Weekly Poll: Your Opinion on Race in the U.S.

John Sununu’s racial comment on Colin Powell’s endorsement of President Obama has caused some to wonder if the nation has become more racially divided since Obama was elected in 2008. What do you think?

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Condescent of a Woman

Samantha Bee confirms that women dislike it when people argue on television and suggests measures to make the debates more palatable to female voters.

The Awesome Power of the Bully Pulpit

A bully pulpit refers to a public office, specifically the presidency, which provides the holder a terrific platform for rallying support for a specific issue or simply to make one’s view public. Due to the stature of the presidency the bully pulpit can bring issues to the forefront that was not initially in debate. For example, Pres. Obama, with the power of the bully pulpit, was able to shift the debate concerning illegal immigration last week by declaring why his administration will stop deporting young illegal immigrants brought to the United States at no fault of their own. Specifically, the U.S. will no longer deport illegal immigrants who meet the following criteria:

• Came to the U.S. before age 16
• Lived in the U.S. for at least 5 years
• In school, graduated, or a U.S. veteran
• No felonies, not a threat to the U.S.
• Not older than 30

As president, Obama has an unparalleled opportunity to make and set policies while the bully pulpit allows the president to announce those policies and rally support. Meanwhile, candidate Mitt Romney, Pres. Obama’s republican challenger, can only react to the agenda of the incumbent president and merely make untested and immaterial promises to the electorate. As a result, Mitt Romney is now faced with the politically difficult task of either alienating independent voters by holding firm with his previously stated hard-line stance on illegal immigration (e.g. self deportation, zero tolerance) or angering the conservative base by flip-flopping on the issue altogether. One reason why Romney is in this problematic situation is due in part to Obama’s ability to set policy as the sitting president and the awesome power of the bully pulpit afforded him.

–TERRANCE MULLINS

Related articles

• Immigration, Obama, Romney and the Republican Party: Who Fumbled the Ball? (themoderatevoice.com)
• Obama Changes the Subject (politicalwire.com)

The Hispanic Vote—Myth, Monolith, Mystery

Garth Brooks singing the Don McLean song “American Pie” at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial concert. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As the race for the White House moves along Hispanic voters will show up on the radar for both democratic and republican candidates. More experienced and knowledgeable commentators will know enough to differentiate between largely republican Cubans and Cuban Americans in Florida, from the deeply divided Texas contingent of Mexican cowboys that listen to Garth Brooks and those that stencil Michoacan on the back windows of their trucks. The Hispanic vote also includes the diverse block of socially conservative Catholic and growing evangelical Christians across the nation who believe in marriage between one man and one woman and their relatives who marry and divorce often—and sometimes with the same people. And don’t forget the urban Latino professionals who have managed to make it out of college and graduate programs to take very good jobs in every industry you can imagine. The so-called Hispanic vote is there for the taking.

Aggregated, the Hispanic vote largely goes to democratic candidates in percentages that make the gender gap look ridiculously trivial (anywhere from sixty-five to over seventy percent). In a good year, a republican candidate can get close to forty percent of the Hispanic vote. That translates into an unpopular democratic candidate getting just over sixty percent of the Hispanic vote. Over a decade ago I worked as a researcher for the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute (one of the most important Latino think tanks in the nation). Our research routinely led us to conclude that Hispanic voters shared many of the same characteristics as other democratic groups of voters. Some care more about social issues. Some care more about immigration issues. Some care quite a bit about crime and the environment. Most care an awful lot about the economy and jobs and their children’s education. To make a long story short, candidates on both sides are going to have to work this one out on their own. The term “Hispanic” was actually first used by the Census Bureau as a term to capture the growing Spanish surnamed population in the United States. It’s an arbitrary and largely artificial term used to identify a very real and very complicated assortment of peoples and experiences that have contributed greatly to the American experiment. What do you think? Will the Hispanic vote help determine the winner for 2012? Will democratic and republican candidates figure out how to play the Rubik’s Cube of the Hispanic vote?

–DENNIS FALCON

Related articles

• Room for Debate: Securing the Hispanic Vote (nytimes.com)
• Should political campaigns reach Hispanics in English or Spanish? (mcclatchydc.com)

The Christian Republic of America

Separation of church and state is one of many great attributes that separates the United States from Iran, the Taliban and Al Qaida. The concept of separation of church and state refers to the segregated relationship between organized religion and the institution of government. The term is originally derived from Thomas Jefferson’s 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists Association in which Jefferson states:

I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.

Nevertheless, many Americans wholeheartedly believe the U.S. to be a Christian nation founded on Christian principles. Constitutionally the United States, while a nation of Christians, is not a Christian nation. However, even in the modern era political groups are openly carrying out a Christian theology litmus test to determine which candidate for office is authentically Christian and therefore legitimate. Obama is regarded by some as either a closeted Muslim or a radical black Christian. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith is viewed as not Christian enough.  Religious tests for holding public office are banned under Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, yet politicians are compelled to disclose and discuss their personal faith ad nauseam.

Are we the United States of America or the Christian Republic of America?

– TERRANCE MULLINS

 

Related articles

• War on Religion (thecollegeconservative.com)
• 5 Brave Religious Leaders Who Fought Christian Theocracy in America (alternet.org)

Daily Show: West Wing Story

Barack Obama fulfills a campaign promise to return to Puerto Rico for four hours.

MPSL VLog: Demography and Representation

Every 10 years, the government conducts a census to measure population changes.  How do population changes affect American Democracy?  Professor Gaffaney explains.

Geraldine Ferraro and the Glass Ceiling That Will Not Shatter

Geraldine Ferraro made history in 1984 when she became the first female Vice Presidential candidate for a major political party. Her historic accomplishment opened the door for other women to achieve their political aspirations. Unfortunately, Geraldine Ferraro passed away on March the 26th and the glass ceiling she cracked 27 years ago remains in place. Glass ceiling is a term referring to a disingenuous barrier impeding the upward advancement of a qualified person because of some form of discrimination, most commonly sexism or racism. The ceiling is made of glass to denote the double standard particular groups face in the United States despite claims of equal opportunity and equal access.

The existence of a political glass ceiling for female candidates became self-evident when the American news media rapidly started to focus on Geraldine Ferraro’s gender instead of her qualifications or experience. Regrettably, the double standard in treatment towards Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin was also apparent during the 2008 presidential campaign. Ironically, women in the United States outnumber men and are more likely to vote compared to their male counterpart. Nevertheless, female politicians still find it extremely difficult to overcome the glass ceiling excluding them from the Whitehouse.

Below is a list of nations that have had a female head of government.

1. Argentina
2. Bangladesh
3. Bosnia-Hercegovina
4. Chile
5. Costa Rica
6. Ecuador
7. Finland
8. Germany
9. India
10. Indonesia
11. Jamaica
12. Liberia
13. Mozambique
14. New Zealand
15. Nicaragua
16. Panama
17. Philippines
18. Sri Lanka
19. Switzerland
20. Ukraine
21. United Kingdom

The list is striking considering the United States of America prides itself on being the premier land of opportunity and equality. Slate published a blog regarding the double standard Geraldine Ferraro faced in her political and professional career. However, why is it difficult for qualified women to advance politically in the United States? Do you believe the United States will have a female president within your lifetime?

– TERRANCE MULLINS

The “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” Controversy

Amy Chua points out where Western mothers have it all wrong in “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.”

 

Video Glossary: Redistricting

The census is taken every ten years, and subsequently congressional districts as well as state legislative districts are redrawn. This process is known as redistricting. What are the political consequences of redistricting? Professor Gaffaney explains.