It is an election year, but does it really feel like it? One may ask. Red loyalists in the Tea Party may conjure it as the calm before the storm, but I would reason with their pretentious claims. In retrospect, one can observe that in American election history the incumbent president has often had the last laugh. But has there been this meek an opposition? (Certainly not in one’s recent memory). Looking at this election campaign three C’s come to mind: change, charisma and composure.
Heraclitus said “Change is the only constant.” So will this trend of incumbent presidents retaining office change? I think it is a non-factor in the upcoming elections, as it has mostly been in the last three decades even with the most mediocre and in some cases controversial presidents like Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. The common citizens have not been stimulated by any radical circumstance under the current government to command or demand change. They have had a decent run the last three years under the Obama administration and the recession years are behind them now. It is well-known that the “not poor, not rich” section has been the catalyst for change and they seem to have taken an amicable position towards Obama thus far. This is a very key advantage for the President.
So, how can the opposition change this trend? Well charisma has been a game changer. JFK and Obama are prime examples, but the present Republican candidate roster lacks this quality clearly and dearly. The Republican debates have been boring, uninspiring and pathetic (in the case of Gov. Perry).
During an interview at my alma mater SMU in Dallas last month, former First Lady Barbara Bush stated “This has been the worst election campaign I’ve ever seen in my life.” Out of the candidates only two were in the race for the ticket until two weeks ago.
Rick Santorum was banking on the religious bandwagon, which never an attractive platform especially with a large number of undecided voters being non-religious or atheists. As the primary neared in his home state of Pennsylvania, Santorum’s team decided to quit the campaign to save his political future. On the other hand, the front-runner Mitt Romney is content with the fact that he is ahead in the Republican race, certainly not a great election campaign, a distinct contrast from the previous campaign in which Obama began swinging at the Republican Party from the start. As the Republicans run out of ideas, what can Obama do to put the last nail into the coffin?
Composure can do it for the president, and it is certainly one of his better qualities. He has played that card brilliantly thus far. Highlighting the progress since his induction, Obama has been loud and clear about the healthcare bill being the key implementation by his administration. Then, the focus has been on the cut in the percentage of unemployment during his tenure. But die-hard democrats and the politically naïve should not credit Obama for the success in the killing Osama Bin Laden. In my view, Obama administration has done very little in the pursuit and killing of Osama Bin Laden, and the administration’s foreign policy has been mediocre at best. But when all is said and done, the president has done just enough to earn himself a second term.
Vikas is an alumnus. He graduated in 2011 with a masters degree in telecommunications engineering.
