Obama VS Romney, Who will win?

In the blue corner, fighting to defend the title, following the memorable controversy during his first election, is incumbent President Barack Obama, facing familiar challenges in the race for his second term. Obama and Romney will be battling constantly until the 6^th of November this year, when the next President will be revealed. It seems the incumbent President has gone from being the answer to all of America’s problems to the alleged cause of them. The Democrat President is being thoroughly rinsed on his healthcare changes (affectionately referred to as Obamacare) despite his development in withdrawing troops from Iraq, limiting the influence of lobbyists on the White House and the unforgettable, contentious Bin Laden killing. It seems disproportionate that the healthcare bill is what Obama will be remembered for, regardless of his other achievements whilst in office.

In the red corner, hoping to emphasise Obama’s divisive advancements on Medicare, is Republican candidate Mitt Romney. Romney has remained relatively vague on important issues such as foreign policy, he intends to “amend” the Medicare bill that Obama strived for, and his environmental policies are outdated, generally focussing on coal mining. Romney, a confessed Mormon also ran previously for the Republican candidacy in 2008 alongside John McCain, Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee. Logically, if Romney couldn’t beat McCain in the fight for candidacy, the likelihood of him elbowing the current President out of the Oval Office is slim. Or so one would like to think. However according to opinion polls Romney has a 2% lead over Obama, and the winner of this popularity contest changes almost daily. The competitors are neck and neck in the battle to lead one of the most powerful countries in the world; after all, when America sneezes the whole world catches a cold.

It’s not just the individual leader that plays a huge role in the public’s view of the party. The announcement made on the 11^th August of Romney’s running mate as Paul Ryan may not have shocked the general public, but as choices go, it perhaps was not the wisest. Romney’s top criticism of Obama is his economic policy and his work with Medicare. Paul Ryan, well educated in economic affairs, has been a member of the Budget Committee and, after graduating from University, accepted a congressional position as a staff economist to Kasten’s Office. Initially he appears to be an intelligent choice. However, in 2008 Ryan came up with a Budget Proposal that didn’t even make it past the committee stage. In this proposal Ryan suggested that a substitution for Medicare be a “voucher system” for seniors, basically limiting the amount of medical attention to those most in need. In addition, his 2012 plan had little more to offer; whilst the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops criticised the proposal for failing to protect the poor and vulnerable, the Georgetown Faculty chided his  ”continuing misuse of Catholic teaching to defend” his plan. Ryan has also been branded “68% more conservative” than his other Republican peers and has been said to be the most conservative running mate chosen since the 1900s. Surely, in this modern time of generally liberalised views, a particularly conservative running mate is not a vote winning decision?

In contrast, Obama’s choice of Joe Biden was an obvious one. Biden’s experience in the world of politics complimented Obama’s youth within the field, he could mellow down some of Obama’s “lefty liberal” ambitions, and help him achieve something doable. Medicare is, without a doubt, one of the biggest developments in Democrat history and since Obama came into power the average middle class family are paying taxes approximately $3,600 less than they were under Bush. Biden is hardly a liability, causing barely any controversy he is aware of the sharp tongue of the media and the effect that it could have, he has kept his personal political views to himself and worked quietly behind the throbbing Democrat machine that drives Obama.

The big question is who will win? I think it’s a fair assumption to say that nobody knows. With such a close race and both candidates battling viciously Obama could very well lose his position in the White House, in spite of his previous successes as President. To me, it appears so obvious that Obama has earned and deserved a second term and I cannot understand how Romney is in such a competitive position to muscle out the current President. Perhaps, it has a little something to do with the advertising campaign. Last year Obama’s “Hope” posters were plastered everywhere, and his association with positive advancement for Americawas clearly evident. However, this year Obama has settled for a less inspiring “let’s finish what we started”. A little menacing, it seems. It’s the sort of phrase that conjures images of a desperate Obama, clutching his Medicare proposal nervously, attempting to convince his supporters to see it through to the end. His slogan for re-election should not approach one of his biggest successes like it is a sinking ship.
Bring back “Hope”, and “Hope” will bring back Obama.

@ChantaalGS