Widener Students on Politics

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Could Ron Paul Win the General Election for Obama?

By Craig Ricks

Widener University Student

Last week in his post-debate speech, Ron Paul commented on how the media and political pundits describe his campaign as dangerous.  “We are dangerous to the status quo of this country,” were his exact words, followed by chants of “President Paul” from the crowd.  However, with candidates dropping like flies, it could only be a matter of weeks until Paul also steps down.  But his campaign could still remain dangerous, only to the Republican Party rather than the status quo.  In fact, his Presidential aspirations just may continue the status quo for another four years.

Between now and Super Tuesday, which is March 6th, it is very possible that Mitt Romney will have won enough primaries to lock up the Republican nomination.  However, many Republican voters who are fed up with the establishment may not be willing to vote for Romney in November.  Does this mean their votes go to President Obama? Absolutely not.  The moment Ron Paul becomes dangerous is when he splits himself from the establishment and runs as a third party candidate, most likely the Libertarian Party.  It happened back in the 1988 Presidential election.  In that election, he received a miniscule 0.47% of the vote.  This time around, however, he would almost certainly receive a much higher percentage of the vote.  Those votes wouldn’t be coming from the left side of the aisle, and that is what is dangerous for Republicans.  Many of those dissatisfied Republicans would vote for Paul in November, taking votes almost exclusively away from Romney.  This could spell the end to a red victory and ensure another four years for President Obama and the “status quo.”

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Why Has The GOP Ignored Jon Huntsman?

by John Vuotto

Widener University Political Science Major

Since the beginning of the primary process, almost every Republican Presidential candidate has had a large amount of media attention. Whether it was a gaffe or an emergence in the polls, every candidate has had their moment. Every candidate except for former Governor of Utah and ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman. Huntsman ran a campaign that didn’t tow the party line. He didn’t say things at the numerous debates to get applause. He stuck to his positions, whether they agreed with the GOP or not. Huntsman’s campaign never took off and caught fire with the American People.

Mitt Romney consistently leads in the polls and this proves that Huntsman’s problem wasn’t that he’s not an extreme conservative. Most Americans are not as polarized as the cable news media makes them out to be. It is increasingly likely that Mitt Romney will get the nomination. He has had problems shaking the image of a flip flopper and someone who will “say anything to get elected.” There are also questions about the personal lives and business dealings of the other candidates. With Huntsman there is no scandal or flip-flops. He has been consistent in his views and does not play to the political climate. Michael Smerconish, a nationally syndicated radio host from Philadelphia writes in the Philadelphia Inquirer “..admirably, he has resisted every temptation to put his finger to the wind before speaking. Had he done so, he surely would not have called President Obama a “good man,” nor would he have referred to his opponents as “all good people.'” Huntsman has stuck to his principles and remained honest. Independents will surely decide the 2012 election and Huntsman may have been the best opponent to defeat President Obama in the general election. He has views that stray from the GOP such as his belief in global warming, which Independents may agree with.

Something that has haunted Governor Romney in the primaries has been Romneycare. One of the biggest issues that Republican voters are angry about is the Affordable Care Act, a program the President said was modeled after Romney’s health care plan in Massachusetts. This will make it difficult for Romney to go head-to-head with President Obama on the issue of health care in the election. Huntsman has been the consistent conservative and Romney has not. He may have stood a better chance in November had he won the nomination.

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Citizens United Decision Divides GOP with Votes for Herman Cain/Stephen Colbert in SC Primary?

By Hannah Steinke

Widener University Political Science Major

The GOP is no longer in love with the Citizens United decision? Yep, now that corporations, Stephen Colbert, and anyone else with money can establish their own super PACs, they can now control campaign messages, dividing the Republican Party with increased mud slinging. As liberals continue to mourn the US Supreme Court decision, and Republican candidates seek  PAC money, Stephen Colbert/Herman Cain laugh.

For months, Colbert has flaunted his super PAC and its money on his show, praising the Citizens United decision for legalizing the easily organized ‘speech money.’ He and his attorney Trevor Potter, who once served on the FCC, continue to mock the new law through dramatic, yet simple conversations explaining his PAC’s formation and progress to the audience.

Last week, Colbert decided to take his circus a few steps further, and run for president in South Carolina, his home state. However, he is running with Herman Cain – using him as his proxy – as it is too late to add Stephen’s name to the ballot (click for ad). As directed by his attorney, he transferred control of his super PAC, Citizens for a Better Tomorrow Tomorrow, to colleague John Stewart via holding hands with Stewart until the green glow of the PAC’s money power completely made its way into Stewart’s body.

By the end of the weekend Stewart’s PAC, newly renamed Defiantly Not Coordinating with Stephen Colbert Super PAC, had released its first ad, slinging mud with the best of them in hopes of dissuading votes from Stephen’s least favorite candidate, Mitt Romney (click for ad). Since then, a few more ads have been released, finally featuring the super PAC creator himself, who is now in ultimate control as a candidate working to steal votes from actual candidates.

The genius of the Colbert Report’s super PAC/candidate creation and success is not only entertainment, but also its educational value. Weekly, Colbert reveals the most news worthy 2012 campaign and super PAC developments in the form of satire, enabling young viewers to follow and participate in the American political process.

http://www.delcotimes.com/blogs/

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What’s Our Focus?

by Andrea Stickley

Widener University Political Science Major

Since the primaries started a little over two weeks ago, many things have started to come to light in the Republican campaign. With the race between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum heating up, one would imagine that attention would shift away from the other candidates and focus on the fact that the voting tally keeps changing for those nominees. However, since when does anything the American public do make sense? Instead of focusing on what is important, people seem to care more about trivial matters concerning the candidates.

What people tend to forget is that all these Republican candidates are humans, too. They aren’t perfect and have made mistakes in their pasts. Why they are held to a higher standard doesn’t make any sense. It’s only because they are put in the spotlight do Americans feel they have the right to criticize. Yes, they may one day be running the country, but who cares if they slept with someone other than their wife. It’s happened with presidents in the past and the public was still in love with said president after the scandal subsided. So Gingrich had an affair and likes having sex with women; welcome to the 21st century America. Those actions will almost assuredly have no affect on how he would run the country if elected president.

If this is the case, why is that the breaking news story of the week? Shouldn’t the focus be on the fact that the Iowa caucus has been changing its voting tallies and Santorum is now in the lead, not Romney? Isn’t that more important since it has a direct affect on who will receive the Republican nomination for president? No matter how badly people wish that whoever is elected president be perfect, it isn’t going to happen. Accept the character flaws and move on. Focus on what really matters: the primaries and their results.

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Welcome Delaware County Times Readers!

A special thanks to the Delaware County Times for making TheAmericanPartnership their featured blog of the day.  The semester is just getting started, so we’ll have our first student posts on the presidential race starting this Friday. Please check back!

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The American Partnership is Now a Professor-Student Collaboration

Big changes are coming to TheAmericanPartnership next week when the blog will be formally linked with the Delaware County Times. Even better – the blog will have a new set of writers: Widener University Political Science students. TheAmericanPartnership will become a collaborative effort featuring my writing on the American federal, state and local governments and the best student voices from the line-up of classes that I teach each semester. Starting next week you will begin to see interesting posts on the upcoming election from my American Presidency course.

I hope you like this transformation to an innovative professor-student collaboration!