How It’s Like When a Journalist Does His Homework

Why Le Pen Has Already Won

If Macron wins by a 20% margin today, the FN would have cut the 64% gap of its 2002 loss by almost 70%. That's a tectonic shift.

And who says the margin will be that wide?

Fifteen Years Later FN Again At Run-off Stage

But this time France is not shocked that the candidate from the far-right survived the first round of the presidential elections. Or that the two parties which have dominated the political scene as far back as people can remember are out of the race. Ms. Le Pen received about 4.5% more votes than her father Jean-Marie did when he beat Lionel Jospin by a little more than half a percentage point. Only to lose massively to Jacques Chirac by the biggest margin ever: 82%-18%.

This time it doesn't look that clear-cut though.

Terror Attack Ends Election Campaign A Day Earlier

For at least three of the four main candidates says the BBC. There were two major attacks during the last American Presidential election campaign: the December 2015 San Bernardino shooting where fourteen people died and the Orlando nightclub attack which claimed the lives of 49 people and happened a few months before Uncle Sam voted.

Who Will Get The Nuclear Football?

According to the IEM Hillary currently has an 80% chance. That's 60% more than The Donald. But there was a similar gap like in the third week of August. Which was subsequently halved within thirty days. We have about a month to go. And Americans have preferred W over Al Gore before.

Thought Anderson Cooper did a good job yesterday. The final debate is in 10 days. At 5am.

America Elects World's Most Powerful Man Today

And the race is quite tight. Although Sandy helped Barack Obama get Mayor Bloomberg's endorsement. Colin Powell will also be voting for the Democrat candidate just like he did four years ago. The economy seemed to be doing better after eight years of irresponsible policies by W. which killed 9 million jobs.

The New Yorker has issued its voting recommendations. Americans are grappling with broadly the same issues that we are confronting here in Dodoland.

Go Barack! Go!

Gotham Prepares For Sandy's Visit

Its subway -- the world's 7th busiest -- has been closed since last night and might not reopen before Wednesday. Major US Financial and Options Markets as well as over 1 million kids are also taking the day off. Today's full moon will certainly not help. Neither will the midlaltitude trough which will make Sandy scarier as it lands.

And all of this is happening one week before the Presidential Election.

Dapre lord Batman pe manz farata ek kari pul tanto.

Obama Meets Challenger in Debate

The first of three. They will be discussing domestic policy and veteran Jim Lehrer will moderate the hostilities. Starts at 9PM EST which means 5AM in Dodoland. So set your alarm.

Barack is going into this debate with a 4% lead over Mitt and on track to be the first $1 billion Presidential candidate this month. Or about 10% more than the GOP's total. Costly campaign, eh? Both sides will then buy huge amounts of advertisement time and space to try to make a difference on Tuesday November 6.

Obama Gets A Little Help From New Friend

Hollande Ahead by Up To 3.5%

As the French go to vote in the first round of the Presidential elections. The interesting thing that's happening this time is that the judiciary has warned that it will prosecute anyone publishing exit polls before voting stations close at 20h. This includes posting on FB or Tweeter. If the leaks are widespread enough the elections could be declared void.

Ah, Tweeter quand tu me tiens...

Sarkozy Ahead of Hollande By 1-3%

For the first-round Presidential Elections that are due to take place in 18 days. Marine Le Pen is third. However Hollande leads by 6-10% at the run-off stage that would take place two Sundays later.

How do you think it's going to go?

Sarkozy Joins Presidential Race

That was yesterday. He has 64 days to convince French voters to give him another mandate. That's 30 days more than the campaign of our last general election. His main rivals wasted little time to react.

Why American Manufacturing Has Been Relocating Abroad

It's not because of lower wages. But because of the overall costs of doing business. So says an interesting 3-part article by Carl Pope. And Barack Obama who will announce what he essentially intends of doing if he gets a second mandate in November when he delivers his annual report card to Congress tomorrow is expected to address these issues.

Indeed, the media has reported that the thrust of a second Obama term will revolve around education, manufacturing and innovation. Which is essentially what Steve Jobs told him he should work on back in October 2010 in order to avoid ending up as a one-mandate President.

How Sarkozy Wanted To Be Evaluated

Journalist Helping Democracy Work Better

How US Presidents Are Elected

Do you know how it's done? If  you do, you don't have to watch this simple clip. Interesting. 

France Loses AAA Rating

Hollande To Face-off Sarkozy in 2012

He just defeated Martine Aubry in the second round of the Primaries organised by Le Parti Socialiste. But it's true that the incumbent President has not yet declared that he will be running again although this is widely expected. Recent polls have predicted that either Aubry or Hollande would defeat Sarkozy next year.

Five years ago, Sarkozy defeated Hollande's spouse, Dakar-born Segolene Royal in the race to L'Elysee. Still, they managed to do something the Clintons did not: both spouses getting their party's nomination in the Presidential Election.