By USDR.
Author Deborah K. Smarth wants to stress the fact that the challenges to the election system require greater vigilance, participation and self-education on the part of citizens so that they have a better understanding to exert greater influence and control in future elections. In her new publication, America’s Lost Opportunity, she unfolds the story about the Republican presidential nomination process from primary and caucuses to state party conventions.
This book highlights the party structure’s unfair and deceptive practices at state conventions and then ultimately at the national convention with abrupt rule changes made by party leadership to ensure the coronation of the party establishment’s preferred presidential candidate. Delegate majorities that were legitimately won at state conventions by the last standing candidate to Mitt Romney were stolen by de-credentialing such delegates at the national convention preventing Ron Paul’s name from going into nomination. Paul had met the threshold of a plurality of delegates in at least five states, but, the abrupt rule changes adopted at the national convention to increase the number of states required in combination with the de-credentialing of Paul delegates in certain states prevented Paul’s name from being put in nomination.
He was the only candidate among Republicans speaking about real systemic policy alternatives and would have presented a stark contrast to incumbent President Barack Obama. The media’s lack of coverage and dismissive commentaries precluded the American electorate from truly knowing about Paul’s standing during the state convention process and the occurrences at the national convention as well as thoroughly comprehending the contrasting policy alternatives that Paul presented in solving America’s problems.
Smarth elaborates that the so-called assumptions of free and fair elections and a free press are both questioned and challenged. She illustrates how voters have become victims of the political establishment’s and the mainstream media’s untruthful messaging, characterizations and personifications they deem appropriate to protect their own issues, agenda and power base. This book calls upon people to become more involved with government at all levels and to improve greater self-education on their part. It is important that they know what is happening in the realm of politics so that they can be better informed participants in both the governmental process and elections.
America’s Lost Opportunity emphasizes that the American people do not have control over the election process and that there is no free press. The developments and events that were highlighted in this book provide readers the evidence to support these observations.
Deborah K. Smarth has pursued an accomplished career in public affairs holding various positions in the private and public sectors, including teaching at the university level. She holds a master’s degree in National Politics and Policy from Columbia University in the City of New York. She has authored diverse public policy reports and papers with a specialty in business and economic development issues. She is also an executive of a statewide nonprofit educational network that provides technical assistance and support for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Her favorite pastime is writing. She has written many op-ed pieces, columns, and letters to the editor on political issues of importance as well as business issues. This is the author’s first book, which she considers to be a “citizen’s account” of the unfolding events during the 2012 Republican presidential nomination process.
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