TALKING SUPER TUESDAY (FRANCE 24)

Yesterday I was the guest of "The Interview" and "L'Entretien", on France24's English and French channels with journalists Annette Young and Cyril Vanier, respectively.

We discussed the consequences of Super Tuesday, the race for victory in November, and the electoral dynamics facing Obama in his bid for reelection.

The Interview in English:


L'Entretien in French


Here are the major takeaway points:
-Super Tuesday generated as much incertainty as it was meant to end. For all of Romney's organization and resources, he is still unable to enthuse very conservative and evangelical voters. Santorum's victories justify for his team the fact that the primary is a two-man race.

-Romney's position is difficult, and gets harder as the primaries go on: how to seduce the conservative base in this drawn-out process without going so far right as to distance himself from the crucial bloc of Independent and undecided voters this fall.

-The Tea Party, while mediatized and significant, has had difficulty translating its frustration into a veritable political platform and approach to governance.

-For all of the polarization surrounding the president, Obama has successfully reopened the political discussion in America to include all its citizens, encouraging the full diversity of opinions to take a place at the table.

-Finally, Obama still has an uphill climb to win this November, but I believe that ultimately Americans will cast their votes for the president. In a year in which Republicans have had trouble generating real alternatives and innovative solutions to America's problems, Obama should be able to reinforce his image as a pragmatist, willing to work with anyone including his opposition to improve the lives of Americans.

The Interview, France24 English
L'Entretien, France24

THE YEAR THAT SHOOK AMERICAN POLITICS (LA VIE)

Pick up a copy of this week's edition of La Vie to read an interview with me in which we discuss challenges to Obama's reelection campaign, some of the ways the president has changed American politics, and new forms of political participation (Tea Party and Occupy).

The issue can be purchased at newsstands, and the interview can be found on La Vie's website (subscription required).

US INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL POLITICS IN AN ELECTORAL YEAR (TV5)

This weekend, I appeared on TV5 Monde's JT International with Isabelle Malivoir, the channel's global newscast, to discuss the American electoral climate, the Republican primaries, and Obama's foreign policy.

Some major take-away points:

- Americans are deeply concerned about the precarious economic climate. While most Americans approve of Obama the man, a majority believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. This constitutes a challenge for the president.

- For all of its success in driving the Republican primary process to the right, a growing number Americans are skeptical of the Tea Party and anticipate its impact on the Republican Party's electoral prospects to be negative. Its media visibility has not yet translated into the ability to launch a successful presidential candidate.

- Obama has turned the page in US external action and has begun to implement an intelligent and pragmatic strategic shift characterized overall by the following: redefinition of America's relationship with emerging powers (the Arab World, Asia Pacific among them); adapting to -rather than resisting- the tectonic geopolitical movements afoot; adoption of an evolving notion of an American interest and how to pursue it (depending on diverse tools, exercising available levers, and demonstrating caution and restraint in many cases.