Saying no has been the modus operandi of the 112th Congress. For too many of our elected representatives, it has been either my way or no highway. Progress for the American economy and Americans has been compromised because there have been few attempts at compromise. Now that the country has a newly elected Congress, we hope those congresspersons and senators who will take part in the lame duck session and who will take office after the first of the year will realize that they are in … [Read more...]
Articles
Frank blogs regularly for the Huffington Post and writes occasional columns and articles for publications such as the International Business Times and The Economic Times of India.
Frank writes on a wide variety of topics that are critical to shaping the future of America and the American dream and to making the United States and the world a better place. These include: Business; education; poverty and inequality; politics and public policy; immigration; manufacturing; innovation; leadership; citizenship; and social commentary.
Frank’s most recent blogs are highlighted on this page. To read other blogs or articles by Frank, click on the categories or publications links on the left.
US Presidential Election: Up to 35% of overall votes are expected to be cast before the polling day
The election to choose America's next president is still days away, but as of Tuesday, October 30 as many as 18 million Americans had already made their choices. In fact, up to 35 percent of the overall votes will likely be cast before November 6, the polling day. Because of the extremely close nature of the race, both the campaigns of President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney have made aggressive efforts to drive up early voting, especially in the swing states where the polls are very … [Read more...]
High Anxiety, Low Information, Moderate Expectations: The Importance of Voter Psychographics in Elections
Frequently, citizens' votes have more to do with who they are as opposed to who the candidates are or what their ads say. That's why when it comes to winning elections in close races understanding psychographics trumps demographics. Voters can be classified into three broad psychographic categories: High Anxiety, Low Information and Moderate Expectations. Political campaigns typically do a good job of connecting with the first two categories and a relatively poor job with the "moderates". … [Read more...]
8 states, 39 hours, 5300 miles: Obama, Romney working round-the-clock to canvass undecided voters
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are in an around-the-clock dash to canvass as many undecided voters as possible in battleground states. With just a week left for the US presidential election, the inevitable conclusion one draws, looking at the schedule of the two presidential candidates, is this: All roads and airways lead to Ohio, Colorado, Florida and Virginia, and a handful of other battleground states. Both President Barack Obama and his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, are in an … [Read more...]
Election Day and Veterans Day: Time to Make the Connection
Nov. 6 will be our national Election Day -- a day on which we select the elected officials to represent us in Washington, D.C. Nov. 11 will be Veterans Day -- a day to honor and show respect for those who have served in our military forces. In this election, and in every election going forward, it is essential that we send a message to all candidates running for office that our veterans are respected and honored best when their interests and needs are placed above political wrangling in the … [Read more...]
Race to the White House: Meet Mitt Romney, the new moderate
Monday's third and final debate between President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger saw Romney's transformation from a more hawkish to a more moderate position. The GOP nominee, who had advocated a muscular foreign policy throughout the campaign and during the primaries, rebranded himself Monday night as an advocate of peace. "We can't kill ourselves out of this mess," he said early during the Monday night debate in Boca Raton, Florida. Those who have followed Romney's foreign policy … [Read more...]
Obama is on Home Turf on Foreign Policy
If a week is a long time in politics as British Prime Minister Harold Wilson said nearly half-a-century ago two weeks are an eternity in an American presidential election. That’s what the first two debates between President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney proved. Thanks to a decent bounce from the Democratic National Convention, Obama was coasting with a near lock on the electoral votes when the two men squared off for the first debate in Denver on October 3.But Romney, who had to put … [Read more...]
Hope Dies Last: Why Hope Matters for Strategy
Hope may not be a strategy. Nonetheless, hope is a necessary but not sufficient condition for surviving tough times and achieving great things. Hope may not make something so. But, a lack of hope makes accomplishing anything virtually impossible. Hope is the fuel of strivers and doers. If hope disappears, progress ends. Hope is essential. It is what keeps us going against what appear to be overwhelming odds and adversity. The late Studs Terkel, America's greatest oral historian, … [Read more...]
US Presidential Debate: Mitt Romney like to pick up from where he left; Barack Obama certain to go on the offensive
The second debate has now assumed far more significance after a strong performance by the Republican challenger in Round 1 appears to have altered the dynamics of the race. President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney will faceoff for the second time in 13 days in a crucial presidential debate on Tuesday night at the Hofstra University campus, just 25 miles to the east of New York City. The second debate has now assumed far more significance after a strong performance by the Republican challenger … [Read more...]
The Importance of Beating Earnest: Lessons From the Vice Presidential Debate
From the Democratic perspective, the vice presidential debate was completely different in tone and style from the first presidential debate. Where the president was passive in his debate, the vice president was aggressive in his -- some people thought too much so. We think not because he got the job done. He accomplished his mission. In the debate, Congressman Ryan was sincere and earnest. Vice President Biden was bemused, bothered but not bewildered. He knew he had to win the fight in the … [Read more...]