WASHINGTON // With just 60 days left before the US elections, it was with a sense of urgency and a plea for patience that Barack Obama, the US president, made his re-election pitch to the American people on Thursday night.
"I need your vote," he said. "I never said this journey would be easy, and I won't promise that now. Yes, our path is harder, but it leads to a better place."
He now has two months to convince Americans that another four-year term will improve the sluggish US economy and create more jobs.
Unemployment is coming down - US job figures released yesterday showed that 96,000 jobs had been added in August bringing the rate down to 8.1 per cent, news Mr Obama said was "not good enough". While the unemployment rate dipped, it was bad news for the US economy because the decline was largely from more Americans giving up the search for work. Mr Obama's Republican rival, Mitt Romney, was quick to pounce on the numbers.
"If last night was the party, this morning is the hangover," Mr Romney said.
No president since Franklin Roosevelt in the mid-1930s has been re-elected with an unemployment rate of more than 8 per cent. While Mr Obama will be comforted that trends tend to be more important than figures, he needs to convince Americans that the country is on the right track.
That is what he tried to do with his speech on Thursday that brought the Democratic Party's National Convention to a close and some 20,000 delegates to their feet.
The US, he said, with his customary eloquence, was making progress "after a decade of decline". Only he could build on that progress. A Romney presidency would reverse it, he said.
"If you turn away now, if you buy into the cynicism that the change we fought for isn't possible, well, change will not happen."
He also sounded what is becoming a familiar theme of these elections: Americans face a clear choice, "the clearest in a generation".
"It will be a choice between two different paths for America," the US president said. Unlike their rivals, Democrats, he said, believe in "citizenship … the idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another, and to future generations".
He made a point of paying tribute to the US military, a glaring omission from Mr Romney's own speech last week at the Republican convention in Florida. And he pounded home what his campaign sees as one of his clear advantages: he now has four years of foreign policy experience where Mr Romney has none.
"You might not be ready for diplomacy with Beijing if you can't visit the Olympics without insulting our closest ally," the US president said in one of his sharpest lines of the night.
But the election will be fought and lost on the economy, and Mr Obama was scathing about his opponents. Voters, he said, can choose between his deficit-reduction and tax plan or they can opt for a Republican approach based exclusively on cutting taxes and government programmes.
"Have a surplus? Try a tax cut. Deficit too high? Try another," the president said.
"Feel a cold coming on? Take two tax cuts, roll back some regulations, and call us in the morning!"
He even referenced America's civil war, quoting Abraham Lincoln's reaction to losing the Second Battle of Bull Run in late August 1862, almost exactly 150 years to the day Mr Obama was speaking.
"I have been driven many times to my knees," Lincoln said then and Mr Obama said on Thursday, "by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go."
Lincoln had realised that the war would not be won quickly. But - and as Mr Obama might have wanted to remind his audience - it was won eventually, and with it came the industrialisation of the South and emancipation for slaves. The stakes may not be as high this time, but Mr Obama's chances of re-election may depend on convincing a less enthusiastic electorate that the consequences could be as significant.
okarmi@thenational.ae
Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Brief scores:
Southampton 2
Armstrong 13', Soares 20'
Manchester United 2
Lukaku 33', Herrera 39'
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
