After a bruising two-year battle (lets face it, the presidential race effectively commenced immediately after the 2010 Congressional elections), an estimated cumulative $6 billion in campaign expenditures, dozens of Lettermans Top Ten Lists, and several thousand hours worth of political ads (remember this?), the 2012 United States Presidential Election finally concluded with President Barack Obama securing a second term in office. <\/p>\n
One more time, in case anyone missed it: $6,000,000,000. <\/p>\n
This is larger than the entire annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the 54 smallest economies in the world. Its even larger than the 2011 GDP of the Principality of Monaco, where billionaires spend their summers watching $7 million F1 race cars zooming around town. Its larger than the combined 2010 and 2011 GDP of the Cayman Islands. Its larger than Grenada's last ten years GDP, where Clint Eastwood once famously led an American invasion force. Wait, that was Heartbreak Ridge. <\/p>\n
Was it worth it? You bet. Every single cent was worth it, regardless of how one looks at it. We are, after all, speaking about electing the leader of the most powerful country in the entire recorded human history, either relative or absolute. <\/p>\n
However, President Obamas victory doesnt appear to be banishing the sense of uncertainty that is enveloping the nation. America appears to be more divided than ever in the backdrop of the most challenging economic climate in living memory. The $16 trillion albatross hanging around the countrys metaphorical neck only adds to the growing anxiety of the populace. Congress is still split between the Republican-controlled House and the Democrat-controlled Senate. <\/p>\n
And to top it all off, perhaps the sight of what many consider as the most contentious, spiteful and fractious presidential election ever, between two equally forceful candidates, has led many Americans to look at the future with a little trepidation. There seems to be a growing culture of hatred in the national political discourse. <\/p>\n
Surely the country has never faced anything even remotely similar to this, right? Wrong. <\/p>\n
Compared to what the nation experienced in the third presidential election between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, what we are seeing now is childs play. <\/p>\n
When George Washington indicated his preference for John Adams to be his Vice President in 1789, such was his stature, the Confederation Congress and state electors fell in line and voted accordingly, despite concerns over his volatile temperament. So when Washington declined to run for a third term in office, and spend his retirement in Mount Vernon, there was a scramble for the presidency. <\/p>\n
The most influential Federalist in Philadelphia, Alexander Hamilton, was fearful that Vice President Adams might decide to back off from running in favor of his good friend, the genius Thomas Jefferson. <\/p>\n
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Here is the original post: <\/p>\n
2012 Libertarian Presidential Candidates<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After a bruising two-year battle (lets face it, the presidential race effectively commenced immediately after the 2010 Congressional elections), an estimated cumulative $6 billion in campaign expenditures, dozens of Lettermans Top Ten Lists, and several thousand hours worth of political ads (remember this?), the 2012 United States Presidential Election finally concluded with President Barack Obama securing a second term in office. One more time, in case anyone missed it: $6,000,000,000. This is larger than the entire annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the 54 smallest economies in the world. Continue reading