America's crucial mid-term elections

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The event will start on: Tuesday, 02 November 2010 6:00 PM

And will end on: Tuesday, 02 November 2010 7:30 PM

At The Glover Cottages, Sydney

124 Kent Street , Sydney NSW

02 8011 4728    

Posted by: nsw   

Both friends and critics of the United States are viewing the upcoming mid-term elections in America with increasing unease. The euphoria that followed the election of President Barack Obama has all but disappeared, and the stock of Sarah Palin has risen as the former Alaskan governor has climbed to become favourite for the Republican nomination for the next presidental election, though that is some way off.

According to the veteran columnist, Robert Samuelson, American politics is dysfunctional. Despite a recovery in the stock market, fuelled by a good run of corporate results, the American economy still could face the unwelcome prospect of a double dip recession. Americans are anxious. Polls make dismal reading. More than two-thirds of Americans  know someone who has lost their job. If given the chance, 48 percent of Americans would replace every member of Congress, including their own; only 11 percent have a "very positive" view of the Democratic Party, slightly better than the Republican Party (7 percent) and slightly worse than the Tea Party (12 percent).

The expectation is that on November 2, the Democrats will lose control of the Senate, though some reports suggest that the result will be close.

To discuss this, and to prove our members with real insights into the state of American politics, the rise of the Tea Party, and the issues at this key election, the AIIA has brought together two of Australia’s foremost commentators on US politics - Paul Kelly, editor at large of The Australian, and Tom Switzer, editor of the Australian edition of The Spectator.