LOS ANGELES — On November 6, the American people will vote to select their next president. The Armenian Council of America – Political Action Committee endorses President Barack Obama and urges all Armenian Americans to vote and ensure his reelection.
Barack Obama’s main rival in the election is former Massachusetts Governor and Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. In recent years, the Republican Party began tilting more and more to the right, becoming excessively conservative and destroying the party’s stature. As Governor of the State of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney had earned a reputation of a political moderate, yet in order to become the Republican Presidential candidate, he increasingly adopted the party’s extreme right positions on domestic and international issues, which will only benefit the wealthy class while destabilizing the international arena.
Four years ago, Barack Obama took the helm of the Country from his predecessor George W. Bush, inheriting a downward spiraling shattered economy, as well as two long lasting wars. President Barack Obama took control. He regained stability by passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the stimulus). Obama followed this with “The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010” (cutting taxes and giving business incentives). Obama rescued the U.S. automotive industry, its suppliers and created 1 million jobs. We have now experienced 30 consecutive months of private job growth with 4.6 million jobs created, despite Republican obstruction within Congress. President Obama realizes there is still a long way to go in order to return to the economic climate before the economic meltdown, as well as restoring the people’s trust in the future.
On healthcare and social security issues, President Obama spearheaded new laws which have and will mitigate the effects of the economic downturn on the middle and lower class. Forty million Americans who do not have health insurance will possess the opportunity to gain health insurance in 2013.
Using his constitutional authority, President Obama signed an executive order establishing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, changing the country’s immigration policy by halting the deportation of at least 800,000 youth (and it could be as high as over a million) to a country they never knew, having been brought here by their parents as children.
As for his foreign policy, President Obama maintained his promise to withdraw American troops from Iraq, putting an end to a war which caused the needless deaths of thousands. The draw down of troops within the Afghanistan war is also progressing as scheduled. In the case of Iran, President Obama withstood calls from the Republican circles to utilize force as a means of deterrent, rather cooperating with European nations and bringing the world community together to force the Iranian government to stop moving towards the development of a nuclear weapons system by imposing further sanctions .
In the fight against international terrorism, President Obama recorded many successes. Through President Obama’s direction, many “Al Qaeda” leaders, chief among them Osama bin Laden, have been annihilated, significantly weakening the terror organization.
In terms of Armenian related issues, President Obama’s Administration promoted the development of democracy and human rights in the Republic of Armenia. In terms of the Artsakh conflict, the Obama Administration has been critical of Azerbaijan’s warlike rhetoric and continues to defend the necessity to solve the issue through peaceful means.
For Armenian Americans, a main source of concern remains the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. While addressing the Turkish parliament, President Obama, inferring towards the Armenian Genocide, called on Turkey to come to terms with its own history. The President faltered on his commitment towards properly recognizing the Armenian Genocide when he used the Armenian term for the Armenian Genocide “Medz Yeghern.” Although this demonstrates a step closer to acknowledging the reality that is the Armenian Genocide than previous U.S. Presidents in recent history, this has also frustrated Armenian Americans especially when the President has stated that his personal views in support of Armenian Genocide recognition remained unchanged.
Yet as Armenian Americans with concerns for the welfare of our ethnic brethren in the Republic of Armenia, Artsakh, the volatile Middle East, as well as our youth and elderly within the United States and the lack of experience and interest towards Armenian American issues by the Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the Armenian Council of America – PAC believes the domestic and international policies held by the current Obama Administration are better suited for the future of Armenian Americans and Armenians worldwide.
Considering all this and the fact that Mitt Romney is completely negligent on Armenian American issues, the Armenian Council of America – PAC directs all Armenian American voters on November 6 to vote for President Barrack Obama.
