Tag Archives: 2008 U.S. elections

Obama in Indonesia / A U.S.-Indonesian Partnership on Water / The Hispanic Vote in America

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President Obama delivers remarks in Indonesia. The U.S. and Indonesia team up to improve water services. It takes international cooperation to go after sophisticated criminal syndicates. The U.S. sets conditions that could lead to Sudan’s removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. In Australia, ministers meet. And, finally, the Hispanic vote flexes its muscle in U.S. elections.

Obama Reaches Out to Muslim World
President Obama says that since becoming president he has worked to repair relations between the United States and Muslim communities around the world that have been frayed over many years by mistrust and suspicion. “We can choose to be defined by our differences, and give in to a future of suspicion and mistrust. Or we can choose to do the hard work of forging common ground, and commit ourselves to the steady pursuit of progress,” he says. Above, Obama talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta.

Obama Questions New Israeli Construction
President Obama says Israel’s plan to build 1,300 new apartments in East Jerusalem is not helping the ongoing peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Speaking in Jakarta, Obama says he had not yet had a full briefing concerning Israel’s intentions in the announcement of the new construction, but said “this kind of activity is never helpful.”

Obama’s Return to Indonesia
Barack Obama said it felt “wonderful” to return to Indonesia as President of the United States many years after he had lived in the country for four years as a boy. “The sights and the sounds and the memories all feel very familiar and it’s wonderful to be able to come back as president and hopefully contribute to further understanding between the United States and Indonesia,” Obama said November 9 in a press conference with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

A Water Partnership for Indonesia
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is continuing its partnership with Indonesian organizations to help 2 million people gain access to improved water supplies and 200,000 people gain access to adequate sanitation facilities. The effort builds on 66 months of programs across Indonesia through the USAID-funded Environmental Services Program.

Cooperation on Crime
The Obama administration is developing innovative global partnerships across the Pacific and Atlantic to fight increasingly sophisticated transnational criminal enterprises.

U.S. Makes Offer to Remove Sudan from Terror List
The United States has conditioned its willingness to accelerate the process of removing Sudan from the list of countries that sponsor terrorism provided that Sudan fully implements its obligations under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, including preparing and conducting a January 9, 2011 referendum in southern Sudan and respecting the referendum results.

U.S.-Australia Talks
Women’s empowerment and military cooperation topped the agenda as the defense and foreign ministers of Australia and the United States met in Melbourne. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called the session “a broad, far-reaching and extremely valuable set of consultations.”

The Hispanic Vote in America
The 2010 midterm elections in the United States demonstrated the growing importance of the Hispanic vote across party lines, according to election analysts. Hispanics generally favored Democratic candidates over Republicans, and some analysts credit them with keeping the Senate in Democratic hands. At right, Nevada Democrat Harry Reid greets Hispanic supporters at an October rally.

Human Rights in Burma / A U.S. Election Update / Kids And Robots

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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton backs a probe of human rights violations in Burma. We also have three more reports in our continuing coverage of the U.S. midterm elections, including one on President Obama’s campaign travels. The U.S. and Japan mark a 50 year relationship. The U.S.  urges support for the Lebanese government. Obama’s portfolio for his coming trip to India is packed largely with economic issues.  Learn how lost early American films turned up in a Russian film archive. You can study anything, virtually. In an international program for journalists, Bob Woodward stresses the importance of facts. Meet American fine-art photographer Peter Steinhauer and his Southeast Asian inspirations. And finally, here’s yet another reason robots are cool.

A Focus on Human Rights in Burma
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton backs an international inquiry into human rights abuses in Burma and pledges U.S. support for efforts to improve the lives of its citizens. Speaking in Hawaii at the beginning of a 13-day visit to the Asia-Pacific region, Clinton, right, promises to “seek accountability for the human rights violations that have occurred in Burma.”


Obama’s Daily Campaigning
President Obama was warmly welcomed to the popular comedy program The Daily Show, but during his lengthy interview with host Jon Stewart it became clear the appearance was very much a campaign stop. With congressional Democrats facing tough challenges in the 2010 midterm elections, the comedy show’s first interview with a sitting U.S. president was another in a series of more than 25 campaign stops for Obama in recent weeks.

The Muslim Vote in America
The week before national midterm elections in the U.S., discussions over Islam’s place in America is prompting American Muslims to make their voices heard through voting. Various Muslim organizations are working to acquaint American Muslims with the voting process and to encourage voter turnout.

America’s Endangered Senators
On Election Day, only 37 U.S. senators will be chosen, but some of those political contests are among the most contentious in the 2010 elections. The 2010 midterm elections include 12 Democrats and 11 Republicans seeking re-election and 14 “open” seats (no incumbent running) that currently are split evenly between Democrats and Republicans.

The U.S.-Japan Alliance at 50
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara marked the 50th anniversary of the U.S.-Japan alliance with praise for a relationship “based on deep friendship between our people, on mutual respect, and on common goals and values.” The two met in Honolulu on the first day of Clinton’s seven-nation Asia-Pacific tour. 

U.S. Urges Support for Lebanon
The United States urges support for the Lebanese government as it works to reduce the threat posed by instability and conflict, says U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice.

Economy Tops Obama India Agenda
Expanding economic ties and growing business relationships between the United States and India will be atop the agenda as President Obama travels to South Asia beginning Nov. 6. Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs Mike Froman says India represents “one of the most important emerging economic relationships for the United States, both multilaterally and bilaterally.”

“Lost” Silent Films Found
Some of America’s early film history that was thought to have been lost forever has been recovered. Ten films from Hollywood’s silent film era have been found in Gosfilmofond, the Russian state film archive, restored, copied and presented to the Library of Congress. “This is like finding a lost Picasso,” says Pat Loughney, chief of the library’s $200 million Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation. At left, a still image from the 1922 crime drama Kick In, one of the found films.

Learning Virtually Anything
Salman Khan hopes to make his online classroom “the world’s first free, world-class virtual school where anyone can learn anything.” Based in California, the Khan Academy received a $2 million grant from Google to build the software needed to translate its content into the world’s most-spoken languages.

Woodward on Journalism
American investigative journalist Bob Woodward met with some 150 journalists from 125 countries in an interactive session at the U.S. Department of State as part of the Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists, named for the award-winning and pioneering broadcast journalist. Woodward stressed the importance of what he called “neutral fact-getting” and meticulous reporting.

Visions of Vietnam 
American Peter Steinhauer is a successful Hong Kong-based fine-art photographer whose work is displayed in museums and galleries worldwide, and also at the U.S. embassies and consulates in Vietnam and Burma. Steinhauer was inspired by a 1993 trip to Vietnam, and his work primarily consists of landscapes and portraits portraying Vietnamese culture.

Robots Draw Kids to Science
Robots that kick soccer balls, solar-powered vehicles and helmets that offer virtual bike rides were some of the attractions at America’s first national science exposition, the grand finale of two weeks of activities intended to motivate more young people to pursue careers in science. The expo drew an estimated half million visitors to the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Malaysia Joins Negotiations / More on the Coming U.S. Elections / Ikats of Central Asia

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The U.S. supports Malaysia’s participation in upcoming Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations. Also in Malaysia, women entrepreneurs teach others how to “bootstrap their startups.” The U.S. midterm elections are next week; find out how the youth vote and the members of the tea party might influence them. And, finally, learn about the ikats of Central Asia.

Malaysia Joins Negotiations
The United States supports the addition of Malaysia, its 16th-largest trading partner, to negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and will continue to deepen its strong economic partnerships across the Asia-Pacific region, says U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk.
Kirk, pictured at left with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, says that Malaysia’s inclusion in the negotiations will contribute “to the development of the high standard, 21st-century, regional trade agreement we are seeking.”

Bootstrap Startups in Malaysia
Entrepreneurial women are sharing their experiences, best practices and creative problem-solving techniques to build more successful businesses in a forum created by Warisan Global and the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia.

Rocking the Youth Vote
Young American voters registered in numbers higher than expected to vote in the November midterm elections, continuing a trend of increased political participation by young U.S. citizens.

Election 2010, Is it Tea Time?
The tea party movement is a small but enthusiastic group of American voters who share a frustration over U.S. economic policies. Though it makes up only a small fraction of the U.S. electorate, the tea party is playing an influential role in the 2010 midterm elections.

Republicans to Gain House Seats
Republicans and Democrats are campaigning feverishly in the final days before the nationwide congressional elections November 2 and most experts expect the Republican Party will gain seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is uncertain whether these gains will be enough to turn the House majority from Democratic to Republican.

An Exhibit of Asian Ikats
The spectacular patterns and vivid colors of the ikat fabrics, a status symbol of 19th-century Central Asia, are on display at the Textile Museum’s newly opened exhibition, Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats. The word “ikat” derives from a Malay term meaning “to tie.” Sumru Belger Krody, right, the curator of the exhibition, says ikats were “a glue in many spheres of life, from political to economic to social” and that one reason for the prestige of the fabrics is the difficult of making them.

U.S. Pakistan Talks / A Cholera Outbreak in Haiti / The U.S. Vote

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The United States and Pakistan continue strategic talks. Health officials fear an outbreak of Cholera in Haiti could spread, read what the United States is doing to help. The rule of law in Latin America is on the agenda at a conference in California. The U.S. government is turning to American farms for fuel. Somalia needs more international help. And, we’ve got a pair of reports about the coming elections in the United States.

U.S.-Pakistan Dialogue
The latest round of the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue demonstrates a commitment to strengthening the relationship between the two countries based on values, mutual respect, trust and interests, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. “We came together in this Strategic Dialogue to discuss how to help the Pakistani people in the areas that Pakistani people themselves had identified as their more important concerns,” Clinton and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said. Aat right, Clinton and Qureshi at an earlier meeting.

Fighting Cholera in Haiti
The U.S. government is working rapidly to respond to a cholera outbreak in northwestern Haiti that officials fear could lead to a country-wide epidemic.

Democracy in Latin America
In California, at a conference of Latin American leaders, the focus was not on past triumphs, but on the issues and challenges that many countries face today in strengthening democracy and the rule of law.

U.S. Calls for More Somalia Aid
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson says more countries need to contribute troops and assets to the African Union Mission in Somalia. He says allowing Somalis to simply fight amongst themselves “is in no one’s interest.”

From Fields to Fuel Tanks
The U.S. government plans to ramp up production and consumption of biofuels to help lessen the country’s dependence on foreign oil, and to create new jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

U.S. Prepping for Midterms
On November 2, Americans will cast their ballots in midterm elections that will determine who will represent them in the 112th Congress, scheduled to convene in January 2011. In electing a new Congress every two years, American voters decide who will speak for them in crafting legislation, determining government spending and overseeing the activities of the executive branch.

U.S. Voters as Decision Makers
When Americans vote in the midterm elections, they will select their future leaders and decide a wide range of ballot issues, including how their taxes are spent or what rights their state constitutions guarantee.

Obama takes the hot seat on talk show “The View”

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The daytime talk show hosts of ABC’s “The View” have a new guest today—the 44th president of the United States.

In the first interview of a sitting president in “The View’s” history, Obama faces the show’s women co-hosts, including renowned interviewer Barbara Walters, to discuss the administration’s accomplishments, jobs, the economy, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and family life inside the White House.

Obama has been on the show before, once in 2004 to promote his book, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, and again in March 2008. Michelle Obama also made a guest appearance on the show in June 2008, where she was spotted fist-bumping with the co-hosts.

But how did a daytime talk show appearance get on the president’s busy schedule? Going on the show, which has a largely female audience, is a way for Obama to “talk to the people where they are,” Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a press briefing Tuesday.

Watch when the show, filmed Wednesday, airs at 11 a.m. EDT or check back later to watch the episode online.

Your presidential transition questions answered

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The campaign is over, but Campaign Trail Talk is still receiving tons of e-mail about the presidential election and ensuing transition. Over the next few days, we’ll be answering some of your questions.

Sally of Canada asked: “There were some states not yet decided is there a map or info about the final delegates Obama got?”

States still need to certify their final results, and it may take some several more weeks to count each and every vote. But a winner has been projected in 49 states and the District of Columbia. (Missouri is still counting). Among those, Democrat Barack Obama won every state that supported the Democratic presidential candidate in 2004 and eight states that favored the Republican candidate that year. For more, see “Legally, U.S. Presidential Election Not Yet Complete.”

America.gov has a new Electoral College map where you can see which states were won by Obama and which by John McCain. Our map lets you compare 2008 results to those of the previous two presidential elections – You’ll see some big changes!

Have questions of your own? Post them in the comments field and Campaign Trail Talk will find and post the answers.

Work Begins Immediately for Next U.S. President and His Team

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Barack Obama will not take the oath of office until January 20, 2009, but work to address the many challenges that await him in the presidency begins immediately.

As campaign staffs across the country clean out their offices, a transition team begins its work to ensure the Obama administration is ready to handle the major foreign policy and economic challenges facing the United States.

The transition team, which will include experts on every major policy issue, will begin preparing policy recommendations for the president-elect and help him select Cabinet members. These Cabinet appointments are subject to confirmation by the new Congress after Obama is sworn in.

The transition team will receive help from the White House. The peaceful transfer of power from one presidential administration to the next is a hallmark of American democracy, and the Bush administration is committed to assisting with that transfer. (See “Ensuring A Smooth and Effective Presidential Transition.”)

Transition planning began months ago. Federal agencies and White House offices have prepared briefings on significant pending policy issues for the president-elect’s transition team.

Both presidential candidates were briefed regularly on national security issues, and Obama will be kept continuously informed as he prepares to take office.

Barack Obama Wins Historic Election Victory

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Barack Obama

On November 4, Americans elected Illinois Senator Barack Obama the 44th president of the United States.

Addressing supporters in Chicago November 5, the president-elect said, “To all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright, tonight we’ve proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.”

Obama said that through their votes, Americans sent a message “that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. We are and always will be the United States of America.”

“A new dawn of American leadership is at hand,” he said. “To those who would tear the world down, we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security, we support you.”

As of early November 5, Obama had won at least 26 states and the District of Columbia with a total of 338 electoral votes, putting him well above the 270 needed to clinch the presidency. Results still were being reported from some states in the early hours of the day after Election Day.

Obama will become the first African-American president of the United States and also the first person of color to govern a country with a white majority.

The Illinois senator carried all the states won by Democrat John Kerry in 2004, as well as Ohio, Iowa, Florida, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada and Virginia — states previously carried by Republican George Bush.

In his concession speech from Phoenix, Senator John McCain said he had telephoned President-elect Obama to offer his congratulations. He recognized the significance of Obama’s victory for African Americans and the “special pride that must be theirs tonight” following a long history of slavery, segregation and discrimination.

He said the United States is now “a world away from the cruel and prideful bigotry of that time,” and “there is no better evidence of this” than Obama’s election. He also pledged to support the incoming president and urged his supporters to offer their “good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together.”

Election Day is finally here!

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When Campaign Trail Talk posted its first entry October 12, 2007, there were 17 candidates for the U.S. presidency. A quick 13 months later, we are just hours from knowing who the American people will select as their next leader: Barack Obama or John McCain!

This is a day many across the world have long anticipated, and Campaign Trail Talk encourages you to spend part of this exciting day with America.gov: Our Election Night Webchat begins at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT.) Hope to see you in the chat room!