Author: The American Partnership

by

The Latest Focus of the Horserace: Romney’s “Veepstakes”

Maggie Haberman of Politico has a story today handicapping Governor Mitt Romney’s “veepstakes”. Hope Dean and Anna Miller mused on the same topic this week and their thoughts are listed below.

Who will the VP be?

by Hope Dean

Widener University Political Science Major

After Mitt Romney’s wins over Rick Santorum in Maryland, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia he has made statements that indicate that the primary election is already over for him and he has moved on to Obama and the general election. With a current count of 26% of the delegates Romney beats out his closest competitor Rick Santorum who only has 11.5% of the delegates. Of course there are still many states and delegates up for grabs but with the winner-take-all system of delegate distribution throughout the month of April it seems unlikely that any of Romney’s competitors will overtake him.

It is almost certain than that Romney will be running against Obama in the general election this year. Does this mean that it is time to change our channels to Dancing with the Stars? No. Even if it is certain that Romney will be running against Obama there is still so much left to surprise us from now until the conventions.

Who will be Romney’s vice presidential pick be? Jeb Bush has supported him but with the current dislike of the Bushes after his brother’s presidency it would be a potential suicide attempt to have Jeb run for the vice presidential ticket. Another star shining on Romney’s stage is Senator Marco Rubio of Florida who has a good Hispanic following and can even speak Spanish. However, the governor seems unwilling to take the national stage. Who then will be Romney’s second in command? Who he picks can alter the course of his general election campaign as was seen in 2008 when McCain choose Palin and there was such backlash. Only time will tell who will come forth as the vice presidential nomination.

My Favorite Primary Moment

by Anna Miller

Widener University Student

I am quite aware that the Florida primary debate occurred over two months ago, but for some reason there is one key moment in this debate that I continuously bring up when I speak to people about what has stood out to me during the primary elections thus far.  Before I mention this particular moment I want to iterate that I do not intend to show any partiality toward one candidate.  I just want to express a way of thinking that I appreciate.

At the Florida debate the executive director of the Hispanic Leadership Network asked each candidate which Hispanic leaders might be asked to be a part of their cabinet.  Everyone knows that issues surrounding the Hispanic population were a hot topic in Florida this January.  Santorum, Romney, and Gingrich all went off listing Hispanics that they would consider including in their cabinet, not failing to mention, of course, Marco Rubio.  When it was Ron Paul’s turn to answer, he stated that he would not base his choice of cabinet members by their ethnicity, but, instead, by their qualifications.

I thought that this was a brilliant answer.  I think that candidates are oftentimes so concerned with being politically correct and saying things that they believe will get them the votes that they need.  I’m not saying Ron Paul never does this, but in this one instance he showed wisdom and the need to put all other things aside to do what he needs to do in order to run the country most effectively.

by

Rubio’s Blessing

Rubio’s Blessing

by Jonathan Perkins

Widener University Political Science Major

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida endorsed Mitt Romney on Thursday. This endorsement is seen as a big win for Romney, because of Rubio’s recent rising fame in the Republican Party. Rubio, a son of two Cubans, has given several speeches that not only give positive light to the Republican Party platform but is good at speeches, too. Jeb Bush has even said, “He is the best orator of American politics today, a good family man. He is not only a consistent conservative, but he has managed to find a way to communicate a conservative message full of hope and optimism.

Rubio can be considered the Chris Christie of Florida due to his popularity and pressure to run nationally. Many republicans see Rubio as a good Vice Presidential candidate, and Rubio’s endorsement has signaled which candidate he wants to run with. Just like Christie, Rubio doesn’t want to run nationally and prefers Florida issues. The only thing that maybe proving a Vice Presidential bid is an autobiography Rubio is releasing this summer. Republicans see a benefit if Rubio runs: an increased Latino vote for the party. A recent poll showed that with Rubio on the ticket that about 25% of Latinos would vote for Romney.

After giving his endorsement, Rubio stated the reason he gave it to Romney. Rubio sees that the clear winner is Romney, but he also knows that none of the three candidates will back down till the convention. Rubio would prefer to end the negative attacks on each other, so the Republican Party can prepare for Obama.

 

by

ObamaCare, the Supreme Court & Partisanship

by Michael Acciavatti
Widener University Political Science Major
This week is a historical week in our nation’s history. This week the Supreme Court is hearing a case about the not so recently passed health insurance bill. There are several facets to the argument but as the Supreme Court does, they will be judging the constitutionality of it. President Obama spent his entire first year in office striving to get this passed and with a little deal making he finally did get this passed. From the start the constitutionality of certain parts of the bill came into question. The real issue is the individual mandate. This is essentially the federal government forcing people to buy a product in this case health insurance. The Republicans and Democrats each obviously have conflicting views about what to do. Most Republicans feel this is a violation of the people’s constitutional rights, they believe that the federal government cannot put their hands into people lives and force them to buy a product. Some people do not even  wish to buy health insurance considering that they are young and healthy and that theres no way they will get seriously ill anytime soon. This is a major conflict because with the passing of the bill we see that the government is clearly condemning people for choosing and having a free will. The Supreme Court will hear this case for 5 hours which is 5 times longer than they usually hear a case for, but because of the high profile of this case it is understandable. This is why it is historic and will be a historic judgment no matter what.
by

Social Liberal and Fiscal Conservative?

by Anna Miller

Widener University Student

Recently I was on a service trip to Belize.  It was interesting because we were staying at a mission house run by American missionaries who are generally considered to be conservatives due to their religious beliefs.  On the other hand, we were a group of college students who serve in a civic engagement program, which leads a lot of people to believe we are a group of liberals.  I have been on these kinds of service trips before and political dialogue has never arisen.  It just so happened, though, that the Wednesday of our trip elections were called in Belize, thereby sparking some political discussion.

The phrase that seemed to ring more loudly than all the others was “I’m a social liberal but a fiscal conservative.”  It was odd because our two groups would seem to the rest of the world to have a strong partisan identification.  In fact, all individuals uttering this phrase did in fact define themselves as either Republican or Democrat.  Does this two party system make sense when individuals find themselves registered in one of the two major parties with such conflicting ideas?  I think there is a flaw here, and I have no idea why it took traveling all the way to Belize to figure it out.  This social liberal/fiscal conservative phrase made me consider a few questions.  If people are pulled to the right in one respect and the left in another, how can they make decisions when it comes election time?  What draws the greatest importance between social issues and fiscal responsibility, and why, if so many people view themselves this way is there not a strong party for them to identify with?  It seems unfortunate, but these types of questions typically do not find answers.

by

Super Tuesday, State Rules for Delegate Selection & the Republican Primaries

by J. Wesley Leckrone

Assistant Professor Political Science, Widener University

With Super Tuesday right around the corner, Widener’s PR Department interviewed me concerning the Republican nomination process. Here are two videos discussing the inability of one candidate to emerge from the GOP field and the role of the delegate selection process in leading to a protracted primary season.

by

Politics, the Team Sport

by Scott Hill

Widener University Political Science Major

On February 22 there was another GOP debate in Arizona. The first half of this debate seemed to be a fight of who could claim the title of “the most conservative”. During the primary, Republican candidates will try and prove that they are conservative because they know the people that vote in the primaries are the most active and generally most conservative.

Ron Paul attempted to show that Rick Santorum was a “fake” conservative during the debate based on his activities as a Senator. The issue arose from an audience question on what the candidates would do about No Child Left Behind. Santorum voted for the No Child Left Behind Act and during his answer he said he would repeal it. One of the issues is, why vote for something that you do not believe in? During his response, he said that politics is a team sport and even though it was against his principles he still voted for it. While I do agree that not much can get done without support but do we want someone who will go against what they believe in just to go along with their party?

I believe that Ron Paul is right when he says that the problem is that the people in Washington are just going along. They shouldn’t follow the obligation of the oath to the party but the obligation of the oath to the people. If something is against your principles do not vote for it. It is easy to make excuses but it is hard to follow what you believe. I think Ron Paul shows that best in his argument against preemptive warfare. He is against it and while his view might not be the most popular, he has his reasons and believes firmly in them. If we are going to send troops into war where soldiers will die we must go to the people and we need a declaration of war by congress who represent the people to get it.