US Midterm Elections 2010

United States Midterm Elections 2010 is due on Tuesday, Nov. 2 and the Election Day is only 7 days off .Being an outsider I don’t have to do anything with the elections here, but wanted know what is going on around me and would like to share my experience with Midterm elections in United States. That is what all about this weblog.

In India this is the time for Municipal Elections in some states including mine. I am just missing the campaign efforts in my town. It’s a real colorful festival there. Here we don’t see all those colors , mike announcements and house to house visits for votes! But there will be banners on all most all intersections which are neatly displayed. You can’t enjoy your favorite ones speech, standing on the road, for that you has to go to parks and in house debates.

What are the mid-terms? And why it is called so?

The elections are called mid-terms because they come halfway through the four-year term served by the president. But actually the polls are in fact for Congress - the two houses of the US legislature - and for some state governorship including Arizona.

The US mid-term elections are definitely an "interim appraisal" of the incumbent government and The President, Usually don't turn out well for the party of the president;

Apart from this Mid Term in US they have Presidential Election for the President and Vice President and Off-Year election which is held in odd numbered years. (Apart from houses the vast majority of these off-year elections are held at the municipal level)The Senate was planned as a more reflective body, and each state has two senators regardless of its size. Senators serve for six years. Every two years, a third of them face re-election.

Why not elect everybody at the same time? Why are the mid-terms important?

Unlike India, once we selected we don’t have any control on the ruling government whatever they does, The American system is designed to be overlapping, both in terms of the powers of the different bodies and in terms of when people are elected to them. The idea was for it to directly and quickly reflect the public mood, which is why the members face election every two years.  

Here is the logic behind, if you don’t like what your President does, come forward and vote against his party in mid-term election. Once his majority lose in houses he will have a tough time to pass the bills on his own wishes. For example if you don’t like Obama’s Health care policies or Economic reforms cast your vote for Republican’s. Once they get majority in house eventually President have to listen them.

What is Tea Party Movement?

We might listen this many times on channels and it is not a joke; initially I thought a kind of party something like dinner party or lunch party. And when Sara Palin came to Tempe last week for ‘Tea Party express’ luckily I did not went for a possible cup of Tea!

Tea Party Movement is a Political movement in United States that emerged in 2009 through a series of locally and nationally co ordinate protests! The main punch for the movement is "just vote those (Democrats) out." "Tea Party" forces played a "loss of hope" or disappointment card, and strive to change the setup with the Democrats control of the Lower House and Senate majority. President Obama and his Democrats, however, are trying to convince the voters to continue to see more "hope" and to consolidate the power base.

What are the Parties in race?

The United States has two main parties–the Democrats and the Republicans (GOP- is the nickname for the Republican Party. Per the GOP website, GOP originally stood for "Gallant Old Party). Though we usually only hear about these two parties, there are also other lesser-known political parties, such as the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, the Peace & Freedom Party, the American Party, the Socialist Party and the Natural Law Party.

What are the Election Issues?

This time midterm elections remains roughly focused on U.S. economy and social security, national defense, education, environmental protection, Un Employment, Health Care reform, 2009 Stimulate package, Immigration reform, The War in Afghan and Iraq, Gulf Oil Leak, The Deficit and Tax Cuts and other domestic issues. May be you can keep adding your on contributions to it.