In the first half of 2012, Willard Mitt Romney secured the Republican nomination for the presidency. The fight was largely a foregone conclusion because Mr. Romney had the money and organization and because the hard right was divided among a few candidates. Also, this was a time of political upheaval in Wisconsin, an American state not noted for upheavals of any kind. The hard right governor had taken away collective bargaining from public sector unions, and they fought back forcing recall elections. Although the governor kept his job, the unions had prepared for the November general election, much to Mr. Obamas advantage. In addition, this period saw the Syrian Civil War escalate. The countries in the periphery of the eurozone suffered from German mandated austerity, especially Greece. Irans nuclear ambitions continued to cause trouble with the big powers in the world, and France elected a socialist president, Francois Hollande, the first socialist in a great many years.

Jeff Myhre founded the Kensington Review in the autumn of 2002. He attended the University of Colorado where he double majored in history and international affairs. He earned his PhD at the London School of Economics in international relations. He is a member of both the Foreign Policy Association and the World Policy Institute.