Midterm Election Results Spotlight

Photo: Courtesy of NBC

Just Do the Wave

Election Day has come and gone and still some races have been left uncalled. In this historic election, truly every vote matters and being such, I wanted to wait until all of the races had been decided. Yet, now over two weeks after election day, we finally have concrete numbers for some of the last races. In the midterm election, that saw the turn over of the United States House of Representatives by a sixty-one seat swing, was truly a wave election that rippled around the entire country. This post will highlight the most important and interesting races that Center Right Nation has followed throughout the summer and fall.

Invasion of the Mama Grizzlies

The Rise of Women in the GOP

Sarah Palin (R-AK) is a political powerhouse whose every word is devoured by both sides of the political spectrum and the national media. Her personal charisma and sheer will power allowed her to reenergize the 2008 Presidential Election as well as redefine an entire political movement. However her largest impact may have been on the ascendancy of women to prominent positions within the Republican Party. Palin and her Political Action Committee (SarahPac) have helpe fund and campaign for Republican women across the country, and helped to propel many, such as: Nikki Haley (R-SC), Christine O'Donnel (R-DE), Carly Fiorina (R-CA), and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) to victory in hotly contested primaries. In the two years since America asked 'Who is Sarah Palin', the role of the Republican woman has been reshaped and empowered to a new level.

A Temporary Set Back

Judicial Activism

U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton has issued a temporary injunction against the main part of the Arizona Immigration law that has sparked controversy around the nation. The judge wrote that in her view, it was not feasible to ask the police to ask about a individuals immigration/citizenship status while making a routine stop. Judge Bolton also stopped the section that would have made it illegal for illegal immigrants to solicit or perform work in the United States. Basically, it seems that the judge was attempting to make an illegal immigrant as legal as possible. If that seems backwards to the reader, be comforted, you are not alone. Soon afterward, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R-AZ) issued a statement confirming that the state will be appealing the ruling and calling for an expedited appeal.

There's a Storm a Brewin'

Courtesy of Iconphotos

"When a Tornado meets a Volcano"

Two seemingly unstoppable forces are poised to collide over Arizona's controversial immigration law. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R-AZ) is set to spar with the United States Department of Justice as the Obama Administration announces that it will make good on its threat to sue the state. However instead of backing down, Governor Brewer has signaled both to the Administration and to the public that she will not be intimidated saying, in reference to the Obama Administration, "We will meet you in court" and that she has a good track record of winning in court. And with those words, the age old struggle between State and Federal jurisdiction is again headed for another showdown.

A Mending Wall

When Yin Meets Yang

The woman who signed the controversial Arizona immigration law and its highest profile critic met on June 3rd to discuss the bill and other issues surrounding it. After emerging from the talks, President Obama stated that the divide between them, though still apparent was decreasing. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R-AZ) called the meeting cordial and said that although some aspects were resolved, there were still many other issues before them. However, she did announce that Obama had promised to allocate 1,200 more border patrol troops as well a $500 million dollar increase in border and immigration control funding, with the promise that a majority of these resources would be coming to Arizona.

Another Chain in the Fence

Fallout

Just under two weeks ago Arizona signed into law a controversial immigration law that allows police and civil authorities to detain and question suspected illegal immigrants on the grounds of "reasonable suspicion." This is the same level of operation that school systems use to search and seize lockers and students personal affects without any real facts. Yet, as written previously, this bill is a response to the fear and insecurity felt by the people of Arizona who continuously battle things that most other states can't even fathom. Now, two weeks later, the battle lines are drawn. President Obama, Grammy Award Winner Shakira, and the ACLU contend that this bill will lead to racial profiling; while Arizona lawmakers and even legal immigrants see this as needed change. Today, Arizona once again made headlines by signing into effect changes to the immigration bill, even before the bill itself took effect.

Definitely Not Another Fence

June 2006

In 2006, I spent nearly the entire month of June in the beautiful state of Arizona. It was a lot like Indiana: beautiful, growing, and Republican. Yet, it was the differences that captured my attention: the mountains (I could see the San Tan Mountain Range from my window), the desert and all its fascinating creatures, but most shocking of all was the sheer ignorance I had to the issues faced by its residents. Having been born and raised in Northwest Indiana, the closest I ever came to wondering about immigration was when a Macedonian boy joined my second grade class. In Arizona, wondering about immigration is a daily topic, and as the new immigration bill, signed into law last week by AZ Governor Jan Brewer, illustrates, the tensions are beginning to boil over.