Zambia, together with many African countries, has welcomed the second term for the US president Barack Obama. This time there was more of a focus on learning how elections are done than in the 2008 elections. Where before it was a thrill, in this election the excitement was kept more at an observation level in Zambia

Throughout the debates, Zambian people confessed that the way issues were discussed in view of winning elections would help more people to decide who should be the next president in any country. Just like in the past election in Zambia, many people have realized that money does not buy peoples votes. Zambians have been educated about this and seeing it happen again makes the people more comfortable about it. Everyone now knows that it’s not about what you are given, but choosing the right leader with great vision will help develop the nation and meet people’s needs, and most Zambians watched attentively to the elections to see which direction it would take.

Mr. Kasangula, a local businessman in Lusaka, supposed that Obama has been given a second term, and what Africa should know, and Zambia in particular, is that Obama is the American president and he needs to deal with problems that affect the Americans first. However, it is important for him to help the African nations, including Zambia, to build their democracy and good policies, and for the opposition to consider defeat was a very good lesson for many opposition leaders in Zambia. Mr. Romney’s action could help many African baby democracy to emulate how leaders should act when defeated, which has been a problem for African countries, killing the purpose of democracy.

Most Lusaka residents when asked about the elections said it was very interesting to watch and they saw how elections can be conducted without naming each other names and showering insults on each other. The opposition, Romney, conceded defeat in good time which again gave him respect from the Zambian perspective. He portrayed himself as a selfless leader who wants to see peace and love for each other as the wish of the people prevails in the country.

Speaking to Mr. Lombe of Lusaka on whether it is a good thing to get some of the good ideas from the opposition to be incorporated in the main streams of any present government, Mr. Lombe noted that considering adopting some ideas from opposition group is a good bargain than pushing all to be irrelevant, for by doing so will help bring development in the country. In fact, leaders should be more interested in developing the country and not only to achieve personal gain, and it should be clear that being in the opposition does not mean that you are enemies, but that you disagree with some of the things that are promoted with the other group. He believed that it is a lesson for Zambian leaders.

Speaking to Lusaka high school students, they said what Obama and Romney did is a great lesson for Zambia. They said that the way they conducted themselves during the campaign and after was a great lesson, and that the debate should be seriously considered in the future to allow people to make an informed choice for who their leader should be.

Joyce Twambo, a house wife of Chawama compound, said that the other problem that Zambia faces is having too many parties that compete with each other to the end. Therefore, it is important to eliminate some of the parties before the final selections happen, as this will also help the majority to choose a good candidate of their choice, and to see the results counted and announced the same day will help stop manipulation of the results.

To add on this, Catherine Nyirenda’s article posted on November 8 in the Times of Zambia newspaper, stated that Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson, Irene Mambilima, said: “Zambian politicians should avoid character assassination and instead learn from Americans who have embraced issue-based politics Justice Mambilima was impressed with how the American electoral process was handled and said Zambia had a lot to learn.”

However, President Obama visited Ghana in 2009 and the Zambian people would like to see more visits of the US President to many African countries, not because he is of African decent, but because he is the president of America, a great nation that is able to help build strong economies and promote democracy in Africa. Hopefully in his second term, president Obama can be an advocate to many issues faced by African countries in order to make a lasting impact on the continent.

Image Courtesy : U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Zachary Bell [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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Barack Obama won re-election, and America lost its future. Many would call that statement a sign of sour grapes the words of a poor loser. Yet, it is neither. It is the simple conclusion for anyone who has a calculator and has done the math. The national debt for the United States is 16 trillion dollars. That’s 101% of the Gross National Product. It would be like someone making $50,000 a year owing $5,000,000 dollars. Now that Obama has been reelected, the country is projected to reach 20 trillion in debt by the time he is out of office. The only thing that could change that path is if the President were willing to cut the spending spree, something he has shown he does not want to do.

Our debt is unsustainable at its current level. Now that we are guaranteed to have Obamacare written in stone and the two to three trillion dollars it will cost, by 2016 the country will be on a path that cannot be altered: insolvency. It is simple math. It has nothing to do with being a Republican or Democrat. Issues of racism or classicism makes no difference. It is zero’s and one’s. The income either adds up or it does not.

Greece is learning this lesson now. They spent too much on social programs, guaranteed state and country wide union wages, infrastructure built to provide “jobs” and higher taxes. The net result is a country that went running, hat in hand to the European countries for money to keep their country alive. The loans came with strings attached, as most loans do, and the string was a total restructuring of Greece’s spending. The result has been civil unrest, labor strikes, and riots. If you ask the rioters why they are doing these things, they will tell you because of the cuts to wages, and social programs. The very things that made them have to go begging for loans to stay afloat. It is like a person who buys the exotic sports car, and then gets mad at the person who comes to repossess the car, because they cannot make the car payment.

America is on that path, and has been for quite some time. Like the minor tremors that portent a large earthquake, little signs have been appearing: polls that show most people wanting those that make more than they to pay more in taxes, backlashes against any plan to slow down the spending and cost of medicare, men and women alike defending the idea that others have an obligation to pay for the birth control of women, support for fiscally dubious high speed rail projects across the country. Little by little, inch by inch, the mindset of the government spending the viewpoint of entitled thinking has been creeping into the psyche of the American populace.

Tonight’s election was the seismic event that was building. It signals that America has turned toward a social democracy like Europe. This has occurred not because of Barack Obama, but because people chose him. America’s populace chose tonight. They did not choose Romney because he was a bad candidate or ran a bad campaign. They chose Barack Obama, because they want the freebies, and they want someone else to pay for it. There are more people that embrace class warfare, than shun it. The days when President Kennedy said, “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” is dead and gone.

We want the healthcare, we want the free birth control; we want the government to take care of us. The only problem is we cannot afford to do it. We cannot do it at 16 trillion in debt, and moving to 20 trillion in debt will not make things better. More debt never does.

American lost tonight, make no mistake about it. America died tonight. What the country that now occupies its space on this planet ends as is pretty clear. We become Greece on steroids, and the collapse will be televised.

Image Courtesy : WCHI News

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Washington, U.S.A. — Hudson Institute Chief Economist Tim Kane is available to comment on U.S. employment numbers and his recent analysis of unemployment in the swing states.

Kane says: ”If voters in the swing states ask themselves if they are better off than they were four years ago, the answer will be no. Comparing official data in 2008 to September 2012 (the latest data available), we see the unemployment rate has increased in every one of the nine most hotly contested swing states. Ohio saw its unemployment rate rise by half a percentage point from 6.5% in 2008 to 7.0% today, but Nevada suffered more than anywhere with its level rising from 7.0% in 2008 to 11.8% today.

“If President Obama loses the election next Tuesday, he has nothing but his economic policies to blame. In early 2009, Obama’s top economists promised that the unemployment would come down nationally to 5.5 percent by the end of his first term if Congress would enact the stimulus package. Despite Republican warnings, a hyper-partisan vote in Congress with Democratic majorities in both chambers did pass the stimulus. The result has been a jobless recovery, with unemployment rates two-and-a-half full points higher than promised, which doesn’t include the millions of discouraged Americans who have stopped looking for jobs and so are not officially counted as unemployed.”

Tim Kane often provides analysis on major television networks and radio outlets. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, San Diego. He is co-authoring a book (with Glenn Hubbard) entitled, Balance: Why Great Powers Lose It and How America Can Regain It, forthcoming from Simon & Schuster in early 2013.

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New York, U.S.A. — Activists are taking to the streets of cities across the country to spread artwork with the message to Get Big Money Out of Politics in a massive “Artdrop.” The event signals the growing momentum of the movement, with more than a dozen major national groups coming together to raise the message above the din of the billions of dollars flooding into the 2012 election.

The effort is part of an image overhaul for this wonky issue. The makeover comes thanks to Shepard Fairey, Jesse Dylan and artists across the country who recently chose “Monopolistic” as the winner of a national competition designed to invigorate the issue. The “Artdrop” will spread Monopolistic and other new images created for the competition online and on the ground.

“This is about empowering people to take back control of their democracy, not from one party or another, but from the money that has concentrated political power in the hands of the few,” said Shepard Fairey, the artist who created the iconic “Hope” poster.

“Artdrop” actions include online image distribution and sharing, distributing stickers, wheat pasting posters, mud stencils and giant light projection on buildings. Teams consist of up to 25 volunteers; there are multiple teams in major cities. Locations include New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Austin, Albuquerque, Denver, Chicago, Madison, Saint Louis, Richmond, Connecticut, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Iowa City, Kansas City, North Dakota, New Jersey—and others.

“Eight out of ten Americans want campaign finance limits that would address our current system of legalized bribery. Movements need more than strong polling numbers to make change—art, culture and image play a huge role,” says unPAC co-founder Matt Palevsky. “Americans have overwhelmingly agreed about the problem of big money in politics—the unprecedented amounts of money in this election could be the tipping point for real action.”

Landon Wix, whose winning artwork “Monopolistic” will be the major focus of the “Artdrop, ” says Fairey was a big inspiration for his work. The Nashville native cares deeply about the issue of money in politics.

“Growing up in a working class family, I’ve always understood and appreciated the power of the people. Politicians are those who represent us and should be decided by us,” says Wix.

In the first presidential election since Citizens United, political spending has passed $2 billion dollars—much of that is outside money. 78 percent of outside money can be directly attributed to the effects of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which allowed the formation of Super PACs and unlimited donations by corporations.

“People are frustrated by the way money has hijacked our democracy, and they often feel powerless to stop it,” says Michael Keegan, President of People For the American Way. “Art is a vehicle for expressing this frustration while at the same time serving to bring people together, inspiring the kind of collective action that can create real political change.”

Image Courtesy :  Gage Skidmore

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Atlanta, U.S.A. — During the October 16 U.S. Presidential debate, Republican nominee Mitt Romney said President Barack Obama waited 14 days to declare the attack in Benghazi an “Act of Terror” before the president protested, interrupting, “Get the transcript,” which he claimed refuted Romney’s assertion.

Videotape from the live event shows debate moderator Candy Crowley with what appears to be the transcript of the President’s Rose Garden speech in hand, waving it about as if on cue from the President.

The video, distributed by Job Creators Solutions, demonstrates how that exchange should prompt the media and the public at large to ask why Ms. Crowley held up a document at that critical moment in the debate.

“The debates are a sacred part of our democratic system,” said Herman Cain, co-founder of Job Creators Solutions and former presidential candidate. ”The American public deserves to know if that system was subverted. This video raises enough questions to make us all deeply uncomfortable until we know the answers.”

To assist the public in its own evaluation, Jobs Creators Solutions has produced the video showing the moment when, prompted by President Obama, Crowley produces what appears to be the transcript of the September 12 remarks. The “TranscriptGate” video can be viewed at http://bit.ly/SgGXMt.

Images Courtesy of Austen Hufford | Gage Skidmore

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New York, U.S.A. — The kids of the United States have spoken and President Barack Obama has been elected the winner of Nickelodeon‘s 2012 Kids Pick the President ”Kids’ Vote.” Since it began in 1988, kids have correctly picked the winner (in advance of the national election) five out of the last six times. More than half a million votes were cast in the network’s online poll as part of Nickelodeon’s Kids Pick the President initiative to build young citizens’ awareness of, and involvement in, the election process.

President Obama received 65% of the vote and former Governor Mitt Romney received 35%. In order to more closely replicate the actual election, and to ensure the results were more authentic, this year the voting was limited to one vote per electronic device. Kids were able to cast their votes online from October 15 to October 22.

On Monday, October 22, at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT), Linda Ellerbee, the Emmy Award-winning host of Nickelodeon’s Nick News, announced the winner of the Kids Pick the President ”Kids’ Vote” on the network.

“What politicians do definitely affects kids but for me, it’s not about who wins,” said Ellerbee. “It’s about creating tomorrow’s voters. Democracy takes work. We’re the practice field.”

Leading up to the Kids Pick the President online vote, Nickelodeon aired two election-themed Nick News with Linda Ellerbee specials this year, which ranked as the series’ highest-rated episodes for 2012 to date. In “Kids Pick the President: The Issues” (Sept. 17), kids nationwide ranked the campaign issues most important to them. “Kids Pick the President: The Candidates” (Oct. 15) provided an opportunity for the two major party U.S. Presidential candidates to answer kids’ questions. This year’s candidate special featured President Obama sitting down with Nick News at the White House to answer kids’ questions and previously taped video clips of Romney addressing issues raised by kids.  Romney was unable to participate in the special.

Image Courtesy of  U.S. Embassy New Delhi

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New York, U.S.A. — NewsOne.com, an urban digital media company, Interactive One’s African-American news website, published on October 23, an exclusive op-Ed penned by First Lady Michelle Obama that speaks directly to the country’s nearly 39 million Black Americans. The op-Ed addresses the importance of every vote in this November’s presidential election and Mrs. Obama encourages those who can, to vote early this year for her husband President Barack Obama.

“Now that so many states have early vote—including Ohio, North Carolina, Nevada, Colorado, Wisconsin, Florida, New Mexico, and Iowa—we can make our voices heard well before Election Day,” explains First Lady Michelle Obama. “So, if you live in a state with early voting, pledge to cast your ballot early—and then reach out to everyone you know and make sure they vote by November 6, too.”

Before reminding voters of the close results of the 2008 presidential election, the first lady recalls the long strides previous generations made to ensure the civil liberties all Americans enjoy today. She makes clear, however, that it “doesn’t mean our work is finished.” Mrs. Obama states, “Make no mistake, here in our time, it’s more important than ever that we show up to vote, not just this year, but every year and in every election. Every voice must be heard and every vote must be counted.”

Mrs. Obama’s op-Ed comes on the heels of an exclusive story published by NewsOne on October 11 where the first lady addressed issues affecting Black female voters. In the story she discusses President Obama’s latest debate performance, what’s at stake in this year’s presidential election, and whether the president has the support of Black women.

“NewsOne.com is the definitive source for news most relevant to the African-American community and our recent exclusives with First Lady Michelle Obama demonstrate that fact,” said Tom Newman, President, Interactive One. “The importance of Mrs. Obama’s message cannot be overstated. All of us at Interactive One eagerly encourage our readers to make their voices heard by voting and encouraging others to vote in next month’s election.”

To read First Lady Michelle Obama’s op-Ed, and for more information about NewsOne.com, visit their website.

Image Courtesy of Joyce N. Boghosian, White House photographer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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Rick Santorum, the man who surprised the world with his performance during the Republican primaries, has been announced as a speaker in the Republican National Convention.

Former Pennsylvania Senator, Rick Santorum’s, effort in the primaries made him very popular among the conservatives. His designation as a speaker in the Convention is trying to prove that the differences that arose during the primaries are over and that the Republican Party is united under Mitt Romney’s figure.

His appearance as a speaker in the Convention would greatly help Santorum’s political career and his future aspirations. The Convention is his great opportunity to solidify himself as the social conservative leader of the nation.

Santorum’s official website explains that “Rick Santorum was a candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 2012 and became known as a voice for conservatives who didn’t feel their voice was being represented.  His grassroots approach to campaigning – including visiting every one of Iowa’s 99 counties and his stunning victory in the Iowa caucuses – catapulted him to frontrunner status where he ultimately won 11 states and 3 million votes during the Republican primary process.” Santorum had a great performance in the Republican primaries, even though he didn’t have the money or the resources other candidates had.

Rick Santorum and his wife Karen are the parents of seven children, and during the primaries he consistently talked about the importance of needing strong families to build a strong economy. His basics proposals were that the government should give incentives for “marriage, children and free enterprise.” With his speeches he gained the support of the country’s most conservative sector.

Rick Santorum is also a dedicated believer in the dignity every life has. Santorum’s younger daughter, Isabella, was born with a condition called Trisomy 18, and the doctors didn’t expect she would survive her first day. But the little girl has beaten all odds and celebrated her fourth birthday in May of 2012. This experience has made Santorum a strong fighter against abortion.

His official website tells us his pro-life initiatives. Santorum “wrote and championed legislation that outlawed the heinous procedure known as Partial Birth Abortion as well as the ‘Born Alive Infants Protection Act,’ the ‘Unborn Victims of Violence Act,’ and the ‘Combating Autism Act’ because he believes each and every individual has value and the most vulnerable in our society need to be protected.”

A Washing Post reporter wrote that “Santorum was a tea party kind of guy before there was a tea party.”

Rick Santorum recently tweeted: “Honored to be speaking at @GopConvention where conservatives from across country will rally together for @MittRomney & make voices heard!” Let’s wait to see what kind of speech he has prepared for the Convention.

Image Courtesy of  Ryan Rodrick Beiler / Shutterstock.com

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The economic proposals and critics are now the center of the presidential campaign. Both candidates are presenting their economic proposals and critics in the key states. Obama is accusing Romney on favoring the rich with tax cuts and Romney is blaming Obama for the high unemployment rate the nation is facing.

President Obama has targeted Florida, Ohio and Virginia; he won the three states in the 2008 election. His strategy continues, he assures that Romney’s tax plan would benefit the wealthy and would force the middle-income taxpayers to pay more.

Obama’s visit to Florida is crucial, the Sunshine State has an unemployment rate of 8.6 percent one of the highest in the nation, the Democrats will have to work hard if they want to continue having the State’s support. The Republicans want to regain control of Florida, so they organized their convention in Tampa. Virginia on the other hand has an unemployment rate of 5.6 percent, so the Democrats wont have that much trouble in winning this state again. In Ohio the unemployment rate is 7.3 percent, which is a little bit lower than the national average of 8.2 percent.

Mitt Romney on the other hand centers his attention onto Colorado, a state the Republicans lost in the 2008 election. He planned to make an appearance with other Republican governors, some of which are possible vice-presidential picks.

Romney visits this state after his trips where he met with different foreign dignitaries and went to the London Olympics opening; Colorado has an 8.2 percent unemployment rate which is equal to the average of the nation. He needs to emphasize that he will change the unemployment rate  in order to regain the state’s support.

Mitt Romney’s campaign team has elaborated a video with hard critics against President Obama, blaming him for Florida’s high unemployment rate. The video also accuses Obama on focusing on the Obamacare instead of jobs and says that the president is not concerned about Florida’s economy.

The economic issue will continue in the center of the political debate as the government releases on August 3, the July hiring and unemployment trends. According to several economists the number should be better than the past three months, in which 75,000 new jobs posts were created. In July they calculate 100,000 new jobs have been created. But the numbers are still low compared to the healthy 226,000 average in the first three months of the year.

Image Courtesy of   spirit of america / Shutterstock.com

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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

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Washington, U.S.A. - On 15 June the Obama administration announced a brazen usurpation of Congressional authority by using executive power to implement the DREAM Act. Effective immediately, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will grant deferred action and possible work authorization to certain illegal aliens under the age of 30 who arrived in the U.S. before 16 years of age. DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano expects that nearly 1 million illegal aliens will be granted amnesty through this effort.

“Over the past ten years, Congress has repeatedly rejected the DREAM Act. Now, five months before the presidential election, the Obama administration is unilaterally rewriting our immigration laws, defying Congressional authority and threatening our constitutional framework,” said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

“This is a blatant abuse of executive power that ignores the will of Congress and the American people,” charged Stein.”The Obama administration is engaging in a shameless display of political pandering to satisfy a narrow slice of its party.

“Since taking office the President has slowly stripped away the federal government’s immigration enforcement authority and barred the states from effectively protecting Americans from the burden of illegal immigration,” continued Stein. “The consequence of these actions, and the Administration’s latest expansion of its backdoor amnesty strategy, is the shredding of the Constitution, a wholesale rejection of the rule of law, and an open invitation for more illegal immigration.”

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country’s largest immigration reform group. With over 250,000 members nationwide, FAIR claims to fight for immigration policies to serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, issued this statement in support of President Obama’s directive on new immigration policy for undocumented students and others:

“President Obama has surmounted Washington gridlock and done the right thing to strengthen the American economy and protect American students marginalized through no fault of their own. Important provisions of the Dream Act, stalled for so long on Capitol Hill, are no longer simply a dream. No one benefits by keeping young adults who play by the rules, many of whom have no memory of their country of birth and consider themselves Americans, in the shadows of society. We need comprehensive immigration reform and with this policy now in force the President has taken a significant step toward that goal.”

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The economic crisis batters a great part of the world. Countries that used to live the “American dream” now witness how the extensive wave of revelry and happiness has come to an end. Spain is one of the many countries that lived above their possibilities. The Spanish downturn has given rise to an excessive increase of unemployment and has been the perfect excuse for politicians to pull out their scissors and begin cutting public spending from their welfare state.

The Spanish people, who watch how the youth unemployment is more than 50 percent, have not taken long to point their fingers at the politicians. Spanish citizens accuse politicians of being responsible for the country’s irreversible state, which they believe is inevitable as a result of the electoral system, where only two teams play.

It is quite the opposite in the United States. Criticisms about the political ‘duel’ have not yet arrived. As a matter of fact, some citizens are proud of it. They say that in the United States, presidential elections gather the many political and social aspects that characterize this country. However, critics against the electoral system, such as Occupy Wall Street, have indeed begun to be heard and could amplify if the situation worsens.

Since George Washington set the foundations, the United States has visibly favored a two-party system, made up of two blocks in Congress. Supporters of this system see it as a way to preserve the democratic health of the country. Perhaps they may be right, but it is also true that reducing the possibilities to solely black and white might not be the best example of a democracy.

It is inarguable that in the elections more than two candidates are represented. However, these dissidents are hardly given any voice in comparison to the two giants. As if that were not enough, their campaigns seem ridiculous when judged against the big parties’ greatly funded campaigns.

In previous elections, most of the media hardly had any say about third party candidates, such as McKinney, who was parliamentary of the United States for many years, or Nader, the activist who presented himself as independent and who ended up being attacked about his credibility and pride.

The media should try to balance the budgetary instability of the current plutocratic regime and avoid instructing anyone with phrases like, “Voting for a candidate that is not a Democrat or Republican is a waste of your vote.” Let us remember that democracy is not a political calculation, but simply a way of expressing one’s support for a leader. Journalists, who are guarantors of freedom, should attempt to treat all parties fairly.

Image Courtesy of  Pete Souza (Source; Story) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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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 

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Herman Cain’s 9/9/9 plan has been favorable among American’s based on his growing support in polls, but certainly could have gone without the criticism from the other GOP candidates in Tuesday’s debate at Dartmouth.

Herman Cain mentioned in the debate hosted by Bloomberg and The Washington Post, that the solution to the economic difficulties facing the country would be solved by his 9/9/9 plan. This would throw out the current tax code and add a 9% flat corporate tax, 9% income tax, and a 9% national sales tax.

With this plan came questions from all sides; fortunately Cain had answers to all of them. Rick Santorum, the former senator of Pennsylvania, laid out his plan during the debate to solve the economic crisis. His plan to boost the economy focused around increases in manufacturing, by reducing the current corporate tax from 35% to 0% for manufacturers and processors.

Santorum implied that his bill for economic growth would pass over Herman Cain’s 9/9/9 plan stating, “The cool thing about my plan as opposed to Herman’s plan and some of the other plans out there is that it will pass and it will pass tomorrow.”

Santorum continued on pointing out the faults in Cain’s plan by asking the audience, “how many people here are for a sales tax in New Hampshire? Raise your hand,” and “How many people believe that we’ll keep the income tax at 9 percent? Anybody?”

Jon Huntsman, another candidate and former governor of Utah, also mentioned his plan to spur economic growth, mentioning a tax reform himself. Huntsman has already added a flat tax in the state of Utah, which has previously shown to boost jobs and make his state a leading one in job creation.

Although familiar with tax reform, Huntsman thought that even though Cain’s 9/9/9 plan was a catchy phrase; it may not work in practice. Huntsman states, “I thought it was a price of a pizza when I first heard it.” He also thought that unlike Cain’s plan, his own plan was actually one that’s “doable, doable, doable. And what I have put forward is a tax program that is doable.”

Herman Cain did not back down without a fight. Cain’s response to both Huntsman and Santorum was that, “9/9/9 will pass and it is not the price of a pizza, because it has been well studied and well developed.” He continued on saying, “It will pass because the American people want it to pass.”

Julianna Goldman of Bloomberg confronted Cain asking, “Bloomberg Government has run the numbers and your plan would have raised no more than 2 trillion dollars and even with that short fall you’d still be slapping a 9% sales tax on food and medicine.” Cain responded, “The problem with that analysis is that it is incorrect.”

Michele Bachmann chimed in with her view on the 9/9/9 plan saying, “When you take the 9/9/9 plan and you turn it upside down you see the devil in the details.” Other economic plans for the country include Rick Perry’s plan to put 1.2$ Americans working in the energy industry and plans to lay out his plan within the next few days. Mitt Romney has his “59” point plan which he discussed in the debate as well.

Hopefully Herman Cain will keep his growing support even after taking hits from many candidates. With his strong responses and standing by his 9/9/9 plan, he could continue to stay in the lead.

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