What Do Russian Voters Expect from Their Leader? - Inside Story

About 110 million voters are given the chance to choose a President for Russia, and the spotlight is on one man - Vladimir Putin. He has led the country for almost two decades - either as President or Prime Minister.

Many voters credit Putin, a 65-year-old former KGB spy, with standing up for Russia’s interests. But others say there's no alternative. The election comes at a time when relations with the US are compared to the Cold War and Moscow's accused of poisoning a spy in Britain.

So what do Russians expect from their leader?

Presenter: Laura Kyle | Guests: Pavel Felgen-haeur - Columnist with Novaya Gazetta; Anna Borsh-chevskaya - Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy; James Nixey - Head of the Russia and Eurasia programme at the foreign affairs think-tank, Chatham House

Far Right Gains Momentum in Chile's Presidential Elections

A far-right political party in Chile is expected to play a key role in determining the winner of Sunday's presidential run off. Its leader, Jose Antonio Kast, won a surprising 8% of the votes in the first round, and is now supporting former president Sebastian Pinera. Al Jazeera’s Lucia Newman reports from Santiago.

Iran Presidential Election: High Stakes Poll Goes Down to Wire

Austria: Far-right Presidential Candidate Speaks Following Election Loss

Hillary Clinton vs. Jeb Bush in 2016 Bad for America?

Mar. 24, 2014 - 4:12 - Analysis of presidential buzz

Romney Breaks Silence in Bitter Broadside at Obama

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Mitt Romney, speaking for the first time since losing the US presidential election to Barack Obama, has blamed his defeat on "gifts" showered by the president on his female, young, African-American and Hispanic supporters.

Mr Romney accused Mr Obama of following the "old playbook" by bestowing favors on key Democratic constituencies in exchange for their support at the ballot box.

"In each case they were very generous in what they gave to those groups," the defeated Republican presidential nominee said during a phone call with his national finance committee.

"With regards to the young people, for instance, a forgiveness of college loan interest, was a big gift," Mr Romney said.

Mr Obama garnered 51 percent of the popular vote, while Mr Romney got 48 percent. The president's win was more decisive in the Electoral College, where he earned 332 votes against Mr Romney's 206.

Romney's remarks, reported by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, echoed controversial remarks made to donors at a private fundraiser, denigrating the "47 percent" of US voters who he said failed to pay income tax. » | Source: AFP | Thursday, November 15, 2012

Forget ‘Hope and Change’ – This Was a Victory for Fear and Loathing

MAIL ONLINE: Mitt Romney was right about one thing. He was secretly taped back in May telling fund-raisers that half the country would support Barack Obama because they depend on the government for all or part of their income.

Romney correctly identified America’s burgeoning entitlement culture as a major obstacle to a Republican winning back the White House.

‘There are 47 per cent of the people who will vote for the President no matter what . . . who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe they are entitled to healthcare, to food, to housing, to you name it.’

Striking an almost defeatist note, he concluded: ‘I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their own lives.’

Romney’s leaked remarks caused a predictable storm of confected outrage, but his analysis was bang on the money. Just as Gordon Brown cynically constructed a client state in Britain to maximise Labour’s electoral advantage, so the Democrats deliberately drain the public purse to feed their supporters’ insatiable appetite for handouts.

When 47 per cent of the electorate depends to a greater or lesser degree on government largesse, the Democrats have only to target another four or five  per cent of voters to secure a majority.

With the overall result pivoting on a handful of battleground states, Obama’s supporters concentrated successfully on turning out the Democratic base and convincing sufficient wavering independents that they would be hurt financially by a Romney victory.

This wasn’t a ‘hope and change’ election like 2008. Obama’s campaign this time was based on fear and loathing. » | Richard Littlejohn | Wednesday, November 07, 2012

US Election: Obama and Romney in Frantic Dash for Final Votes

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The two men who would be president presented their closing arguments to the American people on Saturday, as they embarked on a frantic three-day dash for the finishing line in what is poised to be one of the closest contests ever seen in the United States.

After months of speeches, dozens of diner visits, hundreds of thousands of commercials and, by one estimate, $6 billion spent by the campaigns and outside groups, the race is still too close to call.

Mitt Romney promised Americans that under his leadership the country would rediscover its greatness, after languishing under Barack Obama for four years.

Under a slogan of “Real Change from Day One” – a deliberate dig at the president’s winning mantra from 2008 - the Republican contender said that his rival’s “big government” policies had failed.

“If there is anybody who fears the American dream is fading away, I have a message for you: America is about to come roaring back,” he said at his first rally of the day in New Hampshire, one of the closest swing states.

“President Obama is offering excuses, I am offering a plan. He is asking Americans to settle [for what they have got]. But Americans don’t settle, we dream, we aspire and we achieve great things.”

Mr Romney is now the candidate offering a sense of hope, prosperity and unity, while the president is visibly on the defensive.

“I will not just represent one party, I will represent one nation,” Mr Romney said. » | Alex Spillius, Portsmouth, New Hampshire | Saturday, November 03, 2012

François Hollande Wins French Socialist Presidential Election

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A mild-mannered French Socialist they call "Mr Normal" has been chosen to take on Nicolas Sarkozy in next year's presidential elections.

In the final round of Socialist primaries – the first of their kind in French political history – early results put François Hollande, 57, well ahead of his party rival, Martine Aubry, 60, who conceded defeat.

Aubry said as results rolled in, "I warmly congratulate Francois Hollande, who is clearly ahead. His victory is unquestionable."

With a million votes counted from an estimated 2.7 million cast, Mr Hollande's score was above 56 per cent compared to 43 per cent for Miss Aubry.

With his unassuming air of a provincial salesman – Mr Hollande, a consensual, moderate who has never held a ministerial post – had been favourite throughout. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Sunday, October 16, 2011

leJDD: Aubry reconnaît la victoire de Hollande : EN DIRECT - Peu avant 21h, Martine Aubry a reconnu la victoire de François Hollande lors de la primaire socialiste. Suivez le déroulé du scrutin en direct sur leJDD.fr. » | Election présidentielle 2012 | dimanche 16 octobre 2011

Billionaire Bloomberg, the Anti-Smoking, Anti-Gun Mayor of New York, Has His Eye Firmly on the White House
· New York mayor severs ties with Republicans
· Party politics damaging country, speech warns
THE GUARDIAN: Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York and America's 44th richest man, has sparked speculation that he is planning to make a third-party bid for the White House next year by severing his ties with the Republicans and declaring himself a "political independent".

Mr Bloomberg's intentions have been under intense observation for several months, as he is known to have been privately weighing up the possibility of making a run for president in the 2008 elections. His decision to break ties with the party that secured him the mayoralty in 2001 is being interpreted as a sign that his plans are firming up. Bloomberg stokes rumours of 2008 presidential bid (more) By Ed Pilkington in New York

LE FIGARO:
Bloomberg trouble les présidentielles américaines

Mark Alexander

Al hamdu lillah, Sarkozy poised to win presidential election. Vive la belle France!

Photos of Royal and Sarkozy courtesy of the BBC

BBC: France's presidential candidates are staging their final day of campaigning ahead of Sunday's vote.

The latest opinion polls suggest that conservative candidate Nicolas Sarkozy has a firm lead over Socialist Segolene Royal after Wednesday's TV debate. French poll rivals in final push (Read on)

WATCH BBC VIDEO: Final push for French rivals

WATCH BBC VIDEO: French rivals take final shots

Mark Alexander

Is Al Gore to Run for President?

Photo of Al Gore courtesy of Google Images

BBC: So is Al Gore running? The answer was not just a resounding yes. It was delivered breathlessly, impatiently, punctuated by huffs and puffs. There were neatly formed beads of sweat running down his cheeks.

Al was definitely running. No doubt about it! Proof positive. He was running on the running machine at a hotel in Los Angeles where I also happened to be staying.

While I was ploughing gently and unambitiously through the waters of the nearby pool I spotted him in the gym. He was reading the local paper while working the Stairmaster/running machine for at least an hour. I could practically see the pounds flying off him.

The punditocracy has already decreed that one sure sign of Al Gore entering the 2008 presidential race is any evidence that he's serious about shedding post-Florida recount pounds. There you have it. A scoop!

Who knows what's really going through his mind?

But I have no doubt that if he did decide to enter in October this year he would have no shortage of funds, would need less cash than his opponents because of his name recognition and would hugely benefit from the signature issue of global warming for which he has become America's principal spokesman. Washington Diary: Al Gore running (Read on) by Matt Frei

Mark Alexander

Royal Displays Determination to Keep Sarkozy Out of the Élysée Even At Cost of Fighting Dirty
FINANCIAL TIMES: The French presidential race took a surprise turn on Monday night when Ségolène Royal, the Socialist, said she had invited François Bayrou, her centrist rival, to discuss forming a centre-left alliance to block Nicolas Sarkozy, their centre-right opponent.

Ms Royal, who defied her critics by coming a comfortable second behind Mr Sarkozy in Sunday’s first round with almost 26 per cent support, said she had left a phone message for Mr Bayrou, who came a strong third, offering “a public debate”. Royal invites Bayrou to form alliance by Martin Arnold, John Thornhill and Adam Jones

Mark Alexander

Le Pen seems to have lost none of his appeal for the French voter

Photo courtesy of the BBC

BBC: Jean-Marie Le Pen has been in politics for more than 50 years, but at his rally at Porte de Versailles in Paris the crowd greet him as if he was the hottest new act in politics.

Some 5-6,000 people waving flags crammed into the stadium on Sunday to cheer on the National Front leader. The overspill who could not fit in still screamed their approval through the open doors.

"I'm voting for the first time," 19-year-old Frederic told me. "And I'm voting Le Pen because immigration is a serious problem in France - that's not racist, it's realistic and Le Pen will deal with the problem, while candidates like Sarkozy and Royal just pretend it's not happening." Le Pen urges halt to immigration (Cont'd) by Emma Jane Kirby

BBC: A French voter's viewpoint

Mark Alexander