Salon: Jamelle Bouie: 'Four More Years to Enact a New Great Society'

Source:Salon- Barack H. Obama (Democrat, Illinois 44th President of the United States.

"If you want a sense of how remarkable Barack Obama’s re-election victory is, think back to last summer. At the time, the president was struggling to reach a deal with House Republicans, who were threatening not to raise the debt ceiling and plunge the economy into a second recession. Unemployment was high—9.2 percent—Obama’s approval had dipped to the low 40s, and to anyone paying attention, the first African American president looked like a one-term failure.

But beginning in the fall, Obama began to reassert himself. With the American Jobs Act, he outlined a viable plan for generating economic growth and kick-starting the recovery. With his widely praised speech in Kansas, he outlined a populist agenda of greater investment and higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans. Over the course of 2012, he built good will with important communities, from LGBT Americans with an endorsement of same-sex marriage to Latino immigrants and their families with a measure meant to emulate the DREAM Act. What’s more, the economy began to pick up: Job growth increased, unemployment dropped, and the overall economic picture began to brighten.

Together with one of the most hard-nosed campaigns in recent memory, Obama managed to bounce back from the nadir of 2011 to one of the broadest re-election victories in recent memory. At this point, news networks have called New Hampshire, Iowa, Wisconsin, Colorado, Nevada, Virginia, and Ohio for President Obama. Only Florida has yet to be called, where the remaining votes are in traditionally Democratic areas of the state. Compared with 2008, Obama lost only two states: North Carolina and Indiana. When all is said and done, Barack Obama will have won re-election with 332 electoral votes—a much larger margin than the last president to win re-election, George W. Bush

Over the next week, I’ll write about the details of Obama’s victory, in particular his huge advantage with nonwhite voters—without historic margins (and turnout) among African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans, it’s likely Obama would have failed in his quest for a second term. Indeed, it should be said that Republicans have themselves to blame for a good deal of this. If not for their categorical opposition to health-care reform, the Affordable Care Act would have never been passed in its current form. If not for their harsh approach to immigration, they might have won greater Latino support over the last four years. If not for their embrace of misogyny, they might have closed the gender gap. If not for their willingness to indulge the worst conspiracies about Obama, they might have made inroads with young people and college-educated voters. 

Together with one of the most hard-nosed campaigns in recent memory, Obama managed to bounce back from the nadir of 2011 to one of the broadest re-election victories in recent memory. At this point, news networks have called New Hampshire, Iowa, Wisconsin, Colorado, Nevada, Virginia, and Ohio for President Obama. Only Florida has yet to be called, where the remaining votes are in traditionally Democratic areas of the state. Compared with 2008, Obama lost only two states: North Carolina and Indiana. When all is said and done, Barack Obama will have won re-election with 332 electoral votes—a much larger margin than the last president to win re-election, George W. Bush

Over the next week, I’ll write about the details of Obama’s victory, in particular his huge advantage with nonwhite voters—without historic margins (and turnout) among African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans, it’s likely Obama would have failed in his quest for a second term. Indeed, it should be said that Republicans have themselves to blame for a good deal of this. If not for their categorical opposition to health-care reform, the Affordable Care Act would have never been passed in its current form. If not for their harsh approach to immigration, they might have won greater Latino support over the last four years. If not for their embrace of misogyny, they might have closed the gender gap. If not for their willingness to indulge the worst conspiracies about Obama, they might have made inroads with young people and college-educated voters.

It’s still far too early to make a judgment about Barack Obama’s overall historical standing. But by virtue of winning re-election, he has become the most successful Democratic president since Lyndon Johnson, and one of the most successful of the 21st century.

Not bad for the skinny Hawaiian kid with a funny name."

Source:Salon

I hate to break it to so-called Progressive Democrats, (Democratic Socialists, in actuality) but I have a friend on Facebook who is an admitted Democratic Socialist, more liberal-libertarian on social issues, but a proud Socialist on economic policy. A true proud Socialist who I like and respect personally because of his honesty and ability to backup what he believes in. Even though we rarely agree when it comes to the economy and what government's role should be in it.

My friend who voted Socialist yesterday at least for President, voted for Jill Stein of the Green Party technically, but she's a Democratic Socialist ideologically. With her Green Deal and all of that wanting to let the Bush tax cuts expire for everyone to finance new public infrastructure across the country. Somewhere in the neighborhood of a trillion dollars. My friend knows that Barack Obama is not a Democratic Socialist, thats why he voted for the Green Party. I'm guessing expecting that the President would win anyway.

If trapped in the political closet Socialists believe that Barack Obama is going to try to build some new Great Society, an idea that goes back to the 1960s with Lyndon Johnson and we are going to create some new and expanded welfare state to accomplish this, or what Dr. Stein calls the New Green Deal, they are living in Dreamland and perhaps sharing an apartment there with Ann Coulter. Thats not the type of Democrat that Barack Obama is and he's never been that type of Democrat. 

What President Obama wants to do is build an economy that works for everyone, but doesn't expect the Federal Government to be able to do this itself. And wants to empower more Americans to be able to live their own lives and live what's been called the American Dream. When you think of Barack Obama you think of Bill Clinton politically. Progressive Democrat who I wish was more liberal on social issues who understands the limits of government.

If trapped in the political closet Socialists want a Socialist President, then they should back a Socialist who can win the Presidency. Instead of expecting Progressives or Liberal Democrats to do that for them. And then they also need to find a way for someone like that to get elected President of the United States.

Russia Today: 3rd Party Debate: Gary Johnson vs Jill Stein

Source:Reason Magazine- Libertarian Gary Johnson vs Jill Stein.

"2012 Last US PRESIDENTIAL 3rd-party DEBATE: Gary Johnson LIBERTARIAN PARTY & Jill Stein GREEN PART

The final debate with alternative US presidential candidates -- Jill Stein from the Green Party and Gary Johnson from the Libertarian Party.

From climate change to WikiLeaks and corporate greed -- these were issues addressed by the politicians not belonging to America's main parties, Democratic and Republican.

While discussing foreign politics, Gary Johnson said the US is a "bully" in relations with other countries.

"We should do unto others as we would have others do unto us. We should be the US influence. Influence the US should have should be the beacon on the hill. The notion that we've been the country that stood up to the bully as opposed to being the bully", he said.

Jill Stein called for foreign policy based on key values.

"We deserve a foreign policy based on international law, human rights and diplomacy. Unfortunately, we currently have an international policy based on the wars for oil and the use of brute military force as a tool of foreign policy. And we see that this is basically blowing up in our faces right now."

While discussing the WikiLeaks issue, both candidates agreed there is need for more transparency.

"Fundamentally, no, I do not see WikiLeaks as a threat. I believe in transparency. But let it be us out there, frontline, telling the truth on these issues first and foremost", said Johnson.

"That is our right to know what our government is doing -- that is part of our right as citizens. And I think there is no greater threat to our security than that kind of secrecy", said Stein.

The US is to elect its new president on Tuesday, November 6." 

From West End News

"Final USA Presidential Debate: Gary Johnson vs Jill Stein Nov. 5, 2012" 

Source:T. Eli Ahrens- Green Party presidential nominee Dr, Jill Stein.

From T. Eli Ahrens

"RT (formerly Russia Today or Rossiya Segodnya) (Russian: Россия Сегодня)[9] is a Russian state-controlled[1] international news television network funded by the Russian government.[16][17] It operates pay television and free-to-air channels directed to audiences outside of Russia, as well as providing Internet content in Russian, English, Spanish, French, German and Arabic.

RT is a brand of TV-Novosti, an autonomous non-profit organization founded by the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti in April 2005.[8][18] During the economic crisis in December 2008, the Russian government, headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, included ANO "TV-Novosti" on its list of core organizations of strategic importance to Russia.[19][20][21] RT operates as a multilingual service with channels in five languages: the original English-language channel was launched in 2005, the Arabic-language channel in 2007, Spanish in 2009, German in 2014 and French in 2017. RT America (2010–2022),[22][23] RT UK (2014–2022) and other regional channels also produce local content. RT is the parent company of the Ruptly video agency,[5] which owns the Redfish video channel and the Maffick digital media company.[6][7]

RT has regularly been described as a major propaganda outlet for the Russian government and its foreign policy.[2] Academics, fact-checkers, and news reporters (including some current and former RT reporters) have identified RT as a purveyor of disinformation[58] and conspiracy theories.[65] UK media regulator Ofcom has repeatedly found RT to have breached its rules on impartiality, including multiple instances in which RT broadcast "materially misleading" content.[72]

In 2012, RT's editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan compared the channel to the Russian Ministry of Defence.[73] Referring to the Russo-Georgian War, she stated that it was "waging an information war, and with the entire Western world".[17][74] In September 2017, RT America was ordered to register as a foreign agent with the United States Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.[75]

RT was banned in Ukraine in 2014 after Russia's annexation of Crimea;[76] Latvia and Lithuania implemented similar bans in 2020.[77][78] Germany banned RT DE in February 2022.[79] After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Poland and then the entire European Union as well as Canada announced they were formally banning RT as well, while independent service providers in over 10 countries suspended broadcasts of RT.[80][81][82] Social media websites followed by blocking external links to RT's website and restricting access to RT's content.[83][84] Microsoft removed RT from their app store and de-ranked their search results on Bing,[85][86] while Apple removed the RT app from all countries except for Russia." 

From Wikipedia

1st of all as a democrat, (meaning someone who believes in democracy) I believe the 3rd party candidates, whether it's presidential, or Congress, should all be on the ballots, as well as in the debates. I wouldn't put them in the same debates with the top 2 candidates, but they should have their own presidential debates, as well as be in the polls and should have network TV coverage (broadcast & cable) because they're running for federal office as well, they all have bases of support. And the Democratic Party and Republican Party are so unpopular right now, that Americans tend to vote for who they think is the best of the worst, (Democrat or Republican) instead of who they believe should be representing them in Congress (House & Senate) and who should be their President. 

Now as far as this debate (speaking of the best of the worst) forget about Gary Johnson for a 2nd, who really is a Classical Liberal, ideologically, running for President for a party, that's basically antigovernment all together in the Libertarian Party. Versus Dr. Jill Stein from the Green Party, which is the American version of the social democratic party, the left-wing of the U.K Labour Party, mixed in with peace and love, give peace a chance as their foreign policy, 21st Century, hippie Green Party. 

But let's say for the fun of it, the 2012 presidential debates were between the Libertarians and Greens, (and let's also imagine that it never snows in Wisconsin in the winter and Florida has seen their last hurricane) American voters would have a choice between a party that was basically eliminate the entire Federal Government, if they also controlled the entire Congress, versus a party that basically wants government to do practically everything for everybody, except defend the country and police the streets. I don't think most Americans want that type of democracy either: a do nothing government, versus a do almost everything government.