After the Hype, a Clear Victory

     In something like thirty-six hours from now, the election will be over and the results will show that after all of the hype, President Obama will enjoy a solid victory. There will be little variance from my initial predictions regarding how the election will play out. However, I must have gotten a bit happy with my red crayons, or wasn't sober when I put Colorado in the red column, because it will doubtless be firmly in Mr. Obama's hands when the smoke clears. Dreamer that I am, I was counting on the shift in North Carolina's demographics, considering the influx of liberal intellectuals in the research triangle to give Obama the edge, though most polls show the Tar Heel state leaning to Romney. Regardless, with these intellectuals and a growing Latino community clashing with the conservative norms of the Old South, North Carolina will prove to be an interesting state to follow in the years to come. Finally, the GOP will not carry Massachusetts, and has there ever been a recent election where the winner did not carry their home state?  So, admitting that I was asleep when I put Colorado in red and that I am probably wrong in my hopes for North Carolina, here is the final score:

Obama 303 Electoral College Votes

Romney 235 Electoral College Votes.

A Greater Threat Than Boko Haram

     A story recently ran in the Guardian proclaiming that a terrorist group operating in Nigeria may be interested in pursuing peace talks. Whilst the terror perpetrated by Boko Haram is a significant and credible threat, a quiet cancer is eating away at the fiber of Nigerian society. Political corruption is rampant in Nigeria. Wages are deliberately kept low, whilst bureaucrats and big  business attain wealth at a rate bordering on the obscene. Nigeria is a potential powerhouse of numerous natural resources, chiefly: gas, gold, and oil. The potential for terror cannot be ignored, but more attention needs to be focused on  bribery, and corporate greed that are crippling Nigeria. If the Western powers fail to exercise their influence to curtail the rampant corruption, the appeal of anti-establishment groups like Boko Haram will only continue to grow.

Like to learn more? Check these related links:
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18245866
 http://allafrica.com/stories/201208150419.html
 http://www.businessinsider.com/the-scope-of-corruption-in-nigerian-oil-is-truly-horrifying-2012-10
 http://www.bribenigeria.com/

More News Than Just "Frankenstorm"

As you would imagine, Hurricane Sandy is the lead story in the NY Times, Washington Post, CBS, and NBC. We are in no way detracting from concern over the loss of life and property experienced. However, there are other noteworthy events going on around the world as well. Just wanted to tip everyone off about a blurb in the AP which, so far as I can tell has only been picked up by ABC (though not a main story)and Israel's Haaretz newspaper. Seems that Iran is conducting military exercises near its border with Iraq, a provocative action that has potentially far reaching implications for the region. Particularly so with an increasingly anxious Israel that appears to be looking for an excuse for an attack on Iran.

Election 2012-The View from Europe

It’s no secret that American voters are traditionally more concerned with bread and butter issues than with foreign policy. However, American dependence on foreign oil and consumable goods, as well as indebtedness to foreign creditors demands that Americans conduct their affairs with a view toward their role as a member of an international community. Many here in Europe are watching the coming election with considerable interest. Talking to my co-workers, friends, and total strangers at the coffee shop, I find that people here generally respect and admire President Obama. His trip to the United Kingdom was a resounding success, while the PR mistakes of Governor Romney’s trip abroad left many questioning his suitability for the Oval Office. When Americans elect unsuitable candidates to the nation’s highest office, other countries take this as evidence that the average American is either ignorant or openly inconsiderate of the international implications. Growing the American economy is tremendously important in this election, but no less important is the need for rebuilding international trust, respect, and confidence in the American government. With the Invasion of Iraq, the failure to discover weapons of mass destruction there, and a general mistrust and malaise in the wake of two wars, our international prestige plummeted. Only now are the member nations of the global community beginning to trust America again. Instilling a positive perception is crucially important to U.S. national security, as this will determine how it's allies, as well as enemies, conduct policy with regard to America. The world needs to know that Americans can look beyond sound bites and party politics as usual to elect a president capable of sound judgment and diplomatic savvy. The only man capable of doing so in this race is President Obama. In the minds of many in Europe and around the globe, his re-election will send a clear signal that Americans are a people interested in more than its own well-being, but in securing its role as a global partner in growth, progress, and peace.

Hurrah For America's Paralympic Heroes! (Coverage Not Available)

The television networks aren’t offering coverage of the Paralympics and few if any of the major newspapers have much to say on the subject. To it’s credit, the Washington Post ran a very good human interest story on a former Naval officer competing in the swimming events, but that has been about it. Don't look for front page coverage in the major New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas or L.A.papers. It isn’t there. It is impossible to believe a people who so value courage and sacrifice as Americans do are not interested in supporting athletes like Gold medalists Joseph Berenyi or Mallory Weggeman. (I will let you do your own internet search to find out what they had to overcome to achieve their Paralympic dreams.) However, if you read their stories and aren’t inspired, you are probably dead and no one bothered to tell you. Other American athletes have not yet taken medals, but are in London competing after surviving motorcycle accidents, avalanches, comas and disease, and a host of other challenges. No, the problem cannot be that Americans aren’t interested in supporting these incredible people. Rather, it is an unwilling media, who have labeled these games as spectacle and not sport. Has some panel of executives and yes-men deemed the games as not glamorous or sexy enough, or that there isn’t enough marketing data to show Americans are interested? Such a shame that instead of giving America's young people a new generation of heroes, we have only another example of how an allegedly free press determines the news it chooses to report and not what we deserve to hear.

2012 Presidential Election: Electoral Map

2012 Presidential Election: Electoral Map

After the show biz glitz off the convention, it is time to get back to the reality at hand. States that have voted consistently red or consistently blue will continue to do. This election will be won or lost in Florida, Ohio, Virgina, and North Carolina. There are a few pundits out there who have made this point. What no one has bothered to point out is that, Mitt Romney has to win all four of these to succeed and not even the most generous observers can see that happening.

My 2012 Predictions By State

2012 Presidential Election: Electoral Map: This map displays the projections of the sender and does not reflect the opinions of 270toWin.