US Election Video Analysis: Mitt Must Win Ohio or The Race is Over

With just one week to go before the US Presidential Election, Mitt Romney's state-by-state polling is failing to show any significant bounce. Republicans are getting worried.

In our video analysis of the 2012 US Presidential Election last week, we said that Romney had to win Ohio plus two of four states --- Virginia, Colorado, Nevada and Iowa. With numbers looking worse for the Republican candidate, we now believe that if Romney doesn't win Ohio, he can't win the election.

Syria Feature: Obama Administration Seeks a New Opposition Council (Rogin)

Opposition figure Riad SeifSyrian opposition leaders of all stripes will convene in Qatar next week to form a new leadership body to subsume the opposition Syrian National Council, which is widely viewed as ineffective, consumed by infighting, and little respected on the ground.

The State Department has been heavily involved in crafting the new council as part of its effort oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and build a more viable and unified opposition. In September, for instance, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with a group of Syrian activists who were flown in to New York for a high-level meeting that has not been reported until now.

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US Elections Audio: Hurricane Sandy and Obama v. Romney --- Scott Lucas with the BBC

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I spoke with BBC West Midlands this afternoon about the effect of Hurricane Sandy on the US Presidential election, assessing whether it will have a decisive effect in a close contest.

The take-away line? The event will not significantly alter the outcome, but it will have a marginal benefit to President Obama. That said, by the weekend, I expect the last-minute dynamics of the campaign to overtake the primary focus on Sandy.

The item begins at the 7:45 mark.

US Elections Analysis: One Week to Go --- Why "Moderate Mitt" and Crucial Ohio Point to a Cliff-Hanger

Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan in Celina, Ohio on Sunday

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Why are we witnessing the emergence of a "moderate Mitt" so late in the campaign?

The answer lies in his demeanour on the stage in Florida in the third Presidential debate. Mitt Romney was a man who is truly convinced that he is winning this election, avoiding any potential controversy that would detract from the message that put him in the role of frontrunner.

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Syria Opinion: "Leadership is Nowhere to Be Found" (Hanano)

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Leadership on Syria is nowhere to be found, not in Syria nor in the rest of the world. Instead, the Syrian crisis has been reduced to these cliched statements, by politicians, journalists and pundits, that seem to create some kind of equality between the two sides.

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US Elections Opinion: Q: Who Won the Presidential Debate? (A: Israel)

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EA Video Analysis: Why The Presidential Election Is Now Down to "Ohio+4"...and How It Could Be a Tie

See also US Elections Analysis: Obama Wins, But Romney Stakes Claim to Be Commander-in-Chief

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In our latest 6-minute guide on How to Become an Expert on the US Presidential Election, we explain why the race is now down to "Ohio+4".

If Mitt Romney takes Ohio, then he needs to win at least two of these four states --- Virginia, Colorado, Iowa, and Nevada --- to move into the White House.

But if Romney loses Ohio, then he has to win all four of those states for a 269-269 tie in the Electoral College, taking the decision to the House of Representatives.

US Elections Analysis: Obama Wins, But Romney Stakes Claim to Be Commander-in-Chief

See also US Elections Video: The 3rd Obama-Romney Debate

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resident Obama won the third debate, but did Mitt Romney win the White House on Monday night?

At times, as the debate progressed, Romney looked like a bystander, stage-struck to be so close to the actual president of the United States. Towards the end, before he recovered with a strong finish, Romney even began to babble, not quite sure what defence to mount against Obama's continual attacks on his flip-flopping in foreign policy statements. But, for all this...

Mitt Romney truly believes he can become commander in chief, convinced that the tide that turned in his favour after the first debate will continue through November 6.

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US Elections Video: The 3rd Obama-Romney Debate

US Elections Analysis: Obama Wins, But Romney Stakes Claim to Be Commander-in-Chief

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Later today, Lee Haddigan and I will post our analysis of last night's third and final Presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. In the meantime, here's the full video of the encounter:

US Politics Opinion: A Few Things the Foreign Policy Debate Will Get Wrong

Many things will likely be talked about at today's debate. While there will be plenty of fact-checking and analysis in the coming days, there will be a few misconceptions spread, awkward truths ignored, and key concepts that one or both candidates are going to get wrong tonight.

Below is a real brief list:

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