Forging ahead with vision
President Barack Obama lived through what most first time leaders dread – the re-election – and came out victorious. The 44th President of the United States won both the popular vote, with 50.6 per cent, as well as the electoral votes taking away 332 opposed to Romney’s 206. The candidates needed to pass the threshold of 270 electoral votes to sure up their presidency.
The American electoral system, though based on the same principles of democracy as England, New Zealand and other notable democracies, is unique. Each of the 50 states is given a certain number of electoral votes based on its population e.g. California – 55, Illinois – 20 and Wyoming only three.
Almost all the states practise a winner-takes-all method so the candidate with the most votes wins all of the electoral votes for that state. While many states are largely predictable in their allegiances, i.e. Texas always votes Republican and California always votes Democrat, there are a number of swing states that usually decide the election – Florida, and Ohio are examples. It is possible that the President may win the electoral votes, but lose the popular vote, as in the 2000 election, Al Gore secured the popular vote even though George Bush became President. This is not a common phenomenon however, and as mentioned before, Barack Obama won both in securing his second term, as he did for his first.
President Obama now faces the challenge of the ‘fiscal cliff’, and rebuilding America’s economic prowess, which maybe have become a thing of the past. The “fiscal cliff” is a colloquial term for the challenge the end of 2012 will bring as the Budget Control Act of 2011 goes into effect at midnight January 1, 2013.
This means temporary payroll tax cuts, certain tax cuts for corporations and the end of the tax cuts from 2001-2003, as well as spending cuts agreed on in 2011, going into effect. All this could either lead to a decrease of America’s budget deficit, or a slide into the likes of the European economic crises. Either way, this will be Obama’s top economic priority and conundrum for his second term.
Where, however, does New Zealand fit into all of this? On the night of November 7, Prime Minister John Key released statement congratulating President Obama on his win, and stated that he would pen a formal letter the next day. He further articulated that President Obama’s re-election would provide many opportunities to strengthen the relationship of the two countries.
The two leaders will meet at the East Asia Summit later this month in Cambodia. This bodes well for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, having resurfaced under the present US administration. As a free trade agreement between 11 Pacific Rim countries, it aims to make business simpler and red tape free for our traders.
In his victory speech President Obama spoke about politics not being, as it is often referred to, a battle of egos, but a way forward and a way to enact change that betters a nation. In his first term, he walked into the middle of the Global Financial Crisis, and faced many criticisms for the growing budget deficit. Let’s hope he uses this second opportunity to turn things around and advance a strong nation that will be all its founders hoped it would.
President Barack Obama lived through what most first time leaders dread – the re-election – and came out victorious. The 44th President of the United States won both the popular vote, with 50.6 per cent, as well as the electoral votes taking away 332 opposed to Romney’s 206. The candidates needed...
President Barack Obama lived through what most first time leaders dread – the re-election – and came out victorious. The 44th President of the United States won both the popular vote, with 50.6 per cent, as well as the electoral votes taking away 332 opposed to Romney’s 206. The candidates needed to pass the threshold of 270 electoral votes to sure up their presidency.
The American electoral system, though based on the same principles of democracy as England, New Zealand and other notable democracies, is unique. Each of the 50 states is given a certain number of electoral votes based on its population e.g. California – 55, Illinois – 20 and Wyoming only three.
Almost all the states practise a winner-takes-all method so the candidate with the most votes wins all of the electoral votes for that state. While many states are largely predictable in their allegiances, i.e. Texas always votes Republican and California always votes Democrat, there are a number of swing states that usually decide the election – Florida, and Ohio are examples. It is possible that the President may win the electoral votes, but lose the popular vote, as in the 2000 election, Al Gore secured the popular vote even though George Bush became President. This is not a common phenomenon however, and as mentioned before, Barack Obama won both in securing his second term, as he did for his first.
President Obama now faces the challenge of the ‘fiscal cliff’, and rebuilding America’s economic prowess, which maybe have become a thing of the past. The “fiscal cliff” is a colloquial term for the challenge the end of 2012 will bring as the Budget Control Act of 2011 goes into effect at midnight January 1, 2013.
This means temporary payroll tax cuts, certain tax cuts for corporations and the end of the tax cuts from 2001-2003, as well as spending cuts agreed on in 2011, going into effect. All this could either lead to a decrease of America’s budget deficit, or a slide into the likes of the European economic crises. Either way, this will be Obama’s top economic priority and conundrum for his second term.
Where, however, does New Zealand fit into all of this? On the night of November 7, Prime Minister John Key released statement congratulating President Obama on his win, and stated that he would pen a formal letter the next day. He further articulated that President Obama’s re-election would provide many opportunities to strengthen the relationship of the two countries.
The two leaders will meet at the East Asia Summit later this month in Cambodia. This bodes well for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, having resurfaced under the present US administration. As a free trade agreement between 11 Pacific Rim countries, it aims to make business simpler and red tape free for our traders.
In his victory speech President Obama spoke about politics not being, as it is often referred to, a battle of egos, but a way forward and a way to enact change that betters a nation. In his first term, he walked into the middle of the Global Financial Crisis, and faced many criticisms for the growing budget deficit. Let’s hope he uses this second opportunity to turn things around and advance a strong nation that will be all its founders hoped it would.
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