MC Campaign Watch 2008

Campaign experience

2008-11-09T15:31:00.002-05:00

This years election was an exciting and interesting to follow. The thing I found the most interesting was the affect of the media on the campaign. Proir to this election I never realized the cost of a presidental campaign. A large part of the presidental camgaign funding goes tv advertisment.
TV advertising is able to reach a large number of people, or a target group of people. I also found it interesting how the adds change during the campaign process. At the beginging they are value laiden and issue orienanted. As it gets closer to election time the adds change to a more negative theme showing weaknesses of the candidates. I also noticed that people in general do not like the negative adds.
Overall I have enjoyed following this election. It has been interesting and I have learned a lot that I previously did not know.

Final Thoughts About the Election

2008-11-08T19:53:00.002-05:00

Even though the election has ended, the negativity surrounding Governor Sarah Palin and President-Elect Barack Obama continues to fill the air. I would consider myself on the very conservative side of the political spectrum, but I feel that others who also identify themselves as so have showed many cases of immaturity and ignorance. Even if the candidate that you supported did not win the election, he will still be the president of our country and I think people should be more respectful.

As for Sarah Palin, there are stories and rumors still surfacing about her lack of intelligence and/or inability to lead, but it seems irrelevant now that the electorate is sure that she will not be Vice President. She has been given a lot of harsh criticism, even by members of the McCain camp and I do not believe she is deserving of this treatment. It cannot be fully attributed to her that McCain did not win the election and after all, he is the one that chose her.

My main concern with an Obama presidency is that people's expectations might be too high. I understand that people are unhappy with the Bush presidency and are seeking any kind of change that will change the direction of our country. However, when talking to others they seem to present a VERY BROAD list of expectations for Obama that cover a plethora of very different topics and pertain to DRASTIC changes. On one hand, Obama can use any visible changes, even very small ones, to convince the electorate that change is being made so he might be able to appease the people. On the other hand, I feel that some people do not understand how long and arduous a journey it will be for all the changes that they desire. When asking people what they expect from Obama they rattle of a list of topics from education and the Iraq War to the economy and healthcare. He does have a unified government to work with, but that does not guarantee success, especially as quickly as people would like. I really hope that he does not discount the opinions/feelings of Republicans and move very far to the left when his presidency begins. He has promised to work both sides of the aisle and I hope this is how it turns out. This election was filled with more firsts than any in years past and has been truly historical.

Palin, Still in the News

2008-11-08T15:17:00.002-05:00

Even though election day is over and Obama has won, we are still continuing to here about the downfalls of Senator Sarah Palin. She is continually being criticized and blamed for the McCain campaign loss to the Obama Campaign.

Recently in the news, Palin was falsely interviewed by a Canadian comedian immitating that she was the President of France. She was also criticized by not knowing the Africa was even a continent or the fact that she didn't know who was a part of the North American Free Tade Agreement.

This is sad for who was a prospective Vice Presidential Candidate. I am sure many people who supported the McCain campaign weren't too sure how she would actually be if the McCain campaign were to have won the election.

After the Election

2008-11-07T23:51:00.002-05:00

The election is over. Barack Obama is the winner and the President of the United States. The next step is for the Americans. Can we pull together as America and support him? I was amazed at some of the comments that I have heard in the past few days on campus. We say that we are past being racist and we do not mind having a black person in power, but if that is true then why am I hearing all the racist comments about Obama. He won honestly. "Looks like the Confederates versus the Union." This was said about the way the U.S. looked after the election was done. "We'll see, I can't wait for him to make his first mistake so I can say told ya so." "The Americans have chosen, but they have chosen wrong." What amazes me is that some of these very people voted for Obama. As Ashlee said, we need to pull together as a nation and support Obama. I hope and pray that for our country we can give Obama the chance to make change and make a difference. He deserves that much from all of the Americans.

Time to Jump

2008-11-07T13:54:00.003-05:00

It's time to jump on the bandwagon! Whether you were an Obama supporter, an Independent or a McCain/Palin supporter it is official; Senator Barack Obama is the President Elect. We must all set aside our differences and come together to better our nation. Not only must we do this we must be proactive against the hate comments that are being said by our friends and family. If we do not take a stand our country is going to become divided. As we are going through these hard times, we cannot afford to fight over petty things. So I encourage everyone to stop the negativity and encourage others to support our nation through supporting our next president.

Indiana and Obama

2008-11-06T18:49:00.001-05:00

2008 will be remembered historically for many reasons. It is the first year that we would have either had our first African American president, or our first female vice president as well as the first time Indiana has voted for a democrat president since 1964. I believe this is not so much as Indiana has gone blue, but more so because of McCains belief that he already owned Indiana. The visiting statistics were so far in Obama’s favor, that I think it ridiculous that McCain didn’t show up more often. When you know you have a state locked up, at least give it the respect to show up once in awhile. Had the differential in visits not been so great, I feel McCain would have had a better showing, especially in Indianapolis, which he lost by 100K votes. I think this just shows that times are changing. We now have our first African American descent president (I say descent, because he is half African and half Caucasian) and the first election which contained an African American and a female. Personally, I believe that it is a great thing to show some mixture in the candidates. Rather than just having white males, we now have African Americans and females gracing the political candidacy, representing a great change in America. Obama ran a cleaner campaign, is the better speaker and worked to bring forth many more voters with his grass roots campaign. I only hope that he follows through on his promises and leads America in to a direction of dominance not seen in a few years.

Handsome and Even Tanned

2008-11-06T12:48:00.002-05:00

Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi described Barack Obama as "young, handsome and even tanned." Some people were shocked and taken aback by this statement, but it was only meant as a joke. He said this at a news conference after meeting with the Russian president. Apparently, he said Obama has everything needed in order to reach deals.

If it's meant as a joke, then I see no problem with a comment like that. People should lighten up and have a sense of humor. If it was meant to be negative or anything, then I could see people getting upset. The article also said that Berlusconi has said questionable things before like comparing a German lawmaker to a Nazi camp guard and saying that there were too many women in the new Spanish government. I guess it all depends on how serious you take things, and how easily you can be offended. What do you think about it?

Back Barack

2008-11-06T12:23:00.001-05:00

John McCain solemnly took the stage to officially announce his concession. Throughout his speech McCain wanted to make sure that his supporters did not take the loss personally. That they had not failed but rather he had. McCain also wanted to emphasize that although the Republicans would not be in the White House for the next four years that Obama and himself were not complete polar opposites; that they had more in common than they were different. That they were both Americans and could restore the United States back to its glory “I've always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Senator Obama believes that, too. But we both recognize that, though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound.” McCain showed great class and poise when he vowed that he would back Obama in his administration to make America better. It was a nice respite from the harsh attacks and negative publicity.

It makes you wonder if only McCain had showed the same amount of class during the campaign what the outcome may have been. The fate for McCain was sealed when Indiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio went Democratic. Some supporters would not recognize defeat until the concession call was made. Republican supporters have four years to ponder this election and wonder what may have been but at the same time they should recognize the magnitude and historical significance of the first African American president. Martin Luther King Jr. would be proud ; his dream has been recognized.

Republicans Looking for Change

2008-11-06T12:13:00.001-05:00

After McCain’s loss to Obama, the Republican Party is looking to reevaluate its overall message. Whenever a party losses an election, it is always important to go back to square one and evaluate the party’s values and stances on issues. The party wants to bring back the popularity of the Reagan years. Republicans are also looking for a fresh face to represent the party. Republicans are trying to move away from their image of the “old man party”. Republican Whit Ayers said, “tomorrow’s party leaders need to defy stereotypes”. Many Republicans believe governors will be the future leaders of the party because the majority of the most popular governors are Republican. They are hoping Bobby Jindal, Tim Pawlenty, Charlie Crist, or even Sarah Palin, all rising stars in the Republican Party, could rejuvenate the party base. I think the key to Republicans gaining popularity is to start governing less from the right and more towards the center. The United States, especially the younger generation, has a growing desire not be republican or democrat, but to do what is best for our country.

Campaign Promises Could Become Burdens

2008-11-05T22:33:00.002-05:00

Barack Obama owes his election in part to President Bush's vast unpopularity, but that favor comes at a cost--Obama will be assuming responsibility for a credit crisis, a banking collapse, an unstable stock market and what is likely to be a lasting recession. Throughout his campaign, Obama has promised tax cuts for working families, affordable and expanded health care and a speedy withdrawal from Iraq, but can he really deliver despite the problems the nation faces? In reality, Obama will inherit a budget deficit that many analysts say could hit $1 trillion for the first time in history, potentially crimping any promises of tax cuts or spending on new programs. In addition, he faces a worsening economy that has traumatized Americans trying to buy a home, pay for college or plan for retirement.

Since he ran such an organized campaign, I am not surprised that Obama has already appointed a transition team to help shape his administration's economic policies even before he assumes the presidency. Many of the details for his economic plan may well be hammered out by the time he takes office. Depsite his best efforts, I just don't know if he will be able to deliver what he has promised voters.

Change in America

2008-11-05T12:48:00.002-05:00

In his speech following the election results, John McCain pledged his support to Barrack Obama. This is a consistent theme in speeches made by the losing nominee, but I hope it was more than a token gesture. I hope McCain meant what he said there, just as I hope Obama will live up to what he has said he will do. There have been a lot of comments, articles, and accusations that have been thrown at Obama. I hope none of them are true. If you talk to many people who voted for John McCain, they didn't seem to defend McCain. The thing I've heard most is a fear of what and who Obama is. I hope all that fear is completely unfounded, and that Obama will be able to stand true to what he has said he would try to do from the start. Unite the country, make it a better place to live and work. Unfortunately, I have found very little evidence that would suggest that Obama is what the far right has said he is. I say unfortunately because it saddens me deeply to think that 46% of the nation would vote in fear if there is little to no substance behind it. I hope that this election will show capital hill that America isn't happy with the way things are going, and that they will recognize Americans are more unhappy with the divided mentality than a certain party.

McCain's Concession Speech

2008-11-05T12:21:00.000-05:00

John McCain’s concession speech was given around 11 p.m. Tuesday night. It was not given in anger, but in passion for America. McCain first congratulated Obama for being elected the next president of the United States. Then McCain explained the significance of this being an historic election and the importance for African-Americans. McCain stated that he “urges all Americans who supported him to join in just not congratulating Obama, but offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country.” I found this statement to be encouraging to help the McCain supporters connect with Obama. Another strong statement from McCain stated that “I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president. And I call on all American, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties, but to believe, always, in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.” I think his overall speech was very well written and spoken showing that he is a true American.

Immediate Reaction

2008-11-05T12:12:00.003-05:00

Unfortunately, I was unable to watch the campaign election last night. I was working, but I feel like I received some great reactions and feedback from customers that came in to dine. As 7 pm rolled around, and the restaurant was filling up. Almost every table was conversing about the election and what they had heard so far. It is so weird to think, that during the past few months or even yet, the past year or so. No one really shows interest in the election and it is not the main topic until....Election Day. For the majority last night, I would have to say were Obama supporters. What I also found interesting was that as I was talking with people about voting and such, they all said they were not sure who to exactly vote for. They did clearly identify themselves with either being a Democrat or a Republican, but they voiced the opinions that they did not support either candidate, and when it finally came down to it they had to go with their morals and the morals of the candidates. As far as the morals went, McCain supposedly had them and Obama did not. I did not agree that with at all. The way McCain would attack Obama throughout the campaign with his ad and crack under pressure, I clearly do not see him being moralistic. I was pretty excited to hear the results that Obama had won. We were updated all night, with people calling and telling us the numbers. I remember thinking at one point, McCain still had a chance, but in my gut I felt Obama was going to sweep the board. Which he did.

Obama Wins Indiana

2008-11-05T11:14:00.000-05:00

While the general election has been won by Barack Obama we still have yet to know the results of Missouri and North Carolina. Missouri seems to be leaning towards a McCain win while North Carolina seems to be giving it to Obama. I personally have been waiting to find out whether Indiana has turned blue or not. CNN has just reported that Indiana has been won by Barack Obama. What is interesting is that I the 2004 election Bush won Indiana 60% to 39% against Kerry. CNN reports that Obama projected lead in Indiana is 50% to 49%.

2008 Voter Turnout

2008-11-05T10:18:00.003-05:00

More people than ever voted for the presidential election yesterday- over 130 million people. This is about 7.7 million more than in 2004. Approximately 64 percent of the electorate voted, which is the highest percentage in around 44 years. There was an especially large increase in the states of North Carolina, Virginia and Indiana. Analysts say this is because of Obama's targeting these states. As of right now, at least Indiana and Virginia have voted for Obama, while North Carolina is still very close. Also, a larger percentage of minorities and youth voted in this election, which is also said to be because of Obama, and it benifited him. Exit polls are showing that Obama won 66% of Hispanics, 95% of blacks, and 67% of people between the ages of 18 to 29. I think the increased voter turnout is great. Even though some people had to stand in line for hours and in less than perfect conditions, so many people came out to vote for how they felt.

Ohio police ordered to have riot gear ready for election 'unrest' !!!!

2008-11-04T16:15:00.002-05:00

in spite of overwhelming proof that the Republicans stole the 2004 election in Ohio, most who refer to this election are locked in to the Republican line: "Ohio gave George W Bush the 2004 election" When are the americans, as a community of patriots, going to take these bastards on? For it appears that they are still very much in a position to do exactly the same thing they did in 2004. Those who live in "battleground" states should be cognizant of the fact that this is where they will do their dastardly acts, for in wide-open races favoring McCain, they would not take a chance. I suggest we make it very clear to those who are still ignorant of these facts that they do some research. I 'm certain that they will never use the Republican line again. but then again regardless of whats happening in ohio, there are alot of question marks on the democratic party this year, especially obama. for instance, he voted to re-authorize the Patriot Act, grant sweeping wiretapping powers to the government and give immunity to illegal wiretappers. That he opposes single-payer health care. That he voted to give away $700 billion to the crooks who looted the US economy. Woohoo! "Change" I can believe in: same shit, different party.
its a dilema !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and people re confused and dont know who to TRUST !!!!

The End is Near

2008-11-04T13:56:00.000-05:00

This has been a dirty and long political campaign, and I am glad it is finally coming to an end. Between the bad publicity and negative advertising, we have all been bombarded with news that shouldn’t make the news and accusations that do not make sense. But after three months of this, it all comes down to one day…and that day is today. The polls indicate that Obama will be the next president of the US, but nothing is for sure when it comes to the elections.
I think that overall Obama has run a smarter, more positive campaign; and that reflects on the polls. He is a much better orator, has better interpersonal skills, “won” all three debates, and has benefited more from E-campaigning. McCain has been behind for awhile now, but he never changed his strategy at all. He continued to run ads attacking Obama, he did not do enough during the debates, and he never quite sound convincing enough during his speeches. So from a communications point of view, I think Barack should win the elections. But we cannot forget that we should not vote for the most likable candidate, or the better speaker, we should vote for the candidate who we agree with more when it comes to issues because a pretty smile won’t better the economy.

Voting Lines

2008-11-04T13:42:00.003-05:00

This morning I arrived at Maple Park here in town to vote because I am from town and that is where I have always gone. This year the line was already 20 people long when i arrived to vote at 5:45 a.m. I waited for about 20 minutes to vote and when I left there was about 50 people behind me. I could not believe how many people from this little town were there by 6:30 this morning just at this one polling place. My parents who voted around noon waited for about 50 minutes before they actually voted. They have lived here for more than 40 years and have never had to wait more than 10 minutes to vote. EVER! If it is this busy in a town of six thousand imagine what the lines look like around the big cities of the United States.

Candidate Websites

2008-11-04T13:40:00.002-05:00

Candidate websites, in my opinion, are some of the most effective means to persuade voters to vote for a particular candidate. The website contains all aspects of the candidate's campaign effort, from TV ads to volunteer information. The websites also specifically detail the candidates' plan to handle all issues from economics to health care. Is it possible that the web will replace more traditional means of persuasion such as TV, direct mail, and phone calls? It's not likely. However, it is, in my opinion, a more effective way to persuade than most of the mediums we have.

We Learn to Appreciate Campaing Communication More Objectively

2008-11-04T13:36:00.002-05:00

If you browse through the website of Obama on this special day, you can’t help reviewing whatever knowledge we learn from the text book. The rhetorical functions of political ads, which can either arouse our respect for our candidate and patriotism or trigger our doubt of the opponent’s leadership qualities, just keep echoing in our mind. The knowledge of content and functions of campaign website enables us to achieve a thorough understanding of the fact why many visitors just cannot resist the coax of the various forms of information on that magical website as to resort to action of either voting or donating. Now we can look at the campaign activities and campaign communication in a more objective and professional way so as to better appreciate the strategies and real intention of our candidate and his opponent.

Voter Fraud

2008-11-04T13:30:00.003-05:00

Is there any chance of voter fraud in this election? Of course there is. Growing up in East Chicago, I've seen voter fraud first-hand. I remember one instance where the committee for the incumbent for mayor's office was providing brand new sidewalks and driveways for votes. This tactic aside, people always hear of the deceased managing to cast their vote on election day. Is it at all possible for the United States, or any other country, to have a completely non-fraudulent election? I am, however, very optimistic that this election will have minimal voter fraud and hopefully we won't have another recount nightmare like the one that occurred in 2000.

Political Consultants

2008-11-04T13:20:00.002-05:00

Each candidate in the campaign has their own political consultants. They need to have one because they often don't have time to do everything themselves, due to being very busy with dealing with the issues and everything else. Each political consultant has their own jobs as writers, speech coaches, direct mail specialists, and specialists in television commercial production and placement.

The consultants jobs as writers are to basically to handle all of the advertising chores of the campaign. This allows the candidate not to have to worry about what commercials go where and how it should be played out during the campaign. Speech coaches are simply there to help with public speaking and debating, if needed. Some candidates come in to a campaign needing a lot of work on their "speaking" abilities. People who work with the direct mail are simply there to make sure it gets out to the right people, it says the right type of things to help the candidate, and also to make sure everything is going smoothly on the outside.

Everyone has a really important role in the campaigning process, and the candidate is really lucky to have these people with them to help them. OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT!!!

Advertising

2008-11-04T13:15:00.002-05:00

With the campaign coming to an end, everyone is wondering who infact will be the next president of the United States, Obama or McCain. Recently a lot of talk has been on the advertising used by the candidates in the last week of the election. During a lot of the campaign, I feel like Obama has used the cruise strategy, to his benefit I believe. The cruise strategy is simply for candidates who are in the lead throughout most of the election, and are obviously striving to maintain the lead. During this strategy the camaign makes a "flat buy" which simply ensures purchasing a constant number of commercials each day during the stages of the campaign, especially the last week or so. Obama has used this strategy because he is still getting commercial time and his name is still out there. OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT!!!

Who is using the internet better?

2008-11-04T13:14:00.000-05:00

Both candidates have their own websites. This is the only place where they can control the facts entirely. So it is important to see who is taking more advantage of this resource.
Obama’s site is well organized, user-friendly, and constantly updated. McCain’s website has several videos that play automatically when you open the page, it is full of large images, and doesn’t really have much of a pattern to it.
To be able to influence a voter’s decision, your site has to have plenty of opportunities to get voters involved. I feel like Obama’s website is easier to follow, and therefore people are more willing to look at it for longer and maybe volunteer or donate money. McCain does a decent job at offering volunteer opportunities, but his focus on putting down Obama and I don’t think that is working. It is fair to say that Obama is using this inexpensive resource better than McCain, and that may be one of the reasons why he is more likely to be our next president.

The Incredible Influence of Candidate Website on Voters

2008-11-04T13:06:00.002-05:00

Today is the elections day, even without going out of our campus, I can still feel the enthusiasm of American people towards this big day by visiting candidates’ websites. On Obama’s website, there are various pieces of news about preparation for and progress of today’s election for Obama. The second-tier content of website plays a key role at this most critical moment of presidential election. I believe many voters will give their vital support to Obama by voting on the web and giving their donation to him no matter it’s big or small. It’s like election information explosion on the webpage of Obama’s website, and the influence is overwhelming to all visitors. Studying the functions of campaign websites, now I’m fully convinced that the functions of candidate website can never be ignored by presidential candidates because many people, especially young people treat web as the most important means of getting information about the world. No doubt, they will visit candidates’ website to keep themselves updated about the latest about the election.

Volunteers aren't calling it quits until polls close

2008-11-04T12:06:00.000-05:00

Surrogates aren’t done with their volunteer work just yet. I was awoken early this fine Election morning to a stranger on the other end of my telephone asking me to volunteer “for Barack Obama’s sake.” “How did you get my number?” was my initial thought, but that thought was immediately followed by “What is there left to be done? We’re voting today!” I guess I never really realized just how many people are still left standing undecided.

I don’t know if this is true for the McCain camp (someone inform me if they know otherwise, please), but Obama activists are STILL phone-a-thoning and door-knocking just until the closing of the polls tonight (in Indiana’s case 6 or 7 p.m. – those poor chaps in California will be hard at work until at LEAST 11 p.m.).

The Obama camp can in part pat themselves on the backs for a “job well done” recruiting and maintaining campaign activists. The volunteer section of their website helps surrogates organize opportunities that can influence voters’ decisions…even up until today!

It’s not too late – you can still help the candidate of your choice today by volunteering! At the very least, VOTE. As Bob Schieffer’s mom used to say: “Go vote now; it’ll make you feel big and strong.”

Dirty Dancing by the RNC

2008-11-04T11:22:00.002-05:00

There have been reports accusing the Republican National Convention and its sister organizations of using robo-calls to encourage Barack Obama supporters in Florida to vote. At first it sounds like a nice gesture, encouraging the democratic process to happen. However, at the end of the call, listeners hear a friendly, "remember to vote this Wednesday."

......

Wednesday? The vote is TUESDAY! This despicable decision of depressing democratic demonstration is downright dirty dancing. And not the good kind of dirty dancing where everyone gets a little hot and sweaty, but doesn't care because of how awesome the moment is... This is the bad kind where people may be given the presidency instead of elected to it.

If John McCain cares at all about his image as a maverick and someone who will stand up to party leaders for freedom and democracy, he should denounce these actions and make what is happening publicly known. To his credit, sometimes campaigns get too big for the candidates to know what is going on everywhere all the time. But this will come back to hurt McCain, even if he doesn't win...

How a tie could mean the end of the world...

2008-11-04T11:01:00.002-05:00

Candidates need 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. It sounds like a pretty simple concept. However, there is a possibility (more than you might think) that the race could end in a tie, with both candidates holding 269. In this instance, as a Reuters article explains, the House of Representatives would pick the president with each state getting 1 vote. If this is the case, the next president wouldn't be decided until January. That means we'll have to sit in this agony of wondering for another 2 months. And clearly, this will mean the end of the world...

I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been pulling out my hair (what little I have) as I wait. The last thing I want to see again are more attack ads explaining how Obama is inexperienced or McCain is old and all those rhetorical functions that we learned about will once again be relevant. We'll learn all about Obama's upbringing, his political standing on issues, and his image will be again sculpted/redefined. Or there may be more debates

To help prevent this massacre of my spirit, I encourage all of you to go out and vote today, because if Obama gets Indiana, we won't have to wonder who wins.

Leaving a Virtual Legacy

2008-11-04T10:43:00.002-05:00

Had enough of political ads? Lucky for us, this cycle’s race is coming to a close and after tonight, we’ll be left to watch TV without fear of those infamous attack ads. Regardless of who wins the presidency, this election will remained immortalized -- virtually, that is. Obama bought (for an unknown amount of money) several “billboards” that grace the pixilated streets of 18 of the most popular video games. These ads were meant to inspire early voting among the male 18-34 demographic. You men (and women, too) out there -- have you voted?

Both candidates have taken creative steps in "techno-campaigning" this election, and we can only assume that both parties will further evolve with our fast-paced, techie society in order to reach all types of voters. I'm just hoping our next challenger isn't an actual robot.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95720334

would the vp and the presedential debate have an effect on peoples opinions in todays election

2008-11-04T10:18:00.002-05:00

For the Presidential Debate, I personally thought that McCain did a better job than Obama. I felt as though McCain's answers were more thorough and connected with the people more, while Obama seemed to be having a bit more trouble. Then again, I'm sure there are people who will say it the other way around.Another thing was that Obama would often look at McCain while answering questions, while McCain focused more on the people and the moderator. I actually thought that this was a good thing for McCain to do because it's not Obama that he wants to win over, he wants to win over the people, hence him putting all his energy towards them. As far as the Vice Presidential Debate, both Palin and Biden would dodge off answers and go off topic for a lot of questions. The moderator several times had to say to both of them "you didn't answer the question, would you like to answer it?" ... now my question is how much will these debates play a role in peoples voting , would it even have any effect ?!! since its been a while for the debates ..
Either way, I'm not happy with this election, but that put aside, I'm sure ANYONE who wins will do a better job to get us out of this economic crisis among other things that Bush has gotten us into.

Sorry John, but MNF says you're done

2008-11-03T23:17:00.005-05:00

Is this the end of John McCain's run for presidency? At time of post, the Steelers lead the Redskins 23-6 with 11:00 remaining. As we all know, when the Redskins win their final home game before an election, the incumbent party has won the election 16 in 17 tries. As if McCain wasn't already enough of an underdog, the Steelers win in a landslide as many pundits feel Obama will tomorrow night. What do you think? Is it possible that NFL games are actually bellwethers for presidential elections? Of course, many just say this is by chance...but maybe it is fact that the Washington Redskins run the free world, not the USA. Maybe this whole election thing is just a cover up to a massive conspiracy...

But back to reality, it's not looking good for McCain as unless he can pull of Florida and Ohio, he really stands no chance. With both leaning towards Obama, it seems as though McCain's last viable chance at running for president is all but over. But the fat lady hasn't sung yet, there is still hope out their for all those neo-cons! I will most likely be counting a worthless vote tomorrow towards John McCain, but atleast I voted opposed to several of my friends who say it's not worth it.

Happy Voting!

With Election Day Coming Closer...

2008-11-03T21:44:00.002-05:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27483362?GT1=43001

Although this was a couple of days ago..... it caught my attention.
Both Obama and McCain uncorked massive "get-out-the-vote" operations in more than a dozen battleground states on Sunday. There were millions of telephone calls, mailings, and door-knockings in a frenzied climax to a record shattering $1 billion campaign. It says in the article that together they will spend about $8 per presidential vote.

"Polls show the six closest states are Florida, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada and Ohio. All were won by Bush and made competitive by Obama's record-shattering fundraising. The campaigns also are running aggressive ground games elsewhere, including Iowa, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Colorado and Virginia. "

As campaign closes more television ads are coming out. For example, Obama put a tv ad highlighting Dick Cheney's support for McCain. "The ad features Cheney, an extremely unpopular figure among the general public, at an event Saturday in Wyoming, saying: "I'm delighted to support John McCain. I'm pleased that he's chosen a running mate with executive talent, toughness and common sense, our next vice president Sarah Palin."

Here is another interesting tidbit that we were talking about in class on Thursday-about bellwethers..... "Obama and McCain campaigned on each other's turf Sunday. Obama was in Ohio, a bellwether state Bush won four years ago and where polls show Obama tied or winning."

To say the least, it will be interesting to see which states will have the vote for Obama or McCain!

Strategists Predict Big Gains for Democrats

2008-11-03T20:16:00.002-05:00

Several CNN political strategists predict Obama will come out ahead of McCain in the election Tuesday. The entire CNN political team predicted Obama would win electoral votes ranging from 291 to 365. Each correspondent, republican and democratic, predicted Obama would finish ahead of McCain. Several other predictions were made stating anywhere from 7 to 9 republican senate seats would be lost to democrats.

Personally, I predict Obama will finish with 338 electoral votes and McCain with 200... I think Obama will edge out Florida and Ohio aiding in his comfortable win...

Will they be counted right???

2008-11-03T20:03:00.002-05:00

With election day tomorrow there has been some discussion of chances of voter fraud. In 2004, multiple forms of voter fraud occurred, including voter intimidation, fraudulent registrations, multiple ballots cast and votes bought for money. Already during the 2008 election cycle, a dead woman in Missouri cast an absentee ballot, individuals were arrested for voting twice in Florida and people in Ohio registered and voted on the same day. I've never really been 100% sure how the voter polls work and how they are added up but with the amount of people in the U.S. there is bound to be some mistakes isn't there? With this doubt McCain-Palin campaign launched the Honest and Open Election hotline to help citizens learn the location of their polling place, as well as report any instances of irregularities at the polls, including voter fraud, intimidation, violence and electioneering. I believe that this is a type of interpersonal communication from the McCain campaign. He is showing every voter that he cares for them and that he wants the same thing to happen that they do, Get it done right.

Final Sprint to the End

2008-11-03T18:24:00.002-05:00

Both candidates were very busy on the final day before the election squeezing in last minute visits to the states they deemed as winnable. Obama began in Jacksonville this morning, attended events in Virginia and North Carolina, passed through Indiana, and will end in Chicago for a huge rally. He seemed to be moving comfortably to a victory tomorrow. McCain, on the other hand, still behind in the polls, had a much busier day of campaigning. He also began in the sunshine state attempting to hold on those 27 electoral votes. He then travelled to Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Mexico, Nevada, and then will finally end in his home state of Arizona. Honestly, I have not seen McCain campaigning this fervently during the majority of the election process. Last minute campaign cramming will not be, in my opinion, enough to save him. Of course, speeches and rallies are not the only final strategies of the McCain campaign. Voters in Pennsylvania are being reminded of Hillary Clinton's remarks against Obama during the primaries and campaign ads continue to run, questioning Obama's relationship with his Reverend Jeremiah Wright. McCain needs to take his loss gracefully. These last minute attacks on Obama will just worsen public opinion of him. I have accepted he is very likely to loose the election. Even if he wins all of the swing states that are essentially tied right now in the polls, he still will not have enough electoral votes to win. I have felt for awhile now and continue to feel that if he would have changed his strategy after the first presidential debate and campaigned a little harder instead of coasting comfortably to what he may have thought was going to be a victory for him, he would not be in the current predicament.

Obama's Grandmother Passes

2008-11-03T18:06:00.002-05:00

Senator Barack Obama’s grandmother, a central figure in his life who helped raise him during his teen-age years, died in Hawaii on Monday morning. Obama, who left the presidential campaign trail late last month to travel to Honolulu to bid her farewell, announced the death in a statement released by his spokesman upon landing here this afternoon. Her death comes one day shy of Election Day. “It is with great sadness that we announce that our grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has died peacefully after a battle with cancer,” Obama said in a statement. “She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility. She was the person who encouraged and allowed us to take chances.”
Madelyn Dunham, who turned 86 on Oct. 26, was unable to travel to see her grandson on the campaign trail. But from her apartment in Honolulu, she followed his bid for the presidency, tracking his movements and his progression through cable television.
It's tragic to hear this for the Obama family and friends, especially a day before election day. Thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families.
With this news Obama still continues to push forward for his presidency and plans to finish strong. He still continues to answer to the charges put against him rapidly and repeatedly. Along with this he continues to show how important each vote and each state is to him with working on many swing states. One of these states being Indiana. From what I was last told Senator Obama will be in Indiana on election day to possibly help persuade those undecided voters.

In the Homestretch

2008-11-03T16:20:00.002-05:00

Indiana seems to be really important right now. Both candidates plan on visiting Indiana between today and tommarow. Early voting is the highest its ever been and there are many still campaining out there on these last two days. What is different in this election compared to other elections in the past. Many want the election just to end because they are tired of the hoopla surrounding the election and tired of seeing Obama or McCain's face. I say we need to care because one of them will be our president and we will have to see them about everyday.
Many Hoosiers were waiting hours to vote early and many are excited that we are a battleground state. McCain came to Indy today and Obama is expected to go to the Indy area tommorow but it is hushed up because he wants his appreace not to disrupt election day. Volunteers for both candidates were knocking on doors or doing phone calls. This weekend I saw on the news some celebrities even maning phones for candidates.
Obama and McCain will do a one on one interview during the halftime of Monday night football which will be at 10:15pm if anyone is interested. Its the Washington Redskins vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. Also Saturday Night Live will have some spoofs of various elections tonight. I hope I get to see Will Ferrel as Bush again and of course Tina Fey as Sarah Palin.
Right now Obama leads McCain in Indiana 45.9% to45.3% Some of the early voters are willing to wait three to four hours to vote. Obama opened campaign offices across the state 44 of them and McCain oppened no offices in Indiana releying on state GOP. Grassroots for McCain started off slow compared to Obama's grassroots efforts.
In case you want to know McCain plans to visit battleground states of Florida, Virginia, Indiana, New Mexico, and Neveda all today. Tommarow McCain will go to Pennsylvania and then return to Arizona which he will have a party at Poenix's high end Biltmore resort and spa but plans to adress supporters on a lawn in addition to ballroom events.
Obama plans to visit Florida, North Carolina and Virginia today. Tommarow a quick stop here in the Hoosier state and then his election party will be in Chicago's Grant Park.
Both of them will be very busy but the homestretch is now and they will defiantely need some well needed rest after everything is said and done.

Settling down

2008-11-03T13:36:00.006-05:00

This has been an exhausting year. Ever since about March I have found myself in a constant spiral of argument, malicious attacks, misinformation, and repetitiveness. I believe the term is "shit-storm". As far as this election goes, I am officially done. Well, so is America in about 24 hours. This final post will be a round-up of some of the less-covered venues that I find great interest in.

For years, Nickelodeon has broadcasted Nick News with Linda Ellerbee. Well, she's still kicking, and the results for the Kids Pick the President special are in. After 2 million votes, Barack Obama wins with 51%, and McCain loses with 49%. That was an incredibly close race, for sure. Almost too close. In a Nick News special on the candidates, kids asked important questions regarding key issues; these questions were answered by the candidates so many times that by now, it's merely second nature. The last question asked blindsided both of them: "What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?" Obama answered first by saying his daughters like to be cute for Halloween. This goes against his beliefs that Halloween should be scary. He then admitted that his favorite costume was a pirate. McCain answered swiftly by saying his favorite costume was also as a pirate. He would like to still take out his sword and dagger in the Senate at times. How incredibly adorable is that?

For both candidates to agree to do this is admirable. The production was simple. They probably only spent a half-hour in a room with a camera and an interviewer. It's all a part of the "big show" strategy. The pageantry of it all may allude to the candidates' need to appeal to voters' children, but maybe it's because they simply want to do it. But this is important to a lot of kids (apparently at least 2 million). A lot of the time, kids only focus on character when picking a president and not the issues. As the videos posted on their site will indicate, many kids do care about the issues and have a lot to say. Although they are not eligible voters, they will be next election. Also, they come from a household whose views may be the same as their views. Could this be a reflection of the national result?

Blitz

2008-11-03T13:07:00.002-05:00

John McCain is insane. Seven states before the day is done. He starts out in Florida, moves up to Tennessee, Pennsylvania, hits Indiana, jumps out west to Nevada, New Mexico, and lands home in Arizona late tonight. Meanwhile, Obama also starts in Florida, but merely heads to North and South Carolina before going home to Chicago.

This obviously follows along the fast finish media strategy for a campaign. These rallies in key swing states signify McCain's "never give up" attitude, inherited from Bush and other Republicans. Each candidate will run their campaigns to the voting polls, and it is evident through these sudden rallies.

Although each media strategy seems clear-cut, the candidates seem to have utilized all of them. They both started out very strong, kept that strength for over a year, and are ending strong. It can be labeled as any of the strategies, from spurt to cruise control. However, given the atmosphere of the media at this point, it can seem that the campaigns are adhering to a fast finish race. It started with Obama's 30-minute ad and is ending with McCain's cross-country rally.

CNN reported about two hours ago their interpretation of the candidate's ad strategies. They highlighted two television ads, one from each candidate. Both were attack ads. Obama's tied McCain in with the Bush administration. This is an Obama-endorsed ad, broadcasted nationally. The McCain ad was endorsed by the Pennsylvania GOP, not McCain. Therefore, it was highlighting Obama's association with his former pastor, Rev. Wright; McCain stated he would never talk about this again, but by having an ad sponsored by the Penn. GOP, it's fair game.

These fast finish strategies are shaping up to be reflections of the entire year, wrapped into one concentrated package.

Hillary Clinton's Endorsement

2008-11-02T21:06:00.003-05:00

In a recent and significant push for the Obama campaign, Senator Hillary Clinton of New York--formerly Senator Obama's bitter rival in the Democratic primaries--wrote a stunning endorsement letter in today's New York Daily News. You can see it at: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/11/02/2008-11-02_the_man_for_the_moment_hillary_clinton_m-3.html?page=0
Bear with me as I analyze the logic of her letter: The piece first emphasizes the importance of voting, then gives a scathing review of the Bush administration and its tax cuts for the rich, tax breaks for the oil companies, and inaction in the face of economic, health care, and energy crises. She characterizes President Bush's policies in this way so that the Republicans can be held generally responsible for their failure, which then reflects on McCain. This is a common argument put forth by the Democrats lately, although both parties are willing to use this tactic of generalization.
Similarly, in the next section, Senator Clinton references the positive aspects of her husband's presidency, such as job creation and balanced budgets. This attributes success to the Democrats, which reflects well on Obama. Clinton briefly mentions her policy initiatives and ideals but quickly moves on to emphatically restate the ideals of the Obama campaign and its policy agenda for an Obama administration, including his economic and health care plans. The letter ends with a reference to "closing the book on eight years of failed policies," but I think a more poignant statement she makes is that it is not "who are you for" but "who is for YOU."
This personal letter to the voters is a powerful endorsement and a well-coordinated political punch in the last days of the campaign. Undermining the opponent by using guilt by association, then extolling the virtue of your own side. It's an argument we are familiar with: do we believe it?

The Phones are Ringing Off the Hook!

2008-11-02T19:33:00.003-05:00

With final attempts in motion, it is no wonder that both candidates are turning to the phones to reel in votes. On the Obama homepage, they are celebrating the record breaking number of calls placed by volunteers in one day: 431,645. Their goal for today is one million by 9 pm pacific time; we'll have to see if they make it! There is more than one reason for posting about this canvassing. Firstly, it is living proof that Barack Obama has used his new media to capture the attention of voters. By setting up his online voter contact tool, virtually anyone can make calls to anyone on behalf of the Obama campaign. The prompt makes the call even easier to help.

This leads to the other reason why I wrote about online voter contact calls. As stated before, anyone can call ANYONE to speak to them about the campaign. If you have not been living under a rock for the past few months, it is clear to say most know Indiana is quite possibly a swing state this year. Because of it, other state citizens are calling Hoosiers to pursued them to Obama. For example, on Thursday, October 30th, I received two phone calls: one from a volunteer in Fort Wayne. Well, it was easy enough to tell them that I have already sent in my absentee ballot, thus, casting my vote. The second of the calls was a 16 year old boy from Puerto Rico. Not only could I not understand the young gentleman, but also paid for the conversation because he made it via collect calling. To make matters worse, when I told him I had already sent in my absentee ballot, he began questioning me what an absentee ballot was and why i wasn't voting. Needless to say, a few dollars and minutes later, the young gentleman, whom I learned was named Juan, got a very brief overview of absentee voting.

The situation of the random Puerto Rican boy calling has made me question if allowing "volunteers" to call and pursued people to vote for Obama may be opening a can of worms or worse. I just hope he was one of a few who are not fully educated on voting issues and are canvassing for the candidates.

Final Stretch of the Campaign

2008-11-02T11:26:00.003-05:00

Perhaps the most important election of the century is coming on Tuesday, but the work is not over for our candidates. Senators Obama and McCain are still on the campaign trail trying to urge both supporters and undecided voters to get out and vote for them. The candidates are really concerned with the swing states so that they can get those votes. The one thing that really surprised me is that Obama is campaigning pretty hard in Arizona because that is Senator McCain's home state. This is surprising because you would think that McCain has Arizona pretty solid but Obama is going in there saying that he has a chance to win this state. Even though it is Sunday, this election is far from over and it will be interesting to see what these candidates do from today all the way up to the election day.

Lake County Election Troubles

2008-11-02T10:46:00.002-05:00

When Myron Chenault came to speak to class about the election I was really surprised to hear about all of the "corruption" that is taking place in Lake County, Indiana. Voting is a right that all Americans should be able to exercise and for a political group to try to stop that right from being exercised is not right. Personally, I do not care who a person votes for as long as they vote, and this is the main reason I feel that stopping early voting is unfair because they are trying to stop the early voting based on an assumption and not a fact. What if you had an event to attend on test day and your teacher would not allow you to take the test early because they assumed what your answers would be and had already given you a grade. You would not think that is fair so why do some feel that stopping the voting early is fair. Lake County is just one example of how the bad side of politics is shown and why people are losing faith in the government and not voting.

Comprehensive Immigration Initiatives for a Secure Nation.

2008-11-02T10:40:00.001-05:00

I recently visited Senator McCain’s website to view his stand on immigration and illegal workers in the United States. McCain believes we need to fix our broken boarders, and respect the laws of this country.
Senator McCain has pointed out four main steps to fix the broken boarders. The first step is to secure our boarders. Governors of boarder states will be held responsible for securing the boarders of their states. The second is to meet America’s labor needs. McCain will implement temporary worker programs to meet the demands for labor in the U.S. The third step is addressing the undocumented immigrants living and working in this country. Undocumented peoples must gain citizenship or be sent back to where they came from. They are affecting our economy negatively. The fourth step implement an electron verification system. This will allow companies to employees for citizenship before hiring them.

Pranking Palin

2008-11-01T23:45:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, Governor Palin took a prank call from two Canadian comedians. Using obviously overdone French accents, they pretended to be the President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy. When referring to the Canadian Prime Minister, Palin says that she has worked with Canada a lot because of their geographic position, and that he is doing a great job. She did not catch the fact that the comedians called the Prime Minister by the name of a famous Canadian singer.

She complemented him on his beautiful wife and family, and told him how much she liked him and how excited she was to work with France. They even went as far as making plans to go hunting from a helicopter together. After Palin’s complement on his wife, the fake Sarkozy says that she is “so hot in bed,” too. The comedian then asks Palin if Joe the Plumber is her husband, and complements her on the video made about her, referring to a pornographic video made by a Sarah Palin look-a-like. When the comedians told her that she would make a good president someday, she replied with “maybe in eight years.”

The comedians gave her many clues, hinting that the call was not from the real President of France, yet she did not pick up on any of them. Its funny that she can say that she has worked with the Prime Minister of Canada, and she believes he is doing a good job, yet she is not familiar with his name.

McCain back to the Town Hall

2008-11-01T19:00:00.005-04:00

Both Senator Obama and Senator McCain have neglected the Town Hall campaigning format recently, in which the candidate answers questions from the audience. McCain hasn't answered any questions from the audience since October 10th in Lakeville, Minnesota when the crowd was belligerent and one woman said that Obama is an Arab. It was too risky to repeat something like that again. However, McCain is scheduled tomorrow for a Town Hall meeting in New Hampshire.

To me, it doesn't seem like a positive tactic to use right now. Not only does he risk racially tinged comments or questions from the audience (and at such a crucial time, too, for undecided voters), but McCain will not reach many people through a Town Hall Meeting. Those who do attend are likely to be strong supporters of him already. I think he should be spending his time doing larger rallies in areas that have a stronger possibility of swinging to him on November 4th.

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Calendar/Detail.aspx?guid=529cb50b-7b33-4e96-97c3-77d9bed0ea9e

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/15147.html

Candidates Webpages

2008-11-01T13:22:00.002-04:00

After looking at both Obama's and McCain's websites there are a considerable amount of differences. Each tier includes similar ideas, but each tier is also presented different.

On the first tier is where I noticed the most difference. For McCain's homepage, there are biographical videos as well as as a form for anyone to sign-up to receive information on the McCain campaign. Also on the main page, there are links for you to click on to find out more on where he stands on health care and employment. On Obama's homepage, I noticed that he mainly has a form getting people to donate money and if they do they have a choice of receiving a free T-shirt as well as a chance to be next to Obama on election night.

For the second tier, there are many similar links such as issues, media, and news. What I did notice was that McCain seems to have a lot more information included than what Obama has making it seem a bit cluttered.

A marketing major myself, I feel that having a lot of information is good, but too much information can make a reader stop and not want to continue.

Lowering Expectations

2008-10-31T17:13:00.002-04:00

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5051118.ece

Plans are drawn up to lower expectancy of presidency if Obama wins next week's election shows concern that supporters are harbouring unrealistic hopes of what he can achieve. With the sudden financial crisis and the prospect of deep recession, has increased the urgency to try to bring people back down to earth in which his campaign of "change" and "hope" are confronted with the reality of a stricken economy. Even Obama himself realizes that expectations risked being inflated.

With an interview for the Colorado radio station, Obama seemed to already engage in expectation lowering and needing more time to tackle the big and costly issues of health care reform, global warming, and Iraq. Although the first days are going to be crucial and it will be hard to achieve his goals, Obama reassures his crowd that it will take time to make a difference.
Obama's tranistion team has been spending months planing a smooth transition; they are under no illusions about the size of the challenges the Democrat will inherit.

The challenges aboard for the next president are immense; big things need to be achieved early to still have the political capital to achieve ambitious leglislative goals. Obama intends to have early priorities that include a mixture of symbolism and substance. These priorties include making a major address in a big Muslim country early in the term and to make early moves to rid America of the controversial prison. His first legislative goals will be to follow through on tax cuts for the middle class and to push through a hugely expensive Bill to provide health insurance.

McCain takes the cake

2008-10-31T13:40:00.001-04:00

McCain takes the cake in the best liners in this campaign. According to politico.com he has taken the cake, but has eaten it too. The Republicans have delivered some of the best lines during the end of this campaign, but they have stumbled upon the worst lines. My personal opinion is that this election is full of one-liners and this can be seen through out our everyday lives. I have noticed many college students using these lines or even talking about them on campus. Some examples include:

Obama: “The record’s clear John McCain has voted with President Bush 90% of the time.”
“I think it’s a pretty clear that Sen. McCain is a little panicked right now. At this point, he seems to be willing to say anything or do anything or change any position or violate any principle to try and win this election, and I've got to say it's kind of sad to see. That's not the politics we need.”

McCain: "Sen. Obama, I'm not President Bush. ... If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago."

"We had a good debate this week, and I thought I did pretty well, but let's have some straight talk: The real winner this week was Joe the Plumber. Joe won, because he's the only person to get a real answer out of Sen. Obama about his plans for our country.”

These are some of the most popular one-liners in the campaign. These one-liners that the candidates keep reinforcing keep the election process interesting, if it wasn’t for these the late night shows would have less to make fun of.

Obama draws many youth

2008-10-31T12:18:00.002-04:00

Obama helping by looking in expenses of tuition for college students. when he visited Colorado State University. students had be waiting for Obama since 4 a.m. shows the true belief that Obama is going and will help the people that want to farther their education. to also make it much more affordable. during the same speech Obama brought up needs for new jobs and renewable energy. to help America get out of this hole they are in now. Obama enforced to embrace the new economy a look and support the new jobs of renewable energy source. would like to create 5 million new green jobs. in the town of Fort Collins Obama rallied 45,250 youth. Obama is here for everyone.

The Persuadables

2008-10-31T12:15:00.001-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-2008-political-pulse-changeable-voters

Overall, it is apparent to most of the electorate that an Obama victory will likely be the result of this presidential election. However, it is still important to note that several voters are still either undecided or persuadable. This stems mostly from their lack of knowledge in the political scene or because they see positives and negatives in both candidates running for president. These voters could potentially change their minds, which could in theory change the polls, that is unlikely, but still a possibility. Voters that dislike both candidates could not vote at all, which is not good for democracy and could affect the candidates, especially those like John McCain who could use the extra support. An article I read also noted that those who were undecided disproportionately backed Hillary Clinton’s failed campaign, which could take some democratic support away from Barack Obama if they choose not to vote at all. It is also important to note that the article says that only 4/10 “persuadables” report that they have been contacted by any political workers urging them to vote, which shows that there is, perhaps, and untapped group of potential voters.

Candidates Make Their Cases In Final Days Leading Up To Election

2008-10-31T09:37:00.002-04:00

In these final days leading up to the election, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama are making their respective cases on why each of them should be the 44th president of the United States. To the victor goes an office facing "global economic instability" and "an array of foreign policy challenges." Each of the candidates took time to sit down with USA Today and discuss an array of topics. John McCain, while in Defiance, Ohio, showed defiance to the polls that show him trailing Senator Obama, denied a supposed "tension" between him and Sarah Palin, and pressed his case further on why he would be the better president. McCain discussed how, he felt the recent rise in popularity of Joe the Plumber, and his infamous interaction with Senator Obama, would help convince voters of "the perils of backing Obama." As the interview progressed in regards to Joe, Senator McCain said, "What Joe the Plumber did was he showed America exactly what Sen. Obama's plans mean to America, which would be sending our economy into a deeper recession and harm our economy," McCain said. "So when people saw Joe the Plumber ask the question, and the answer that Sen. Obama gave him." McCain snapped his finger. "The light went on."
Meanwhile in Virginia Beach, Senator Obama stressed how his diverse background would be a plus if he were elected President. Saying he was looking forward to leading the country at a "difficult and challenging time," Senator Obama noted how his biracial background and years spent as a child overseas would help him be a more successful president than Senator McCain. When further asked to name some of his assets, Barack sited his upbringing, growing up black with an absent father, white mother and grandparents. Barack continued on to say, "I come from a diverse background and so I think I understand a lot of different cultures." This diverse background Senator Obama says will allow him to meet "the challenges and threats of the 21st century.....more effectively than John McCain."
Tuesday is shaping up to be an interesting day. With so many polls showing Senator Obama in the lead, one would hope that people do not become complacent and assume that the winner is already decided. In one of the most important elections in our history, let us hope that people take all the information that they have heard and learned over these past months, and apply it by voting for the candidate that they feel would lead our country in the right direction.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-30-2-interviews_N.htm

Countdown to Implosion

2008-10-30T21:16:00.000-04:00

The McCain campaign is starting to cannibalize itself in the face of a failed campaign. Already spokespeople are beginning to criticize Sarah Palin for being a diva and ruining the campaign. Top advisors have complained about her refusal to listen to what anyone says. She’s such a maverick, she doesn’t even listen to other mavericks.

With impending doom looming for the GOP on Tuesday, the finger has to be pointed at somebody. It is unfortunate, but mostly expected, that the party would turn on what they thought would be their saving grace. However, it is no surprise, or at least shouldn’t be to anyone with a baseline level of common sense, that a vice presidential candidate should be equally or more qualified for the presidency as the top of the ticket. Especially when that top is 72 years old and not getting any younger. Instead, the GOP wanted a star to steal attention from Obama. They wanted someone to become to new face of their party. They wanted someone they could turn into a maverick, who played by a new set of rules. And they created their own monster.

Palin Scapegoat

2008-10-30T15:35:00.003-04:00

If John McCain does not win the presidential election on Tuesday, who is to blame? The Republicans have decided on Sarah Palin as their scapegoat if McCain does not come out on top. One of McCain's own advisers told CNN that Palin “...is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone.” Yet another advisor called McCain's running mate "a whack job."

So perhaps Sarah Palin wasn't the best choice. And it was John McCain who chose her. In a recent TV interview McCain confessed that he "didn't know her well at all" before he made her his VP choice. He had plenty of time to get to know this "whack job diva," but didn't, because, in the beginning, Palin gave the Republican campaign a little excitement and personality. Now, Sarah Palin is "going rouge" and not adhering to Republican campaign scripts, as McCain aides have said.

But is she really at fault if McCain loses the election? I think not. Vice presidential picks rarely make or break an election. Sarah Palin or not, if McCain loses on Tuesday, it is his own doing.

.

Obama and the non-citizen arguments

2008-10-30T13:47:00.002-04:00

This is a somewhat abnormal post. I am asking for assistance. I have only found two types of articles relating to Obama and his birth certificate. Sites talking about him not releasing his official birth certificate and how the one listed on fight the smears is a fake, and those that say it is simply not true with no evidence other than that statement. The reputable source I found supporting Obama was the Washington Post, but in the article it only linked the fight the smears website which is put up by the Obama campaign. Can anyone direct me to a legitimate website which proves that the picture of the birth certificate is a legit one, or explaining why Obama has not allowed a copy of the original to be viewed by the public? I would like to know why he hasn't made a point of officially unsealing the birth certificate. Why allow it to be an issue? Or have I simply not found updated material that gives the truth.

Voter Suppression

2008-10-30T12:53:00.002-04:00

As the volunteer fromt the Obama campaign talked about in the last class, voter suppression is a real issue facing many people in the country. I have a good example to share that refers to my brother from Nashville, TN. He moved to Nashville about 4 years ago and has tried to register to vote more than twice and everytime the county or state says they haven't received his registration. He is registering Democrat by the way in a huge Republican state. This year he tried it again so he could vote in the general election. The deadline in Tennessee was October 6th so he went to the DMV and told them he wanted to register and the lady took all the proper information. My brother leaves thinking that he is going to be registered to vote on Nov. 4th. He checks today as to where he is going to have to go and vote and realizes that he is not even registered still. He calls the state to complain about this because he really wants to be a part of history. They tell him that they once again did not receive any information about him registering to vote even though the DMV told him he was. What is wrong with this picture? Do you think he should file a lawsuit? Yes or No?

Palin is Here to Stay

2008-10-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

Whether or not John McCain and Sarah Palin win the upcoming election, I believe Sarah Palin is going to be a new political fixture in Washington politics. If McCain and Sarah fail to beat Obama, this will not be the last time we see Palin running in a Presidential election. She has gained a huge fan base during the campaign, one that can be utilized in future elections. Palin has presented herself as a reformer and someone who will fight against a corrupt Washington. She also has a record of working with both sides of aisle and not always doing what is best for her party, but what was best for her state. Until the next election, Palin will have time to better establish her self in politics and become a little less green on certain topics, such as foreign policy. If Palin loses next week, I would suggest Palin running for a Senate seat in Alaska, to better understand how the legislative process works. Palin has already shown her ability to win an election by beating the incumbent governor of Alaska, Frank Murkowski. I think in the future, Palin will be a political force for the Republicans.

Things are Heating UP!!!!

2008-10-30T10:20:00.002-04:00

I found quite a few articles that have to do with my candidate. So I will give a synapsois of each. The first article is called "Plotting pair's success unlikely" which has to do with two white supremacists charged with plotting to behead blacks across the country and assasiante Barack Obama. Authorities said that the supremacists were too disorganized to actually go on with the plot. The two young adults had guns but documents showed that they did not get too close to getting their scheme off the ground. The two men were pretty open about the whole thing and so therfore they were easily caught. Some say that it is hard to take them seriously because they were going to wear top hats and tuxes to do the deeds. Many officials stated that the two men didn't have the means or organizational skills to actually go ahead with the assination on Barack Obama.
Joe the Plumber endorses McCain because he does not want Obama to spread any of his wealth around. McCain has made many mentions of Joe the Plumber and there is even an ad on his website with many supporters of his saying I'm Joe the Plumber and I don't want Obama as my president because I want to keep the money I have. Joe states that he is afraid that Obama will change the nation into a sociolist nation.
Battle on Pennsylvania is an upset for McCain. GOP is starting to have doubts about McCain's chances for presidency. Many Republicans in other states besides Pennsylvania are saying that Obama has a good advantage in their states to their dismay. McCain says he is ready for a fight and not afraid of losing in Pennsylvania. Obama also campaigned in Pennsylvania and had about 9,000 people standing in the cold and mud at Wedener University. Obama was very comfortable with the crowd even though it was very cold he also wore jeans, sneakers, and a raincoat to which he usually wears suit and tie. McCain canceled on of his events in Pennsylvania due to the cold weather. McCain is buying more ads in states and becoming more on the defensive. Early voting in swing states are in Obama's favor right now. Democrts are outnumbering Republicans in the voting process especially in the early voting polls.

Yet Another Double Standard

2008-10-29T16:11:00.002-04:00

According to Fox News, the LA Times is withholding a tape of Obama toasting a former spokesman for the Palestine Liberating Group, back when this was a designated terrorist groupl. How is this happening? Why is this tape not being released. Just as there are currently no charges going against those that put up the Palin figure in a noose, there is no outcry to show this tape. I think we all know that the world would be lit on fire if something like this was being done with McCain involved. I think it's flat out uncalled for that a tape like this is being withheld. Especially this close to the election. The american need to know the type of person they're voting for. Do you really want to vote for a leader who is toasting a former terrorist organization spokesperson?

Putting Palin in a Noose

2008-10-29T13:44:00.002-04:00

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw an article about a couple of L.A. residents placing a mannequin resembling Sarah Palin hanging outside of their home with a noose around her neck. The debate is whether this is a hate crime or not...I don't see a debate needed. If someone put a mannequin representing a well known student on campus with a noose around there neck, I imagine their would be hate crime charges. Could you imagine the out cry if this had been Obama? Obviously, there are reasons for the out cry if it was Obama, but should there be a double-standard in this? Should these actions be punishable? I imagine if it was President Bush in the noose, the Secret Service could easily take it as a threat to Bush's life.

I imagine these people hanging Sarah Palin are about equivalent to a recent study done of some Obama supporters in Harlem whom when asked "Do you support Obama picking Palin as his running mate?" responded "Yes, I think it's a great idea".

Text Your Representative in Washington

2008-10-28T21:47:00.003-04:00

As Mr. Chenault described to us today in class, the internet and forms of new media such as text messaging and iphone applications have become increasingly important to political campaigns. Trent and Friedenberg predicted this evolution, although in the text they focus primarily on candidate websites. The Obama campaign clearly runs a third-tier website, where you can find not only information about the candidate and his platform but also information about the movement; multimedia galore including blogs, personal voter posts and candidate responses, and youtube videos; electronic applications that get you involved and help you organize; and, moreover, all this is also available in Spanish. Perhaps the percentage of candidates who run such a website is outdated in the text, but I'm willing to bet not many people running for public office have a website of this caliber.
I'm amazed at the organizational skills of this campaign and their use of new media. They seem to have thought of everything (and with a founding member of Facebook on board, maybe they have), to have taken every angle of attack to get people involved, all without creating a chaotic mess of bureaucracy. I'm very interested to know how this will carry-over to Obama's administration, if elected. It seems that his staffers have found unique and modern ways to mobilize people for political purposes: people have more faith in not only voter efficacy but in their ability to hold elected officials accountable. What if, a year from now, text messages went out to 4 million individuals who then called or wrote (or texted?) their representatives in support of a bill? Why should their be any lag between decisions made in Washington and voter response? Is this a significant step toward governmental transparency and responsiveness?

Will Secret Service Get Some Exercise?

2008-10-28T16:08:00.009-04:00

Two men were charged with plotting to kill Senator Obama on Monday. Paul Schlesselman (of Tennessee) and Daniel Cowart (of Arkansas) were plotting to kill 100 African Americans, their last kill being Obama. Also a part of their plan was to behead 14 people of the 100. These two white supremacists said they would go on this killing spree while wearing white tuxedos. They were both charged with illegal possession of a sawed-off shotgun, conspiracy to rob a federally licensed gun dealer and making threats against a presidential candidate. The secret service and law enforcement have both said they do not believe these two men had the means to "pull off the stunt." The sad thing is, this is only one story of people plotting to take Obama's life. There is no telling how many other people have had similar horrible thoughts. The question is: Does the secret service need to be on any higher alert this year than any other election year? Obama is taking America forward by leaps and bounds just by being an African American presidential candidate. I can not imagine how our country would react if he is assassinated, or even injured! As this is the third threat on Obama's life already, I suspect that the secret service will get some "extra exercise." All we can do as Americans is hope and pray that the secret service and law enforcement can do their jobs effectively.

Experts: Obama Presidency Likely To Disappoint Foreign Fans

2008-10-28T13:41:00.002-04:00

It is not surprising to me Senator Obama has recieved overwhelming support in foreign polls. The main contributor to their support of Obama is George W. Bush. Bush has been considered a bully who is not willing to negotiate and has no desire for peace. Europe especially considers Obama their choice for American President. The fact that analysts such as the Financial Times suggest that Obama will not live up to the hype, but are still rooting for him, is clear evidence of a lack of trust in the alternative. I have suggested why I think it is, do you agree or do you suggest some other driving influence.

The Good and the Bad

2008-10-28T13:33:00.000-04:00

http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
http://www.johnmccain.com/

The internet has become to us, college students, and to a huge portion of Americans, the most used and valuable type of media. The internet is where we get our mail, entertainment, news, essays (just kidding), etc. The candidates are aware of this, and their campaigning efforts have reflected it.

Candidates use their personal websites to raise money, influence voter decisions, and develop campaign activists. Websites are a very inexpensive way of reaching the masses and to humanize the message of the candidate. But the problem with this media is that it is impossible to target a specific audience when you use it. And that is why, surprisingly enough, direct mail is still the most effective way to communicate a message to a specific audience.

Talk has already begun about Palin's run in 2012

2008-10-28T12:44:00.006-04:00

Talks have already begun about Palin running for president in 2012. Greg Mueller the senior aid in the presidential campaign for Pat Buchanan states," Palin as the economic populist and traditional American values candidates will be very appealing by the time we get to 2012.” Several accusations have been made recently stating friction that exists between McCain and Palin. Recent issues have suggested Palin is the weight anchoring the McCain campaign from gaining any ground in the presidential election. Mueller says if the McCain campaign wins, then Palin should get a lot of the credit. “A lot of conservatives are not excited by John McCain, even though I think he has been saying some good things,” Mueller said. “If they vote, they will vote for Sarah.”

I tend to question the level of success this article states on Palin in the McCain campaign. I tend to believe McCain is far more of a positive force than Palin. I think this article was created by Republicans who already view the election as a lose. They are preparing the country for the 2012 election, and I am shocked they would even consider Palin as a candidate. I think Palin is unqualified in all categories required for a president.

Boo

2008-10-28T12:26:00.003-04:00

The “Nightmare on Elm Street” series is playing in blood-curdling surround sound on my TV and I’m nervous – nail biting, stomach-churning and all. Is Halloween putting me on edge? Psssht. That’s mere child’s play. It’s the realization that I’m voting early this weekend that makes me want to mess myself. However, the candidates have been enduring far more frightening events this month. Both parties have seen their fair share of death threats and hanging effigies:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/27/obama.plot/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/10/27/sedens.ca.palin.noose.kcal

What do these surprise attacks do to the political parties? Although it is in part, a macabre form of “advertisement,” a composed response concerning one of these attacks can further demonstrate just how our presidential and V.P. picks will act in “scary times.” Image and style are huge in this election, and a concise, intelligent response will help to reaffirm the image the voters hold of their favored candidate.

Importance of analyzing advertising ads

2008-10-28T12:18:00.007-04:00

Political advertising has been called "the primary mode of public address." From corporations to nonprofits to presidents, it is the first method used to mass distribute messages or change the balance of power. the presidential campagin has been sold on media images that television has created. And while candidates still canvass the country shaking hands and speaking at rallies, most people cast their votes on how they see candidate from their own living rooms on television. Also by interpreting thesecommecials we are enhancing our media literacy, another importance, camera-person's choices in shooting a commercial can change the meaning. For example, a wide shot of a candidate with thousands of people lends a grander feeling and plays to the "bandwagon" appeal: everyone is supporting this candidate. A medium shot might convey a greater sense of intimacy with the viewer and perhaps an image of sincerity or trust.
when analyzing these presidential ads it it importan to answer these Questions:
Content: ex- what is the main point of idea of the ad?
Audio: ex- Does the ad use music, voice, voice-over, or sound effects?
Camera Work: ex- Does the ad make use of depth of field or sharp or soft focus?
These kind of questions and other more help us anayze and understand the ad thats been advertised on tv or on the web.

2008-10-28T12:18:00.005-04:00

"Are you joking? Is this a joke?" Im lawling irl, r u?

2008-10-28T12:18:00.004-04:00

First off, watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojmyCRYCkGY

Then ask yourself the question: Was Biden, the anchor, or neither out of line?

The answer: Neither

The anchor was merely doing her job and reading a teleprompter, and Biden was being is 'ol Biden self when asked a loaded question. Studying logic (it's a class here, check it out) has switched something on in my brain that makes me question every argument I hear in a new way. And from the knowledge of that class, I can say without a doubt that the reporter was asking a 'complex question.' This fallacy of argument arises when posing a question that prompts a 'yes' or 'no' answer, but in answering you may be affirming a false claim as true.

Here's an example: Have you stopped cheating yet?

Whether you answer yes or no, you're confirming that you did at one time cheat. And this is exactly what the reporter did. Now of course the McCain camp is going to take clips of this and run like the wind with negative ads, most likely trying to infer that Biden thinks the media is a joke, thus leading to the media reporting more negativity on the Obama camp. While subtly clever - using the news media to kill the reputation of Biden - the plan will probably backfire on McCain. He is already showing a crap-ton of negative ads, and this is more fuel for a fire that is already out of control. Pretty much every voter in swing states is getting a little tired of negative ads... I know I am...

But back to the question at hand, how would you have handeled this situation different? I personally would have called the lady crazy, walked off, and mailed her a picture of me flipping her off. Good thing I'm not running for office.

McCain's Smear Tactics

2008-10-28T11:57:00.005-04:00

With the election only a week away, McCain's still behind in the polls. Does his use of smear tactics have any bearing on his current position in the polls? Although both candidates use negative ads, McCain makes much more use of this style than Obama. When doing the Ad Analysis Assignment, I was looking through McCain's ads to find an ad that wasn't negative. I couldn't find one. Could this be a part of why McCain is steadily falling behind? Are the American people tired of trash talk and ready to hear the candidates talk about the issues?

The Horrible Effect of "Horror Ad"

2008-10-28T02:26:00.002-04:00

On Obama’s website, one of the campaign ad called “Mills Ad” attracts me very much for being short and to the point. That is a negative ad used to directly criticize McCain’s foreign policy of supporting America’s overseas’ industries.
The ad begins with the gloomy reality of Carolina mills’ workers losing their jobs to their counterpart workers in overseas industries by smashing the audience with the contrast between the numbers of job loses and pride of these laid off workers’ in their past contribution to the production of thread for national flags. This beginning of the ad is very impressive to the audience and can easily arouse echo in the audience’s heart, especially to those who have lost their jobs. And then the ad continues with direct criticism of McCain’s supportive attitude towards American companies giving job opportunities to overseas workers. Obviously the designer is manipulating the contrast created through the messages to attack McCain’s credibility as a competent leader.
The use of symbol like the American national flag can readily remind the audience of what a prosperous and great cause Carolina mills used to have, and can directly associate the image of an victimizer of Carolina mills and the other national industries with McCain.

McCain Faces an Uphill Climb

2008-10-27T20:44:00.002-04:00

The latest round of poll results shows McCain faces an uphill climb in the final week of his presidential campaign. The following is an overview of how the battleground states stand as of today. The states are links to the CNN poll.

In Ohio, the state no Republican has won the White House without, Obama is holding a 4 point lead, 50 percent to 46 percent. That's one point narrower than a CNN Ohio polls of polls last week. In Missouri, the state that voted for President Bush twice, Obama holds a 1 point lead over McCain. A CNN average of recent polls last week showed the race tied in Missouri.
Obama is holding onto a 2 point lead in Florida meanwhile, 48 percent to 46 percent. That's one point narrower than the race was last week at this time. In Nevada, Obama has a 4 point lead, 49 to 45 percent — a lead that hasn't changed over the last week. In Virginia, a state that hasn't voted Democratic in over 4 decades, but one that has been increasingly trending Democratic, Obama holds a 5 point lead, 50 to 45 percent. That's 3 points narrower than Obama's lead there last week, according to a CNN poll of polls then. McCain meanwhile has a 1 point lead in Indiana, 47 to 45 percent, another state that hasn't voted Democratic since the 1960's but one that the Obama campaign has heavily targeted. McCain also has an 8 point lead in West Virginia, 50 to 42 percent, a lead that is 6 points higher than it was this time last week.

A CNN political researcher says, “The Republicans haven’t lost Virginia in 44 years. They absolutely need Florida to reach 270 electoral votes on Election Night. They’ve never won the White House without carrying Ohio. And the last time Missouri backed a losing candidate was in 1956." McCain is now trailing, although narrowly, in all four of these states. He needs a dramatic turnaround this week to have a serious shot at winning on November 4.

The Internet's Niche

2008-10-27T20:10:00.003-04:00

It is no question that the Internet is a bigger form of mass media, almost in its own realm. Using text, sound, video, interactivity, customization, pushing of information by message creators, and pulling of information by consumers all make the Internet an ideal marketplace for political campaigning. Trent and Friedenberg predicted that in the 2008 presidential campaign ads would be tested online before broadcasted on television. This is indeed true. As the authors have also mentioned, due to the decision by the Federal Election Commission, any content created for a campaign used for web ads, websites, or e-mail is not subject to campaign finance regulations. This does not include paid ads for other websites. The freedom of message creation and cheap feedback can dynamically change a campaign from its very core.

One gross underestimation by the authors is their comparison of the 2004 election with this one. Four years have passed, and more people are online. Not only that, but a great increase in voting-age citizens has also occurred. More people rely on the Internet for information; more people check their e-mail multiple times a day; more people subscribe to RSS feeds for a daily dose of customized literature. By the next election, I feel it is safe to say that the Internet will be the primary focus of a campaign using mass media.

Already Obama has raised record amounts of money from his website. Credible news sources use each candidate's website for information to write articles. As I've mentioned before: the book is already outdated, and it was published this year.

Obama Still Leading in the Swing States

2008-10-27T18:53:00.002-04:00

Although the most recent polls show a smaller gap between the candidates in several of the key swing states, Obama continues to maintain his lead. Its difficult to tell how accurate these polls truly are. Will the same people actually exercise their right and vote on November 4th? And how large and diverse is the population sample?
However, it does not seem that McCain will be able to catch up this late in the game and his attack strategies continue to push voters away. I think he uses the same sayings like "maverick" and most recently "Joe the Plumber" until they come across as fake and fall on deaf ears.
I suppose on November 4th, Americans will finally know who will be serving our country for the next four years.

Obama-Biden Support in Spain, Europe, and the World

2008-10-27T14:30:00.000-04:00

Does anyone else think it is weird that the United States presidential election gets nightly coverage on the news in Spain and other places around the world, while we learn almost nothing about their elections on ours? I think it is bad that things like that don’t matter to most people in our country. While other countries realize that our president might affect their countries, the United States might as well say that we don’t think it matters who the president of countries like Spain is. A comment made by McCain in September goes along these same lines. He made a series of remarks to a reporter’s questions about meeting with the president of Spain, Mr. Zapatero, which really didn’t make sense. Most people took it as he didn’t know who Zapatero was, and had assumed he was from Latin America. Even after the reporter clarified his question and included the word Europe, McCain didn’t change his implications that he wouldn’t meet with Zapatero. Many people from Spain appreciated Biden’s comment in the vice presidential election that he thought it was crazy that McCain isn’t interested in having talks with the president of Spain. According to a poll in Spain, 89% of people who said they had an opinion about the president of the United States would vote for Obama. This percentage is around what most other countries in Europe are at, and is slightly higher than Mexico and Canada. Almost every country in the world prefers Obama to McCain. With our nation’s current foreign policies it is not hard to imagine that almost all foreigners want to see some serious change in our president.

Obama's Website

2008-10-27T14:10:00.003-04:00

Through this whole experience with this class and doing blogs, I have actually come to find that I have learned a lot. Even people around me that I speak with almost on a daily basis have given their imput on how much I have come from before I started with this class. Just from this class I am now able to have an opinion on the election, and it really feels good. My blog for this week is about the websites of the candidates. I have visited both candidates websites, and honestly but have honestly only really been able to focus on one...and that is Obamas. The functions of a candidates website are to affect visitor opinions, a means of fundraising, and a means of developing a body of candidate volunteers. When I first go onto Obama's website, the first thing that catches my eye, is saying "5 Things you can do to Volunteer." This right of the bat is performing one of the functions of a candidate's website. I also like how it goes nice and neat, and really is informative for visitors. I think that the Obama website can affect visitor opinions because when you visit the site, everything is laid out and easy to get to and read. I actually think that it shows a little bit about how Obama would run the country. He will lay it out on the table, and not hide anything. I think as time goes on the use of the internet will increase even more in the time of elections. People will be developing even crazier things and ways people can add this into their actual campaign.

McCain needs big muscles to climb this hill

2008-10-27T10:27:00.002-04:00

Looking at polls all across the country it is not looking good for John McCain. He looks to be behind in states like Ohio, Missouri, Florida, Nevada, and and Virginia. Bush won all these states in 2004 and there is no way for McCain to win without them. In Ohio McCain is down 50 to 46 percent. This is a crucial state for McCain since no Republican has every won the presidency without the Ohio on their side. In Missouri Obama is ahead by a closer one point margin. In Florida and Nevada Obama continues to have a 2 to 4 point lead consistently. Finally in Virginia Obama seems to be widening the gap with a 5 point lead. In some polls Virgina is solid blue for Obama. The only light the McCain campaign is seeing right now is in Indiana and West Virgina where McCain still holds his lead over Obama. The only problem is McCain needs all the states that Bush won to win the presidency and he is down 8 of them across the nation. McCain is going to need a miracle on Nov. 4th to pull this off.

Higher Purpose

2008-10-27T10:25:00.002-04:00

After weeks and months of down and dirty campaigning, Barack Obama is returning back to his "new politics." He's delivering his "Closing Argument Speech on the Change We Need." He talks of ending politics that divide a nation, and starting a new politic that brings out the best in people. He claims that the past 8 years a higher purpose has been missing from our country and he promises that change.
One of the reasons I chose this article was because of one thing Obama said, The question in this election is not “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” We know the answer to that. The real question is, “Will this country be better off four years from now?”

This is true. We shouldn't be examining the election from a retrospective viewpoint. We should all ask ourselves this question before the vote. So what do you think? Will this country be better off four years from now with Obama or McCain?

Alaska's Largest Newspaper Endorses Obama

2008-10-26T19:59:00.002-04:00

Just today, the Anchorage Daily News (Alaska's largest newspaper) has endorsed Senator Obama. With the election just over a week away, any endorsements gained are helpful to either party. The fact that Sarah Palin is their governor has no affect on their decision. The paper is quoted as saying:

"The election, after all is said and done, is not about Sarah Palin, and our sober view is that her running mate, Sen. John McCain, is the wrong choice for president at this critical time for our nation."

Like many other critics of Palin in the United States, the paper believes she is truly ready to step into the job of being president. This is interesting that a paper from her home state would be so blunt about their support for the opposition. However, Anchorage is not the only paper declaring support against their state's perceived party affliation. In Muncie, Indiana, The Star Press endorses Obama because he has set an example by remaining calm during the financial collapse. Interestingly enough, other newspapers based out of "swing states" have endorsed Obama, such as: The Erie Times-News (PA) and The Lansing State Journal (MI).

The Anchorage paper concluded their article with a funny, yet mean statement about Palin and McCain: "Like picking Sen. McCain for president, putting her one 72-year-old heartbeat from the leadership of the free world is just too risky at this time."

Wardrobe "controversy"

2008-10-26T17:49:00.003-04:00

I think it's comical that some of the biggest headlines in our election news this week has been about Sarah Palin's wardrobe. Personally, I could care less how much money is spent on a wardrobe and make-up. I would rather read about what is said at rallies etc. as Obama's coverage has consisted of this week. The fact that this is really the only publicity that the McCain campaign is getting right now while Obama draws hundreds of thousands of people to his rallies is most definately not a bright spot in the election for John McCain. I am of the personal opinion that polls are generally slanted a bit, but I'm starting to believe that Mr. McCain has nearly no shot to win this election. Nov. 4th may not be as exciting as I figured it would be, this election may be boring in the end with a big victory for Obama.

palin visits ohio

2008-10-25T22:46:00.000-04:00

Governor Palin visited Ohio trying to rally the state for the upcoming election. With just twelve days left in this campaign Ohio could play a vital role in who becomes the next president of the United States of America. Governor Palin called for change especially in the economy. “We need someone with bold and fair plans”, said Palin.
With Senator McCain’s plan, people will be able to keep their homes and retirees will be able to keep their investments and savings. “We will put this economy back on track,” said Palin. They plan to do this by tax relief to every American, especially for small businesses. Getting small businesses going will provide a great jump start for or economy and start it back in the right direction. This is in response to Obama’s “joe the plumer” controversy. They believe small businesses will create many jobs and get the economy back on track. McCain and Palin will lower income taxes while increasing child tax deductions.
Governor Palin ended the speech by stating, “ Ohio, will you hire us?”.

McCain's Campaign on the Edge of Destruction

2008-10-25T22:45:00.001-04:00

Things just don’t seem to be going John McCain’s way these days. Yesterday, the news was covered in embarrassing stories of his campaign advisors not getting along with Governor Palin (further detailed in ” Palin going Rogue” below), John McCain’s brother calling 911 to complain about traffic, and cursing at them nonetheless, and Sarah Palin getting called out on the importance of fruit fly research after she downplayed it in a speech.
As far as the campaign, it was reported that the highest paid member of John McCain’s staff made $22,000 in only two weeks. This was not his economic advisor, nor his foreign policy advisor, but Sarah Palin’s make-up artist. The make-up artist won an Emmy for her work on So You Think You Can Dance, and is obviously the most important employee of the campaign at this point.
Other expenditures reported by the McCain campaign included the wardrobe for Palin from the Republican National Convention. When questioned about the prices, Sarah Palin said that the numbers couldn’t be right, and that she also did not get to keep them. This all comes on the same day in which Sarah Palin gave her deposition on the trooper case, and the campaign launches what has been called the most controversial campaign ad since the “Daisy” ad.

Can anything give McCain the boost he needs?

2008-10-25T21:44:00.001-04:00

Throughout these closing weeks leading up to the campaign, tensions between the campaigns have heightened to an intense level, the negativity and attack ads are through the roof, and most polls shows John McCain trailing behind Barack Obama by a fairly large margin. While his numbers have been falling and the debates have failed to give him the boost he needs, McCain has been trying several other tactics to try and shed a negative light on Obama. He has specifically highlighted Obama’s connections with individuals like Ayres and Organizations like ACORN, as well as never ceasing to highlight Obama’s inexperience.

One of the news stories that I was reading was about how this campaign focused more on diplomacy than campaigns in the recent past. It highlighted the many visits that both McCain and Obama had made to other countries, and also focused on the candidates’ expressed desire to work closely with foreign diplomats to forge bonds, as the United States can not conquer/achieve everything on its own. This foreign policy subject is one that McCain definitely is knowledgeable about, especially in comparison with the economy. It is possible, that by highlighting Foreign Policy he can shed light on his experience and expertise and exude a leadership style that will register positively with independent/undecided voters. Even if he can drive home the topic of foreign policy in the days remaining, it probably will not be enough.

The subject of another news article that I was reading focused on McCain and Obama’s focus on the Mountain West. The polls are showing that swing states are slowly starting to favor Obama and McCain is trying to desperately hold on to states that he could still win. Senator McCain has said that because of the unchanged polls, pundits are writing him off, but he believes he still has fight left in him. It will be very interesting to see what changes the McCain campaign will undergo in these final days.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/25/AR2008102502003.html?hpid=topnews

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/25/mccain-dont-write-us-off-yet/

Republicans set back by courts

2008-10-25T19:42:00.002-04:00

The Republicans have been requesting that courts investigate the record number of new registered Democrats. However, voting rights activists are concerned that thousands of legitimate voters could be disqualified in the process. Recently though, judged have ruled against Republican challenges in major battleground states.

On Friday, the White House required the Department of Justice to investigated 200,000 Ohio voters.

The discrepancies are mostly due to the use of nicknames on voter registration or typos in databases. Some say the main reason that so many new registered voters are being investigated is that larger turnout would help the Democrats.

The McCain campaign is currently in a struggle with ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) which is under investigation for fraudulent voter registration.

Manning the Helm

2008-10-25T18:19:00.002-04:00

The Republican National Committee released a TV ad today questioning the ability of Obama to lead our country in the midst of a storm. It is supposed to run in target states. This is the narration for the ad:

Narrator: "We choose Presidents to lead us through uncertain times -rely on their background and experience to guide us. Some now say this storm cannot get worse. Our nation is so off course that Barack Obama’s quick rise to power and inexperience should not matter. But what if the storm does get worse? With someone who’s untested at the helm."

This is a negative ad that serves to question McCain's opponent. It is a very dark advertisement, and it features choppy waves that get higher and stormier throughout the narration. The music is foreboding and fearful with the sounds of rough waves in the background. It employs fear tactics by suggesting that the "storm" might get worse. The ad never explicitly states what the storm actually is, but it likely refers to the economy.

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2008/10/storm.html

Palin "going rogue"

2008-10-25T15:42:00.002-04:00

Looking at CNN.com, I found an article titled, "McCain aide: Palin "going rogue". For those you that aren't quite sure what rogue means, the definition in the Webster Dictionary states that rogue is "a dishonest person". In this article there were McCain advisors that have stressed their frustrations about Palin.

There were several cases where McCain sources believe Palin has "gone off message". An example of this that was stated in the article was how she labeled robo calls "irritating". Another source believes that she seems to be looking out for herself rather then the McCain campaign in general.

A McCain advisor called her "a diva". They don't believe that she trusts any of them, her family or anyone, they believe that she pictures herself to be the next leader of the Republican party.

A Palin associate actually defends her from these comments by saying that she just isn't good at process questions and her comments about robo calls were answers to the process questions.

Again in the news we are still continuing to hear about negative impacts on Palin. There are only 9 days left till election day. Does the McCain campaign stand a chance?

Who Could Sway the Vote?

2008-10-24T22:48:00.003-04:00

The young voters. Senator Obama has done some new techniques that are really targeting the younger generation. Text messages, video games, and parties on campus are all things that the young voters enjoy. "In many ways, our fate is in their hands," Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said. How true is that though? There was a poll conducted that showed the voters between the ages of 18-29 favored Senator Obama 56% to 29%. Now that is a huge difference. The problem is that only 54% of the new nine million voters said they are definitely going to vote on Election Day.

The big difference between the two campaigns is how they are targeting the college campuses. Obama has paid youth coordinators in 14 of the swing states that coordinate tens of thousands of volunteers. These volunteers plan to hit the dorms, bars, tech. schools, beauty salons, and factory floors. McCain is relying largely on volunteers that will target mainly football games, fraternity houses, and events honoring veterans. McCain is also relying on the program ran by NRC that provides free rides to college students to the polls.

Even though Obama is putting forth all this effort in hopes of early voting or even voting on Election Day, there is no guarantee that the young voters will vote anyways. "Since 1968 there has been a long line of unsuccessful candidates who had staked their stuff on the youth vote," says Republican strategist Alex Vogel. "It's not exactly a reliable turnout." To me, this sounds very negative and not promising at all for Obama. All Obama can do is hope that all his work and effort pays off on Election Day.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122488711136868209.html

"The Ignored Issue"

2008-10-24T16:26:00.002-04:00

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/23/social.security/index.html#cnnSTCText

Recently there was an assertion that both candidates have been spending ample time in addressing the budget crisis but have not really zoned in on the concerns growing with Social Security. Obama's campaign disagrees with this statement.

So in talking about Social Security, what does Obama intend to do? As seen in events, paid media, and terms of policy, Obama takes an approach to ensure the long-term health of Social Security. For one he will not risk Social Security savings to the whims of the stock market. Obama also opposes privatizing social security knowing the way to fix a system is by strenthening the payroll tax system; and he opposes raising the retirement age.

Once the candidate is in office, there will definately be some changes and hopefully the changes will show the positive. I feel that Obama has some good ideas with the Social Security plans he intends to follow out... why keep trying something that is continuing to hurt rather than help?

McCains spending on health care ads

2008-10-24T12:19:00.000-04:00

McCain’s spending on health care television advertising is far below that of Barack Obama. Some studies show that Obama has spent eight times what John McCain has. You can also compare the spending in percentages with McCain only spending 13% on health care advertising compare to Obama’s 68% on this type of advertisement. Why the big difference between the candidates? Does McCain believe that he has won the election or is he just not concerned about health care for Americans?

According to Kaiser Health Tracking Poll Americans surveyed, 78% understand Obama’s health care plan, while only 65% understand McCain’s proposed plan. I believe this is probably due to more advertising done by Obama, because Americans are getting an explanation of how his plan is going to work. My question is why didn’t McCain’s campaign focus more on health care earlier on in the race instead of a couple of weeks before the election? Now McCain’s campaign is getting attacked with little time to make responses or fight back. A Obama campaign spokesman Nick Shapiro said the campaign has invested in “making sure people know those differences as middle-class families just can’t afford another four years of disastrous Bush-McCain policies.”This is example of a attack against McCain and with so little time left in the election process, will he have time to make a come back?

Hillary Supporters

2008-10-24T12:13:00.002-04:00

As I was looking through television ads and websites for the candidates, I've noticed that both are trying to appeal towards Hillary supporters. It was interesting. On Obama's homepage there is a link that says Welcome Hillary Supporters, Get Involved. And then when you click it has a form you can fill out. I found it humorous. Let me share the captain above the form.

Join our National Movement for Change
Senator Clinton made history in her historic campaign—not just because she broke barriers, but because she inspired millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to causes like universal health care that make a difference in the lives of hardworking Americans.
It's up to us now to come together to take on John McCain.

On the side of the web page it has buttons to invite friends, make a donation and view Obama's issues.

When I was looking at McCain's website ads, there is an ad where it appeals towards Hillary Supporters. There is a women that stands up with a board saying she supports Hillary. Then she goes on to say how she will now turn and support McCain. At the end of the ad she whispers to us the viewer, even Democrats are making the switch to McCain.

The way that both candidates are appealing towards Hillary Clinton supporters is completely different. I just find it interesting that both included something about the opposing candidate towards the end of their attempt to gain those extra votes.

"More Important Endorsement than Oprah's"

2008-10-23T23:37:00.001-04:00

On Sunday, Colin Powell endorsed Obama for president. In case you don’t know, Powell is a retired general and Republican ex-secretary-of-state under President Bush. Some analysts call this a serious blow to McCain’s campaign. While announcing his endorsement, Powell gave a “devastating” critique of McCain. He mainly talked about McCain’s failed response to the economic crisis, McCain’s negative campaigning, and criticized his selection of Palin as his running mate. He said that McCain’s choice made him question McCain’s judgment because he doesn’t believe “she’s ready to be president of the United States.” He stated that he believes that Obama has the “intellectual vigor” to be president, and that he thinks we need a president who will generate change. Some analysts say this is really harmful to McCain because they believe Powell appealed to many independent voters. However, McCain does not seem to be worried, stating that he is “very pleased to have the endorsement of four former secretaries of state…”

http://www.kansascity.com/449/story/854330.html

Palin Causing More Harm Than Good

2008-10-23T22:31:00.000-04:00

Sarah Palin has been in the headlines this week, and not for anything good. Coming off of her forgettable Saturday Night Live appearance, Palin's wardrobe and ethics have been called into question. Proving that she truely understands Joe the Plumber's way of life, Palin has racked up a wardrobe bill of over $150,000 since her VP nod. With the economy failing, Joe and his plumber buddies can fully relate to the need to have designer clothes and a new makeover.

With a brand new scandal in the limelight, Palin's old scandals are getting jealous and want more attention. In that vein, a legislative board has found Palin guilty of unethical behavior in troopergate. While she was within her legal limits, the board reported that Palin indeed abused her power. Palin could not be reached for comment, but it can be assumed her response was 'Aw shoot.'

John McCain: Down but not out yet...

2008-10-23T21:27:00.002-04:00

No matter who wins this election; it certainly has been historic. America has experienced record-breaking voting turnout for the state primaries, and the early indication that early ballots are at an all time high. The polls have shown Barack Obama is leading nationally and in the Electoral College, as determined by the polls. However, in recent days, John McCain has closed the gap in many of the swing states and even nationally. I think what is important to note is that the polls are not the final verdict for the election. I was actually channel surfing just now and saw Michael Moore on Larry King Live, and he mentioned that we [Americans] cannot follow the polls, because if we did the ballot would have been Rudy Giuliani for the Republican Party and Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party. The polls have some significance and allow the campaigns to know where they stand amongst voters; but the results of the polls are only suggestive, not an indicator of victory.
We have seen John McCain counted out throughout his campaign; he was out of money, had a poor showing in Iowa and everyone thought it was done. However, McCain revitalized his campaign (heads certainly rolled) and he was the eventual Republican nominee for President. John McCain has been shown to be getting blown away in polls, however this article reports Barack Obama leading 44 to 43 percent nationally, according to an Associated Press poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media.
What will be interesting to see is what these campaigns have still kept in their arsenal and are waiting to use at the last possible moment. It is foolish to believe these campaigns have gone on the offensive with everything that have and so these last 10 days will truly be full-fledged Presidential politics. You also have to assume that John McCain will continue to go on the offensive, especially now considering some polls are showing a "glimmer of hope" for the McCain campaign. Barack Obama has always appeared cool, calm and collected throughout the campaign and has warned supporters not to get too cocky. Hopefully supporters heed the warning of Senator Obama. A common theme from the Obama campaign is that John McCain is the same as George W. Bush; hopefully that theme from the Obama campaign does not come back to haunt them. George W. Bush was down by double digits to Al Gore coming into the general election only to win the Presidency. So in that regard, the Obama campaign better hope that John McCain is not John "McSame"...

Robots: friend or foe?

2008-10-23T17:03:00.005-04:00

Robocalls are becoming a nuisance to voters in the swing states. Some people are receiving over ten, thats right TEN, robocalls per day! McCain has launched twelve robocalls in the past six weeks and Obama has launched four in the past four weeks. A voter who has been receiving these calls says the phone calls from the McCain campaign are "sleazy due to falsely accusing Obama." He said, "I used to support John McCain because he honorably served our country, but this year he's running a dishonorable campaign." The fact is that voters are upset about these robocalls. The question is: Are the candidates actually benefitting from the robocalls? The candidates may be doing more harm than good with voters who don't like the robocalls. It may even cause them to switch the candidate whom they support. It seems Obama and McCain need to do a cost/benefit analysis on these calls to see if it really is worth losing voters over. Is there any good news for the voters who are getting these annoying phone calls five or ten times a day? Yes: voters can block these calls by registering at: stoppoliticalcalls.org.

Author: Carol Costello

Article: Robocalls flood phone lines in battleground states

New Poll: Obama, McCain Neck in Neck For Rural Vote:

2008-10-23T13:16:00.003-04:00

After trailing by as many as 10 points in a recent swing state rural area poll, Barack Obama has narrowed this gap so that he is now neck and neck with Senator McCain. This is a major development as the votes of rural area people in these swing states is seen as a major vote in being able to win the White House. In the poll, Obama was supported by 46 percent of voters and McCain was supported by 45 percent of voters. The poll, commissioned by The Center for Rural Strategies in Whitesburg, Kentucky, seems to attribute this sudden change to America's declining economic situation. A month ago, this same poll showed that McCain led Obama by a 51 to 41 percent margin. However, when polled this time, voters seemed to think that Obama would do a better job of handling the economy, taxes, and what they called "The financial crisis in our country."
Again this is newsworthy as nearly 20 percent of Americans live in areas that are considered rural. In 2004, George W. Bush won these rural areas by a rather large margin, 19 percent. A possible reason for McCain's drop in the polls could be the rural voters recent cooling of their support for McCain's vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin. In September, 48 percent of those polled viewed her favorably, while only 33 percent viewed her unfavorably. In this most recent poll however, 40 percent view her as favorably, while 42 percent view her unfavorably. However, McCain still held a 10 point advantage, 53-43 percent on the issue of who would handle the war in Iraq better.
This poll to me seems to help show the major role that the current state of our economy will play in this election. It seems that most people think that Senator Obama would do a better job of handling the struggling economy and the financial crisis, so this bodes well for him. However, there are other key categories that people feel McCain would do a better job with. All of this added up makes for a very interesting last couple of weeks before election day.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081023/pl_nm/us_usa_politics_rural

Health Care Spin

2008-10-23T13:07:00.002-04:00

We all know that McCain and Obama have very different health care plans- McCain proposes a market-based system that relies on tax incentives and Obama proposes new subsidies to expand private insurance coverage to foster competition. Each candidate has made attacks on his opponent’s plan that are either false or misleading- One Obama ad falsely characterizes McCain’s plan as the "largest middle-class tax increase in history” and McCain falsely claims that Obama’s plan "will rob 50 million employees of their health coverage." Who are we to believe?I checked out FactCheck.org and found some helpful information.
In short, McCain's plan would allow those who choose to buy insurance on their own to use a health insurance tax credit to pay for their health coverage, with payment going directly from the government to the insurance company. Employees would then pay federal income tax on the value of those benefits, but the tax credit would offset those taxes and companies would not be taxed. He also wants to expand health savings accounts so that any money left over from the tax credit could be put into such an account where it could be used for approved medical expenses.
Obama's plan would create a national system of competing, federally-approved private insurance policies and a public plan through which individuals and small businesses could purchase coverage. He also wants to forbid insurance companies from denying coverage because of preexisting conditions and require that children have insurance, offer tax credits to low-income families, and expand coverage under Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
Independent studies generally agree on one thing – Obama's plan would cover more people however, they differ widely on how much each plan would cost. One study said that McCain's plan would cover somewhat fewer people than Obama's, but at a much higher cost; however, another study by tax policy analysts predicted that Obama’s plan would cover far more people than McCain's, at a moderately higher cost. One study estimated that McCain's plan would cut the number of uninsured Americans by 21 million, while another put the number at only 1 million. The estimates may vary so widely because both candidates are vague about important details.

McCain Goes to Florida

2008-10-23T12:05:00.000-04:00

John McCain is trying to ensure victory in the large swing State by focusing on the blue-collar vote. CNN has called his Florida trip “Joe the plumber tour.” McCain is thanking Joe’s all over the United States. John McCain is concentrating on Obama’s tax plan. McCain argues that Obama is only concerned with “spreading the wealth” and not growing the economy. Currently, Obama has a three percent lead in Florida. McCain cannot afford to lose any of the swing states, especially Florida. I think using Joe the plumber is a good way to humanize the issues.
While McCain is in Florida, Obama is once again visiting the Hoosier state. Obama is determined to switch Indiana to blue, even though Indiana has only voted once for a democratic candidate in last 70 years. Although McCain is ahead in Indiana, I think McCain needs to make at least one more stop in Indiana. In the past thirty days the Obama campaign has spent 4.6 million on Indiana ads, while the RNC has only spent 1.1 million. The Republican National Committee has been helping combat the Obama ads in Indiana. However, a personal appearance by McCain might end the contention in Indiana.

Biden's Blunder Brings Little Bustle

2008-10-22T18:14:00.004-04:00

Over the weekend, VP candidate Joe Biden made the comment,"Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy. " Does this man even think before opening his mouth? Every politician has a reputation for having some characteristic, and Biden definitely is known for making stupid remarks that come back and bite him and that often require later clarification. In the past, he has said to an Indian supporter: "In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans, moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking!" and about Obama: "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy ... I mean, that's a storybook, man." He also introduced Obama at their first appearance together as running mates as "Barack America." Also, the majority of people are aware of the comment he made about the Great Depression: “When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the princes of greed, he said, ‘Look, here’s what happened." First, FDR was not president in 1929, Herbert Hoover was, and television would not be introduced to the public for another decade or so. Of course, his latest comment has not caused much of a stir except with the McCain campaign. If Sarah Palin had made a similar comment, however, the media would have pounced on her. In fact, it already has many times for much smaller blunders. Will the public notice this bias? Probably not. Biden is dangerous for Obama's campaign everytime he opens his mouth. By saying the world will challenge Obama and an international crisis will arise if he is elected as president, Biden is stressing the importance of having someone in the White House who is experienced and can handle this challenge. This has been the reaction from the McCain campaign towards Biden's latest remark.

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/22/obama-clarifies-bidens-prediction-face-generated-crisis/

Why do citizens in other countries prefer Obama over McCain

2008-10-22T12:39:00.003-04:00

A pro Obama billboard has been posted in Belgrade, Serbia which says, "Change that we can believe in." The billboard is reported to portray a picture of Obama on one side and President Kennedy on the other. The billboard was posted by a European group which calls themselves "Europe has no alternative."

John McCain has been attempting to prove during each presidential debate that Obama has no experience or skills in foreign policy. John McCain has attempted to portray himself as the best and most qualified candidate to serve the presidency in foreign relations.

A Gallup poll was issued in several foreign countries to determine if Obama or McCain was most popularity. The Gallop poll asked several citizens in 70 different countries all around the world which American presidential candidate they liked best. The poll concluded that citizens all around the world prefer Obama 4 to 1. The only two countries polled which prefer McCain over Obama was the Phillippines and Georgia.

There was no exact conclusion determined on why Obama is preferred over McCain. CNN proceeded to ask readers to post their opinions and interpretations of this data. I thought it would be interesting to see what we all thought was the reason.

A Numbers Game

2008-10-21T11:32:00.003-04:00

We have been trying for more than three decades to reform campaign finance, but the private money of large donors continues to slip through our fingers and into the candidates' coffers. Breaking stories on National Public Radio ("Obama's $150 Million Changing Rules of the Game") and the New York Times ("In Fine Print, a Proliferation of Large Donors") in the last two days have revealed the staggering amount of personal donations the candidates or their joint fund-raising committees have received.
A history of campaign finance reform: In 1971, Congress passed the Federal Election Campaign Act limiting the use of a candidate's personal or family money during a campaign, hoping to open the race to anyone, no matter the candidate's family fortune. FECA also created Political Action Committees (PACs) to raise money on behalf of candidates, and it provided for public disclosure of funds raised. The Act was shortly amended in 1974 to create contribution ceilings, spending limits, federal subsidies and funding (public financing), and a Federal Election Commission. A remaining loophole that said that party committees could raise and spend unlimited amounts of money created the problem of "soft money," which was controversial during Clinton's reelection campaign in 1996. In 2001, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act closed this loophole, raised individual donor limits to compensate, and rescinded limits on "non-political groups." It is noteworthy that Senator McCain, along with Senator Feingold, was a key drafter and supporter of this bill.
Fast-forward to our 2008 general election campaign. Senator McCain accepts public financing, limiting his coffers to $84 million. Senator Obama becomes the first major party presidential candidate to refuse public financing since 1974 when it was instated. In September alone, the Obama campaign raises $150 million. Initially, this was reported as the influx from 632,000 new donors (bringing the total donor roll to 3 million), the average donation size being just $86 (NPR, 20 Oct). This seems to convey a public mandate: If 10% of the population is donating to, let alone supporting, the Obama campaign, and if the average donor could very well be any "poor" college student or blue-collar worker, Senator Obama's candidacy certainly seems to be mandated by a sweeping majority. Could this be the most publicly-supported campaign in our generation? Has the Average Joe (not "Six Pack" or "the Plumber") really beaten out interest groups as the most powerful and populous donor?
Today's New York Times undermines these hopes. An analysis of campaign finance reports filed last week reveals the large impact of individual contributors writing checks that would fund our college education. Donors from industries with an interest in Washington policies have written checks over $25,000 to the joint fund-raising committees of both campaigns. The largest sector donating to the candidates? Securities and investments, including executives of recently bailed-out groups like AIG and Lehman Brothers. The Obama campaign's record contributions in September were helped by over 600 donations over $25,000. The McCain campaign has accepted contributions as large as $70,000.
The New York Times article goes on to specify the interests involved, explain the distribution of these single checks, and voice the worries of campaign finance watchdogs who rightly say these contributions "undermine the whole spirit of the system." Technically, these contributions are legal under today's laws; should they remain that way?
Open questions to the two candidates: How do these large contributions comply with the spirit of campaign finance reform? How will these donors sway your policy initiatives? Explain to the American public why you consider this to be ethical?
Open questions to the donors: What political clout does your donation give you? Why donate these large amounts to a political campaign? What level of CEO salary at a failing financial institution allows you to donate this amount? You are obviously in the upper income bracket; is the amount you donated equivalent to a 3% tax increase?
A moral imperative for the public: We must demand not only transparency in campaign finance but also responsibility and ethical behavior: an executive accepting tens of thousands of dollars from one economic sector cannot remain objective in his/her policy initiatives. Our elected officials must be accountable to the public, not to industries and special interests.
Please read these articles in their entirety for a full view:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95882376
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/us/politics/21donate.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin