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Articles on Barack Obama

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Can Paul Ryan match Mitt Romney’s achievement and score a win in the debate against his Democratic opponent? EPA/Shawn Thew

US vice presidential debate: Ryan and Biden square off

A vice president is usually brought in to complement the president’s vision and policies. However, this year, it was the Republican presidential candidates who had to tailor their own platforms to the…
The administration of Barack Obama - seated here with South African President Jacob Zuma - has been criticised for not focusing more foreign policy attention on Africa. EPA/Olivier Douliery

Africa and the US presidential campaign

This year’s US presidential election has been notable for the lack of focus on foreign policy issues by either candidate. Certainly Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate, has attempted to gain traction…
Will Mitt Romney’s performance in the first debate boost his previously flagging campagin? EPA/Rick Wilking

Romney’s return: can one debate change the campaign?

Mitt Romney’s victory in the first presidential debate has given his campaign a much-needed lift with four weeks remaining until the election. But can the strength of Romney’s debate performance really…
The challenger and defender: the first US presidential debate has changed the game for Romney and Obama. AAP

Race to the White House: Dennis Altman, Nick Bisley

Welcome to part five of our Race to the White House podcast series. Each week we’ll be talking to Australia’s top US experts on the ins and outs of the 2012 US presidential campaign. This week, Romney…
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney had the edge over President Barack Obama in Wednesday night’s presidential debate. EPA/Shawn Thew

Round 1 to the Republican: Romney comes out swinging

Verdicts on the first presidential debate of 2012 overwhelmingly favour Governor Mitt Romney. Romney articulated his message with a sense of clarity about the political ideas and principles he represents…
What can Mitt Romney learn from previous candidates that trailed but won? EPA/Michael Reynolds

What can Romney learn from past comebacks?

With Mitt Romney entering October as the decided underdog it seems fitting to revisit some past presidential election comebacks. And while these cases are entertaining in and of themselves, they also offer…
Mitt Romney, flanked by Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul during a Republican candidates’ debate last year, needs a strong performance in this month’s debates against Barack Obama to save his campaign. EPA/CJ Gunther

Presidential debates loom as Romney’s last best hope

The US presidential election is almost over before the best part – the presidential debates. With Barack Obama looking almost unbeatable at the beginning of October, Republican candidate Mitt Romney’s…
Former governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson is running for president as the Libertarian Party’s nominee, but are third parties relevant in US politics? Flickr/Gage Skidmore

Why disappointment and dissent can’t break the two party system

On Election Day in 2012 many Americans will vote against a candidate they hate, not in favour of a candidate they like. This is often the case. During the 2004 contest between George W. Bush and John Kerry…
President Obama’s charm offensive in the Middle East has been overtaken by the Arab Spring and growing instability in the region. EPA/Khaled El Fiqi

Obama and Romney face off over Middle East policy

When Barack Obama and Mitt Romney commenced their presidential campaigns, Middle East policy was not a top issue. But the Middle East has a propensity to thrust itself on US politics. True to form, the…
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan campaigning in the battleground state of Ohio last month, one of the states the Republicans need to fall their way in November. EPA/Shawn Thew

US elections: battleground states

It is about five weeks before the election and, overall, President Obama seems to hold a small but steady margin over Mitt Romney. However, predictions regarding the popular vote are not as important as…
Misinformation spreads rapidly and sticks tenaciously. Moon_son/Flickr

Where does misinformation come from, and what does it do?

Obama is a Muslim, vaccinations cause autism, asylum seekers are breaking the law, GM foods cause cancer. These are all pieces of unsubstantiated misinformation that are commonly encountered on TV, talk-back…
President Barack Obama address the United Nations General Assembly this week. AAP/Jason Szenes

Race to the White House: Binoy Kampmark, Geoffrey Robinson

Welcome to part four of our Race to the White House podcast series. Each week we’ll be talking to Australia’s top US experts on the ins and outs of the 2012 US presidential campaign. This week, Binoy Kampmark…
It’s time to look closer at the value behind the work ethic. Julian Smith / AAP

Hard yakka: what’s the work ethic really worth?

Accepting the Democratic nomination earlier this month, President Barack Obama said he was inspired by the spirit of “the auto worker who won the lottery after his plant almost closed, but kept coming…
Obama met with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009 in what was seen as a further sign of a strong emerging relationship between the two countries. EPA/Shawn Thew

India, the ‘New Asia’ and the American presidential elections

Any American presidential election reverberates around global policy corners but, for India, the 2012 contest carries unusual significance. With its economy slowing, national government under severe pressure…
Do lawn signs like these have any effect on prospective voters? Flickr/Animantis

My yard, my candidate: the social psychology of lawn signs

As the November elections draw nearer, front yards across America are sprouting campaigns signs broadcasting their chosen political candidates. These lawn signs have been a traditional part of politics…
It’s been a tough week for Mitt Romney. Can he turn it around? EPA/Brian Blanco

Race to the White House: Tim Verhoeven, Joe Siracusa

Welcome to part three of our Race to the White House pod cast series. Each week we’ll be talking to Australia’s top US experts on the ins and outs of the 2012 US presidential campaign. This week, Tim Verhoeven…
Mitt Romney’s 47% comments portray a man out of touch with most American lives. EPA/CJ Gunter

Mitt’s 47% gaffe: the Romney shambles rolls on

At a certain point, Mitt Romney will have to pony up for the monocle and top hat if he wants to heighten his similarities to Rich Uncle Moneybags. Rhetorically, he’s topped out. Romney filled his gaffe…
Without serious, structural fiscal reforms — which require bipartisanship and compromise — the US economy could go into free fall. Bungee jump image from www.shutterstock.com

Is the US set to jump off a fiscal cliff?

As we check our political calendars, many look to November 6 as the crucial date that will determine the future direction for US politics and the nation’s ailing economy. But in policy terms, it is January…
Burdened by expectation: Barack Obama prepares to leave the White House aboard Marine One last weekend. EPA/Michael Reynolds

Obama or Romney? The choice of the 1%

On November 6, US voters will make a choice between two very different candidates with very different visions, policies and approaches. Well, that is the official version, at least. The reality is rather…
Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan’s speech to his party’s convention last month attracted heavy scrutiny from political ‘fact-checkers’. EPA/Justin Lane

The lost cause of American political fact-checkers

Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts. – Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Political fact checkers seem to perform a vital public service for American democracy. Websites such as FactCheck.org…

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