RT recalls 2012: Giving US presidential elections a third voice

Published time: December 26, 2012 11:32
Edited time: December 26, 2012 16:54
Voters cast their ballots in a polling station at the Holiday Park Senior Center on November 6, 2012.(AFP Photo / Mandel Ngan)
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With just a few days left until the end of the year, RT recalls the events that made 2012 memorable, with US elections taking the top spot and special election coverage that gave a voice to the third-party candidates via the debate hosted by RT.

Live updates, experts’ opinions, debate coverage and detailed countdown to the US election was available to RT viewers.

All the presidential candidates’ profiles were posted online, along with their political beliefs and leanings.

Aside from reporting mainstream events, RT gave voice to third-party candidates by hosting its own debate featuring Green Party candidate Jill Stein and Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson, along with the Free and Equal Elections Foundation. The two candidates gave their take on international issues and foreign policy. As well as, covering their campaign including the two times Jill Stein was arrested and later released.

Both politicians go head-to-head in RT′s third round debate
Both politicians go head-to-head in RT's third round debate

Police arrested Stein and her running mate, Cheri Honkala, or the first time after they tried to enter the site of that night’s major presidential debate at Hofstra University. The two were protesting against the exclusion of all but the two major political parties from taking part in the debate. Stein was arrested a second time in Texas while attempting to resupply protesters camping out in trees to oppose the Keystone XL pipeline.

Screenshot from YouTube user LongIslandReport
Screenshot from YouTube user LongIslandReport

The elections were also marked by voting irregularities and voting machine failures.

A woman looks at the screen after using an electronic voting machine at the Denver Elections Division headquarters in downtown Denver .(Reuters / Rick Wilking)
A woman looks at the screen after using an electronic voting machine at the Denver Elections Division headquarters in downtown Denver .(Reuters / Rick Wilking)

Hurricane Sandy’s devastation had an effect on the US elections, followed by fears that it would deter storm victims from voting and extend the election. Sandy caused numerous states to cancel or delay early voting, making it tougher for those who are unable to go to the polling booths on Election Day. The hurricane, which left millions without power and more than 100 dead, has cost the US billions of dollars in damage.

People vote in the presidential elections in a tent in Midland Beach November 6, 2012 in the Staten Island borough of New York City.(AFP Photo / Allison Joyce)
People vote in the presidential elections in a tent in Midland Beach November 6, 2012 in the Staten Island borough of New York City.(AFP Photo / Allison Joyce)

Coverage of polling stations and voting followed, including election line-ups and record waiting times. The presidential race saw huge crowds and voter turnout as high as 80 per cent. The enthusiasm resulted in long lines and several states possibly breaking turnout records. Voters reported waiting as long as seven hours in line at early polling stations in Ohio and Florida. Some even turned around and went home before casting their ballot after being forced to wait outside in the cold for hours.

Lines of voters wait in the rain to cast their vote on November 6, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida.(AFP Photo / Edward Linsmier)
Lines of voters wait in the rain to cast their vote on November 6, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida.(AFP Photo / Edward Linsmier)

Finally, an array of expert opinion analyzing election results were given a platform, as well as new ballots being passed, including the Colorado and Washington vote to become first US states to legalize marijuana.

US President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney participate at the third and final presidential debate at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, on October 22, 2012.(AFP Photo / Jewel Samad)
US President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney participate at the third and final presidential debate at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, on October 22, 2012.(AFP Photo / Jewel Samad)
US President Barack Obama celebrates after delivering his acceptance speech ion Chicago on November 7, 2012.(AFP Photo / Jewel Samad)
US President Barack Obama celebrates after delivering his acceptance speech ion Chicago on November 7, 2012.(AFP Photo / Jewel Samad)

Comments (6)

stock (unregistered) 01.01.2013 12:52

shows how much slave this Rt is to the anglos-the fact that putin won with 64% votes despite all propaganda by Rt types is of no consequence to thse spy journalists from Rt while they give undue importance to fradulent elelction process of usa.
thisis what happens when you let english spy journalsits in .
Allowing b ritish journalists is very dangerous-they are the spies working to destabilise al countries not under them. 10/02/2011, 00:08 besides whenever the english journalists infiltrate the news media or forum the news become propaganda for the english interest only. The same happend with CNn and is happening with al jareeza where english journalists infiltrated. Anot her example is Russia today where the english journalists have hijacked the agenda of Russian tv.

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Andor (unregistered) 27.12.2012 05:37

Sorry but the US elections was definitely not the top event for me??? I have better things in life to do than listening at those plastic, hollywood talk!!They are all brainwashed!!!Maybe it's in their water....?? Who knows?

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The Rise of the New Right (unregistered) 26.12.2012 18:18

The political machine they built is broad and comprehensive, covering every aspect of the political fight. It includes right-wing departments and chairs in the nation’s top universities, think tanks, public relations firms, media companies, fake grassroots organizations that pressure Congress (irreverently known as "Astroturf" movements), "Roll-out-the-vote" machines, pollsters, fax networks, lobbyist organizations, economic seminars for the nation’s judges, and more. And because corporations are the richest sector of society, their greater financing overwhelms similar efforts by Democrats.Their efforts have clearly succeeded. By 1992, corporations formed 67 percent of all Political Action Committees (the lobbyist organizations that bribe our government), and they donated 79 percent of all campaign contributions to political parties. (4) In two landmark elections -- 1980 and 1994 -- corporations gave heavily and one-sidedly to Republicans, turning one or both houses of Congress over to the GOP. Democratic incumbents were shocked by the threat of being rolled completely out of power, so they quietly shifted to the right on economic issues, even though they continued a public façade of liberalism. Corporations went ahead and donated to Democratic incumbents in all other elections, but only as long as they abandoned the interests of workers, consumers, minorities and the poor. As expected, the new pro-corporate Congress passed laws favoring the rich: between 1975 and 1992, the amount of national household wealth owned by the richest 1 percent soared from 22 to 42 percent.

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