Obama’s second term
Dear Editor,
After admiring Morag Fraser’s perceptive and insightful review of Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln (February 2013), her commentary on Obama’s second term is sadly superficial and contains several inaccuracies, some quite bizarre.
First, she says that Romney’s defeat was patently obvious. (‘The mystery is why so many people didn’t see it coming.’) I spent election week in the United States, and election night in Boston with Obama campaign supporters who remained nervous that their man would lose until close to midnight. No major opinion polls nor the many insiders to whom I spoke predicted the result with confidence. The Electoral College result belies the close popular vote. Had a mere 300,000 votes (0.2 per cent of eligible voters) voted differently in only four states, the Electoral College result would have reversed. ‘Too close to call’ was the right call in this election.
Continue reading for only $10 per month.
Subscribe and gain full access to Australian Book Review.
Already a subscriber? Sign in.
If you need assistance, feel free to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Comments