VoteGlobal Blog » Elections – General

NSW State Election March 26th 2011

admin — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 22:50:21 +0000

A new Politics/Elections poll has been created. NSW State Election March 26th 2011

The Australian State of New South Wales goes to the polls on Saturday March 26th. Most opinion polls heavily favor the opposition coalition of the Liberal and National parties to easily defeat the sitting Labor government of US born Premier Kristina Keneally, the State’s first female Premier. Who is your pick?

For an overview and election guide by the Australian Broadcasting Commission see http://www.abc.net.au/elections/nsw/2011/guide/preview.htm

Poll Results on GOP Presidential Candidate for 2012

admin — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 03:01:14 +0000

We have two polls running on the potential race to be GOP Presidential nominee for 2012. One poll is Do you support Sarah Palin as GOP nominee for Presidential candidate in 2012? (Click to see poll or VOTE in it) in which Sarah Palin gets the approval of 48% of those polled (circa 1900 votes so far) and 44% disapprove. 86% of the votes are from the US. So this seems to augur well for the Palin campaign.

However in our more general poll 2012 U.S. Election Poll (Click to see poll or VOTE in it) Palin is number 3 with 5% of the vote behind Mitt Romney on 60% and Ron Paul on 10%. Votes are 80% from the US. However this poll has less votes recorded – 243 – and we suspect there has been an organized campaign to get the Romney numbers up because most votes for him were cast in a period of a few consectuive days.

Colombian Presidential Election, 2010

admin — Sun, 30 May 2010 12:45:32 +0000

UPDATED June 20th 2300 Bogotá time
Governing party candidate Juan Manuel Santos has won the final round of Colombia’s presidential elections. With almost all the votes counted, Mr Santos had won 69% of the ballots and was more than 40 points ahead of his rival – Green Party candidate Antanas Mockus. Mr Santos shares outgoing President Alvaro Uribe’s tough line on security. Click here for BBC article

UPDATED May 30th 2015 Bogotá time
With 99% of the vote counted Juan Manuel Santos has a commanding lead with 46.56% of the vote however not an outright majority so there will be a run off against Antanas Mockus who has 21.49%. The run-off will be held on Sunday June 20th.

Consequently we now have a run-off poll loaded. Please click here to vote.

RESULTS of May 30th Presidential Election
Juan Manuel Santos – 46.56% – Votes: 6,758,539
Antanas Mockus – 21.49% – Votes: 3,120,716
German Vargas – 10.13% – Votes: 1,471,377
Gustavo Petro – 9.16% – Votes: 1,329,512
Noemí Sanín – 6.14% – Votes: 892,323
Rafael Pardo – 4.38% – Votes: 636,624

The Colombian presidential elections of 2010 will be held on May 30. A referendum proposal that would have allowed incumbent President Álvaro Uribe the opportunity to run for a third term was rejected by the Constitutional Court of Colombia in a 7-2 ruling on February 26, 2010. Should no candidate receive over half of votes on May 30, a run-off will happen on June 20 between the two candidates receiving the highest percentages of votes. (Source Wikipedia)

Click to Vote in VoteGlobal QuickPoll

The Washington Post says; Colombia’s presidential election on Sunday is among the most compelling in Latin America in a long time, pitting a quirky former university president and big-city mayor who wears an Abraham Lincoln-like beard against the scion of a powerful establishment family who became one of the country’s most successful defense ministers. Full article.

MICHAELA CANCELA-KIEFFER (AFP):
Colombians head to the polls on Sunday to choose from among nine candidates their next president, with former defense minister Juan Manuel Santos and former Bogota mayor Antanas Mockus neck-and-neck to replace President Alvaro Uribe. Sunday’s ballot is the first round in the election, in which the nine candidates will be whittled down to just two — likely Santos and Mockus — in a knockout round on June 20. The latest opinion polls indicate a second round is unavoidable given how close the two top contenders are running — around 35 percent each, with some of the trailing rivals, especially conservative Noemi Sanin and leftist Gustavo Petro gaining enough ground to carry some negotiating weight before the climax vote. The Organization of American States, which has sent 85 observers to the election, has warned Colombia’s voting system — manual count and results sent by phone — could pose some difficulties. Read full article

UK Elections: Parties and Leaders

admin — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:54:39 +0000

On May 6, 45 million Britons will have the opportunity to vote for a new Member of Parliament to represent their area. The party with the most elected members will then form a new government. Generally, the leader of the winning party—the party that holds more than 50 percent of seats in the House of Commons—will serve as prime minister. Though as the BBC notes, if no party wins enough seats to form an outright majority government—a situation referred to as a hung Parliament—“it is possible that two other parties could decide to work together in a coalition if they can rely on more than half the votes of MPs.”

Read the Full Article…

CRITICAL ISSUES: What do you think will be a key issue in deciding this election?
VOTE NOW AT VOTEGLOBAL.COM…

UK GENERAL ELECTION
JOIN AND VOTE NOW AT VOTEGLOBAL.COM…

Best and Worst of 2009

admin — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:10:01 +0000

The results are in! Our best and worst of 2009 Polls are now closed, with over 550 votes cast between them, from over 40 different countries.

The Top World Political Figure of 2009 is a clear winner: Barack Obama with 31% of the votes cast, followed by ‘none of the above’ with 15% and Hu Jintao of China with 13% of voters.

Barack Obama comes out on top again in the Top US Politician Poll, with 35% of the votes, Bill Clinton as runner up with 24% and Sarah palin in third with 13%.

In the most active of our Best and Worst of 2009 Polls, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad garnered a huge majority of the votes, with 62% calling him the Worst Political figure of 2009. Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi came in a distant second with 9% of the votes with Barack Obama just behind taking 6% of the votes.

The Economic Crisis was our voter’s choice for Top Political Issue of 2009, receiving 40% of all the votes, Climate Change came in second with 16% and Healthcare and the Middle East tied for third with 14%.

For the Worst U.S. Politician of 2009, once again Barack Obama takes the lead, with 36% of votes, Sarah Palin narrowly trailing with 28%. No-one else came close!

Worst Political Move of 2009 award goes to ‘The Blagojevich Auction’ with 33% of votes, Obama’s Public Option comes in second at 25% with Joe Wilson’s ‘You Lie!’ coming in third with 20% of the vote.

Glenn Beck edged out Keith Olbermann as your ‘Worst Political Commentator of 2009‘ with 32% and 28% of the vote respectively. Rush Limbaugh came in third with 21%.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad featured strongly in our ‘Biggest Political Liar of 2009‘ Poll, with 44% of the vote, Barack Obama, Sarah Palin and Silvio Berlusconi all showing well, too, with Palin and Obama tied for second place at 13%, and Berlusconi at 10%.

Thanks for voting, everyone! Full Results:

Top US Political Figure of 2009?

Barack Obama 35%
Hillary Clinton (Sec. State) 5%
Sarah Palin 13%
Bill Clinton 24%
Sonia Sotomayo 2%
John McCain 10%
Edward Kennedy 0%
Ben Bernanke 8%

Top World Political Figure of 2009?

Barack Obama (US) 31%
Hu Jintao (PRC) 13%
Nicolas Sarkozy (FR) 8%
Ban Ki Moon (UN) 2%
Gordon Brown (UK) 8%
Mir Hossein Mousavi (Iran) 8%
Angela Merkel (Germany) 11%
None of the above 15%

Worst Political Figure of 2009?

Barack Obama (US) 8%
Silvio Berlusconi (Italy) 9%
Hugo Chavez (Venezuela) 6%
Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe) 6%
Kim Jong-Il (North Korea) 3%
Mahmoud Ahmedinejad (Iran) 62%
Gordon Brown (UK) 1%
None of the above 2%

Top Political Issue of 2009?

Economic Crisis 40%
Climate Change/Global Warming 16%
Middle East 14%
Nuclear weapons 4%
Education 4%
Healthcare 14%
None of the above 6%

Worst U.S. Politician of 2009?

Barack Obama 36%
Hillary Clinton (Sec. State) 5%
Ben Bernanke 1%
Sarah Palin 28%
Van Jones 5%
Joe Wilson 9%
Christopher Dodd 7%
None of the above 3%

Worst U.S. Political move of 2009?

“You Lie!” 20%
The Public Option 25%
The Biden Bunker Reveal 4%
The Sanford Affair 8%
The Blagojevich ‘Auction’ 33%
The Ensign Affair 0%
The Grayson Slur 0%
None of the above 8%

Worst Political Commentator of 2009?

Glenn Beck 32%
Sean Hannity 3%
Rush Limbaugh 21%
Rachel Maddow 3%
Chris Matthews 3%
Bill O’Reilly 3%
Keith Olbermann 28%
none of the above 3%

Biggest Political Liar?

Sarah Palin 13%
Al Gore 6%
Barack Obama 13%
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 44%
Hugo Chavez 3%
Silvio Berlusconi 10%
Don’t know 3%
None of the above 3%

2010 Gubernatorial Elections – Races taking shape across the Nation

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:49:41 +0000

Kansas gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Kathleen Sebelius was term-limited in 2010. President Barack Obama nominated Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Servicesa nd was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 28, 2009. Democratic Lieutenant Governor Mark Parkinson was sworn in as governor the same day but has stated that he will not run for a full term in 2010. State Senator Chris Steineger is the only announced Democratic candidate.
Retiring Republican United States Senator Sam Brownback has announced that he will run for this seat.

Maine gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor John Baldacci will be term-limited in 2010.
The race to replace Baldacci has attracted a number of Democrats to the race. Currently, Senate President Elizabeth “Libby” Mitchell, former Attorney General Steven Rowe, business owner Rosa Scarcelli, former Mayor of Biddeford Donna Dion, and State Representative Dawn Hill have all made their candidacies official. Most observers consider either Rowe or Mitchell the front runners for the nomination.
Not having a Republican in the Governor’s mansion for 16 years, the Republican field has also produced a large number of candidates. State Senator from Cornville and 2006 candidate for governor Peter Mills, President and CEO of Maine & Company Matt Jacobson, Mayor of Waterville Paul LePage, founder of American Skiing Company Les Otten, and business owner Bruce Poliquin have all made their candidacies official. Steve Abbott, Chief of Staff to Senator Susan Collins is also widely expected to enter the race as well.
Lynne Williams, former party chair of the Green Independent Party has announced that she will run.

Michigan gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Jennifer Granholm will be term-limited in 2010.
On the Democratic side, former Flint Mayor Don Williamson, Lieutenant Governor John Cherry State Senator Alma Smith and former State Representative John Freeman will run.
On the Republican side, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, Michigan State Senator Tom George, U.S. Representative Peter Hoekstra, Fomer Huron County Commissioner Timothy Rujan, Businessman Rick Snyder, and Former State Representative John Freeman have announced their candidacies.

New Mexico gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Bill Richardson will be term-limited in 2010.
Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish (D) has announced she will run.
Dona Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinezna, State Representative Janice Arnold-Jones, and former Republican party state chairman Allen Weh have filed to run.

Oklahoma gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Brad Henry will be term-limited in 2010.
Two Democrats have announced their candidacies: state Attorney General Drew Edmondson, and Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins, who would be Oklahoma’s first female governor.
Two Republicans have announced their candidacies: Congresswoman and former lieutenant governor Mary Fallin, who would also be Oklahoma’s first female Governor, and state Senator Randy Brogdon.

Oregon gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Ted Kulongoski will be term-limited in 2010.
Former Democratic state Secretary of State Bill Bradbury has announced he will run in 2010. Former Governor John Kitzhaber has said he is running for a third term. Democratic congressman Peter DeFazio may also run. Kitzhaber has the highest favorables and unfavorables of any candidate currently in the race.
Former Oregon State Treasurer candidate Allen Alley was the first declared Republican to enter the race, in December former Portland Trailblazer Chris Dudley announced his candidacy on the Republican ticket. Former legislator John Lim , Former Republican U.S. Senator Gordon Smith and congressman Greg Walden may run.

Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Ed Rendell will be term-limited in 2010.
Republican Attorney General Tom Corbett has filed papers to run for Governor.[54] Republican Congressman Jim Gerlach has formed an exploratory committee for a potential run.
Announced Democratic candidates include state Auditor General Jack Wagner, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, Philadelphia businessman Tom Knox. Former Congressman and Montgomery County commissioner Joe Hoeffel and Scranton Mayor Christopher Doherty.

Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Phil Bredesen will be term-limited in 2010.
On the Democratic side, former State House Majority Leader Kim McMillan is running, as are Tennessee State Senator Roy Herron and Nashville businessman Ward Cammack. Attorney Mike McWherter, the son of former Governor Ned McWherter will also run as a Democrat.
On the Republican side, Congressman Zach Wamp of the state’s 3rd District, Memphis district attorney Bill Gibbons, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey have announced their candidacies.

Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Jim Doyle will not seek a third term in 2010. He was re-elected with 53% of the vote in 2006. The resignation of his legal counsel as well as dipping poll numbers may have contributed to his decision to not seek re-election.
Democratic Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton said in a statement on October 26, 2009 that she will not seek the Democratic nomination for Governor. Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett and Jared Gary Christiansen have filed to run as Democrats.
On April 28, 2009, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker announced that he would seek the Republican nomination for Governor. Additionally, former Congressman Mark Neumann has indicated that he too will enter the Republican primary by Fall 2009. A third candidate, Appleton businessman, Mark Todd, has filed as well.
Former Republican Governor Tommy Thompson has said he will consider a run if Doyle is running for re-election.

Wyoming gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Dave Freudenthal was expected to be term-limited in 2010. However, a recent Wyoming Supreme Court ruling invalidated legislative term-limits, and may have invalidated Freudenthal’s term-limits as well. Freudenthal may challenge the constitutionality of his term limits and if successful has the option to run for reelection in 2010. Freudenthal, who remains popular in the state, would be the favorite for reelection if allowed to run again.
State House Speaker Colin M. Simpson is a potential Republican candidate.

Alabama gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Bob Riley will be term-limited in 2010.
On June 4, 2008, businessman and 2002 Republican gubernatorial primary candidate Timothy James announced he would make another bid for the Republican nomination for governor. State Representative Robert Bentley, Chancellor Bradley Byrne, Businessman Anthony Wright Sr., Treasurer Kay Ivey, Former state Supreme Court chief justice Roy Moore, and Former Director of Alabama economic and community affairs Bill Johnson have announced their candidacies on the Republican side.
For the Democratic side two candidates have announced: Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama’s 7th congressional district, and State Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks.

California gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will be term-limited in 2010
One Democratic candidate has offered an economic plan, albeit most of his ideas are national in scope.Stephen L. Rush, the ethanol process innovator CEO of For Fuel Freedom, Inc., who is also a contrary economist and political commentator, entered the race September 28.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced his candidacy and was endorsed by former President Bill Clinton before pulling out of the race. Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi had announced that he was running, but also dropped out in April 2009 in order to run in the 2009 Special Election in California’s 10th congressional district.
Other potential Democratic candidates include Senator Dianne Feinstein and former Governor Jerry Brown.
Former chief executive officer of eBay Meg Whitman is seen as an extremely likely Republican candidate, as she resigned from major corporate boards in early 2009, possibly to avoid any commitments when running for office. In July 2008, former Republican Congressman Tom Campbell filed papers to create an exploratory committee to raise money for a potential bid.

Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2010
On November 9th, 2009, Governor Jodi Rell announced she would not seek a second full term in 2010. She was elected to a full term in 2006 with 63% of the vote. Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz and Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy will run for the Democratic nomination. On the Republican side, State Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, Minority Leader of the State House, Lawrence Cafero, and Lieutenant Governor Michael Fedele have all stated that they may run for governor in 2010. Also, Tom Foley, a former United States Ambassador to Ireland, and a candidate for the United States Senate in 2010, may also run.

Florida gubernatorial election, 2010
First-term Governor Charlie Crist is eligible to seek re-election, but decided to run for the United States Senate instead. On the Democratic side, Michael E. Arth. and CFO Alex Sink are in the running. Also Democrat candidate Farid Khavari. On the Republican side Attorney General Bill McCollum has announced he will run.

Georgia gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Sonny Perdue will be term-limited in 2010.
On the Republican side, state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, Georgia Secretary of State, Karen Handel, and State Representative Austin Scott have entered the race. Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle had established an exploratory committee in September 2008 but dropped out of the race on April 15, 2009 because of health problems.
On the Democratic side, former Governor Roy Barnes, whom Perdue unseated in 2002, former state Secretary of State David Poythress, state Attorney General Thurbert Baker, and state House Minority Leader DuBose Porter are running.
The Libertarian Party will field as its candidate John Monds, who serves as president of the Grady County NAACP.

Guam gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Felix Camacho will be term-limited in 2010. Lieutenant Governor Michael W. Cruz, a surgeon who is a veteran of the Gulf War and Iraq War, is running for the Republican nomination against Senator Eddie B. Calvo. On the Democratic side, former governor Carl Gutierrez has announced that he will run. Attorney Mike Phillips is also considering a bid for the governorship.

Hawaii gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Linda Lingle will be term-limited in 2010. Republican Lieutenant Governor James Aiona is running. Democratic Congressman Neil Abercrombie has announced he will run.

Minnesota gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Tim Pawlenty would have been eligible to seek a third term in 2010, but has decided to retire.
For Republicans, potential candidates include former U.S. Senator Norm Coleman, Former House Minority Leader, Marty Seifert, State Senator David Hann, and several other less prominent politicians, such as former State Representative Bill Haas. Former State Auditor Pat Anderson has also announced that she will run. A spokesman for Coleman stated in July 2009 that he would wait until 2010 to announce his plans.
Among Democrats, former Senator Mark Dayton, state Senator John Marty, former state Representative Matt Entenza, state Senator Tom Bakk, former state Senator Steve Kelley, state Representative Paul Thissen, Speaker of the Minnesota House of Rep. Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Ramsey County Attorney General Susan Gaertner, and State Representative Tom Rukavina have all announced their candidacies.

Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Donald Carcieri will be term-limited in 2010.
State Representative Joe Trillo is a potential Republican candidate.
On the Democratic side, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch is the only announced candidate thus far. State General Treasurer Frank Caprio has been raising money for a run.
Former Republican United States Senator Lincoln D. Chafee has formed an exploratory committee for a potential campaign as an independent.

South Carolina gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Mark Sanford will be term-limited in 2010. On the Republican side Congressman J. Gresham Barrett has announced he will run. State Representative Nikki Haley will also run Other potential Republican candidates include state Attorney General Henry McMaster, Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer.
On the Democratic side state Senators Vincent Sheheen and Robert Ford have announced they will run. Potential Democratic candidates considering a bid include state House Minority Leader Henry Ott, and state superintendent of education Jim Rex.

South Dakota gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Mike Rounds will be term-limited in 2010. On the Republican side, State Senator Dave Knudson, Lieutenant Governor Dennis Daugaard, Brookings Mayor Scott Munsterman, and rancher Ken Knuppe have announced they are running.
On the Democratic side, the only candidate thus far is state Senator Scott Heidepriem who announced his candidacy in July, 2009. United States Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin who represents the state at-large in the United States House of Representatives has announced that she will run for re-election rather than for Governor or the seat currently held by incumbent Sen. John Thune in 2010.

Vermont gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Jim Douglas will not seek a fifth two year term in 2010. (The Governors of Vermont and New Hampshire, unlike the other 48 states, serve two-year terms.) Douglas was re-elected in 2008 with 53% of the vote. Republican Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie has announced his candidacy. Former State Auditor and current State Senator Randy Brock who is African-American is rumored as possible Republican candidate.
State Senators Doug Racine, Peter Shumlin and Susan Bartlett, Vermont Secretary of State Deb Markowitz, and former state Senator Matt Dunne have announced their candidacies as Democrats.

Arkansas gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Mike Beebe may seek a second term in 2010. In March 2009 Beebe’s approval rating was 68%.

Colorado gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Bill Ritter will seek a second term in 2010. He was elected with 57% of the vote in 2006.
Announced Republican candidates include former Congressman Scott McInnis and businessman Dan Maes.

Illinois gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Pat Quinn will seek a full term in 2010. On January 29, 2009, by succession, Quinn became Governor when Governor Rod Blagojevich was impeached, convicted and removed from office by the Illinois State Senate. Republican State Senator Bill Brady has announced he will run. Rich Whitney of the Illinois Green Party has announced he is running again.

Iowa gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Chet Culver is seeking a second term in 2010. He was elected with 54% of the vote in 2006.
Businessman Bob Vander Plaats, who was the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in 2006, is considered an early front-runner in the Republican primary. Other Republicans seeking their party’s nomination include State Representatives Christopher Rants and Rod Roberts, State Senators Paul McKinley and Jerry Behn, and businessman Christian Fong.
Former Governor Terry Branstad, whose four terms made him the longest-serving governor in Iowa history, has formed an exploratory committee for the race. Republican Congressman Steve King was the subject of some early speculation but announced that he would run for re-election to the House in August 2009.

Maryland gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Martin O’Malley is beginning to fundraise for a reelection campaign, but an official announcement is not expected until 2010. He was elected with 53% of the vote in 2006.
Former Republican Governor Bob Ehrlich has yet to announce whether or not he will run. O’Malley narrowly defeated Ehrlich who ran as an incumbent in 2006.

Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2010
Incumbent first-term Governor Deval Patrick, a Democrat, will be seeking re-election. He was elected with 56% of the vote in 2006.
Tim Cahill, Treasurer of Massachusetts will run as an Independent. If Cahill was elected, he would be the first independent candidate to win statewide in this state.
Charles D. Baker Jr. is the preferred candidate among many Republican delegates.

New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor John Lynch may seek a fourth two year term in 2010. He was re-elected with 70% of the vote in 2008.

New York gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor David Paterson has announced he will seek a first full term in 2010. Paterson became Governor of New York when Eliot Spitzer resigned amid a prostitution scandal on March 17, 2008. He is likely to face a tough primary challenge from Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who leads him in polls.

Ohio gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Ted Strickland may seek a second term in 2010. He was elected with 60% of the vote in 2006.
On the Republican side John Kasich, former congressman from Ohio’s 12th congressional district has announced his candidacy. Todd Kritzwiser has announced his candidacy as well.

United States Virgin Islands gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor John de Jongh may seek a second term in 2010. He was elected with 57% of the vote (in a runoff) in 2006.

Alaska gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Sarah Palin was elected in 2006 with 48% of the vote and was eligible to seek reelection in 2010. On July 3, 2009, Palin announced that she will not run for reelection and resigned on July 26, 2009. On July 26, Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell became the 12th Governor of Alaska. Parnell has officially announced he will be running for a first full-term in 2010.
Democrats Hollis French, Bob Poe, Ethan Berkowitz,[147] and Rob Rosenfeld have declared they are running for governor, as has Republican stage legislator John Harris.

Arizona gubernatorial election, 2010
Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate as Secretary of Homeland Security in early 2009. Republican Secretary of State Jan Brewer was first in the state’s gubernatorial line of succession and became governor upon Napolitano’s subsequent resignation. Brewer will seek a full term in 2010. She will face a primary challenge from former state Senator Karen Johnson. Paradise Valley mayor Vernon Parker will also run against Brewer. Tucson attorney John Munger has decided to run for Governor as well.
The announced Democratic candidate is Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard. A potential Democratic candidate is Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon.

Idaho gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Butch Otter may seek a second term in 2010. A former state legislator, lieutenant governor and Congressman, Otter was elected in 2006 with 52 percent of the vote but has struggled to implement many of his policies despite an overwhelmingly Republican Idaho Legislature. If Otter runs he will face Republican primary challenges from Ada County commissioner Sharon Ullman and conservative activist Rex Rammell, who ran for U.S. Senate in 2008 as an independent.
Announced Democratic candidates include activist and mediator Keith Allred, and Franklin County laborer Lon Chaney, who unsuccessfully contested the Democratic nomination in 2006. Boise Mayor David H. Bieter has been mentioned a possible Democratic candidate[158], but thus far has not publicly indicated any interest in the race.
Former Republican state representative Jana Kemp is an announced independent candidate.

Nebraska gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Dave Heineman succeeded Mike Johanns upon Johanns’s appointment to United States Secretary of Agriculture. Heineman won election in 2006 against David Hahn with 73% of the vote and will be eligible for a second full term in 2010.

Nevada gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Jim Gibbons may seek a second term in 2010. He was elected in 2006 with 48% of the vote.
Former State Senator Joe Heck and former North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon have both announced that they will challenge Gibbons in the Republican primary. Former federal judge Brian Sandoval announced his candidacy for governor in September 2009.
Currently, the only announced Democratic candidate is Rory Reid, Clark County Commissioner and the son of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Other potential Democratic candidates include Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman, Nevada Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley,Nevada State Treasurer Kate Marshall, Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, and Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller.

Texas gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Rick Perry is seeking a third full term in 2010. Texas does not have term limits for its governors.
After serving almost two years as the state’s lieutenant governor, Perry assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-Governor George W. Bush resigned to become president.
U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who was rumored as a Perry opponent in 2006 but declined to run, is challenging Perry in the Republican primary. On December 4, 2008, Hutchison filed papers to set up an exploratory committee and confirmed in July 2009 that she will be making her official entry into the race in August. Larry Kilgore who promotes the secession of Texas from the United States announced his election bid. Kilgore placed second in the 2006 Republican primary gubernatorial election and second in the 2008 Republican primary United States Senate election.
Of many possible Democrats, Houston Mayor Bill White appears to be considering a possible run.
2006 Independent candidate Kinky Friedman has expressed possible interest in running as a Democrat in 2010 as well.

Utah gubernatorial election, 2010
Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate as the United States Ambassador to China. Lt. Governor Gary Herbert became governor on August 11, 2009. Utah law requires that a special election be held in 2010 to fill the remainder of the term, which expires in January 2013. Herbert has said he plans to run in the election. On the Democratic side Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, and Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon may run.

Second attack in a week on Berlusconi…

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:34:14 +0000

A man tried to enter the hospital room of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Tuesday night, as the leader recovered from being hit in the face Sunday.
The man was detained. No further details about him were immediately available but Italian media reported that he was carrying a knife.
Berlusconi, for his part, will remain in the hospital at least one day longer than expected, his doctor said Wednesday. Berlusconi, a conservative media mogul-turned-politician, has been dogged by allegations of corruption and is the middle of a messy divorce from his second wife.
Read more on this article at CNN…

Meanwhile, in our poll “Should Berlusconi Step Down“, 64% of VoteGlobal.com voters think he should step down, 11% say he should be removed from office. What do you think? Voto!

Time magazine names Bernanke ‘Person of the Year’

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:18:17 +0000

WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke was named Person of the Year by Time magazine on Wednesday, a highly visible show of support at a time he seeks to beat back proposals that would erode the central bank’s authority and independence.

Time credited Bernanke with creative leadership that ensured 2009 would be a year of recovery, however weak, rather than a catastrophic second Great Depression.

Click here to read more on the Reuters article…

At VoteGlobal.com, we have Bernanke featured in two polls: Top US Politician of 2009, and Worst US Politician of 2009. Those polls are still open, vote today! So far, VoteGlobal.com voters haven’t exactly put Bernanke on the radar on either of those polls, only 2% consider him the ‘Worst U.S. Politician of the year’ (Obama taking the lead in that one), and just 3% consider him tops in the ‘Top U.S. Politician of 2009′ Poll (Obama also taking the lead in that one!). What do you think? Let us know, click on the Poll links to vote!

How is it that only Western nations are accused of “defaming” religion?

admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:43:01 +0000

Nov. 3 (from NationalReview.com) America, like so many countries in the West, laments its strained relations with the Islamic world. In June, Pres. Barack Obama traveled to Cairo to speak against the “fear and mistrust” that exist between the West and Islam. Yet Muslim governments demand respect for Islam while refusing to offer similar respect for religious minorities within their own borders.

The recent Swiss vote to ban the construction of minarets in that European nation has become the latest controversy to generate Muslim protests worldwide. However, Islamic governments are in no position to complain about Western intolerance and “Islamophobia.” Most Muslim nations are repressive or offer only limited political freedom. More often than not, Islamic states violate basic human rights; and almost all persecute Christians, Jews, and other religious minorities.

Many authoritarian states — especially Communist or formerly Communist ones — violate religious liberty along with other freedoms in order to maintain political control. But Muslim nations are almost unique in their willingness to persecute religious minorities to promote religious ends, as is evident from the State Department’s latest report on religious liberty abroad.
Read More…

Outrage on Swiss minaret vote, but how do Muslim states handle churches?

admin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:15:30 +0000

Muslim reaction across the world to Sunday’s Swiss referendum banning the construction of further minarets for mosques in the tiny Alpine nation has been almost entirely negative.

Indonesia’s Maskuri Abdillah, leader of the largest Muslim organization in the world’s most populous Muslim nation said the vote reflected Swiss “hatred” of Islam and Muslims.

Egyptian Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, close to the regime of President Hosni Mubarak, said the ban was an attempt to “insult the feelings of the Muslim community in and outside Switzerland.”

Yet the referendums outcome pales in comparison to restrictions on non-Muslims who aim to practice their faith in Muslim lands. In fact, the vote only brought Swiss legal practice closer to that of many majority Muslim states that also place limits on the construction of houses of worship.