Higher turnout in 2012 is not a surprise - it was obvious

To the relief of every country in the world minus China, Barack Obama has won re-election in a tight race with Mitt Romney. 

I say tight; it certainly seemed tight going into election day but when push came to shove, it was Obama who cleaned up and won 303 electoral college votes (possibly 332 if Florida goes his way) in comparison to Romney's 206.

Obama's victory is being attributed to his "coalition" of young voters, women, Latinos and other ethnic minorities. There was a lot of noise made in the run-up to this election about whether this "coalition" would support Obama as heavily as they did in 2008, when there was a wave of euphoria around him.

There is a consensus that the "Obama-lition" not only turned out for their candidate in 2012, but they surpassed the numbers in 2008 and recorded all-time high turnouts in key districts. Some are surprised by this: the euphoria turned into disillusionment as their agent for change struggled to make his mark, battling a worldwide economic downturn, a shitstorm in the Middle East and Republicans on the Hill. Obama was never going to heal the planet and calm the oceans; he was never going to change things in just four years, instead his job was to steady the ship and that he did. But that argument did not resonate with the voting public and Mitt Romney set the stage for what he hailed as a critical point in American history.   

So to understand the "surprisingly high" turnout this year, you must understand the narratives that surrounded both 2008 and 2012. 2008 was "Obama-mania" coated in hope and change and the idea of a fresh start on greener pastures. It got the "Obama-lition" ready to go and fired up and he strolled into the White House. 

But 2012 is a different time. Unemployment is at record highs (Obama won with the highest unemployment rate since FDR), people are struggling to make ends meet and America is seemingly losing its aura as the world's economic superpower to China. Republicans were scared and convinced they needed "real change", a promise that Mitt Romney made. For the Democrats, the gross incompetence and flip-flopping of Romney perhaps scared them more the economy, so they felt the need to "get Obama's back" and give him a second term. That left us with two energised bases who believed their decision would change the course of history. They had to vote, they just had to because the race was painted as such a significant one. 

And it was. Obama has his second term and his role as President is different. The ship is steadied and his attention now turns to change. Obama will use the next four years to build his legacy and establish his vision for America.  

Mitt Romney vs the World

Lord help us, the next President of the United States might just be an idiot. Not the kind of bumbling idiot like Hugh Grant or Mr Bean, which is the type that we enjoy. The next President could be a genuine, gurgling idiot who cannot visit a country without angering every single person in it. I am talking about Mitt Romney, who is currently travelling the globe in an attempt to spread bad-feeling.

Romney began in Britain, after making comments to NBC that the problems leading up to London 2012 were “disconcerning” and questioning whether we could “come together and celebrate the moment.” Cue a media stoning, labelling him as “Mitt the Twit” after our opening ceremony was hailed as one of the best of all-time and the atmosphere at the Games reached fever-pitch.

Next, the Twit went to Israel, where he announced to the world that Jerusalem was the capital of Israel – unaware of their conflict with Palestine. Romney also cited “cultural” differences as the reason for Israel’s greater economic successes when compared to Palestine. So far, so bad for Romney but surely he was done, right?

Wrong. Romney is set to bring back that old American pastime of Russian bashing, during a speech to the Warsaw University in Poland. Mitt has previously said Russia is America’s “No 1 geopolitical foe” and he seems ready to fan the flames of conflict and encourage Vladimir Putin to bring it.

The trip has been branded a “Romneyshambles” but it is far from that. The Twit certainly angered a lot of people but for him, it was a resounding success. The important thing for Romney is the money he raised on the way. The event in Israel, for example, was a $25,000-a-head fundraiser with guests such as the owner of the New York Jets, Woody Johnson and Sheldon Adelson, a casino magnate. There was a similar event in London too, where tickets cost between $50,000 and $75,000 and featured a number of executives from everyone’s favourite bank of the moment, Barclays, who have donated more than $1 million to Romney’s campaign.

Such is the nature of politics, that a trip so disastrous can actually benefit a candidate. In what is being called the most expensive presidential campaign of all-time, the battle for money between Romney and Obama is becoming a global operation. And in a race where the polls are so tight, it will be advertising and campaigning that will win the White House.

However this trip has shown me that Mitt Romney is not ready for the presidency. If the leader of the free world cannot travel it without offending everyone he comes across, how could he possibly represent the U.S. on the national stage? When foreign media describe him as “rude” or “graceless” perhaps he has a lot of work to do. Before people say that I am biased, yes, I am. I pray that Obama keeps the presidency because I believe he is one of the best presidents in modern history. Yes, it is a bit unfair to criticise Romney for one bad trip. But when you come to Britain as a Presidential candidate, a country that you have previously praised for the special relationship it shares with your homestead, it is not a great sign when you leave looking ridiculous.

As the days go by, the prospect of President Romney is looking more and more realistic. Obama is being punished for a sluggish economy and gloomy unemployment figures. All Romney has to do is keep his mouth shut and come November, he could ride the wave of recession all the way to the White House. After that though is anyone’s guess. He will have control of the big red button and I do not know who I would trust more: Mr Bean or the Twit.