Category
Newsroom FeedNewsroom
The healthcare ruling's affect on the presidential race
4 July 2012
ABC Local Radio Evenings
Obama's signature healthcare reform, the Affordable Care Act, has been upheld by the Supreme Court but question marks still hang over the future of the legislation, the partisanship of the court and what the legacy of the decision will be. Professor in legal policy David Weisbrot explains the ins and outs of the case and how it is likely to affect the presidential elections in November.
Wounded Romney limps to uncertain contest with Obama
16 March 2012
The Australian
Mitt Romney's strong showing in the Super Tuesday primaries this week demonstrated that he will almost certainly be the Republican Party's candidate in November's presidential election, but it will be a hard slog to the nomination, says US Studies Centre CEO Geoffrey Garrett. Romney will continue over the coming weeks and months as a presumptive nominee searching for momentum, looking weaker as the campaign continues. Nonetheless, even though the economy and President Barack Obama's poll numbers are improving, Republicans believe they still have a chance to win the presidency this year.
GOP sees Jewish vote as crucial in background states
1 March 2012
The Australian
Candidates across the political spectrum understand the importance of the Jewish vote, which is small but characterised by high turnout. Jews tend to be strong Democratic supporters, but the US Studies Centre's Professor of Legal Policy David Weisbrot writes that Republicans sense President Barack Obama is vulnerable to losing Jewish support. Has the Republican congressional leadership's close relationship with the Israeli right put Obama's appeal to Jewish voters at risk? Read Online
An American Melodrama - The Presidential Campaign in 2012
29 February 2012
The presidential election in November 2012 promises to be tight, and the campaign brutal. Barack Obama will have to spend as much time defending his record as making promises for the future. And with the Republican challenger still yet to be decided, whoever wins the GOP nomination, will have the to unite the party after five years of squabbling and an increasingly ugly primary season.
Research Associate Tom Switzer and Lecturer in US Politics Dr David Smith both offered their unique perspectives on the elections and the outlook for the US at a panel discussion hosted by the Australian Institute for International Affairs. Watch Online
