Mitt Romney

By Alan Fisher in Americas on May 13th, 2012
Mitt Romney's high school behaviour has come under scrutiny after reports suggested that he was a bully [AFP]

Now most of us would not like to be judged as adults by how we behaved in high school. There are moments many of us would choose to forget.

However, for some, those moments are still seared into the memory, an instant replay to make us feel awkward, uncomfortable or sad.

Mitt Romney is now facing allegations about his high school behaviour; how he would shout out 'atta girl' when a 'closeted gay student' answered in class, or how he walked a blind teacher into a door, 'laughing hysterically' at the outcome according to the Washington Post.

But then there is also an alleged attack on John Lauber.

According to the Post, Romney was incensed when Lauber turned up one day with dyed blonde hair.

A group, led by Romney, is then said to have pinned him to the ground.

Despite the screams for help and the tears in his eyes, Romney then cut his hair with a pair of scissors.

By Alan Fisher in Americas on April 11th, 2012
Photo: AFP

US Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum has decided to 'suspend' his campaign.  Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher who has been following the Republicans on the campaign trail looks at what the decision means for the former senator and for the front runner, Mitt Romney.

Why has Rick Santorum stepped out of the race?

There are a number of reasons. The main one is he can't win. Mitt Romney is so far in front in the all important delegate count, he can't overhaul him.

The Republican Party would like to see an end to this contest to allow them to concentrate money and resources on the big battle in November.

Added to that is the opinion polls which suggest that Santorum may lose the primary in his home state of Pennsylvania at the end of the month. That would be hugely embarrassing politically. Remember, he was voted out of his senate seat there. To lose a second vote on your home turf is tough to explain away.

By Alan Fisher in Americas on March 28th, 2012

The word most critics use about Newt Gingrich is arrogant.

The former Speaker of the US House of Representatives wears the label easily.

The self appointed "best debater in the Republican Party" believes he has an exceptional mind, is able to think big and is the best qualified man around at the moment to be President of the United States.

His run at the nomination hasn't been simple. He launched his campaign last summer and then lost most of his senior campaign staff, who thought that while he was off enjoying a Greek cruise with his wife, perhaps he wasn't fully committed to winning.

Strong debate performances helped throw him to the front of the Republican field.  He could boast two certain qualifications to the party faithful: he was a conservative and he wasn't Mitt Romney.  

With little financial backing, the free TV exposure of the debates also helped him enormously.  

By Camille Elhassani in Americas on March 21st, 2012
Photo by EPA

 After a decisive victory in the Illinois Republican presidential primary, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is breathing a little easier than he was a week ago.  Having outspent his nearest rival, former Senator Rick Santorum 7 to 1 in Illinois, he will win most of the state’s delegates.  More importantly, he gains momentum for his candidacy.

In his speech on Tuesday night, a triumphant Romney didn’t talk about the inevitability of winning the nomination, but acted like an inevitable nominee.   "Elections are about choices. And today hundreds of thousands of Illinois voters have joined millions across the country in our cause," he said.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Americas on January 27th, 2012
Four Republican presidential candidates are facing off in their 19th debate [EPA]

Our producer in Florida, Roza Kazan, keeps you up to date with the latest from the debate and ensuing reactions.

11:25pm: Jennifer S Korn, the Executive Director of the Hispanic Leadership Network told Al Jazeera that she too thinks the economy remains very important to Latino voters. “It's the number one issue, whether you are Hispanic or not,” Korn said. 

She said illegal immigration is a “huge problem” for the US and won't just go away. But the way to solve it, she said, is to solve the problems of legal immigration in order to “eliminate” illegal immigration. “Most people would love to come to work here in a legal way, but right now it practically does not exist," Korn said. 

By Alan Fisher in Americas on January 23rd, 2012
Gingrich has proclaimed himself the 'best debater' of the GOP candidates [Reuters]

Newt Gingrich likes to talk. He's a smart guy - a professor of American history and a former speaker of the House of Representatives. It's his love of debates that has thrown him to the front of the field of candidates hoping to secure the Republican presidential nomination.

He gives emphatic answers. He makes promises. He rightly addresses the format of the debates when he suggests that some of the issues raised, such as the economy or US relations with Pakistan, can't be summed up in a one-minute response and a 30-second rebuttal: that the world is slightly more complicated than that.

His message that Washington is broken, President Obama is awful and the "liberal media" is trying to alter America, resonates with Republican voters. Gingrich appears to have an intellectual depth missing from some of the other contenders.

By Alan Fisher in Americas on January 22nd, 2012
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney may have to change tactics for Florida [Reuters]

It’s been a bad week for Mitt Romney. Seven days ago, he was looking at virtually tying up the Republican Party nomination with victory in South Carolina and moving on to Florida for the coronation.

But then things started to go wrong.

He discovered he didn’t actually win the first contest in Iowa. A recount of the votes handed victory to his rival Rick Santorum. His performances in the latest two candidate debates in this process, where he has been steady if unaccomplished, looked shaky and uncertain. Asked if he would release details of his tax returns, he joked and dodged and avoided, leaving many people to question what he was trying to hide. He said if he received the nomination, he would release them then. That didn’t go down well – so he suggested he’d release them when they were completed, which would be in April. The demands still persist that he release them now.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Americas on January 7th, 2012
Republicans in New Hampshire await the debate [GALLO/GETTY]

Follow the latest Republican Party presidential debate in New Hampshire - minute by minute.

10:44 PM: The last question was a softball: Candidates were asked where they'd be if they weren't at the debate.

Perry, a Texan at heart, would "probably be at the shooting range." Paul would be either with his family or "reading an economics textbook." Huntsman'd be on the phone with his sons.

And Gingrich? "I'd be watching a championship college basketball game."

The NCAA championships aren't until April - and Gingrich had to correct himself: "Championship football game."

Santorum and Romney, too, said they'd be watching football.

By Alan Fisher in Americas on January 5th, 2012
AFP photo

It was just before two in the morning when the head of Iowa's Republican Party walked onto the stage in front of the thinning ranks of journalists in the Polk Convention Centre in Des Moines to announce the result of the state's caucus.
 
After a record turnout of more than 122, 000, the former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, topped the poll by just eight votes.

But even though he finished first, the big winner on the night was the new standard bearer for the right of Republican Party, former Pennsylvania senator, Rick Santorum.
 
And that perhaps is an indication of the battle America's Grand Old Party has been having with itself over the past two years.

It believes Barack Obama is vulnerable and they could easily consign him to the history books as a one-term president, but they don't know what face to present to the wider American public.

By Alan Fisher in Americas on December 29th, 2011

File 57156
Reuters photo

It is just six days to the Iowa caucus, the first real test of the seven Republicans hoping to win their party’s presidential nomination for the 2012 election.

Karl Rove, the man who masterminded George Bush’s election victories, has described the current battle for the heart of the Republican party as “the most unpredictable, rapidly shifting, and often downright inexplicable primary race I’ve ever witnessed”. 

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