BARACK OBAMA - HIS TWEETS - & The Art of Fighting Elections - What other countries can learn & unlearn from the Man

BARACK OBAMA

(& The Art of Fighting Elections)

The US Presidential Election is on. It is Barack Obama vs Mitt Romney. Incumbency vs  anti-incumbency. Known vs unknown. Performance vs promises. We can see it through so many angles.

Mitt Romney VS Barack Obama

The world watches this election with enthusiasm, hope, misgivings, and all sorts of  mixed feelings.

One aspect that is significant and important in US presidential Elections, and one from which countries like India can learn much, is-  that the presidential candidates announce with reasonable clarity, what Policies they stand for – and what they do not stand for.

This is most unlike the Elections in many other parts of the world, including India. This is one aspect that other countries must emulate. Indian Electorate in particular must start demanding such clarity in the promises vs performance of their electoral candidates.

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have both said many things in the course of their campaign – to clarify where they stand on each Policy issue concerning the USA and the rest of the world.

Barack Obama in particular was explicit and very effective in putting across his views and his stand on most issues, to the US Voter. His electronic campaign – specially his tweets – pack a rare punch that could attract most voters easily. We can assess Obama from his tweets - on what he stands for and what he will not stand for. Here is my assessment:

Ø  Barack Obama does not stand for EXAGGERATION. He does not want to over promise and under deliver. That matters.

Ø  He stands for the maximum good of the maximum people. That matters more – given the first promise. But, Not otherwise.

Ø  Third,  his foreign policy has been outstanding in last 4 years. No New wars. Old wars were significantly de-escalated.  Amarica’s No.1 enemy, Osama Bin Laden  was killed in the most efficient, convincing way – convincing the world, and more importantly, its worst enemies, that America will not tolerate terrorism of any form, from any quarter, howsoever powerful it be.  Absolute, No non-sense approach when it comes to America’s security. But, no wars unless absolutely essential.

Ø  His economic Policy did pay off in last 4 years.  Mitt Romney says – do you want next 4 years to be like last 4 years. That’s meaningless. In the last 4 years, each year was different. The first year saw progress from shambles. The second year, Obama was battling with congress to pass his proposals. He is battling it even now. In the process, some compromises were inevitable. But, progress did come – the  Obama way. Ultimately, he got most of his key proposals passed through the Congress.

Ø  The third and fourth years saw rejuvenation of a shattered economy.

Ø  The last of all - Super storm Sandy showed up the REAL OBAMA   – People first and Election next.

Barack Obama’s TWEETS are a real treat. They show, how to fight elections, and how not to fight elections. He clarifies his positions, he shows how they are the best, he clarifies Romney’s positions, and shows how they are not in the interests of America.

Here are some of his tweets :

Ø  In Ohio: "Another $5 trillion tax cut favoring the wealthy—not change."

Ø  "The auto worker who's back on the job building cars with pride and dignity—he needs a champion."

Ø  "Change is turning the page on a decade of war so we can do some nation-building here at home."

Ø  "Don't tell me that students who can't afford college should just borrow money from their parents."

Ø  "Our economy is stronger when everybody can count on affordable health insurance."

Ø  Speaking to a crowd of 18,000 in Madison: The middle class needs a champion in Washington.

Ø  "I'm not going to turn Medicare into a voucher to pay for a millionaire's tax cut."

Ø  “Change comes when we live up to this country’s legacy of innovation. I could not be prouder that I bet on American workers.”

Ø  "We're not just building cars again. We're building better cars."

Ø  “I said we’d repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ we ended it. I said we’d crack down on reckless practices on Wall Street, and we did.”

Ø  "I said that I'd end the war in Iraq, and I ended it. I said I'd pass health care reform, and I passed it."

Ø  On Romney: "Changing the facts when they're inconvenient to your campaign—not change."

Ø  "Ruling out compromise by pledging to rubber-stamp the Tea Party's agenda in Congress—that's not change."

Ø  On Romney: "He’s tried as hard as he can to repackage the same old bad ideas and make them out to be new ideas.”

Ø  “We believe our country is better when people can count on Medicare and Social Security in their golden years.”

Ø  “As long as there’s a single American who wants a job but can’t find one, we’ve got more work to do.”

Ø  “Today, our businesses have created nearly 5.5 million jobs. The American auto industry is back on top. Home values are on the rise.”

Ø  "No matter how bad the storm is, we recover together. We're all in this together."

Ø  "Gov. Romney's been having a tough time here in Ohio because everyone knows he was against saving the auto industry."

Ø  “We believe in the strivers, the dreamers, the risk takers. We know they've always been the driving force behind our economic growth.”

Ø  “This nation cannot succeed without a thriving middle class, and sturdy ladders for anyone hoping to get into the middle class.”

Ø   “You know I mean what I say and I say what I mean. I said I’d end the war in Iraq, and I did. I said I’d reform health care, and I did.”

Ø  “Giving more power back to the biggest banks, that’s not change. Another $5 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthiest—that’s not change.”

Ø  "We don’t want politicians in Washington, most of whom are male, to make health care decisions that women can make for themselves."

Ø  "Our economy grows best, the markets do best, when everybody has a chance to succeed. When everybody has a good education.”

Ø  "You can join me in building a future that focuses on a strong and growing middle class."

Ø  "Because of the sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform, the war in Iraq is over. The war in Afghanistan is coming to a close."

Ø  "Today, our businesses have created nearly 5 and a half million jobs."

Ø  In Virginia: This election is "a choice between two very different visions for our future."

Ø  "Change comes when we live up to this country’s legacy of innovation." —in Wisconsin

Ø  "I keep my word, and I want to keep fighting for you."

Ø  "Your country will be there for you for as long as it takes to recover & rebuild" -  on Hurricane #Sandy:

Ø  “This is not a game. These are people’s jobs. These are people’s lives.”

Ø  On Romney's misleading Jeep ads: “The car companies themselves have told Gov. Romney to knock it off.”

Ø  "We've created 5.4 million new jobs."

Ø  in Ohio: "This morning we learned companies hired more workers in October than any time in the last 8 months."

Ø  “Change comes when we live up to our legacy of innovation. I am proud that I bet on the American worker and American ingenuity.”

Ø   “We believe that quality health care and a dignified retirement aren't just achievable goals—they’re a measure of our values as a nation.”

Ø  “We can meet these challenges. This is America. We've got the world’s best workers and the best entrepreneurs.”

Ø  “We don’t need a partisan agenda—we need a common-sense agenda that says when we educate a poor child, we’ll all be better off.”

Ø  “We don’t need a big government agenda or a small government agenda—we need a middle-class agenda that rewards hard work & responsibility.”

Ø  “I will never allow politicians in Washington to control health care choices that women should be making for themselves.”

Ø  “No one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job, or a roof over their head, or the care they need when they come home.”

Ø   “It’s time to use the savings from ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to start paying down our debt and rebuilding America.”

Ø  "Change is finally turning the page on a decade of war to do some nation-building here at home."

Ø  “Don’t tell me that hiring more teachers won’t help this economy grow, or help young people compete.”

Ø  “Giving more power back to the biggest banks isn't change. Leaving millions without health insurance isn't change.”

Ø  “Gov. Romney has been using all his talents as a salesman to dress up these very same policies that failed our country so badly.”

Ø  “We grow faster when our tax code rewards hard work and companies that create jobs here in America.”

Ø  “We believe that if this country invests in the skills and ideas of its people, good jobs and businesses will follow.”

Ø  "Our fight goes on because we know this nation cannot succeed without a growing, thriving middle class."

Ø  "Today, our businesses have created over 5 million new jobs. The American auto industry is back on top."

Ø  "In 2008, we were in the middle of two wars and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression."

Ø  “We’ve been inspired these past few days—because when disaster strikes, we see America at its best.”

Ø  On Hurricane Sandy: "The great thing about America is that during tough times like this, we pull together."

Ø  On Romney as governor of MA: “When he left office, there were only 3 states in the country that had created fewer jobs than Massachusetts.”

Ø  “We know that our country is stronger when we can count on affordable health insurance and Medicare and Social Security.”

Ø  “I wasn't going to let Detroit go bankrupt. Or Toledo go bankrupt. Or Lordstown go bankrupt. I bet on American workers.”

Ø  “If Romney had been president when the American auto industry was on the verge of collapse, we might not have an American auto industry.”

Ø  "Whatever the symptoms are, don't worry—Obamacare covers pre-existing conditions."—President Obama on Romnesia

Ø  "In the closing moments of the election, Gov. Romney's hoping you too will come down with a severe case of Romnesia."

Ø  On Romney: “He’s hoping that you come down with a case of what we call…” Crowd: “Romnesia!”

Ø  “I believe women are capable and should make their own health care decisions for themselves.”

Ø  “Finally, I’ll use the savings from ending the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to do some nation-building here at home.”

Ø  “Number 4: My plan will cut the deficit by $4 trillion in 10 years.”

Ø  “Number 3: I want to make it a national mission to educate our young people, to train our workers.”

Ø  “Number 2: I want to cut our oil imports in half by 2020 so we control more of our own energy.”

Ø  “The first thing in my plan: I want to end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas.”

Ø   "Women should be making their own health care decisions. That’s why the health care law we passed put those choices in your hands."

Ø  “Trust matters, and Florida, you know me. You know I say what I mean, and I mean what I say.”

Ø  "No matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, here in America, you can make it if you try."

Ø  "I’ll never turn Medicare into a voucher. No American should spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies."

Ø   “I want to reward small businesses and manufacturers that are creating jobs right here in the United States.”

Ø  “Trust matters. One thing I think you've seen over the past 4 years is that I mean what I say. I do what I say I’m going to do.”

Ø  “He’s hoping you won’t remember that he wants to give millionaires and billionaires a $250,000 tax cut." #Romnesia

Ø  On Romney: "He's hoping you don't remember that his economic plan is more likely to create jobs in China than here in the United States."

Ø  "The unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level since I took office. Home values & home sales are rising."

Ø  "I promised to end taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailouts for good—and we did."

Ø  "I promised to cut taxes for middle-class families and small businesses—and we have."

Ø  "I told you we’d end the war in Iraq. We did. I said we’d end the war in Afghanistan. We are."

Ø  On Romney's failure to mention veterans last night: "They deserve better from somebody who wants to be commander in chief."

Ø  “We can’t go back to what got us into this mess. We need to move forward with what’s getting us out of this mess.”

Ø  “The people of Ohio don’t forget. If Mitt Romney had been president … we might not have an American auto industry.”

Ø  “Last night, Gov. Romney looked you right in the eye and tried to pretend that he never said ‘let Detroit go bankrupt.’”

Ø  "You can choose the top-down policies that got us into this mess—or you can choose the policies that are getting us out of this mess."

Ø  "Fourth, my plan will cut the deficit by $4 trillion over the next 10 years in a balanced way, by cutting spending that we don’t need."

Ø  "Third, my plan will make it a national mission to educate our kids and train our workers better than anyone else in the world."

Ø  "Second, my plan will cut our oil imports in half by 2020, so that we control more of our own energy in America."

Ø  "First, my plan builds on our manufacturing growth by ending the tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas."

Ø  "My plan actually will move America forward. And by the way, the math in my plan adds up."

Ø  On Romney: "His foreign policy is from the 1980s, his social policy is from the 1950s, and his economic policies are from the 1920s."

Ø   "We joke about #Romnesia. But this is about trust. And there’s no more serious issue in a presidential campaign than trust."

Ø  "If you say you love Medicare, but your plan turns it into a voucher that ends the guaranteed benefit of Medicare—you've got #Romnesia."

Ø  "If you say that you love American cars during a debate—but you wrote an article titled 'Let Detroit Go Bankrupt'—you might have #Romnesia."

Ø   “Last night, he said he always supported taking out bin Laden. But in ’08, he said it wasn’t worth ‘moving heaven & earth’ to catch 1 man.”

Ø  “Last night, he claimed to support my plan to end the war in Afghanistan. But he has opposed a timeline.”

Ø  “We’re ending the war in Afghanistan because after a decade of war, it’s time to do some nation-building here at home.”

Ø  “The greatest responsibility I have as President is to keep the American people safe. That’s why I ended the war in Iraq.”

The Tweets go on like this –  with facts, with promises, with proof of past performance, and taking on the opponent with convincing logic. I have listed Obama’s tweets – not for assessing relative merits of Obama vis-à-vis Romney. These tweets show what really serious, people-oriented elections are all about. They show what a no non-sense, politician will come up with – when he seeks the Vote from his people.

Indian Politicians can learn a lot from this – on how to fight elections and how not to fight them.

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