Posts Tagged 'mitt romney'

Zakaria: Choice to modernize Pakistan must be Pakistanis’

July 23, 2012·Comments closed

Violence caused by jihads is a relatively new problem, but many people associate it with Islam as a whole.

People first thought the cause of the Sept. 11 attacks had to do with Islam, a religion that has been around since the seventh century.

Despite beliefs that the religion is the cause of some violence, countries such as Indonesia and India are peaceful and democratic societies, said Fareed Zakaria, editor-at-large of Time magazine and CNN host, during Monday’s morning lecture.

Zakaria was the first speaker of Week Five, themed “Pakistan: Straddling the Boundary Between Asia and the Middle East.” He informed the audience about the history of Westernization in the Arab world and Pakistan’s deeply rooted religious nationalism.

Morning Lecture Recaps

Gerson, Shields explore Romney campaign’s weaknesses, polarization

July 6, 2012·Comments closed

Though the recent unemployment numbers are harmful to President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign, Mitt Romney has his own weaknesses to overcome.

Michael Gerson, columnist for The Washington Post, and Mark Shields, columnist for Creators Syndicate, were the last guests to participate in a conversation with retired “PBS NewsHour” anchor Jim Lehrer during Week Two, themed “The Lehrer Report: What Informed Voters Need to Know.”

Gerson and Shields discussed Romney’s presidential campaign and polarization among the American public at Friday’s morning lecture.

The unemployment rate in June remained at 8.2 percent after 80,000 jobs were added during the month. Shields said the numbers are damaging and harmful to Obama’s campaign and to the Democrats.

Morning Lecture Recaps

Lehrer: People watch debates to confirm predispositions about candidates

July 4, 2012·Comments closed

Presidential debates serve a greater purpose than just helping the public decide whom they want as president.

The 2012 presidential debates are just as important as any of those that have occurred every election year. They are the only moments during campaigns when presidential candidates stand side by side and discuss the same topics, Lehrer said.
In his only solo appearance of the week, retired “PBS NewsHour” anchor Jim Lehrer shared his thoughts on presidential debates and criticized this year’s Republican primary debates during Wednesday’s morning lecture.

Morning Lecture Recaps

Ayres, Brazile dissect major issues from opposite sides

July 3, 2012·Comments closed

The 2012 election between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney has often been compared to the 2004 election.

The line between Americans’ dissatisfaction with United States politics and the trust the public has in Obama compared to Romney leads to a close race.

Brazile and Whit Ayres, a Republican strategist, had a conversation with retired “PBS NewsHour” anchor Jim Lehrer as part of Week Two’s programming on the theme “The Lehrer Report: What Informed Voters Need to Know.” Ayres and Brazile discussed why they believe each candidate should win the election and the recent Supreme Court health care decision’s role in the 2012 elections.

Lecturer Guest Columns

Whit Ayres: History puts poll numbers in context

July 3, 2012·Comments closed

Both long-term and short-term forces determine the outcome of U.S. presidential elections. Long-term forces include the state of the economy, voters’ satisfaction with the direction of the country and the level of stability in world affairs. Short-term forces include candidate speeches, political ads and presidential debates.

In 2008, the long-term forces — overwhelming dissatisfaction with the direction of the country, fatigue with eight years of a Republican president, fear over the financial meltdown — created an enormous tailwind for Barack Obama. He and his team ran a superb campaign, but the effect of that campaign was far more evident during his Democratic primary win over Hillary Clinton than during the general election. In the general, a mediocre campaign would have defeated John McCain given the forces at Obama’s back.

In 2012, the long-term forces are reversed for President Obama. Three-fourths of voters are dissatisfied with the direction of the country, unemployment remains a full percentage point higher than the highest a post-Depression president running for reelection has ever survived, and a majority of the country still thinks we are in a recession. Those forces create a strong headwind for the president’s campaign.

Morning Lecture Recaps

Kohut, Lehrer take the pulse of the American voter

July 2, 2012·Comments closed

The public’s mixed opinions of the Supreme Court’s decision on the Affordable Care Act exemplifies the division in today’s politics.

Only 45 percent of Americans agreed with the decision, as opposed to 45 percent who disagreed with it, said Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center, at Monday’s morning lecture.

Despite the decision, Kohut said he believes the court’s acceptance of the bill will legitimize it to some degree.

“What has clearly happened is that the administration and President Obama really dodged a bullet,” Kohut said, “because if this legislation had been overturned, it would have taken away one of his achievements — and the knock on Obama, even for people who like him, is he hasn’t accomplished much.”

Morning Lecture Previews

Ayres, Brazile examine inner workings of presidential campaign

July 2, 2012·Comments closed

In continuing this week’s theme, “The Lehrer Report: What Informed Voters Need to Know,” GOP pollster and strategist Whit Ayres and Democratic strategist Donna Brazile will join Jim Lehrer at 10:45 a.m. today in the Amphitheater.

“Long-term forces are at work in this presidential election,” Ayres said about the upcoming showdown between incumbent President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

The major variables include the economy, the nation’s satisfaction with the country’s direction, world affairs and the job market.