The 2014 Midterm Elections are over and the balance of power has tilted in favor of the Republicans. The Grand Old Party (GOP) now controls both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Will a Republican-lead Congress be better for America in general, and the Filipino-American in particular?
A majority — 63 percent — of viewers of The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Balitang America” who voted said YES. Some said this victory of the Republicans will push Obama to shift gears and change the direction the country is heading to, which should pave the way for a better America.
On the other hand, 37 percent voted NO. They argued that with opposing political views, “the Obama administration and Congress will continue to oppose each other and will not get any laws passed.”
Does this forecast among Fil-Am voters have anything to do with their perceptions of Obama as a leader? Does how much kababayans in America like (or dislike) the president have any bearings on their opinion?
If the Balitang America poll just before the election is to be the gauge, it seems the answer is YES.
On October 29, Balitang America asked: “Will your view on President Obama’s performance affect how you vote in the midterm elections?” Coincidentally, the same numbers—63 percent of viewers voted in the affirmative. Thirty-seven percent said NO.
UCSF Political Science Professor Jay Gonzalez shared his analysis of the election results and said that President Obama’s stubbornness on issues he cares about may have provided Republicans the ammunition to bring down Democrats in the elections.
Gonzales explained in an interview by Correspondent Henni Espinosa, “They really hammered President Obama and what the people felt are his weaknesses—number one, the unpopularity of Obamacare and secondly, the issue of immigration. Obama and the (Democratic) candidates are essentially promising amnesty, which is a very unpopular initiative in the eyes of many.”
Looking forward, Gonzales said the Democrats’ loss in the midterm elections, could have an impact on the Democrats’ future campaigns, even former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s possible presidential bid in 2016. Gonzalez said, “It will have a spillover effect to Hillary’s campaign. She will have to dissociate herself from policies which the general public feel are unpopular.”
The big debate now is whether President Obama should and would fulfill his promise to issue executive order on immigration reform. This question has become even more consequential for many undocumented Filipinos, now that the Republicans have control over the Senate and Congress.
(To be continued in the Midweek edition)
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
