The great silent majority

Richard Nixon in his address to the nation delivered on the 3 of November 1969 in order to defend its policy in Vietnam.

Lexical choice

The language used is concentrated in a few clear words, which recall the topic of the speech: the search for a solution to the Vietnam War.

Then we find: Vietnam, Peace, War, Withdrawal, Forces, People, …

Structure of Nixon’s Speech

Approximately the speech can be characterized by four part: in the first, Nixon tries to imagine the questions that the American people has in his mind; for example: “How and why did America get involved in Vietnam in the first place?”

In the second part he blames the failure of the Paris Conference to communist countries, and in particular the Ho Chi Minh’s refusal of any compromise.

Then he describes why precipitate withdrawal would be a disaster of immense magnitude.

Finally, he asks the support of the silent majority of Americans to achieve the objective “of a just and lasting peace”.

Characterizing words and phrases

-          precipitate withdrawal as disaster;

-          defeat in our nation’s history;

-          our proposals;

-          unprecedented step;

-          obstacle in negotiating;

Fabrizio Creston

The importance of being...Vice President !

   As we all know, the vice presidents have always occupy a marginal role in American political life.

Most of the time they passed almost without leaving a trace in the administrations of their Presidents. But now things have changed and Joe Biden has opened a new era in American politics.

As never before, in these elections the role of vice president was so important. An example of this was the way Joe Biden has been able to remedy the bad impression made ​​by Obama in the first televised debate with the republican challenger Mitt Romney. Joe Biden was able to defeat the young republican Paul Ryan in the televised debate that took place a few days after the meeting between Obama and Romney.

Will the Vice Presidents have a more prominent role in government or Joe Biden will be the only example of this political phenomenon?

Paun Romica

---

Illustration from: 

http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/4d16e265-7eb6-456a-b427-9a521abe26d9.html

Profession First Lady, the other side of the President

“The most powerful unelected and unpaid office to support the President from outside the political battle”. This is how Anita Bevacqua McBride, chief of Laura Bush’s staff from 2005 to 2009, interviewee by the press agency Adnkronos, describes the “hard work” of the First Lady. In fact, wives have an increasing importance in the convention because they have the duty to introduce the human side of the candidate. Their intervention has a great impact on the electorate. For example, Laura Bush’s speech at the 2004 convention represented a turning point in the campaign because she stressed the difficulties and the perturbations of being a president during a war in contrast to whom who thought that Bush desired the war. Some commentators think that Laura’s speech was decisive in the Bush re-election.

In the USA there are opinion pulls regarding the popularity of the wives of the candidate. In the last campaign, Ann Romney got 37% of votes in favour, while Michelle Obama obtained 43% of favourable votes. The two wives are extremely different: Ann embodies the typical republican values of family and patriotism, instead Michelle represent the woman who was able to conciliate family and career.

In 2010, Michelle launched Let’s Move, a campaign to bring together community leaders, teachers, doctors, nurses, moms and dads in a nationwide effort to tackle the challenge of childhood obesity. In 2011, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Jill Biden together launched Joining Forces, a nationwide initiative that mobilizes all sectors of society to give support to military families’. Joining Forces was fundamental to answering the President’s challenge to hire or train 100,000 unemployed veterans and military spouses by 2013. Many others were the activities that Michelle carried out and this business surely strengthened the positive image of President Obama.

First Ladies act behind the scene and often influence President’s policy. I like Michelle Obama and I like also the idea that the USA is ruled by the Obama’s.

Susanna Gallini

Republican Party:The storm of changing maybe is arriving.

“Times are changing. Are we going to accept the changing face to America and change with it?” That is the question wondered by Meaghan Mc Cain. This thinking summarizes the fear of Republican Party to accept or deny the new American’s realty.

According many political analysts, the American election didn’t re-elect only for a second term Barack Obama, but the American citizens have decided to continue on the way. His victory could be considered like an irreversible triumph of a new America, in which all of the American citizens are including without discrimination. Barack Obama was able to talk towards all of communities and obtained from them a good vote. In fact, in the new American society, black, Hispanic, homosexual, heterosexual, religious are becoming more important and they have to be understand, neither of a candidate could  forget them and especially they  have the same rights. In that society it’s important to defend all of their right, not only the right of the American older tradition. This advice will be suitable for Republican Party. They have to redefine their policy towards all of American citizens.

During the last campaign, Mitt Romney didn’t any effort towards some communities such as Black community he didn’t try anything, about Hispanic he was hurting them by talking far right position on immigration during the Republican primary. Steve Schmidt, a Republican strategist argued that: “This is, this will have to be, the last time that the Republican Party tries to win this way “. His affirmation explains clearly that part of the Republican is trying to move forward and accept the changing in American society. The Republican Party should to move forwards on many topics such as:

Homosexuality;

-          Immigration;

-          Minorities right and welfare (including the women);

 
     However, regarding that, Meghan Cain one of the Republican partisan journalists has argued that she could leave Republican Party and become an independent. Clearly if the Republican Party isn’t moving forward, adapting to the new American society, it isn’t going to survive.

Sources:http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/16/meghan-mccain-on-why-the-republican-party-needs-to-wake-up.html

Sometimes they come back

Sometimes they come back. The “Petraeus scandal” seems to have awakened "ancient figures" who we believed relegated to the political history of the United States.

But the General’s love story, apparently guilty of having betrayed the trust of a country through the betrayal of his wife, opened a rift interesting for the Republican opposition.

In particular, Senator Mc Cain took advantage of a TV presence on CBS to begin the cross veto on appointments that President Obama will have to be approved by Congress pursuant to Art. 1, sect. 7 of the Constitution of the United States. Indeed, the Congress have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and exercises, to pay the debt and provide for common defence and general welfare of the United States; to declare war and make all laws wich shsll be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the powers vested by Constitution in the Government.

Back to case, Mc Cain along with colleague Senator Graham of South Carolina, has questioned the figure of the ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice guilty of the attack in Benghazi that has caused the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other officials embassy.

In particular, it cited the responsibility of the President of the United States against the Ambassadors abroad and especially for not to have taken all the necessary measures.

Clear lack of foundation of the charges which have the sole purpose of building a obstructionist attitude.

Fore more: 

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83894_Page3.html

Fabrizio Creston

HABEMUS PAPAM!



Congratulations Mr. Obama!

The America can continue have hope for real change .... But an advice: be careful! Come new Popes in the land of America .....

In fact, don't come from outside, but live in the house .... or above, depending on your point of view ...

After only a few syllables with which the re-elected President recalled the contribution that rich should give the recovery of America that they have immediately felt victims of widespread prejudice: unrequited love with the revenue Authorities!

To try to recover the moral from four years as president of the communist country (sic!), as well as the nightmare of being represented by a possible Soviet, many billionaires, few months ago, met themselves at the so-called SALT, the annual SkyBridge Alternatives Conference orchestrated by the fund manager Anthony Scaramucci: it brings together fund managers with brand-name speakers and journalists for four days of talking and partying.

The star guest to one of the dinners were Al Gore and Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles, and the New York hedge-fund investor Orin Kramer, a friend of Gore’s and a top Obama fund-raiser.

However there was also Leon Cooperman (in the picture), the founder of an hedge fund called Omega Advisor, and famous in "wall street" for his outspoken criticism of President Obama. He has gone so far as to draw a parallel between Obama’s election and the rise of the Third Reich.

In those evenings the guests had witnessed the “activation” of a “sleeper cell” of hedge-fund managers against Obama.

It's America, communist Obama!

Fabrizio Creston

Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/10/08/121008fa_fact_freeland

"The best is yet to come"

        As we all know, Obama was re-elected and he will lead the U.S. for another four years. The electoral campaign has been very long and difficult and his victory was not at all obvious.

From the first speech, President Obama emphasized a fundamental aspect of his political agenda. 

“I’m open to compromise, I’m open to new ideas, I’m committed to solving our fiscal challenge, but I refuse to accept any approach that isn’t balanced. I am not going to ask students and seniors and middle-class families to pay down the entire deficit while people like me, making over $250,000, aren’t asked to pay a dime more in taxes”

Will he be able to keep this promise?

 Paun Romica

---

SOURCES: 

http://video.repubblica.it/dossier/presidenziali-usa-2012-obama-romney/obama-chi-e-ricco-come-me-deve-pagare-piu-tasse/110310/108694?ref=search
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/07/opinion/chappatte-cartoon-barack-obama-re-elected.html 

The end of Romney’s political career.

                                    

  Four more years!! It was a tweet send by Barack Obama for officially announce his victory against Mitt Romney. In fact his victory wasn’t a surprise, because most of poll were confirmed it. Although Mitt Romney till the last moment, didn’t accept this realty, it was clear, Barack Obama should be re-elected. His re-election could be explained by many reasons: 

-          His position about abortion;

-          His gender policy;

-          A support of Latino’s community especially in Florida;

-          A wish to go forward….

-          Like in 2008, Barack Obama has done a good campaign online

  Clearly, Mitt Romney didn’t understand that American society is changing. He can’t be the only one responsible of his defeat. Because, behind of it there are a Republican Party, many lobbies and some political movement like tea party which want to protect the oldest American identity, which deny accepting the homosexual rights, diversity…etc.

But the most important lesson of this election is really the end of Romney’s political career. Why can we believe it? It is one of particularity of American political system. In United State, after the defeat, the candidate who has been defeated will not be the next candidate of his political party (even if in Europe it is really different, Berlusconi is a good example connected to this focus). It’s not forbidden, but it’s always happened like that. After his defeat in 2000, Al Gore stopped his political career. Sometimes, during the future campaigns the former candidates will support the next candidates, but it’s almost impossible for them to be candidate. During the 2012’s campaign, Ann Romney, his wife was explaining about her Husband:” It is his last chance to be candidate for presidential election. In case of defeat, he has to stop his career”.

Usually, the loser find again his last mandate. After their defeats John Terry and John Mc Cain did it (They are still congressmen). Unfortunately in Romney’s case, when he announced his candidature, he wasn’t governor or congressman. He’s now in front of many way, he can start a new charitable career (He already did it France, when he was young) as least he will attend to his grandsons.

Forward !!

Today, on SkyNews24, Gianpiero Gramaglia, an expert on USA politics, commented on the re-election of Obama as President of the United States. First of all, he noticed that it is the first time, since the election of Roosevelt, that “A President of the crisis” is re-elected. In you opinion, why  did the American electorate give him a second chance?

Moreover, it is important to consider that the Republican party has the majority in the United States House of Representatives. According to the journalist Gramaglia, the mediation between a Democratic President and a Republican House of Representatives will be less difficult than in the past two years, when the Congress made the life difficult for Obama who could not achieve all his goals and fully realize important reforms.  In fact, since it is the last Obama’s mandate, the House of Representatives does not have anymore to lame him as a possible future candidate for president; moreover considered the trust that Americans have shown to Obama, the House of Representatives should be prudent in sight of the midterm elections. Hopefully this second presidential mandate will see Obama more free and able to carry on his agenda.

Is Gramaglia right? Will the second mandate of Obama dissipate the perplexities manifested by the Occupy Movement and other radical movements? Will be the needs of ordinary people placed above the interests of big corporations, the financial world and the lobby based on war-profit affairs?

Susanna Gallini