hasn’t been able to generate much magnetism, even after winning enough delegates to secure the Republican nomination.

“The race is coming down to dueling lackluster brands,” says Taylor.

“David Axelrod and company are resurrecting Obama as the compassionate community organizer. Hence all of Obama’s talk about economic fairness and his public support for gay marriage,” says Taylor.

“Romney’s campaign is branding him as a kind of missionary CEO who has been called to revive the economy,” explains Taylor. “But Romney personally doesn’t have the charisma to play the part. He’s too wooden, too seemingly artificial.” Taylor adds, “Romney doesn’t even come across as believing fully in himself.”

Taylor argues that in spite of Obama’s poor economic record, the Democratic president has the advantage of residual brand appeal from 2008. “All Obama has to do is revive enough of his charismatic brand appeal with swing voters in the days leading up to the election,” says Taylor. “If he does that successfully, just about everything else that happens between now and November will be irrelevant.”

Taylor, who closely studied the 2008 Obama campaign from his hometown of Chicago while teaching at Loyola University, says Romney’s only chance for victory is to overcome his uninspiring rhetorical style. “He’s got to stop stammering, speak more slowly and confidently, proclaim more regally what he actually believes, and imagine himself as president rather than someone’s kindly uncle who gets embarrassed when he says anything bad about anyone.”

The article Kindle Book Forecasts Obama’s Victory Over Romney appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

London, UK – Voters will select presidential nominee and convention delegates. Democrats Abroad, the official arm of the US Democratic Party for Americans living outside the US, will hold its Global Primary at 5 sites in the UK.

The Global Primary gives members of Democrats Abroad UK the opportunity to vote for a presidential candidate to represent the Democratic Party in this autumn’s election. Voters will also select delegates to represent Democrats Abroad at the party’s convention in Charlotte, North Carolina from September 3-6, 2012.

This is the only opportunity American citizens have to physically participate in the US election outside the country and its territories. The Republican Party does not hold a primary for its global members. And in the general election, all Americans living abroad must vote by absentee ballot.

Rob Carolina, Chair of Democrats Abroad UK, said, “Americans living overseas are very excited to vote in this important Presidential and Congressional election, and Democrats Abroad are proud to offer the only opportunity they will have to cast a vote for the President in person, right here in the UK. We would encourage all Americans living in the UK to join Democrats Abroad, take part in the Global Primary, register to vote at http://www.votefromabroad.org and sign-up to help us return President Obama to the White House.”

Polling places:

London – Tuesday, 1 May 6:30-9:30 pm / Sunday, 6 May 6:30-9:30 pm (live music, speeches and other entertainment provided), The Abbey Centre, 34 Great Smith Street, Westminster SW1P 3BU

Oxford – Friday, 4 May 10:00 am-6:00 pm, Rhodes House, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RG

Cambridge – Tuesday, 1 May 6:30-8:30 pm, University of Cambridge Graduate Centre, 17 Mill Lane, Cambridge CB2 1RX

St. Andrews – Tuesday, 1 May 11:00 am-2:00 pm / Thursday, 3 May 11:00 am-6:00pm, St. Andrews Students’ Association, St. Mary’s Place, St. Andrews KY16 9UZ

Edinburgh – Wednesday, 2 May 11:00 am-6:00 pm / Friday, 4 May 11:00 am-6:00pm, NUS Scotland, 29 Forth Street, Edinburgh EH1 3LE

http://www.democratsabroad.org/uk-primary 

Image Courtesy of   Alan Hainkel / Shutterstock.com

The article Democrats Abroad Call Americans in UK to Vote for Global Primary appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

It looks as if women’s rights are the hot button on the political landscape this year. There was fighting at the contraception mandate front, as well as over the efforts in Virginia and Ohio to force ultrasounds before an abortion, even in cases of rape or incest.

A measure in February attempted to cut off all financial aid to Planned Parenthood. Something that would seem to be more clear-cut than the previous legislations, The Violence Against Women Act, is up for renewal, and some provisions within the act are putting Republicans in an even greater quandary than they were before.

No politician wants to look like he or she is not against domestic violence. The title alone, as some Republican politicians are pointing out, can make the legislation politically risky to oppose, particularly in an election year. As Senator Roy Blunt put it, “Obviously, you want to be for the title. If Republicans can’t be for it, we need to have a very convincing alternative.”

There is no alternative as of yet, and so Republicans are forced to grapple with the current version. According to the New York Times, it would extend federal grants that are already in place to battered women’s shelters, as well as to local law enforcement. Same-sex couples are included in programs as well, as are transgender victims. So are immigrants without status, that have been victims of domestic violence, and more of them would be able to claim temporary visas. The act would also expand efforts to reach the Indian tribes in some rural areas.

According to Fox News, the measure would also give tribes the authority to prosecute persons who are not members of the tribe. The concern is that this move gives tribal courts too much authority over individuals who are not formally part of a tribe.

It is particularly the last provisions that make the legislation so hard to swallow for Republican politicians. They believe that the overall message is being diluted with these extra provisions. Furthermore, they see some groups as undeserving of this aid.

Republicans allege that the timing of the Act is part of a larger Democrat strategy to “rig legislation that the GOP can’t back,” according to the Huffington Post. This is particularly touchy in an election year in which Congress has a 9 percent approval rating.

Senate Democrats hope to bring up the bill before Easter break.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/

The article A Battle in The War Against Women appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

With about ten days to go before the next primaries in the Republican race for the nomination, all four remaining Republicans are losing to President Obama by between 8 and 17 points. As the race narrows down to the final candidate, just half of Americans (51%) say they are satisfied with the choices available to them for President while more than two in five (44%) are not satisfied.

Independents are the most dissatisfied with over half (55%) saying they are not satisfied with the choices while two-thirds of Democrats (68%) are satisfied. Republicans are more split as half are satisfied (52%) and 44% are not satisfied. But the Republican satisfaction is soft with just 13% very satisfied and 39% saying they are only somewhat satisfied. These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,056 adults surveyed online between February 6 and 13, 2012 by Harris Interactive 

Head to head match-ups

If the presidential election were held today, 46% of Americans would vote for President Obama, 37% would vote for Mitt Romney and 17% are not at all sure. Last month, two in five U.S. adults (43%) said they would vote for President Obama while 39% said they would vote for Mitt Romney.

Among Independents, it’s a slightly closer race with 43% voting for the President and 37% voting for the former governor and 46% of adults in the 2012 Swing States (Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia) would vote for President Obama and 39% would vote for Mitt Romney.

Ron Paul may not be in the fight for front-runner, but he actually makes it a slightly tighter race as 45% of Americans would vote for President Obama and 37% would vote for the Congressman while 18% are not at all sure. Among Independents, Paul is ahead 42% to the President’s 40% but in the 2012 Swing States the President is ahead 45% to 41% for Paul.

He may be jockeying for front-runner status but the former Senator from Pennsylvania is more than ten points behind the President. Almost half of Americans would vote for President Obama (47%) while 35% would vote for Rick Santorum and 18% are not at all sure. Among Independents, 44% would vote for President Obama and 35% for Santorum with 20% not at all sure. In the 2012 Swing states, 46% would vote for the President while 40% would vote for Santorum.

Finally, if the election was held today, half of Americans (50%) would vote for President Obama and one-third for Newt Gingrich (33%) with 18% not at all sure. Among Independents, President Obama leads Newt Gingrich 47% to 32% with 20% not at all sure and among people in the 2012 Swing states President Obama leads Newt Gingrich 48% to 36% with 16% not at all sure.

So What?

The Republican primary continues to be a road full of twists and turns and the main benefactor to these constant changing stories is President Obama. In each of these four races the President has expanded his lead. The question is what happens when the primary race is over and the Republicans have decided on a candidate. If that happens quickly, he will have time to make the race close, but the longer the primary goes, the shorter the general election timeframe becomes.

Methodology

This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between January 25 and 27, 2012 among 2,099 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.

Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

Image Courtesy of   Jose Gil / Shutterstock.com

The article Republicans Are So Far Losing to President Obama appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

With the 2012 election season in full swing, the economy continues to be one of the biggest factors impacting Americans’ choice for president, with 49 percent saying their vote in November will be most influenced by the issue of jobs creation, according to the latest Workplace Insights survey by Adecco Staffing US, part of the world’s largest recruitment and workforce solutions provider.

The omnibus survey, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation International on behalf of Adecco Staffing US, shows 36 percent of Americans believe President Obama has the most successful plan to create jobs in the U.S.

As far as the current pool of Republican candidates, only 15 percent of respondents believe Mitt Romney has the best plan to create jobs and about half that amount (8 percent) believe Ron Paul or Newt Gingrich (7 percent) have the best plan. Only 3 percent of Americans believe Rick Santorum has the most successful plan to create jobs.

“With economic growth and recovery still taking place, job creation is still understandably one of the most important things on the minds of Americans,” said Joyce Russell, EVP and President of Adecco Staffing US. “Given how many people are still looking for work, it should be no surprise that this issue has the power to ultimately decide who will win the 2012 presidential election.”

The survey also shows that Americans want the government’s help in bridging the job skills gap. In fact, 64 percent believe the government should offer job seekers additional skills training or education. Americans also believe the U.S. government could be doing more to create jobs, with 66 percent of respondents saying the government should give incentives, such as tax breaks, to businesses. Only 4 percent believe the U.S. government is doing exactly what it should be doing to create more jobs.

Additional survey findings include:

Perception of Temporary Jobs is Improving:  According to the survey, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of Americans view a temporary job more positively that they did last year. In fact, 86 percent of those surveyed believe a temporary job is a good career option for people looking to gain valuable work experience.

Congress and the Federal Government More to Blame for Lack of Jobs than President Obama: Though 21 percent of respondents fault corporations and businesses for the lack of jobs creation in the U.S., Congress and the Federal Government are not far behind with 18 and 15 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, only 14 percent of Americans believe President Obama is most to blame.

Some Optimism about Job Market:  In spite of economic uncertainty, 60 percent of Americans believe there will be more jobs available in 2012 than there were last year.

Job Security Wins out over Perks for U.S. Workers:  Nearly a third (31 percent) of respondents said job security was most important to them—a noticeable increase compared to the 21 percent who felt this way in 2011. Job security is so important that 64 percent of Americans would consider leaving their current job if they had guaranteed job security. This is just slightly lower than those that would leave their job for increased salary or compensation (72 percent).

More Americans Plan to Speak Up about Raises, Promotion: Nearly a quarter (24 percent) of those surveyed plan to ask for a raise, bonus, or promotion in 2012, compared to 20 percent who said they had planned to do so last year. But it seems those plans went by the wayside in 2011: only half that number (13 percent) actually ended up asking for a raise last year.

Regardless of whether or not American workers plan to proactively ask for a raise, bonus or promotion, there is optimism that they will get one, as 41 percent of respondents plan on getting a raise, bonus, or promotion in 2012. This is definitely positive thinking considering only 32 percent of Americans actually received a raise in 2011.

Workers Broadening Their Career Options in 2012: The survey shows that Americans are more open to working in different fields than they were in 2011. In fact, 68 percent of respondents said they’d be more willing to take a job in a field outside of their degree or study today than they would have been last year.

emin kuliyev / Shutterstock.com

The article The Economy: The American Voter’s Determinant for President appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

When super PACs announced their 2011 fundraising numbers earlier this week, it provided an early glimpse into how the new way of financing political campaigns may work in the upcoming election.

The filings showed that super PACs are indeed fundraising juggernauts, pulling in more than $98 million, with an average donation of $47,718. But so far, their sources of funding are largely transparent, not clouded in the kind of secrecy that some campaign-finance watchers had feared, and not relying that much on connected nonprofits that don’t disclose donors.

Instead, it was separate announcements this week from a cluster of politically active social welfare groups, known as 501(c)4s for their IRS tax code, that hinted at how secret money could factor into the upcoming election — and in a more direct fashion than initially forecast after the Supreme Court opened the door to super PACs two years ago.

On Tuesday, Crossroads GPS, the nonprofit arm of the GOP super PAC American Crossroads, announced it raised $32.6 million last year, far outstripping the super PAC itself, which raised $18.4 million.  Priorities USA and American Bridge 21st Century Foundation, the nonprofit arms of the two largest Democrat super PACs, announced they raised $5.1 million. The super PACs, Priorities USA Action and American Bridge 21st Century, raised $8.1 million.

Unlike super PACs, which are required to identify their donors, social-welfare nonprofits such as Crossroads GPS and Priorities USA — also referred to as “dark money” groups — don’t have to disclose contributions to the FEC, although they are supposed to report spending on political ads within a day or two. The nonprofits have to disclose their annual revenue and expenses to the IRS, but often delay such filings. A few have not yet filed their taxes for 2010.

Campaign finance watchdogs had worried that 501(c)4s, or “c4s” as insiders call them, would filter money from unidentified donors through super PACs, but, if the recent filings are any guide, they may spend funds directly. This means c4s could have a more muscular, proactive role than previously anticipated.

“Certainly the Crossroads announcement of their fundraising totals suggest the c4s will be big players, and could be even bigger players than the super PACs themselves,” said Paul Ryan, a lawyer for the Campaign Legal Center.

Though social-welfare nonprofits have been around for years, they emerged as bigger players in the 2010 midterm elections.

The Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. FEC in January 2010 led to the creation of super PACS, the turbo-charged political action committees that can raise unlimited amounts of money from donors, including corporations, unions and nonprofits, as long as they don’t coordinate with a candidate when they spend that money.

The ruling also jump-started a new crop of nonprofits. Fifty-nine social-welfare groups reported spending more than $78.6 million on political ads during the 2010 election cycle, according to numbers provided to ProPublica by the Center for Responsive Politics. That money was spent mainly by Republican-leaning groups, including more than $26 million spent by the GOP-leaning American Action Network and more than $17 million by Crossroads GPS. For a time, those groups shared the same offices. It’s unknown where any of their money came from.

After the 2010 election, Democrats started forming their own super PACs and connected social-welfare nonprofits, such as Priorities USA Action, the super PAC, and Priorities USA, the nonprofit. Both were formed by former aides to President Barack Obama, although he and other Democrats have expressed ambivalence and even anger over the role of anonymous money in politics.

Super PAC filings released Tuesday showed  few donations from social-welfare nonprofits, or from shell companies with mystery owners.

Republicans, engaged in a bitter primary, raised more than 74 percent of the super PAC money that could be attributed to partisan groups, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. (Our “PAC Track” application keeps track of spending and donations to prominent super PACs, and has different numbers.) Of those groups, Restore Our Future, the super PAC supporting GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney, raised more than $30 million. American Crossroads, the super PAC led by former Bush White House strategist Karl Rove and other top Republicans, including former party chairman Ed Gillespie and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, raised $18.4 million.

Fourteen conservative super PACs, nine of which supported specific Republican presidential candidates, got the bulk of their more than $67 million in donations from publicity-shy conservative billionaires and companies. Almost 26 percent of donations to Republican super PACs came directly from companies, but two super PACS2014the one backing Newt Gingrich, and one backing former candidate Jon Huntsman2014only collected money from individuals. (About 70 percent of the donations to the Huntsman super PAC came from Huntsman’s father. The major backer of the Gingrich super PAC is Las Vegas billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who gave $10 million in January. That money has not yet been reported to the FEC.)

A 15th conservative super PAC, Revolution PAC, which backs Ron Paul, missed the FEC filing deadline, but so far has spent almost $126,000 on ads and has given another $10,000 to another pro-Paul super PAC.

The four best-known Democratic super PACs didn’t raise nearly as much2014perhaps because President Barack Obama is relying on more traditional sources of funding, or because Democrats don’t have to worry about a primary. They raised more than $13.7 million, getting the bulk of their donations from unions, liberal PACs and Hollywood types. Almost 36 percent of the donations to the liberal super PACs were from unions and union PACs.

Tuesday’s filings included only a handful of donations that raised questions about transparency.

A social-welfare group called the League of American Voters, Inc. gave $25,000 to American Crossroads on Dec. 12. The league, formed in the summer of 2010, is likely related to a better known Republican-leaning nonprofit, Americans for Tax Reform, run by strategist Grover Norquist; it rents office space from the group, and gets calls through its phone line.

But it’s not clear what the League of American Voters actually does. An intern who answered the phone said she was told the man who ran the group, Bob Adams, a longtime GOP activist, rarely came to the office. Adams did not respond to an email from a ProPublica reporter.

A Democrat-leaning super PAC, Citizens for Strength and Security, reported that almost all of its $72,000 came from a social-welfare nonprofit, also called Citizens for Strength and Security. Both are run out of post-office boxes at a UPS store on M Street in Washington.

The New York Times also reported on Thursday that $500,000 of the donations to Restore Our Future came from two companies with questionable backgrounds: Paumanok Partners LLC and Glenbrook LLC.

Some campaign-finance watchdogs had a problem with super PACs that reported receiving large payments from affiliated nonprofits for overhead and administrative expenses. A conservative super PAC, Freedomworks for America,  reported getting almost half its total contributions–$1.34 million2014as “in kind” payments from a linked social-welfare nonprofit, Freedomworks.  The two leading Democrat super PACs, Priorities USA Action and American Bridge 21st Century, reported that they received a total of $438,000 from their affiliated nonprofits, for rent and other expenses.

Other Republican super PACs reported getting much less money from their affiliated nonprofits for operating expenses. Two Republican super PACs, Club for Growth Action and the Congressional Leadership Fund, reported getting less than $30,000 from their affiliated nonprofits for shared expenses. American Crossroads reported getting nothing from Crossroads GPS.

“Bottom line, you still have a problem that secret money is being channeled into the super PAC to help it function without the name of the donors ever being known ,” said Fred Wertheimer, who runs Democracy 21, which advocates campaign-finance reform. “In essence you are hiding the donors.”

The most prominent c4s seem to be saving their money for the general election. Crossroads GPS has spent less than $61,000 on political ads in the last year, paying for one anti-Obama ad in December and another released Wednesday. Other conservative social-welfare nonprofits, such as American Action Network and the National Organization for Marriage, have reported spending nearly $300,000 on ads for this election cycle. It’s not clear how much either group raised in 2011, as that amount of money does not have to be made public.

Liberal social-welfare nonprofits also appear to be waiting to spend their money. Priorities USA has not reported spending anything; American Bridge 21st Century Foundation has spent only $5,089 on an ad opposing Mitt Romney on Jan. 20.

UC Irvine professor Rick Hasen, an election-law expert who runs a popular blog, said early reports indicated that people and groups that didn’t mind being publicly identified gave to super PACs, while those preferring anonymity gave to c4 groups. But it was too early to say what might happen in the coming months, he added.

“Whatever conclusions people are tempted to make right now, you have to be tentative, it’s a moving object,” Hasen said. “Campaign finance is changing so quickly, it’s difficult in the midst of the election to get a handle on what’s going on.”

By Kim Barker, Al Shaw and Ariel Wittenberg ProPublica, Feb. 3, 2012, 6:02 p.m.

Image Courtesy of  Gage Skidmore

The article With Spotlight on Super PAC Dollars, Nonprofits Escape Scrutiny appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

ConservativeHQ.com Chairman Richard Viguerie announced the first group of conservative leaders to join him in endorsing former Senator Rick Santorum for President:

“…Some 150 conservative leaders gathered at Nancy and Paul Pressler’s ranch in Texas to discuss the Republican presidential campaign”.  There was an overwhelming 75 percent consensus to support Rick Santorum for President. ”The group of conservative leaders named…includes Dr. James Dobson, Gary Bauer, Joseph Farah,Foster Friess, Elaine Donnelly, and many others representing all four segments of the new conservative coalition who are coalescing behind Rick Santorum’s candidacy.

“I’m pleased that, so quickly after Rick Perry suspended his campaign, I was able to announce the firstbloc of conservative leaders who have come forward to endorse Rick Santorum. ”This list of endorsers demonstrates that Rick Santorum is the best candidate to bring together social conservatives, national defense conservatives, economic conservatives, and the newly energized constitutional conservatives of the Tea Party.

“Rick Santorum is the only reliable conservative left in the race.  He has a long involvement in the conservative movement, and he has demonstrated his commitment to hiring conservatives on his Senate staff and in his campaign.  On the issues of vital importance to conservatives, such as the right to life, the pro-family agenda, national security, and fighting the growth of government, he has walked with us even when the path was hard.

“If conservatives want a conservative, not just another establishment Republican, nominated in Tampa and elected in November, it is time for us to start concentrating on consolidating that winning four-part coalition behind one candidate.  The candidate who best appeals to all four segments of the winning 2010 coalition, with the fewest negatives, is Rick Santorum.

“This is an encouraging sign that movement conservatives are finding their natural home in the Santorum campaign and are in fact coalescing behind Rick’s candidacy.”

The text of the endorsement and the list of endorsers released today follows:

“Conservatives are the largest ideological bloc in the American electorate.  In this election cycle, a number of candidates with legitimate claims to conservative support have considered or sought the Republican nomination for President, but this has left the conservative vote divided, empowering those who do not share our views and values.

To defeat Barack Obama, now is the time for conservatives to rally behind the most electable conservative candidate, and we believe that candidate is former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.

“In recognition of Rick Santorum’s character, judgment, and especially his commitment to institute an administration that will govern according to conservative principles, we the undersigned endorse former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum for President of the United States and pledge to advance his candidacy.”

The article Conservative Leaders Support Rick Santorum for President appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Mitt Romney has been, and continues to be, the candidate to beat for the Republican nomination. He has come under fire from every other nomination contender, as well as from the Obama campaign on the left. He is criticized for being “out of touch” with the middle class, as well as for shutting down companies and eliminating jobs under Bain Capital, the private equity firm which he used to run.

His fortune, which is somewhere between 190 million and 250 million, makes him one of the wealthiest men to run for office in recent times. He has described the amount that he made from speaking engagements as “Not very much.” This amount is revealed to be $374,327, an amount that, well into the six figures, is far higher than the income of the average American.

Criticized by opponents for not releasing his tax forms, Romney is beginning to succumb, admitting to paying somewhere near 15% in his taxes. This percentage means that most of Romney’s income is from investments, as opposed to from ordinary income, which is taxable by up to 35%.

This makes him one of the 200,000 millionaires who pay less in taxes than the average person who makes over 100,000 dollars a year. According to the Christian Science Monitor, if some of his Republican opponents had their way, Mr. Romney would be paying even less in taxes.

Coincidentally, Mitt Romney opposes the Buffett Rule, also known as the Millionaire’s Tax, which would increase the minimum tax rate paid by millionaires, ensuring that they pay at least the same percentage that middle class income families do. According to the New York Times, any time he is asked about taxes being raised on the wealthy, Romney deflects the question, insisting that the size of our government must be shrunk.

The bigger issue may be that the IRS values investments more than it does ordinary income. Regardless, the current tax rates make it so that those who make many times over the average income, such as Mr. Romney,  have to pay a much lower percentage in taxes than a middle class family.

Furthermore, Mr. Romney negotiated a retirement deal with Bain Capital that provides him with a substantial share every year. This will be even more income that will not fall under ordinary income, and so therefore only 15% percent will be subject to taxation. As a candidate, Romney has advocated policies that would continue to benefit people like him whose income comes mainly from investments.

Mr. Romney will perhaps be continued to be seen as out of touch, and these recent revelations will doubtlessly be unhelpful to his candidacy.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/wacphiladelphia/

The article Mitt Romney Reveals Tax Rate Percentage Paid appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Rev. Steven Baines takes pride in his affable personality, a trait emphasized through his ease in addressing the 100+ individuals at the Deerfield Beach Progressive Forum and in his sense of humor. However, when it came time to addressing the increasing role of religion in U.S. politics, his tone took on a much more serious edge.

“If we as Americans are going to be free, we must preserve the separation of church and state,” he said, “this is not a Liberal or Conservative issue, it is an American ideal.” Baines, the assistant field director for religious outreach at Americans United, emphasized that government should have limited say in religious affairs.

Regarding criticisms by members of the religious right that progressives wanted to remove all aspects of religion from daily life, he countered by stating that the Founding Fathers were Deistic and Unitarian in their beliefs, and that their decision to deemphasize religion in political affairs was something “that they got right.”

“The only reference to a deity that we have in the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution is the nebulous phrase of ‘being endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,’” he said. “When the Founders put their names to that Constitution, there is no mention of religion, God or Jesus because they knew that the proper role of religion was left to you and me.”

In order to maintain a strict separation of church and state, individuals must recognize and appreciate the First Amendment, which is, according to Baines, “the cornerstone of our republic.” “Unfortunately,” he said, “many people have forgotten the value of this amendment and the clear separation of church and state that this amendment spells out to us.”

Some of these individuals are found comprising the Republican primary landscape, noted Baines. As he spoke, he cast a critical eye on politicians who would choose to use the tenets of religion to benefit their own ends. “Nothing can be more destructive than choosing to favor one religion over another,” he pointed out. “In fact, government should be neutral on religion, neither favoring it, promoting it or prohibiting one from expressing it.”

Baines was especially critical toward politicians comprising the Republican Party; particularly members of the Tea Party whom he believes are out to create a theocracy rather than a democracy. “When an entire party proclaims that Sharia law has taken over Constitutional law in the United States of America, we have a crisis on our hands,” he said.

Baines also expressed amazement at the GOP candidates who believed that God had specifically chosen them to assume the presidential mantle. “Anderson Cooper should ask them at the next debate: which ones of you have really heard the voice of God, and which ones are listening to the crazy voices in your head,” he said, causing a roar of laughter in the audience.

He then wondered aloud if God was a betting deity, mainly because the candidates who God “endorsed” in the presidential race have since dropped out. “Cain and Bachmann are already gone, and Rick Perry is not far behind,” he observed. Baines found Bachmann’s concession speech particularly amusing, as she went from God calling her to run to believing that God has “other plans for her.”

A particular concern of Baines’, however, centered on faith-based programs that received government funding. While he admitted to having no personal objectives to these programs’ purposes, he made it clear that he found it unacceptable when these programs employ religious discrimination against those they deem undeserving.

As Baines moved toward concluding his speech, he read some words from an essay titled “An American Constitution: Is America a Christian Nation?” The essay noted that a “holy Constitution” would eventually result in Americans split into two separate groups. These groups would include those who allow religion to inform their decisions, and those who abide by reason to make their choices.

Ultimately, the essay said, God’s place is in our hearts rather than the Constitution. Reading those final words resulted in huge applause from his receptive audience. Lillian Steiner, a former teacher, greatly appreciated having the opportunity to hear Rev. Baines speak. “I agree with everything that he has said,” she said confidently.

Steiner also agreed with Baines’ humorous take on the GOP Presidential field. “I think that the choices present in the GOP field are just terrible,” she pointed out. Steven Handler, a board member of the Deerfield Progressive Forum, praised Baines’ clear and concise words. He liked that Baines pointed out that it was their responsibility to educate others. Rev. Baines certainly succeeded in that endeavor, much to the delight of those around him.

The article Religious Pastor Preaches Limited Political Piety appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

As the Republican primaries near, Zoosk, a romantic social network, recently surveyed more than 4,000 U.S. singles to gather their thoughts on the presidential candidates.  Questions ranged from which candidate has the best hairdo, to which contending couple would make for the best double date, and to who has the best sense of humor.  The survey findings resulted in the following:

Singles say the Obamas would be their first choice couple for a double date.

• 38% of singles say they would choose a double date with the Obamas over any of the other presidential candidate couples.
• 16% of singles would choose to enjoy an evening out with the Bachmanns for a double date.
• 9% of singles would pick the Pauls.  The Gingrichs, Perrys, and Romneys each received 8% of singles’ vote for double date companions.

Michele Bachmann and Mitt Romney have the “best hairdos” among the Republican candidates.

• 35% of singles give Michele Bachmann their vote for best hairstyle. She is followed by Mitt Romney (21%) and Rick Perry (15%).
• Rick Santorum received the fewest votes for his “do,” nabbing just 4% of the vote.

Republican men prefer Newt Gingrich, while Republican women prefer Mitt Romney for the GOP nominee. When asked, “If you were to vote today, who would receive your vote?”…

• Republican men gravitated towards Newt Gingrich with 33% of men saying the former Speaker of the House is their top choice compared to 18% of men who would choose Romney.
• Republican women have a slight preference for Mitt Romney with the former Governor of Massachusetts gathering 25% of the Republican female votes compared to 24% of women who would chose Gingrich.

Who is the “sexiest” candidate?

• Clearly, Michele Bachmann gets the sexiest female candidate vote, but 41% of single women say President Obama is the sexiest candidate among the 2012 contenders.

Singles vote President Barack Obama as having the “best sense of humor” among the candidates.

• 30% of singles say President Obama has the best sense of humor among all the presidential candidates.
• 15% of singles prefer Newt Gingrich’s humor.
• Tied for third place with 12% each of the “best sense of humor” vote are Rick Perry and Ron Paul.

Singles wish Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were on the ballot.

• When asked who they wish were on the ballot in 2012, 57% of singles who identify themselves as Democrats and 30% of singles who identify themselves as Independents say Hillary Clinton.
• 30% of single Republicans say they wish Donald Trump were running for president in 2012.

More singles than ever plan to vote in the 2012 presidential election.

• Compared to 64% of Americans who voted in the 2008 presidential election, singles are a politically active group. An equal percentage of single men and women (87%) say they plan to vote next year.

The data for this report was conducted online in December 2011 and fielded 4,218 responses from singles in the U.S. who use Zoosk.  Respondents were equally divided among political parties with 30% being Democrat, 34% being Republican, and 36% being Independent.

The article Survey Finds Obamas Are America’s First Choice for a Double Date appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Rick Perry’s campaign strategy is looking for new ways to continue his campaign by focusing on interaction with voters instead of participating in debates. With disappointing performances in the past few debates, this may be the best alternative to boost his support.

Perry’s communication director, Ray Sullivan, has discussed Perry’s weakness in debating. “It’s not his preferred venue,” Sullivan said. He continued to say, “But we respect the process and intend to participate and are confident that he will have a solid performance.”

Sullivan also said that the debates take away valuable campaign time, especially because candidates only have a meek 30 seconds for a response, which is not as effective as alternative campaign tactics. He said it was important for Perry to concentrate on spending time in the town hall in Iowa with voters since the primaries are only a few months away.

Dana Loesch of the St. Louis Tea Party thought that it would not be wise for Perry to skip the future debates because it is the best opportunity to unleash many of his plans, which the public wants to see. Perry is already playing catch-up because he started late in the debates, making it to the last five out of eight debates.

According to CNN, over 5 million viewers tuned in to watch the debate in Las Vegas sponsored by CNN and YouTube, breaking the record in cable news history. The debates are probably the most important time for the candidates to get their messages out, but it also has brought criticism to some candidates, such as Perry.

These debates have significantly helped and hurt candidates, as seen with Herman Cain, who has risen to the top of the leader board most certainly because of his ease and likeability during the debates. Mitt Romney has also gained a spot in the lead because of his debate techniques and strategies. With Cain on top and Romney not far behind, it’s not too late for Perry to make it back into the top two.

If Perry does not show up at the next debate, it could hurt his image. Ed Rollins, the former campaign manager for Michele Bachmann said, “It makes him look like he’s not ready to be president.”

Perry will be at the next debate held on November 9 at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. It will be sponsored by CNBC, the Michigan Republican Party, and Oakland University. However, it has not be confirmed if Perry will appear at the debates before the primaries in January.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.facebook.com/GovernorPerry

The article Rick Perry Seeks Alternatives to Debates appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

At a speech at the Citadel Military College in South Carolina on October 7, Mitt Romney outlined some of his goals for American foreign policy if he wins the presidential election in 2012. He made two large promises: first, he pledged to reverse cuts in defense spending, and second, he vowed to deploy missiles and ships.

He also assured the audience that he would rebuild the US economy, reverse President Obama’s “massive defense cuts,” and increase the number of soldiers in the military by 100,000. However, Obama has only slowed down the rate of increase in the defense budget, not cut spending. In the current fiscal year, Obama requested $533 billion for defense.

When Obama took office, the budge was $513 billion. In April, he asked the Pentagon to find where it would be feasible to cut spending by $400 billion in the next 12 years. Romney also wants to increase shipbuilding from nine ships per year to 15 ships per year. However, shipbuilding has been decreasing steadily since the 1980s because wars were concentrated on land.

Building military ships has not been a priority of the Pentagon for the last 10 years. The Navy said it needs a minimum of 313 ships. It currently has 284 ships, which is up from the 278 ships it had in 2007. The 24 Navy Aegis ships are equipped with missile defense technologies. Missile defense was another of Romney’s concerns.

Romney said he would like to intensify military presence against the Iranian regime “by ordering the regular presence of aircraft carrier task forces, one in eastern Mediterranean and one in Persian Gulf.” The US currently has full-time military presence in the Persian Gulf, but none in the eastern Mediterranean.

At the Republican candidate debate on October 11, Romney received some hard questions from fellow candidates about his healthcare initiatives and his decision to support the Wall Street bailout of 2008-2009.

Rick Perry asked about the Massachusetts healthcare plan that requires uninsured residents of the states to obtain healthcare. The plan served as a template for Obama’s healthcare plan. Romney claimed that the plan does not raise taxes or cut Medicare; however, he claimed that the Obama plan does.

The next Republican party debates will be on October 18 in Las Vegas. Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum will be attending the debate sponsored by CNN and the Western Republican Leadership Conference.
Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/

The article Election 2012 : Mitt Romney’s Promise to Reverse Military Spending Cuts appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Herman Cain has been gaining support within the last several weeks, making him tied with Mitt Romney and right in front of Rick Perry. His dramatic increase in support could be based on his policies, less aggressive debates, a new book, or a combination of the three.

Cain took the victory in the Florida Straw Poll in September, and was in third place behind Perry, who was in second,and Romney in first, according to a Fox News Poll just a few weeks ago. To show just how much things can change week to week, a new CBS poll indicated on October 4, that Herman Cain is currently tied in first place with Romney, with Perry slowly sinking behind.

Some aspects that have set Cain apart thus far in the race are his 9/9/9 plan and his congeniality in debates. The 9/9/9 plan has been presented as a possible solution to creating more economic growth. His plan includes replacing the current tax code and introducing a 9% flat corporate tax, 9% income tax, and a 9% national sales tax.

This plan has been more straightforward compared to some other candidate’s proposals on how to solve the economy and could be a reason for his gaining more support. During the last debate Cain even received applause when the commentator brought up the 9/9/9 plan.

Cain has also hesitated to get involved in many negative battles, such as the ones between Perry and Romney. His focus is placed more on conservative views and a campaign aimed at changing Washington. He has also connected with many Americans making emotional appeals, which has evidently shown to  connect with the public and gain support.

One touching example was his link between Medicare and his battle against cancer in the debate held in Tampa, stating, “I would be dead on Obamacare.” Along with connecting with the audience, his simple humor has helped gain some support. He included in one of the debtates, “I would bring some humor to the White House.”

Herman Cain’s book was also released this past week, which will come with appearances and interviews. His book is titled, “This is Herman Cain! My Journey to the White House.” Over 3,000 people showed up for his book signing showing their support and he will continute to be making stops throughout the country.

His book has also hit the top 10 on Amazon.com and the book has been sold out in many locations. Cain may have played his cards right and not started off in the spotlight, but he has certainly gained enough popularity to put him in the top three. With the next debate being held on October 11, many will hope that Cain gets as much camera time as Perry and Romney and can stay in the top three.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/

The article Herman Cain’s Support Growing appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

More than 700 people were arrested from the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York City. Demonstrators were arrested when they spread to the Brooklyn Bridge, closing down the traffic for several hours. The occupy Wall Street group had camped in a plaza in Manhattan’s financial district for the last 2 weeks.

Several hundreds of protesters are still camped not very far from Wall Street at Zuccotti Park. The group has staged various demonstrations for the last 2 weeks against the finance industry. Protestors are driven by the wobbly economy and corporate greed.

Occupy Wall Street is a series of ongoing protests in America, originally called for by Canadian Activist group Adbusters Media Foundation, best known for its advertisement-free anti consumerist magazine called Adbusters.

A thick line of people carrying placards were assembled at the police plaza, the head quarters of the New York Police, near Zuccotti Park. According to the groups’ declaration, they are not against the police but aim to express a feeling of mass injustice. According to the group the injustices included are foreclosures, work place discrimination and student loan debt, among others.

The protest blasted-off on September 17, initially with a hand-full of agitated participants who pitched their tents in front of the New York Stock Exchange. In less than 20 days, the  scale and reach of these protests expanded in a massive fashion, reaching Chicago, Boston, St Louis, Kansas City and Los Angeles.

Police arrested around 700 people with charges of disorderly conduct and blocking the public street near the Brooklyn Bridge. Tim Flannelly spokesperson of the FBI said, “At this point we don’t anticipate wider unrest,” but expressed concern in mild tones. FBI and NYPD will deploy and any all resources necessary to control any developments.

The Grievances or the list of demands for what they are staging a motion in America are numerous and varied. First they call for the smashing of the iconic bull at Wall Street, second, they raise their voice for the establishment of a universal care center, and third they want congress to pass the Tobin tax, and  for political transparency.

They have other peripheral demands such as free college education, living wage income, billions in spending on infrastructure with immediate effect, and a racial and gender equal right amendment.

Protests to some extent represent, in much broader terminology, that much has to be done to eliminate abrupt feelings of insecurity and lack of confidence in the system; even so, there needs to be some logic used, and a number of discontented people is necessary at this stage, especially where peoples attitudes’ towards the Obama Administration is key to his survival in the coming elections in 2012.

If we consider some radical and some less-radical changes, as proposed by the Occupy Wall Street Group, time is still left for the Obama administration to act, if it believes in doing so. There is less than a year to win over the hearts of this society that has been wounded by economic calamity and to regain solidarity with the people’s beliefs that might save the ship from sinking.

Critics to this motion or event particularly doubt about how  pervasively these demonstrations can move forward. Most of them say a leaderless movement will end soon, and even the presence of stars in the event might not potentially blow a whistle in ears of the administration.

Nevertheless demonstrations on a mammoth scale in different parts of the nation might well do the trick to at least move the stone, if not shift it completely.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/shankbone/

The article Can Occupy Wall Street Permeate Wisdom of Change? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The North Carolina state senate approved on Tuesday legislation that would add an amendment to the ballot in 2012. North Carolina voters will vote to decide whether to amend the state constitution, banning same-sex marriage.

The amendment would prohibit legal recognition of any union besides marriage between one man and one woman, including civil unions and domestic partnerships for gay and straight couples. Local business leader Martin Eakes was at the capitol in Raleigh on Tuesday trying to argue against the amendment.

“This was one of the worst days that I’ve ever seen in my home state, and I’ve seen some pretty bad days over the past 25 years,” Eakes said of the vote to advance the amendment. Republican leaders in the state did not allow any public comments about the proposed legislation, speeding up the process of approving the ballot initiative.

The legislation was passed just 24 hours after it was introduced.  The bill passed by a 30-16 vote in the state Senate, in which Republicans hold a 31-19 majority. Constitutional amendments do not have to be signed by the governor. North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue, a Democrat, likely would have vetoed the legislation if she were able to.

As it stands, the measure will be voted on during the 2012 primary election. “This is deeply disappointing and hurtful to thousands of North Carolina same-sex couples who simply want to be able to care for each other and their families, as all families do,” said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in a statement.

Although same-sex marriage is already banned in the state, a constitutional amendment would block any court challenges of the law on constitutional grounds. During floor debate, several Republicans stated that the amendment was required to prevent “activist judges” from overturning the marriage ban.

“Moms and dads are not interchangeable,” said the bill’s sponsor, state Sen. James Forrester (R-Gaston), during floor debate. “Two dads don’t make a mom. Two moms don’t make a dad. Children need both a father and a mother.” The law could have unintended consequences for many unmarried couples, both gay and straight.

Maxine Eichner, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law, and some of her colleagues prepared a report on the proposed amendment in June that outlined potential problems.

Even with the revisions made in the last week, Eichner said in an email, the amendment could still interfere with existing child custody and visitation rights and invalidate trusts, wills and end-of-life directives in favor of an unmarried partner, no matter the genders of the unmarried pair.

“The Amendment still has the potential to invalidate domestic violence protections for members of unmarried couples, as an Ohio court did with even narrower language in its state’s marriage amendment,” Eichner warned.

The article North Carolina Adds Same-Sex Marriage Ban to 2012 Ballot appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.