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Amrita Tripathi

Anchor & editor, Health and Books, CNN-IBN

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Which way the US presidential elections seem to be heading

8 questions answered

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What are the possible chances of Barack Obama making for the second term as the President of USA? Asked by: Somil Pahuja
Hi Somil, That is a good q! Polls leading up to this november clash have been fairly tight. A Reuters/Ipsos poll from last week shows Obama in the lead... economy's likely to be the big concern
There are not many Presidents of the USA who have not got a second term. Seems Barrack Obama is back on his way. But the strange thing is that the moment Paul Ryan got nominated with Romney, allegations regarding his stumulus pacakges etc have com e out. Strange isnt it? All this comes out only on nomination. Bad if not worse than here in India. You views pls Asked by: Narayan
Hi Narayan, thanks for your q and comment. Well, the Paul Ryan as Republican V-P pick has galvanised both sides, and will keep the race interesting, I'm sure. In terms of allegations etc - neither campaign is taking a particularly high road (and would that even work!)...Makes sense strategically to wait and pull your punches. In India, I'm not sure *what's* going on, with all the policy paralysis + corruption exposed etc... (Deep sigh) But I'm not sure I get the comparison!
Is the average New Yorker as disgusted with the audacity of Obama's words as he is in Houston, where I live. Or does it remain the cradle of the liberal? Asked by: Kaushik Mukherjee
Hi Kaushik and hello Houston! I wouldn't dare speak for the average New Yorker -- I think it remains liberal, which is not to say I haven't spoken to Republican-leaning voters! The polls are still tight though - down to the battleground states perhaps... How do you see the Ryan/Romney pair-up?
As an Indian journalist, how difficult is access? Just inquisitive. Asked by: Parul Mehta
Hi Parul, Thanks for an insightful q. Are you a journalist too? ;) It's difficult to get access to the big players - not on account of being Indian, so much as a modest set-up! Like anywhere, in terms of contacts etc, it would have helped to have been here years. But I will say, much as we'd love otherwise, international media not particularly imp in this race! (And the polls have shown Obama scoring more favourably on foreign policy, but that's neither here nor there)
Do you think Romney who has a business background is more suited to sort the economic mess than Obama. Do you think Obama has been a disappointment with more rhetoric and delivering less Asked by: Harish
Hi Harish, Thanks for your q's. I'm not sure that holds true - It would seem logical, but then again, look at PM Manmohan Singh and his record as an economist and yet ... (You get the picture) Nothing is in politics!
How do you perceive the mood in the US in an election year? Is it upbeat on a drastic economic recovery or is there a certain sense of pessimism in the air? Asked by: Kanwalpreet
Hi Kanwalpreet, Thanks for sending in your q's. It's hard for me to draw a wide conclusion based on people I'm meeting... I don't think anyone actually expects a magical economic recovery, but am not picking up on pessismism either though, I will tell you... though the cracks are more visible than ever.
Even when there are much rhetoric about the slowing US economy, one gets a feeling that the American dream is far from over by seeing the rush in consulates and by reading the immigration reports. Do you think Obama can encash on this and if Romney is elected to power, is there a chance this will be affected as he is more averse to immigration Asked by: Harish
Hi again, Ah good point. The American Dream, it never quite fades. It's interesting because the city I'm living in - New York - is an immigrant's paradise in some ways...And I've had both Democrats and Republican-leaning people tell me "their" side is better for small business owners (and by extension, immigrants). There's no doubt if Romney *is* elected there'll be major changes to some of the key policies Obama's govt has implemented,
For non-US citizens, the US Prez polls means nothing. Nada. Two faces of ennui. The foreign policy never changes. Are there any criticism to this effect in the US Press or is it all about taxes, jobs and healthcare Bill? Asked by: Anirban Bhattacharya
Hi Anirban, Well Obama's definitely rated higher on foreign policy. But that's not high on the agenda for most - economy more than anything, possibly so yes, taxes, jobs and the Medicaid bill. I'm not sure why you'd expect criticism domestically for that -- most countries don't seem to base their voter promises on foreign policy (unless, say, you're promising to draw down troop presence, for one) Last time round, there was certainly much excitement for non-US citizens and US, alike!