African Americans Vote in Key Battleground State.docx

African Americans Vote in Key Battleground State.docx

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AfricanAmericansVoteinKeyBattlegroundState

AfricanAmericansVoteinKeyBattlegroundState

GREENSBORO,NORTHCAROLINA—TheU.S.presidentialelectionisapproaching,andexcitementisbuildinginkeystateswherevoterscoulddeterminetheoutcomeiftheraceisclose.ThecontestbetweenPresidentObamaandMittRomneyinNorthCarolinaistooclosetocallandAfricanAmericansareturningoutforearlyvoting.

EarlyvotingisunderwayinNorthCarolinaand,forAfricanAmericanvoterslikeWalterGilmore,there'sasenseofurgency.

"Iamjustworriedingeneralforjobs. SomanypeopleinNorthCarolinaareunemployedandthentryingtogetpeoplebacktoworkhereinsteadofshippingjobsoverseas,"saidWalterGilmore,aNorthCarolinavoter.

ArecordturnoutamongAfricanAmericanshelpedBarackObamanarrowlywinthestatefouryearsago. Inthepresidentialcontestthistime,theRepublican-MittRomney-seemstohavetheedgebutit'sclose. NorthCaroliniansaredividedonwhotheywanttoleadthecountry.

Thesecollegestudentsarevotingforthefirsttime. 

"WhatwonNorthCarolinawastheearlyAfrican-Americanvoteespeciallythecollegestudents.Wehaveabiginfluence,"saidone.

"Weneedeveryvote,everyvotesoencouragehimtocomeanddoonestop,"saidanother.

AlmaAdamsknowsfirsthandhowimportantitisforDemocratstogetAfricanAmericanstothepolls. She'sservedinNorthCarolina'slegislatureformorethan18years. Shesaysturnoutamongblackssofarisimpressive.

"Thatsaystomethatpeoplereallywanttogetinvolvedinthisprocessandtheyunderstandtheurgencyofit,andthatissocritical,"saidAdams.

 Adamsispopularherebecauseshesupportsqualityeducation,jobsandincreasingthestate'sminimumwage.

"Weneedtotrytofindwaystogetpeoplebacktoworkgetgoodjobsforpeople,goodbenefits,"shesaid.

RepublicanPartycandidateOlgaWrightischallengingAdamsforherseatinthestatelegislature.She'soneofonlyafewAfrican-AmericanRepublicansrunningforofficehere.  

Shepromotespopularideaslikeimprovingeducationandhelpingat-riskfamilies. WrightsaysconvincingDemocratstosupportherisanuphillbattle.

"Iseparatemyselffromthepoliticaldivisivenessthatpropelseverything.YouknowpeoplewillnotlookatmebecauseIamaregisteredRepublican. Partydoesnotmatter,"saidWright.

Onthecampaigntrail,Adamstellsconstituentsshewillfightagainstbudgetcutstoprogramsthatmattertohercommunity.

"Sowehavegotoneortwothingstodo-runforofficeandtrytohelpmakeadifferencethereorcontrolthosepeoplewhoareelectedtoserveyou,"shesaid.

AdamsandothercommunityleaderssaythefactthatmoreAfricanAmericansareinvolvedinthepoliticalprocessisahopefulsign.

African-AmericanVotersExpressOpinionsAboutUSPresidentialElection

BarackObamawon95percentoftheAfrican-Americanvoteinthe2008U.S.Presidentialelection. Fouryearslater,RepublicanPartychallengerMittRomneyistryingtotakeawayAfrican-AmericansupportfromObama.

AsolidturnoutamongAfrican-AmericanvoterscouldliftBarackObamatoasecondpresidential-electionvictory,sayspolitical-scienceprofessorLorenzoMorris.

"Theywillhaveanimpactunlesstheydonotshowup[atthepolls],meaningtheirdistributionacrossthe[key]statesandtheirinfluencein2008meanstheirrolewillbecritical, hesaid.

Public-opinionsurveyssuggestthepresidentcanagainexpectstrongsupportamongAfrican-AmericanvoterslikeAngelaJenkins.

"AsapersonthatwasunemployedIwasabletogethealthinsuranceformyselfandmysonbecauseofhis[PresidentObama's]initiative,"Jenkinssaid.

OthervotersarelessenthusiasticaboutPresidentObamabecauseoftheeconomicdownturn. AndrewMarshallwasoutofworkfortwoyears.

"Ijustrecentlygotbacktoworkabouteightmonthsago,sotheprogressisveryslowatthispointandwithpeopleitsmoreofafrustrationfactorwherepeoplelikefigureitshouldhavebeendonemaybetwoyearsago,"Marshallsaid.

Despitetougheconomictimes,manyblackvoterswespokewithapproveofPresidentObama'sjobperformance.

"Ithinkhesaidhewasnotgoingtochangeeverythingovernight. Ithinkasecondtermhe[PresidentObama]willfulfillmoreofwhathesaidhewasgoingtodo,"Franklinsaid.

"IfyouwantapresidentthatwillmakethingsbetterintheAfrican-Americancommunityyouarelookingathim,"Romneysaid.

RepublicanPartypresidentialcandidateMittRomneyhasappealedtoblackvoterstojoinhisside. Itisprovingtobeatoughsell.

"LikemeIamonmymother'shealthinsurance,andIfeelasthoughonceRomneygetsinofficeitwillallbetakenaway,"saidonefemalevoter.

"IfMittRomneywinstheWhiteHouse,heisgoingtohavetogivetheseyoungblackmenandoldblackmenjobs. Ihavea[college]degreeanditishardformetogetajob,"Smithsaid.

SomevoterswerecriticaloftheObamaadministrationanddisappointedthepresidenthasnotdonemoretoaddressconcernsintheblackcommunity.

"WehavehadanemphasisontheLatinopopulation,wehavehadanemphasisonthegaypopulation,butwhenitcomestoAfricanAmericansIdonotseeaninitiativethatwasputinplacetopropelourissues,"Wrightsaid.

"Allthetimesthatanincumbent[candidate]willrunyouusuallyhavetorunonyourrecordandhis[PresidentObama's]recordisnotgoodinmyeyesbutyouknowIamjustoneperson,"Allensaid.

Despiteafewreservations,politicalanalystDavidBositisoftheJointCenterforPoliticalandEconomicStudiespredictsavastmajorityofAfricanAmericanswillendupsupportingObamaoverRomney.

"InadditiontosupportforPresidentObamaamongblacksthereisadefinitefearofwhatthealternativeRepublicanPartyagendarepresents,"Bositissaid.

OtherpoliticalanalystssayifPresidentObamaistorecapturetheWhiteHousehiscampaignwillagainneedastrongshowingatthepollsinAfrican-Americancommunities,especiallyinbattlegroundstatesthatcoulddeterminetheoutcomeoftheelection.

CandidatesDifferonHandlingChina'sRise

ChinaPolicyhasplayedaroleinU.S.presidentialdebatesfordecades,andcontinuestodosotoday. PresidentBarackObamaandGovernorMittRomneyagreeChinaneedstoplaybytheruleswhenitcomestotrade. TheydifferonwhethertheU.S.shouldbemoreaggressivewhenitcomestoenforcingthoserules. 

AtthefirsttelevisedpresidentialdebatebetweenJohnF.KennedyandRichardNixonin1960,theissuewasU.S.supportforTaiwan,thencalledFormosa.

"IbelievestronglyinthedefenseofFormosa,"Kennedystatedduringthedebate. "Theseislandsareafewmiles,fiveorsixmilesoffthecoastofRedChinawithinageneralharborareaandmorethan100milesfromFormosa."

ThetraditionofdebatingU.S.-Chinarelationscontinuestoday.

GovernorRomneysaysthatifelected,hewilllabelChinaacurrencymanipulatorthefirstdayofhispresidency. ThatmovecouldleadtobroadtradesanctionsagainstChina.

"WehavetosaytoourfriendsinChina,"saidRomney,"'Look,youguysareplayingaggressively. Weunderstandit,butthiscan'tkeepongoing.Youcan'tkeeponholdingdownthevalueofyourcurrency,stealingourintellectualproperty,counterfeitingourproducts,sellingthemaroundtheworld,eventotheUnitedStates.'"

PresidentObamaopposesbrandingChinaacurrencymanipulator,arguingcurrenciesareattheirmostadvantageouspointforU.S.exporterssince1993.

"Chinaisbothanadversary,butalsoapotentialpartnerintheinternationalcommunityifit'sfollowingtherules,"notedObama. "SomyattitudecomingintoofficewasthatwearegoingtoinsistthatChinaplaysbythesamerulesaseverybodyelse."

TheU.S.hasborrowedmoremoneyfromChinathananyotherforeigncountry.

ChinaistheU.S.'ssecondlargesttradingpartner. Lastyear,thetradedeficitwithChinawasnearly$300billion. PresidentObamaargueshisadministrationhasdoubledthenumberofcomplaintsagainstunfairtrade.

Onhumanrights,PresidentObama'sstrategyistopushChinatoimprovewithoutembarrassingit. TheObamaadministrationcitesthereleaseofblinddissidentChenGuangcheng,whotookrefugeintheU.S.EmbassyinBeijing,asanexampleofObama'spolicyworking.

GovernorRomneysayshewouldtakeatougherstancetowardChinaonhumanrightsandhascondemnedChina'sone-childpolicy.

"IwillcutofffundingfortheUnitedNationsPopulationFundwhichsupportsChina'sbarbaricone-childpolicy,"saidRomney.

Ondefense,bothcandidatesagreetheUnitedStatesneedstoexpanditsinfluenceintheAsia-PacificregiontocounterChina'srisingpower.

"WebelieveChinacanbeapartner,butwe'realsosendingaveryclearsignalthatAmericaisaPacificpower;thatwearegoingtohaveapresencethere,"notedObama.

Despitethatstatementofsupport,PresidentObamahasnotsoldadvancedF-16fighterjetstoTaiwan.

GovernorRomneymeanwhilehasgivenstronghintshewouldsellTaiwantheaircraft.

"TheylookatAmerica'scommitmentsaroundtheworldandtheyseewhat'shappening,andtheysay,"Well,OK.IsAmericagoingtobestrong?

'Andtheansweris,yes,ifI'mpresident,Americawillbeverystrong,"saidRomney.

WhenKennedyandNixondebated,theChinaPolicydebatewasforadomesticaudience. Now,largeaudiencesinChinacanwatchtheU.S.presidentialcampaignliveonline,witheverywordscrutinizedfordeepermeaning.

Europe_-_US_Elections

LONDON—EuropeansarewatchingthefinalstagesoftheU.S.electioncampaignclosely,concernedabouthowtheoutcomemightaffectglobalissues. Europeanscan'tvoteintheU.S.election,but,likepeopleeverywhere,theyh