Pres. Obama and his family on stage at his reelection "victory party" last night in Chicago (AP photo)
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Surpassing the 270 electoral votes necessary shortly after 11 PM on Tuesday night, President Barack Obama defeated Republican challenger Mitt Romney to win a second term in the White House. After a historically long, bitter and expensive campaign, the status quo was retained in Washington as the House and Senate also preserved their pre-election majorities. The question is now raised whether Obama will govern differently than his first four years in office or from his campaign trail rhetoric, both of which were largely indistinguishable from the agenda of Republican Party or Mr. Romney.
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(Christian Science Monitor)
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Much has been written about the record amount of money spent on federal elections in 2012, with the two presidential campaigns, candidates for the House and Senate, and each of their “independent” supporters pumping an astonishing $6 billion into this year’s race. But less has been reported on the equally significant flood of campaign cash being devoted to state and local races, campaigns that have just as much — if not more — direct impact on the lives of Americans than which man occupies the White House. Nearly $2 billion has been spent on these races — another record — with the vast majority of it coming from either wealthy candidates self-funding their bids or huge corporations taking advantage of lax campaign finance regulations and the creation of “super-PACs” that mimic their larger cousins backing Obama or Romney. Everything from state ballot amendments to typically sleepy campaigns to retain court justices have attracted interest from wealthy financiers and even multi-national corporations that want to boost profits and see an opportunity to do so in virtually rigging elections against underfunded foes.
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(IPS News)
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Election Day included ballot initiatives that would loosen restrictions on marijuana use and possession in six states, an unprecedented opportunity for pro-legalization advocates and a turning point in the nation’s opinion towards the “war on drugs.” Three states could join a handful of others in the U.S. that have legalized medical marijuana, but Washington, Oregon and Colorado will vote on measures that would make recreational cannabis use fully legal and subject to taxes that supporters hope will boost their respective state economies. The votes in these three Western states mark a “Rubicon” moment in the battle for legalization, with any victory likely prompting legal fights with federal authorities still engaged in the Obama administration’s crackdown on marijuana users and dealers — even those operating under state medical cannabis laws.
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(CNN)
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Tales of major problems faced by mostly minority voters seeking to cast a ballot in Florida’s urban counties started rolling in even before Election Day, as long lines, misinformation, and untoward shenanigans from state and local officials partial to Republican candidates turned early voting into a nightmare. A shortened early voting period mandated by Gov. Rick Scott meant chaos for those trying to beat the Tuesday rush, especially in the greater Miami area where polling places were shut down and the cars of eager would-be voters towed as people stood in massive lines. The mess carried over into Election Day itself, with more lines and some attempts by state officials to convince minority voters and other non-Republicans that the election was “postponed” until Wednesday has allowed Florida to once again live up to its miserable reputation as the state most able to both a vote count.
(Miami Herald)
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YES WE DID!!! HELL YES. Welcome back President Obama.
All that money spent and they still lost- God must love Obama He He He he Wonder how that Romney billionaire party is going now?
Well, lots of Repukes in my hometown had promised to slash their wrists if Obama won. I fully expect them to honor those promises, but like all Repukes do, they’ll just walk away.
Repubs love drone strikes, warmongering, occupation of oil-rich brown nations, corporatism, banks, the surveillance state, prosecuting whistleblowers, indefinite detention, torture, Gitmo, Big Pharma, GMO… Obama’s actions show he loves these too. I thought liberals were supposed to be against these things but reading some comments it appears I’m wrong. The Neocons should be ecstatic, Bush got his fourth term. Get back to me when Obama gets all that cleaned up.
Let’s hope POTUS unleashes his inner-radical now that he has nothing to lose. I wanna see the true progressive I KNOW is inside this man.