2012 Presidential Election, Essay Example

Does the 2012 Presidential Election really matter if the composition of the Congress is unlikely to change very much? ??

The question itself appears to be intent on predicting the future.  Despite months of polling and prognosticating, the election of a president is always open for either candidate.  The famous newspaper picture of the Truman win over Dewey is proof of the concept.  Thus, it would be daft to say that the 2012 Presidential Election does not matter simply because of the composition of Congress.  Just as there is no way to predict the Presidential winner, there is no way to predict the winners of the Congressional races.

Our Congress is currently composed of 287 Republican members and 247 Democrat members (http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/demographics.tt?catid=party).  The differences in numbers are very small.

Additionally, even if the composition of Congress did not change, the Presidential Election would still be important.  Since Congressional elections are every 2 years, a Presidential win by the opposing party could lead to a shift in Congress at the Midterm election.

Are our parties at fault for refusing to find middle ground or is it really the federal structure of our political system and the bicameral legislature (both Houses having equal powers)?

The two parties are at fault for refusing to find middle ground on issues.  The federal structure of a bicameral legislature is not to blame.  In truth, it is the constituency of the parties that is to blame.  In order for the two party system to remain in place, the parties must differentiate themselves from each other.  Otherwise, they would become one.  To differentiate, they refuse to work for a common goal.

The current Presidential Election is a grand example of this theory in action.  The healthcare law passed by Obama during his first term was not a law that originated with him.  The law came from Mitt Romney.  “It [the Massachusett’s healthcare law passed by Romney] was his signature achievement as governor of the commonwealth — a market- based solution to the problem of access to quality health insurance that included an individual mandate requiring that people be insured. If it was determined that you could afford health insurance and you didn’t buy it, you were assessed a penalty on your income taxes” (http://www.esquire.com/features/life-under-romneycare-1012).

However, since gaining the Republican nomination for President, this part of Romney’s life has been buried.  He has been forced into the position that the Republican party has adopted to differentiate itself from the Democrats and Obama.