US Presidential Election 2008

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US Presidential Election 2008
Rizwan Ghani
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Rizwan Ghani
November 04, 2008
The two-year long US presidential election campaign has ended but the 2008 historic election campaign will continue to hold attention of experts and public within America and across the world alike for the strategies used by both parties and the lessons they hold for democracy, role of demography and voters. Reportedly, some 130 to 145 million Americans are likely to vote in this election in which some 100 million will vote on the actual Election Day- a historic moment in American election history itself. The reports show that some 30 million voters have already cast their vote in this election. However, despite all this some 100 million Americans will not vote and some 5 million votes will be lost/remain unaccounted for, for reason or the other including election glitches.The early voting process adopted by some 31 states allowing millions to vote ahead of presidential Election Day might have reduced the Election Day pressure on US Election Commission and states but still a lot needs to be done to uphold sanctity of every ballot cast to sustain democracy. The return of many states to paper voting is having its teething problems, which is not good news because little has been done to alleviate public apprehensions over the notoriously infamous voting machines. A documentary aired a video highlighted persistent ´calibration problem´ of voting machine that critics link to ´flip vote software program´ in the machines that is hard to detect. The program can be used to redirect vote for a particular candidate. Allegedly voting machines in one of the counties in Florida are facing a similar problem. In all probability, the permission to use paper ballot in different counties in Florida State is aimed to address the apprehensions of the machine critics. The reports of ´voter purgery´ (disenfranchising voters for want of photo ID and permanent home address etc) will precipitate the discontentment with voting process. The concerned authorities including Election Commission´s failure to address alleged apprehensions and lack of independent monitors will only make matters worse in case of a close election. Long waiting lines should not be a surprise. It will be scandalous if problem of long waiting period for African-Americans persists despite mainstream media campaign to draw attention of Election Commission towards the pestering problem. In terms of energizing country´s voter base, major credit goes to Obama campaign. Obama campaign has also energized young (first-time) voters constituting 14 percent of total electorate. If these young voters turn out to vote, it will usher a new era in American election politics, which until now depended mostly on red state-blue state phenomenon. The last time young voters showed interest in American elections was in 1960´s during J.F. Kennedy´s election. The ´last minute undecided voters´ could still trump elections results despite political pundits allowing Obama average ten point lead over McCain. The states like Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Missouri, Iowa, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Virginia need to be watched for presidential elections, Senate and Congress results. It is opined that Obama could win 378 or 338 electoral votes depending on who one is listening to. Next, Democrats could win eight seats in Senate and widen their lead in Congress by 20-38 seats. However, only result will show if Democrats have secured much needed 60 percent strength to have a ´filibuster proof´ Senate. Democrats have managed to energize the young voters but the election results will show if they have managed to win their hearts. The McCain campaign kept on appealing to white uneducated American voters in battle states in an effort to influence a swing of 2-3 percent that could have catastrophic affects for Democrats in Senate and Congress if not Obama. It explains the continuation of long election campaign until the last minute.If Obama wins the national election, it will be a proof that Democratic Party´s decision under the stewardship of Howard Dean to invest in all fifty states has paid off. In addition, if Democrats win ´Ruby´ Republican states and regain lost Blue states including closely contested Pennsylvania and Bellwether State of Missouri it will be an icing on the cake.
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The 2008 presidential election campaign offered historic lessons. It showed how early speeches of Obama on Iraq helped him establish a foothold in the election campaign that allowed him advantage right to the end over Hillary in primaries and McCain at national level. Similarly, Hillary´s support for Iraq war proved to be her ´Waterloo´, despite her apology for supporting the war.Personality, tears and gender also played important part in reviving voter interests in country´s political process. The 2008 election is poised to make history. In case Obama wins, it will bring first African-American president to the White House. In case of McCain´s victory, the country will have first female Vice president. However, despite the historic value of 2008 US Presidential Election the what average Americans and rest of the world are interested to know is how the 44th President of United States of America plans t to run the country, which Bush managed on individual whims instead of rule of law. American eyes are on Obama to see if he can run the country in accordance to (its) constitution to restore individual freedoms spelled out in Constitution´s Bill of Rights, implement President Roosevelt´s New Deal to protect workers and union rights, including rights to negotiate wages, pension rights, extension of quality health care and education. Similarly hold accountable those responsible for financial crisis resulting in tying up a trillion dollar of taxpayers´ money which instead could have been used on their welfare. In this regard the next US president will have to start the process of ´change´ in Washington by scraping the ´inherited´ 700 billion bailout package (expected to balloon to two-trillion dollars) to save hard earned public money being used to save Wall Street and use it instead to improve health care, education and improve reeking infrastructure across the country.The rest of the world on the hand wants to see how new US president plays his cards to restore the lost image of America. The world wants end of American imperialism, resolution of all outstanding issues including Palestine, Kashmir, Darfur, and de-nuclearization of ME. Similarly, the developing world needs support to establish infrastructure and other necessary elements for good governance. Reportedly, due to flawed adoption of capitalism some two billion people across the globe have pushed below international poverty standard of one dollar a day. The only way for the new US president to undo the damage incurred by the Bush administration is to push for good governance in third world countries. It will therefore be interesting to see if the next White House occupant has the will and commitment to do just that.In this regard next US president needs to play its role to allow third world countries have representative governments instead of US backed corrupt puppet regimes and help the states improve health care, education, law and order. It will be only possible if America allows media and judiciaries of third world states to be independent. It is a huge challenge for next American president because globalization, WTO and IMF are inherently opposed to national constitutions and independent judiciaries in third world countries because they protect national and individual rights of which undermines global agenda. Therefore, as a litmus test the next US president will have to end era of individual greed (at the cost of nation) on Wall Street, corrupt cronyism and disregard for country´s constitution in Washington to help third world country. Finally, the next American president will have to restore the functioning of government that is supposed to distribute wealth through legislation instead of allowing its consolidation in few hands while it sits on watch. Democrats should therefore not allow Republicans to confuse public by mixing socialism with good governance. In case Democrats fail to deliver in these areas, it will be the end of their promised ´change´ before it start.