Jewelry And Buckle Blanks

Gridlock The U.S. election: economy, foreign policy and Islam ...

On 2 November will be held at the U.S. midterm elections, reiterating the U.S. Congress - the entire House of Representatives and the Senate a party - for the next two years and two years after the historic election of Barack Obama to the presidency. The poll also looks difficult for my outgoing Democratic majority: according to several polls, the Republicans would be able to win the most seats in at least one of the two Houses. The Democratic Party would, in turn, charges a growing mistrust of voters toward Obama.

must say that most of the campaign was quickly focused on the primary American concern and the main weakness of the balance sheet of the first two years of Obama presidency: the economy . With unemployment at just under politically symbolic 10% unemployment, the announcement of "the end of the recession - technically justified the United States having returned positive growth but not spectacular, was not well received in public opinion that still feels the effects of social crisis. The U.S. housing market is struggling to stabilize the stimulus of the Obama administration is regularly attacked in the press because it does not show tangible results, and especially the reform of Medicare, which had raised a debate passionate time of its review and adoption, has not found its popularity, accused by Republicans of being transformed into " gulf in money." Raised the hopes Obama's election in 2008, in terms of employment, return to prosperity, in response to the crisis, now seem largely disappointed in the American press.

In the area of foreign policy of the United States, about some consensus, important sources of cleavages in American opinion, the Obama administration has still not won the diplomatic success it hoped. The big speech of Barack Obama in Cairo in 2009 will certainly be a great moment in American diplomacy, but it does not exceed the symbolism of the verb in the eyes of critics. On the record Nuclear Iran, Obama had proposed an alternative approach to the logic of force dear to George W. Bush, proposing "political Stretched " in Tehran. The results are not objectively in an appointment for the 2010 elections. Iran's nuclear program continues to progress, so much so that several U.S. think tanks, influential in shaping foreign policy in Washington now admit that the Iranian nuclear power is inevitable (the periodical Foreign Affairs, published by the Council on Foreign Relations, in March 2010 headlined " After Iran Gets the Bomb ).

The results are considered disappointing on the Middle East. In fact, few major initiatives have been launched by the Obama administration before the year 2010 on this central issue. Even the New York Times , unlikely to hostility to the Democrats, criticized Obama for calling in a panic peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, only to end election to win in urgent diplomatic success that was lacking before Targets of November 2, 2010. These peace negotiations now seem largely compromised, mined by internal dissent on the Israeli government, Benjamin Netanyahu is torn between his coalition of moderate and right wing of the Minister Lieberman, and Mahmoud Abbas is increasingly overwhelmed by less moderate than he is. They stumble in particular on the issue of Israeli settlement in the West Bank. The idea then developed to a large segment of the American electorate, there has been no significant progress on two major issues of American foreign policy in two years of Obama presidency. This is especially
criticism by opponents of longtime Barack Obama: he is indeed surprising to see Republicans denounce state intervention, higher deficits, the disappointing economic performance or the foreign policy choices of the president.

More surprising is the disaffection that the Democrats seem to suffer from their own electorate . Remember that Barack Obama was elected by the educated middle classes, minorities and especially by young people. Now this is a very interested and motivated electorate parliamentary elections by mid-term by the president. Their participation may be lacking in democracy camp. But their abstention can not be explained by sociological reasons. American youth in 2008 Obama was elected on the promise of renewal. In a major shift in political life, its methods, with a way of thinking and doing things differently, which directly involve citizens in policy making. Obama spent much of this rhetoric is to transcend partisan divisions on the promise to renovate the old political practices of the capital based on a systematic opposition between Democrats and Republicans, and on negotiations with passages and commissions. It was to "change Washington" by devoting transparency.
Today it is widely criticized Obama for having left locked in the political culture of Washington bipartisan and not being able to build compromise with Republicans, not to be associated with opposition in decision-making. The intransigence shown by the Republicans, voting consistently against all projects of the president in voting in Congress, led to the failure of several modernizers projects dear to the president, as the introduction of financial transparency of election campaigns. Ultimately, all that showed American voters that Washington had finally changed. The criticism is now focused on Obama, made in contradiction with its promise of renewal and rejuvenation of American politics.

Unexpected in the American election campaign is the theme of Islam . It is no longer a politically marginal . It partly explains the thrust of the ultra-conservative movement Tea Party, led by ex-candidate Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck. It is part of a series of controversies that have rocked the United States, primarily those concerning "the mosque at Ground Zero in New York.

The construction of an Islamic cultural center in lower Manhattan, just blocks from the site of the former twin towers destroyed in an Islamist attack September 11, 2001, triggered a sensational controversy that has two values in conflict fundamental about America: one side, tolerance and religious freedom for which the U.S. is definitely best, and the other freedom expression and absolute democracy, that we see every day in America, giving permission to deny the right to build a Muslim place of worship on a site as emotionally charged. In the wake of this controversy, the case of a pastor in Florida, announcing his intention to burn copies of the Koran on the day of 11 September, has pushed up a notch tension and debate about Islam in the States USA.

This is neither more nor less than the question of the role of Islam in American society that is asked . The subject, hitherto latent, took place Central to the campaign because of the controversies that have given him a national scale. The State of Oklahoma for example, has been rocked by a debate about the applicability of Islamic law in American law, a referendum has been held for the same proscribed. To believe the analysis of the Council on Foreign Relations , share more and more of the American public finds growing skepticism with the increase in Muslim population in the United States, and associates Islamist terrorist risk still threatening. Islam would be treated a security risk, according to the think tank similar to the fear of communism during the Cold War, which had fueled the reaction of McCarthyism. The New York Times and questioned about a possible rise of "Islamophobia " the United States, which "would undermine religious tolerance, the mainstay of the Constitution .

Economy, foreign policy, life and political practices, Islam ... themes dominating the election campaign clearly favor a protest vote against the Democrats Obama which personally supported the construction of the "mosque at Ground Zero. Reborn in such conditions of old fears unfounded, with surveys showing that now, 20% of Americans believe that "Barack Obama is a Muslim .
However, the success of the Republicans is not acquired . If the electoral context is favorable, the "Grand Old Party" is not in the political conditions provide a strong and credible alternative to the Democrats. Its think tanks struggle to renew their thoughts and ideas. Failed leadership, the Republicans are always looking for figures nationwide, to counter Barack Obama, but also a new political force that overflows from the right and destabilizing: the Tea Party.