THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2012
4
NEWS US DECIDES
• House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal (second left); his Deputy , Emeka Ihedioha (left); Chairman, Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Mr. Abubakar Jijiwa and House Deputy Minority Whip, Garba Datti Moh'd after the House leadership meeting with BON on the forth coming public hearing on constitution review at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja...yesterday
It’s been a long, hard journey In the last two years, Americans have been distracted by issues around the presidential election. Now that the election is concluded, it is time to face day-to-day issue, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU, in Chicago
T •Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun (second right) displaying a plaque presented to him by the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) at its 85th Annual National Conference in Abeokuta... yesterday. With him are PSN chair Kemi Agbajo (left); former Minister of Information, Prof. Dora Akunyili; former National President of PSN, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi and PSN National President Azuibike Okwor
•Abia State Governor Theodore Orji flanked by his wife Mercy and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume after the dedication of their grand daughter Miss Viola Araraume at the Holy Trinity Church, Abuja.
•Head of Division, West Africa, Sahel, Caribbean, European Investment Bank (EIB), Mr Guus Heim(left); Group Managing Director/CEO, UBA Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza; Divisional Head, Correspondent & International Financial Organisations, UBA Plc, Ms Sola Yomi-Ajayi and Executive Director, Risk Management, Mr. Emmanuel Nnorom at the signing of Eur50 million Regional Funding Initiative for Small Scale Enterprises in Africa at UBA House, Marina, Lagos...yesterday
HE race for the White House has been one hell of a journey. It started technically two years ago. For President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, who voted about 3pm Nigerian time in Boston yesterday, they will never forget this battle of their life. The race has shown that America remains divided down the middle, with small-government, taxcutting, pro-life, pro-gun Red-State Americans opposed to biggovernment, tax-and-spend, prochoice, anti-gun and so on. The race reflects a plummeting faith in politics, and a diminishing commitment to one’s candidate of choice. It also showed that Americans struggle with high unemployment, diminished purchasing power, trillion-dollar budget deficits and growing despair. It was a race, which saw Obama and Romney taking advantage of every available method to boost their chances. It forced them to knock doors and call up voters. They also used text messages. They spent billions on television advertisements in swing states such as Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin and Iowa. Even on election day , they still campaigned. In the freezing weather and with hunger biting at their tummies, their volunteers knocked on doors of neigbours pleading their candidates’ case. From Milwaukee to Washington, Chicago, Janesville and Madison, volunteers for both candidates knocked at the doors or voters or called them up at phone banks. Many of the volunteers have done that for months. Some said they did it for years. They had to pay the price of getting late to bed and rising early. Some took coffee to get going again in the morning. In Milwaukee, a group known as Black Ambassadors knocked from door to door convincing voters to get out and vote. A volunteer said she had to combine the task with her regular job as a teacher. “I just love doing this for our country. The important thing is to get them out to vote, though I ask them to vote for President Obama,” she said. At a phone bank located inside the Auto Workers’ Union building
AMERICA DECIDES 2012
Olukorede Yishau Reporting from
UNITED ST ATES STA
in Janesville, the home town of Republican presidential running mate, Ryan Paul, Democrat volunteers, called up voters begging them desperately to go out and vote. Republican volunteers got rewards (souvenirs) for calling certain number of voters. Obama’s aides said 5,117 staging areas were set up in homes, garages and community halls for volunteers to work from in swing states. Romney had less. Republicans claimed to have made five million voter contacts. Many voters stopped picking up their phones after some time. Obama and Romney practically lived in the air. They visited some states, especially the swing states up to 10 times campaigning in different areas. Their running mates also had hectic time. Musicians, such as Jay Z, also were heavily involved. Top campaign principals, including First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Biden, Dr. Jill Biden and former President Clinton, had busy times talking directly to voters in battleground states about the President’s plan to develop America and strengthen the middle class. Obama’s campaign organ said: “The President and First Lady, the Vice President and Dr. Biden, President Clinton, and countless surrogates are not going to rest in the next 72 hours, because neither are our supporters. Across the country, volunteers are knocking on doors, making calls and voting early. From now until Election Day, volunteer leaders are running 5,117 local staging locations with more than 660,000 volunteer shifts already scheduled. No one is resting, because across the country Americans know we’ve come too far to turn back now.” For American, it is time to get back their lives and face issues of high unemployment, diminished purchasing power, trillion-dollar budget deficits and growing despair