Exclusive: Two's company, three's crowd in US politics — TS Sudhir

 As the dust settles on the American Presidential election, the question that many in this country are asking is why should the choice be restricted to only two candidates.

Yes, on paper, some other candidates do manage to figure but in the high-voltage contest between the Democrats and the Republicans, they get reduced to being also-rans. 

In every election, the battle is for the undecided one-third of the electorate, given that both Democrats and Republicans have the following of one-third each of the American electorate.
But despite one in every three persons not really siding with either of the two parties, they are forced to fall in line simply because there is no other significant choice. Most voters do not want their vote to go waste so a third party candidate does not stand any chance.
One of the candidates who created a stir as a third party candidate was businessman Ross Perot in 1992. He won 18.9 per cent of the vote and that remains the best finish by a non-major party candidate in a Presidential election in the last 100 years.
However, four years later, Perot's Reform Party disappointed by finishing with just 8.4 per cent of the vote. The New York Times in a reference to the Obama vs Romney contest described the voters' dilemma as "like trying to decide between liver and brussels sprouts—a selection they would rather not have to make." There were other candidates this time round as well but in the end, they did not even stand up to be counted.
But the defeat of the conservative extreme right Republicans has already started the murmurs within the party. Herman Cain, a former Presidential candidate has called for a large fraction of Republican party leaders to leave the party and form a third, even more conservative party.
His argument interestingly is that "a third party is needed to save America".
The apprehension however is a clone of the Republicans would only help the Democrats consolidate its position in power for ever. After the Republicans' crushing defeat in 2008 at the hands of Barack Obama, the Tea Party emerged. While Cain's comments are unlikely to result in any kind of split in the Republicans, the party itself may metamorphose itself into an ultra-conservative form.
Both parties also have a vested interest in ensuring it is a straight fight between them and no third party comes to eat into their votes and create problems in a close contest. After all, they have not forgotten Florida in 2000 when Democrat Al Gore lost to George Bush by 537 votes. The loss was attributed partly to Green Party candidate Ralph Nader who took more than that number of votes from Gore in Florida.
From the perspective of a country like India, where multi-party system and coalitions have made the administrative process slow, the American system looks too organised. But perhaps Indian politics truly embodies the spirit of free economy where the consumer (in this case the voter) is spoilt for choice.

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Four more years, thank you, says Obama

"Four more years," Barack Obama tweeted after winning a second term in the White House. "Four more years," he said minutes after he defeated his Republican rival Mitt Romney in a closely contested poll.

"We're all in this together. That's how we campaigned, and that's who we are. Thank you," said another tweet.
- IANS

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Why Indians love Obama ? :Sakshi Blog Exclusive ARTICLE

Barack Obama has been re-elected as the 45th president of the United States of America! No wonder that he managed to get support of the majority, not only within US but also overseas, as he is much loved and admired by the Indians too.  According to a poll conducted prior to the US presidential elections, it was found that majority of the city dwellers wanted him to be re-elected. About 7 in 10 urban crowd followed the US elections and supported Obama according to fact tank found survey in New York.
Why do Indians love Obama? Well, there could be so many answers for this. Many Indians see him as a promising political leader, a motivational person, and mainly someone who built trust of billions through his powerful speeches. And it's an established fact now that Obama is a big follower of Mahatma Gandhi. He says Gandhi is someone he learns from to be a leader and a person who motivates Obama.
This was seen while Obama was contesting for the presidential election last time, the slogan that drew people's attention was “be the change”,which was inspired by Gandhi’s famous quotes.
Also Obama, is known as a charismatic personality in the political world, whose words and thoughts inspire and motivate young minds. He is also one among few who surely did speak about the change and made a lot of changes.
Indians have always loved the US presidents as urban crowd are favourable towards US.
Another important aspect that makes people love Obama is that he managed to catch the world's most wanted terrorist—Osama bin Laden. Not literally, but it was during his tenure that the mission of the hunt operation was accomplished!
Indian-Americans extended their support to Obama in 2012 elections in consideration for his strong support to the Indians as he has appointed them in the highest offices. President Obama also has good relationship with the Indian American community as he has always reached out to the community and recognized their talent and contribution to America.
Also, many believe that Obama has fulfilled the promises which he has made during the presidential election campaign. Now that he has won, can we expect some good news for India?
It's gonna be wait and watch for now!a

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Sunita Williams voted before flying to space : Sakshi News Blog

Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams has already voted by absentee ballot, but if she wanted she could have voted in the US presidential election from her home in space on election day itself. Williams, a captain in the US Navy, who is the current commander of the International Space Station, voted from Russia using the same absentee ballot that troops abroad use before she went on her second space sojourn in July.

So did flight engineer Kevin Ford, the second American on the six-member crew currently at the space lab. He voted with a Texas absentee ballot while stationed in Russia before the launch.

But if they wanted they could vote from space as NASA astronauts aboard the space station have the option of voting from space, thanks to savvy technology and a 1997 bill passed by Texas lawmakers.

Astronauts working on the space station receive a digital version of their ballots in a secure email, which are beamed up to them from Mission Control at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, and then sent back to Earth, ABC News reported citing a NASA official.

"They send a secure ballot to Mission Control," NASA spokesman Jay Bolden was quoted as saying. "They'll send it up to our astronauts onboard, and they fill it out and send it back as a private email. Astronauts do have privacy in the matter."

The ballot is then sent directly to voting authorities. "The election folks count it and tabulate it just like any other vote," Bolden said.

Astronauts can vote this way in any kind of US election. Six astronauts have used the method to vote in presidential elections since it became law in 1997.

NASA astronauts Leroy Chiao, Edward Michael Fincke and Greg Chamitoff have all voted while aboard the space station.

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Post win, Obama's new challenge is fiscal cliff

Barack Obama won re-election on Tuesday night, but the US president faces a fresh challenge confronting the "fiscal cliff," a mix of tax increases and spending cuts due to extract some $600 billion from the economy barring a deal with Congress.

 At stake are two separate issues - individual tax cuts due to expire at year's end and tens of billions of dollars in across-the-board federal spending cuts due to kick in the day after New Year's Day.

Failure to prevent a dive off the cliff could rattle US markets, and push the US economy into a recession, which could have global implications. How Obama fares with a familiar set of challenges - most notably a Republican-controlled House of Representatives - could color his second term.

Obama, who defeated Republican challenger Mitt Romney based on television projections, will want to strike a deal with Washington lawmakers before December 31 or risk a recession in the first half of 2013, budget experts and Democratic aides say.

His backers say his win gives him a mandate for an elusive "grand bargain" he sought in his first four-year term. Such a pact would raise new revenue, make changes to popular programs like the Medicare health program for the elderly and pare the federal deficit.

"They have signaled that they want a big deal and I think Obama will be aggressive about getting it," said Steve Elmendorf, a former House Democratic senior adviser and now a lobbyist.

At odds 

Obama and most Democrats are at odds with Republicans in Congress over the stickiest issue - whether to let low tax rates for the wealthiest Americans expire on December 31.

The president and most Democrats want to raise taxes on income earned above $250,000; Republicans want to extend the current low rates for all income levels.

Financial markets and the business community crave long-term certainty - and that is what a major deal envisioned by Obama is intended to tackle.

A big X-factor is how congressional Republicans will respond to an Obama win. The hard line against raising revenue taken by many Republicans in the House may not abate after the election.

House Speaker John Boehner said this week that his Republicans would stand firm on their position opposing any tax increases, even for millionaires, though he was speaking before the election results.

Republicans kept control of the House, as expected, and Democrats were projected to maintain control of the Senate.

An Obama victory "takes a lot of air out of the room for Republicans," Jim Walsh, a former Republican representative, who retired in 2009, predicted before the election. The odds of a grander deal with increased revenue - though not in the form of higher tax rates - goes up with an Obama victory, he said.

Former Democratic representative Bart Gordon was unsure whether more conservative elements of the party, associated with the Tea Party movement, would go along so easily. "Those folks don't need much of a reason to fight," Gordon said.

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Romney concedes defeat; wishes Obama successful 2nd term

Conceding defeat, Republican challenger Mitt Romney today wished US President Barack Obama a successful second term in guiding the country through great challenges.

I have just called President Obama to congratulate him, his campaign and his supporters on the victory. I have wished him, his wife and daughters, 65-year-old Romney told his cheering supporters shortly after networks declared his defeat.

Still smiling and waving to them, Romney said this is a time of great challenges. I pray President Obama will be successful in guiding our nation.

Hoping that the economy will become resurgent once again, the businessman-turned politician said he honestly prayed for the President and the nation.

At this critical point, we can't risk political posturing, he said.

Hiding his emotions over the defeat, Romney told his supporters that everything on the field, we have all given to this campaign.

I so wished that I would have been able to fulfil your wishes but the nation has shown trust in the other leader. I honestly pray for him and the nation.

He profusely thanked his supporters for the wonderful campaign.

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List of US presidents from 1789 TO uPTO nOW

Obama won a second term after defeating his Republican challenger Mitt Romney. But who were his descendants? Here's the list...

1.George Washington, 1789-1797
2.John Adams, 1797-1801
3.Thomas Jefferson, 1801-1809
4.James Madison, 1809-1817
5.James Monroe, 1817-1825
6.John Quincy Adams, 1825-1829
7.Andrew Jackson, 1829-1837
8.Martin Van Buren, 1837-1841
9.William Henry Harrison, 1841
10.John Tyler, 1841-1845
11.James Knox Polk, 1845-1849
12.Zachary Taylor, 1849-1850
13.Millard Fillmore, 1850-1853
14.Franklin Pierce, 1853-1857
15.James Buchanan, 1857-1861
16.Abraham Lincoln, 1861-1865
17.Andrew Johnson, 1865-1869
18.Ulysses S. Grant, 1869-1877
19.Rutherford Birchard Hayes, 1877-1881
20.James Abram Garfield, 1881
21.Chester Alan Arthur, 1881-1885
22.Grover Cleveland, 1885-1889
23.Benjamin Harrison, 1889-1893
24.Grover Cleveland, 1893-1897
25.William McKinley, 1897-1901
26.Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-1909
27.William Howard Taft, 1909-1913
28.Woodrow Wilson, 1913-1921
29.Warren Gamaliel Harding, 1921-1923
30.Calvin Coolidge, 1923-1929
31.Herbert Clark Hoover, 1929-1933
32.Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933-1945
33.Harry S. Truman, 1945-1953
34.Dwight David Eisenhower, 1953-1961
35.John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1961-1963
36.Lyndon Baines Johnson, 1963-1969
37.Richard Milhous Nixon, 1969-1974
38.Gerald Rudolph Ford, 1974-1977
39.James Earl Carter, Jr., 1977-1981
40.Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1981-1989
41.George Herbert Walker Bush, 1989-1993
42.William Jefferson Clinton, 1993-2001
43.George Walker Bush, 2001-2009
44.Barack Hussein Obama, 2009-

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'Obama victory is not best news for outsourcing'

The re-election of US President Barack Obama is not the best news for IT outsourcing industry, according to CEO of iGATE, Phaneesh Murthy.  Not the best news for India or the IT outsourcing industry. However, we need to understand how much of the election rhetoric continues into 2013 and that will determine the full implications to us, Murthy said.

 The concern over the deficit and jobs will continue (in the US) and in my mind, will force the sluggishness to remain in the economy, he said.
 Obama today won a second term in office overcoming a stiff initial challenge from his Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
 Obama in this presidential elections campaign had criticised outsourcing of jobs to countries like India saying that US needs to create jobs locally.
 The US and Europe account for over 80 per cent of revenues of the Indian IT industry.

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It's Obama again !

Wednesday, 07 November 2012 09:50.

Barack Obama wins the US Presidential election 2012! Soon after the results were out, the thrilled US president tweeted,"This happened because of you. Thank you."
US President Barack Obama swept to re-election on Tuesday, creating history again by defying the undertow of a slow economic recovery and high unemployment to beat Republican foe Mitt Romney.
Obama became only the second Democrat to win a second four-year White House term since World War II, when television networks projected he would win the bellwether state of Ohio where he had staged a pitched battle with Romney.
"This happened because of you. Thank you," Obama tweeted to his 22 million followers on Twitter as a flurry of states, including Iowa, which nurtured his unlikely White House dreams suddenly tipped into his column.
With a clutch of swing states, including Florida and Virginia still to be declared, Obama already had 275 electoral votes, more than the 270 needed for the White House and looked set for a comfortable victory.
There was a sudden explosion of jubilation at Obama's Chicago victory party as the first African American president, who was elected on a wave of hope and euphoria four years ago, booked another four years in the White House.
Romney's aides had predicted that a late Romney wave would sweep Obama from office after a single term haunted by a sluggish recovery from the worst economic crisis since the 1930s Great Depression and high unemployment.
But a huge cheer rang out at Obama headquarters when television networks projectedObama would retain Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes, and the party grew wilder as they called Wisconsin and Michigan.
The mood at Romney headquarters in Boston however had grown subdued throughout the evening as partisans stared at their smart phones.

Disappointed: Republicans were seen leaving what had been billed as a celebration of Romney's expected triumph in central Washington.
Defeats in New Hampshire, where Romney has a summer home and Wisconsin, the home of Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan were especially sickening for Republicans.
Early signs were that the election, while a building triumph for Obama would do little to ease the deep polarization afflicting US politics, as Republicans racked up huge margins in safe states, though struggled in battlegrounds.
Exit polls appeared to vindicate the vision of the race offered by Obama's campaign, when top aides predicted that Obama's armies of African American, Latinos and young voters would come out in droves.
Polls also showed that though only 39 percent of people believed that the economy was improving, around half of Americans blamed President George W. Bush for the tenuous situation, and not Obama.
The president, who made history by becoming America's first black president after a euphoric victory, carved a new precedent on Tuesday by defying the portents of a hurting economy to win a second term.
He awaited his fate in his hometown of Chicago, while Romney, a multi-millionaire former investment manager and Massachusetts governor was laying low in a hotel in Boston awaiting results.
As expected, television networks projected that Republicans would win the House of Representatives.
Democrats clung onto the Senate, and retained a seat in Missouri, where Senator Claire McCaskill fended off a challenge by Representative Todd Akin, whose remarks about rape and abortion sparked national outrage.
Both presidential candidates had earlier marked time while voters dictated their fates.
Romney appeared caught up in the emotion of seeing his name on the ballot for President of the United States and also saw an omen in a huge crowd that showed up at a multi-story parking lot to see his plane land at Pittsburgh airport.
"Intellectually I felt that we're going to win this and I've felt that for some time," Romney told reporters on his plane.
"But emotionally, just getting off the plane and seeing those people standing there... I not only think we're going to win intellectually but I feel it as well."
While Romney penned his victory speech, Obama took part in his election day tradition of playing a game of pick-up basketball with friends, including Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, after visiting a campaign office near his Chicago home.
The president, who like a third of Americans voted before election day, congratulated Romney on "a spirited campaign" despite their frequently hot tempered exchanges.
"I know that his supporters are just as engaged and just as enthusiastic and working just as hard today. We feel confident we've got the votes to win, that it's going to depend ultimately on whether those votes turn out," he said.
"I think anybody who's running for office would be lying if they say that there's not some butterflies before the polls come in because anything can happen," the president added later in a radio interview.
CBS News, quoting early exit polls, said 39 percent of people approached after they had voted said the economy, the key issue, was improving, while 31 percent said it was worse and 28 saw it as staying the same.

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