Tasing Rick Sanchez: Jon Stewart’s Jokes and CNN’s Double Standards

Whack a mole

Journalism and the New Media

G.O.P. Widens Targets for Picking Up House Seats

In light of our reading on predictions for the upcoming elections, I thought this was interesting!

Government Seizes Newborn Baby Over Political Beliefs Of Parents

A newborn baby was ripped from its mother’s arms by officials from the New Hampshire Division of Family Child Services accompanied by police after authorities cited the parents’ association with the Oath Keepers organization as one of the primary reasons for the snatch, heralding a shocking new level of persecution where Americans’ political beliefs are now being used by the state to kidnap children.

California Changes Election Process

The nation's most populous state's movement of changing the election process is changing one of the fundamental aspects of American politics. California has voted to replace traditional party primaries with wide-open elections; the state's top two candidates will face off in a general election. The effects of this decision have been under debate. Proponents claim that a general election is more democratic because parties will lose their dominance forcing voters to pay more attention to the electoral process. Opponents criticize that it will give candidates who have the most money an unfair advantage. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and if other states will jump on California's bandwagon.

Should we be tolerant when voting?

David Gregory questioned Alexi Giannoulias and Mark Steven's personal integrity. They are representatives of the Democratic Party and Republican Party running for the Illinois Senate seat.

To respond, Mr. Kirk said that "I was careless, and I learned a very painful and humbling lesson". Is our society tolerant enough to believe that they could have a fresh start? Analogously, President Obama has once been depraved during his college years. We never regarded it as a problem related to personal integrity during the 2008 Election. Where did our confidence and trust come from? Was it because we were too eager for a change? Or was it because we lost so much confidence in the Republican Party in 2008? Would it be unfair for them because other political runners might have an even worse records at some points of their lives? However, if we pay much attention to their integrity by investigating their pasts, will we waste/use even more resource for political elections?

Branding liberalism/progressivism

New push to ban Hill insider trading

Obama Touts Jobs in Infrastructure Push

Good idea?

Races to watch

The Senate politics of Cap and Trade

Paladino Attacks Gays in Brooklyn Speech

This article describes Paladino's attack on gays and lesbians that took place at Congregation Shaarei Chaim yesterday. Paladino's shockingly stated, "I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family, and I don’t want them brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option — it isn’t." There is no way the media could have taken this quote out of context. The article goes on to say that the majority of New Yorkers agree with him (based on polling). I find this is very hard to believe being a New Yorker myself. I guess we will have to wait until Election Day to see if Paladino's pollsters were right.

Republicans Expected to Make Gains in Races for Governor

Local Races Heat Up

History Favors Republicans

Climate Change Discussion Ends without "Breakthrough"

It is unfortunate that discussion concerning global climate change culminated in finger pointing rather then advancements in the effort to reduce emissions. Pressing environmental issues require multilateral involvement and cooperation more then most problems facing our international community. It’s a shame that leading superpowers like China and the US aren’t able to overcome differences in policies to achieve the ultimate mutual goal of a healthier globe.

Images Of N.Y. Islamic Center Meant To 'Educate'

There will be an Islamic cultural center near the Ground Zero mosque. Since it is highly controversial, this project's main developer, Sharif El-Gamal was invited by NPR to talk on Saturday.

El-Gamal defended the project by claiming that the major purpose of it is to create a better community and to let people better understand the Islamic culture. I believe his intention is good; however, I found problems in two of his answers.

One of El-Gamal's answer was off-topic and presupposed a wrong relation between accepting forerign money and the purpose of the project. El-Gamal is busy rasing fund, but he was asked about accepting foreign money for some of the funding. He relied that "we are not going to take any money from countries or states or organizations that have un-AMerican values. We are, God willing, going to establish a model going forward for community centers". El-Gamal presupposed that accepting foreign money and building a better community are exclusive to each other, but, infact, they are not. El-Gamal actually did not answer the question at all.

Another problematic sentence is that "if we don't exercise our rights then you start losing your rights". Exercising our rights and losing our rights are not exclusive to each other. Often times, we can still preserve our rights even if we do not practice it.

It's OK to run against Obama

These days, average American citizens have grown tired of how the government deals with major issues. It is important to note that most of these people will consider voting against the incumbent in order to express their dissatisfaction with the current administration. This video interview with Representative Chris van Hollen shows the tactic that some House Democrats are employing in order to compete with this year's anti-incumbent sentiments. Some incumbents have recently been running ads that they to separate themselves from President Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. They believe that the way to overcome possible takeover of Republicans is admitting that their party as a whole is not perfect and showing that they do not necessarily agree with some policies that have gone through Congress.

Washington Senate Race

Being from the great state of washington, this Senate race is rather important to me. Dino Rossi the republican candidate seems to be gaining some ground on current Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash). The race for the senate in the evergreen state will be an important one and one to take note of for our election prediction.

Facebook Politicians Are Not Your Friends

How Far is Too Far?

I first heard of the Westboro Baptist Church about two years ago. A neighboring high school was putting on a production of the Laramie Project, a play about a gay man’s murder. The Church decided to protest outside the school on Saturday night. However the community came together to stand against them.
The Westboro Baptist Church is now awaiting a Supreme Court decision. The group was used after demonstrating at a Marine’s funeral. They had a legal right to be there and a constitutional right to say whatever they wanted. But does the grieving father have a right to mourn in peace? With rights come responsibilities. Human decency should be one of these responsibilities. We all have the right to share our opinion but we should think about when and how we do it.

The Breakdown: How Can the Democrats Close the Enthusiasm Gap?

Critics ascribed the name "enthusiasm gap" to the tendency incumbent parties have to lose seats during the midterm elections. This article suggest that unlike the 2008 elections, the Democrats (obviously) aren't doing nearly as well as the Republicans in terms of rallying supporters and working to increase voter turnout. In addition, the current state of economy and the nation as a hole isn't working in favor of the Democrats. As a result, Democrats could be likely to lose more seats than we usually observe in midterm elections. Roughly a month before the elections, the democrats' dominant strategy is to contain the "enthusiasm gap" in order maximize their chances of gaining some of the open seats in this elections and decrease the loses they could (will) suffer.
Given the fact that the incumbent parties usually win 90-95% of their seats back, the only efficacious things the democrats can do as this article points out is to minimize the "enthusiasm gap" in the hopes to maximize their chances of winning some open seats.

Voting Test Falls Victim to Hackers

This article addresses the issue of online vote casting and its potential hazards. Recently, Washington, D.C. tested an online voting program, and invited hackers to manipulate the system. Computer science students from The University of Michigan were able to successfully hack their way into the program, showing the deficiencies of the system. If computer scientists were able to develop a safer voting system, online voting would be an effective way to increase voter turnout. Americans spend a great deal of time on the Internet nowadays, and online voting would help increase voter turnout. An efficient system would invalidate excuses such as “I didn’t have time to vote” or “The election site was too crowded”; however, until safer mechanisms for online voting are developed, the polls will continue to be the primary institution in American elections.

Democrats Surging...In 1994?

This article addresses the unpredictability of the upcoming midterm elections. Chait compares the circumstances seen in the 1994 midterm elections during the Clinton presidency with the current situation with the Obama administration. Although many have been predicting huge losses for the Democratic party, Chait provides some arguments that suggest the losses will not be as large as they previously believed.

Judge Rules Health Law Is Constitutional

In the first court case challenging the new health care laws, a federal judge in Michigan dismissed 15 challenges yesterday, becoming the first to rule the laws constitutional. According to the article, there are currently two additional cases concerning the health care laws headed to court. If the judges in the next two cases reach the same decision as the Michigan judge, it is likely at least one of these cases will be appealed. Eventually, the health care debate will wind up in the Supreme Court for a definitive decision.

Cost's new assessment of election

Campaign Cash: Who's Spending Where in 2010

Deportations From U.S. Hit a Record High

There is an increase of more than 81.000 deportations of criminals over the final year of Gorge W. Bush's presidency (New York Times).

I think this phenomenon is interesting because people have been debating about Arizona's SB 1070 for a long time, but the immigrant criminals are becoming more rampant. There has been dissidents of Arizona SB 1070 saying that it may increase racism and division against Latinos. However, even if we are now implementing the Arizona's bill, immigrants are still bold.

Make It Legal

The Sweep: What Went Wrong for Democrats

This article is essentially a synopsis of the policies and reforms that Obama has enacted (or attempted to) that has upset American Voters today.

How much do euthusiasm and faith worth?

President Obama has been actively promoting votes for the Democratic Party over these several weeks. In his speeches, he promoted much enthusiasm. However, one of the most important features of media - reporting negative news - makes us feel that we have so many "problems". Will Obama's pace be fast enough to counteract the effect of news?

Unemployed people will need to find temporary jobs for retailers during holidays in order to carry them through holidays; stores will need to carry out discounts in order to promote sales during Halloween; no more federal financial support for stem cell researches, several of the largest banks are facing foreclosure problems, etc. The problem is that these are not abstract economic statistics, but very real daily life issues. Imagine how the people would feel when they are just thrilled by President Obama's speech then realize that they cannot find jobs, that they cannot sell the goods at their store, that their stem cell research will possibly stop because they lack financial support, and that they get a flawed bank paperwork.

Could their confidence defeat the reality?

Actually the reality is not that bad because there are also positive news happening everyday; however, they are not favor by the news. Therefore, there media helps increase a national fear or dissatisfaction toward the government. Will President Obama's effort win over American people?

Clean and Open American Elections

To frack or not to frack?

Could NY and PA be the Saudi Arabia of natural gas? Are environmental risks too great? What would Mr. Hayward say? PS. If you google the title of the story, the whole thing will appear.

House chairmen in jeopardy

It is indeed telling that many of the most powerful Democratic caucus members are in possible danger of losing their seats and how this relates to the 2010 midterm elections. Although I agree with the author that the chairmen will most likely all keep their seats it highlights a sort of reversal of fortunes that we saw in 2008. In the days leading up to the 2008 election many commentators mentioned that in this election due to the 50 state strategy of Howard Dean the Democrats were competitive in even the most sacred of Republican bastions. Today the Republicans seem to be on the opposite side of the playing field now, or the end zone if you will. If even these men are up for a possible loss it shows how far the Democrats have fallen in popularity.

Still more on turnout

Will a restive liberal base turn out?

Is ad blowing smoke about Blunt's help for Phillip Morris?

The man GOP most hates

Even more on turnout

More on turnout

Hillary for VEEP?

Good idea?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703298504575534192155591822.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5

The White House is making a national statement about environmental activism through a local installation of Solar Panels on the White House roof. Steve Hayward believes that local environmental organizations produce more efficient environmental progress than national organizations. "Putting solar on the roof of the nation's most important home is a powerful symbol" calling all Americans to realize that they can create energy through direct and personal means.

Response to Steven Hayward

In his lecture “Is Sustainable Development Sustainable” Steven Hayward critiqued the modern environmental movement’s failure to consider important economic tradeoffs and the alarmist nature of environmental advocacy groups. Yet Hayward’s optimistic attitude toward environmental issues such as climate change, population growth, and the depletion of non-renewable resources lacks scientific foundation.

Hayward accuses the environmental movement of failing to recognize crucial tradeoffs between ostensibly “environmentally friendly” goods and “other” goods. In presenting his facts, however, Hayward incorrectly attributes the counterfact to the environmentalism movement, thus unfairly portraying environmental groups as “alarmists”. Using oil to illustrate his point, Hayward shows the “environmentally friendly” alternative, ethanol, leads to equally serious environmental hazards. In doing so, he implies that modern environmentalism encourages substituting ethanol for crude oil. In truth, most environmentalists are against ethanol for the same reasons that Hayward provided: Nitrate runoff in the Mississippi, the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, and excessive use of land to grow corn. Similarly, Hayward begins his lecture by declaring the little known truth that air pollution is declining, implying that environmental advocacy groups would attest to the contrary. Environmentalists are aware that air pollution is declining; they just choose not to emphasize this small, yet significant success in order to focus on areas in desperate need of improvement.

By misrepresenting the knowledge and perspectives of environmentalism, Hayward portrays environmentalists as alarmists. Yet the direction that environmental economists have taken in the past few decades is one of carefully weighing costs and benefits. The assertion that modern environmentalism lacks a consideration of tradeoffs is simply untrue. Hayward points out the opportunity costs of leaving oil in the ground for future generations, implying that advocates of sustainability are blind to such implicit costs. But he fails to recognize that environmental economists are constantly analyzing the same set of tradeoffs in policy-making and analysis. These eco-economists simply intend to wean society off of non-renewable energy before it is too late. They understand that if we do not begin the process of researching and developing new, sustainable energy sources today, then future generations will suffer the consequences. Yet costs remain at the very forefront of environmental economist’s minds as they search for sustainable alternatives that are also economically practical. Perhaps the most important cost to be considered, which Hayward neglects to address, is the environmental cost of human activities. While subsidizing environmental research or implementing pollution taxes may seem costly to society, the net effect of these efforts is good when the long-term costs to society are properly considered.

Although Hayward argues that environmentalists overemphasize climate change, his skeptical view simply lacks scientific foundation. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a non-partisan scientific body composed of many of the best scientists in the world has declared in their consensus statement that not only is the planet getting hotter (this is not a point of debate), but humans are contributing to such warming in a major way. Additionally, the National Academy of Scientists has also affirmed that human activities contribute significantly to global warming. While there is surely some degree of uncertainty regarding the magnitude of global warming’s impacts, there is widespread consensus among leading climatologists that even an increase of just two degrees Celsius will have colossal impacts on the environment. Scientists are already witnessing these impacts firsthand as animals are being driven out of their natural habitats, glaciers are melting, and sea levels are rising. These are only a few of the many consequences of global climate change that simply cannot be contested. Skepticism surrounding this issue is mostly found in politically-minded publications often funded by self interested oil companies.

Although Hayward claims environmentalists have overestimated the magnitude of population growth, citing the forecasted decline in population growth in about forty years, he neglects to address the colossal impacts of population growth in the meantime. Leading demographers have forecasted what they call a “demographic transition”, which predicts that the world population will flatten in the next 50-60 years. In the meantime, the world will experience a 30% increase in population, leveling around 9-10 billion. Although the fact that population will not increase indefinitely, the 30% increase our planet will experience in the meantime is grounds for concern. Poverty, famine, and environmental impacts are just a few of the significant ramifications of such an increase.

Target Point: how to get votes

This is the company that Professor Eismeier was talking about during our class (the 9am section). They pinpoint those voters who are sympathetic the a candidate's ideas but would not normally vote or those voters who would be easily swung to the opposite party. By finding the voters who could be easily persuaded to vote for a certain candidate they help win thousands of votes for a campaign. Even only a decade ago politicians never would have dreamed about looking at their campaigns in such a formulated light.

The worst public service announcement ever produced?

10:10, a climate change environmental group in UK, produced this video and then withdrew it after public uproar. Rated R: Not for those who don't like the sight of blood.

GOP’s DioGuardi Airs First Ad in N.Y. Senate Race

In Democratic State, GOP Ties Ascent to Ex-NBA Player Vying for Governor

This article sheds light on the House race in Oregon's 5th district and also the race for governor. The 5th district is the GOP's only real shot at securing a seat from Oregon, a predominately blue state. Also, I thought this might help for our election prediction project.

States: The Next Financial Crisis?

Response to Steve Hayward Lecture

While I found some of his statistics encouraging and refreshingly optimistic, Mr. Hayward's inability to effectively answer questions or clearly defend many of his arguments was concerning. It seemed as though he skirted around some issues and when given opportunities to defend his "green conservative" stance he went off on irrelevant tangents. I began wondering whether this idea of green conservatism is simply a way for conservatives to appeal more to the left while still maintaining party objectives.

Will Democrats Retain Control of the Congress?

Now that many electoral contests have stabilized and become more competitive, many political pundits are more skeptical of massive Republican gains in Congress. This article addresses the fact that many elections that previously favored one candidate are now in a deadheat. This is partly a result of increased Democratic spending on close campaigns around the country and what I believe is a shift in focus from the unpopularity of the Obama administration towards more local and candidate-centric issues in many tight elections. Incumbents have a much greater chance of being re-elected, partly as a result of name recognition and greater sums of money to spend on campaigning. This incumbent advantage might lead to a greater likelihood that Democrats will be able to retain more seats in Congress thus securing their majority in Congress for at least another two years.

Supreme Court Offers Hot Issues and Future Hints

A look at some of the hot-button issues the Supreme Court will be facing in the upcoming year.

Cost Reading (last week)

I was just looking over the Cost article for last week and came to a different conclusion then when I originally read it. I think the majority of class viewed Cost’s argument for “party proposals from the middle” more tenable then Reich’s idea for extending the limits of politics. In reading the article again however, I kept thinking how Costs suggestions would be unproductive if put into effect. Costs believes that, “Obama lacks the broad appeal to guide the House’s liberal proposal through the Senate,” which consequently leads to “compromise bills” that no one likes. Costs proposes that Obama “disarm his opponents” by moving towards more moderate, middle of the spectrum politics. Additionally, Cost makes the point that Obama “…could have wooed the moderate flank of the Republican Party, marginalized the conservatives, and alleviated the concern of those gettable voters in the South and Midwest.” Cost argues that Obama policies get too watered down due to compromise, yet he makes the suggestion to make a more drastic compromise by shifting his entire liberal agenda to gain support. It seems to me that if Obama changes tack towards “policy built up from the center” he will still be caught between appeasing the moderates/republicans and democrats, only now the liberals (who were the majority voters) are upset with him too. I understand that to gain support Costs ideas for Obama are feasible, however now that he is in office, Obama would be more successful changing “…politics to extend those limits and thereby more assuredly achieve goals” (Reich suggestion).

Legislators Are Among 7 Arrested in Alabama

"Federal agents swept across Alabama on Monday arresting state legislators, lobbyists and powerful businessmen in a wide-ranging investigation into bribery and corruption charges." (New York Times)

Special interest groups are an important component of American politics. They have professional knowledge about different political issues, so they are necessary in problem solving. However, their expanding size and number have contributed to a corrupted senate. Senators and legislators know their delicate relationship with lobbyists and they know the lobbyists' expectations. Admittedly, in these lobbyists' expectations, there are also senators and legislators' expectations: they hope they could live a secure life not only currently but also after they retire. Benefit and power are two important themes of the relationship between legislators, senators, lobbyists, and businessmen. As a result, many of the senators and legislators forget their original intention of serving the people when they first take office.

On the eve of the 2010 Election, Federal agents' action in Alabama undoubtedly rang the alarm on congressmen and senators nationwide.

Wiretapping the Internet

Third Party Rising

Three Scenarios for 2010 Election

You will find this useful for your election project.

Obama appoints new chief of staff

Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel recently announced that he was retiring in order to run for Mayor of Chicago. This has left Obama with the task of finding a new Chief of Staff. It will be interesting to see how this change will creates a different dynamic in Washington.

With election losses certain, Democrats discuss the way forward

This article relates to the homework due tomorrow. Tom Cohen discuses the midterm elections taking place in November. It is clear after reading the article that both the democrats and republican believe that the democrats will keep the majority in the Senate but there is no clear answer as to which party will win the House. It will be interesting to see what happens as we move closer to election day.

More States Allowing Guns in Bars and Restaurants

Tennessee passed a new law that allows gun holders to carry their loaded guns into bars and restaurants. Different opinions arose. Supporters think that their rights are expanded, while opponents concern that this law might increase potential dangers. State representative Curry Todd claimed that the purpose of this law is to allow people to defend their personal safety.

I think this new law is the most worrying for workers of the restaurants and bars. Because alcohol intoxication are common after people drink. Once they are drunk, especially those who are experiencing downturns, they could be irrational unconsciously. Therefore, it is dangerous for them to possess loaded guns. Workers of the restaurants and bars are working in a dangerous and risky environment.

This law is opposed to President Obama's intention on gun control. President Obama has always been in favor of expanding gun control laws. Following Virginia, Arizona, and Wyoming, Tennessee absolutely put itself on the spot encouraging gun right advocates.

Midterm Outlook: Purely Partisan

Should Republicans expect MASSIVE gains in the house + Senate? This article describes some of the arguments for small gains and likely a majority in the house for republicans, but not for huge gains for the Republican Party. One prediction was that republicans would just win back historically republican seats that were taken in 06.

The Very Useful Idiocy of Christine O'Donnell

This Op-Ed piece discusses the effects of Christine O'Donnell's win in the primary and what this could mean for the Tea Party. It also sheds light on the fact that nowadays, someone with fabricated credentials can still get elected, displaying the power of good campaigning and riding on the coattails of a new political movement.

U.S. Issues a Terrorism Alert for Travel in Europe

This article discusses current terror alerts in Britain, France and Germany. Recent Al Qaeda stirrings have prompted the United States to issue an alert to any Americans traveling to or living in Europe. Although specifics regarding the potential terrorist plots are unknown, the State Department has urged Americans to exercise caution in public transportation systems and tourist venues. The article also indicates that the United States has been continuing to pursue its drone missile campaign in Pakistan, in an effort to foil any Al Qaeda efforts, and weaken possible terrorist strongholds. The article caused me to consider the following: how many terrorist plots, of which the American public has no knowledge, are averted on a daily basis. The CIA keeps this information confidential for valid reasons. Public knowledge of existing terrorist plots would prove to be disconcerting to citizens, and would interfere with governmental efforts to diffuse potential attacks. Nevertheless, it is interesting to consider how many threats that the Department of Homeland Security faces on a day-to-day basis. I suppose that Americans lead a more comfortable life, void of constant fear, as a result of this secrecy.

GOP candidates get an edge with out-of-state cash

Nurses Union Plans Ad Against Angle

This article discusses how the largest union of registered nurses in the country plans to spend $200,000 on attack ads against Sharron Angle, the Republican challenger for Senate in Nevada. Angle is running against Democrat Harry Reid, who is currently the Senate majority leader. Backed by the Tea Party, people fear that Angle is far too radical and extremist with her agenda. The article states that she seeks to privatize both Medicare and Social Security, as well as eliminating the Department of Education. National Nurses United also supports other Democratic candidates around the region, specifically in California where they have demonstrated against the Republican candidate, Meg Whitman. This Senate race in Nevada is being considered as one of the most important contests nationally.

Following the Money Behind Mystery Attack Ads

The Supreme Court's new ruling, that companies are restricted to spend too much money on political ads, created a loophole that allows groups, such as Americans for New Leadership, to use ads without telling "who they are and how they are funded". Democrat DeFazio has become a victim of this loophole.

I think it very interesting how acute people could be. When policies try to regulate more, we claim that we are losing freedom and privacy. For example, a number of people are unhappy about the new potential supervision on text messages, emails, and online chatting in order to detect possible terrorists. However, when policies allow us a little more personal space, we try to exploit it in an immoral but legal way. How could we convince others that we can regulate ourselves so that we deserve more freedom and less restriction?

Glimmer of hope for Dems?

Trench warfare or open field politics?

Interesting essay relevant to our class discussions and to research paper about 2010 election.

Is Sustainable Development Sustainable?

This article is a good preview of the argument Mr. Hayward will make on Monday evening.

Speaking of BP....

Jelly beans.......

were Ronald Reagan's favorite snack. Sunday at 7:30, the AHI Undergraduate Fellows are sponsoring Ronald Reagan Night. We will watch a few of his most important speeches and then discuss his political legacy. A good time-- and lots of jelly beans-- will be had by all. Another good reason to attend is the opportunity to learn more about the Alexander Hamilton Institute and to tour its beautiful building on the green in Clinton. The building was once the Alexander Hamilton Inn, a favorite haunt of Hamilton students for generations. Now students are once again flocking to the AHI. The AHI Undergraduate Fellows, now more than sixty in number, is an intellectually diverse, non-partisan group (for the second straight year the President of Hamilton Dems and Hamilton GOP are both Fellows, who share the AHI's interest in the study of freedom, capitalism, and representative government. AHI is an independent non-profit organization. For more information about becoming a Fellow, contact me. If you need a ride or can give a ride, come to KJ Circle at 7:15.

Where should Damocrats go? (Reflection on John Zogby's lecture)

John Zogby delivered a lecture at Chaple this evening. His speech was about how American elections have developed, what problems our two parties are facing, and what our people's expectations are.

Zogby pointed out that the 2008 Election was transformational because President Obama put together a coalition government; however, President Obama is facing challenges during this Mid Term Election because Americans are losing faith and enthusiasm. Zogby suggested a remedy that Democrats should create fear in order to bring their center back.

I think President Obama is now doing what Zogby suggested and he is aware the problems suggested by Zogby. According to yesterday's NPR report, Obama was in Wisconsin to strive for support for Democratic Party. Obama used the similar strategy he used while running for the president to increase people's enthusiasm. After admitting that people are apathetic and disappointed, Obama did try to create fear by saying that :"Wisconsin, we can't let that happen. We can't let this country to fall backwards because the rest of us didn't care enough to fight". President Obama's sentences could be interpreted as: Democrats care much about the well-being of this country, and supporting Democrats is preventing our country moving backwards. He is creating a fear that we even might not be able to keep up with the status quo if we do not vote for Democrats.

Pelosi's Negatives hit all time low; as unpopular as BP

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's negative ratings have hit an all-time high in the new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. A full 50 percent of those surveyed have a somewhat or very negative impression of Pelosi, while just 22 percent have a somewhat or very positive impression of her.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Pelosis-negatives-hit-all-time-high-as-unpopular-as-BP-103977024.html#ixzz112etU0LA

Is the political power of social media exaggerated?

Interesting piece by Malcolm Gladwell. Relevant to our discussion about interest groups.

Putting Your Party Aside

John Zogby at Hamilton

John Zogby will be speaking tonight at the Chapel at 7PM. He is an internationally respected pollster and will be speaking about a broad range of political topics including his mid-term election predictions. This could be a great way to get an expert's perspective for our election prediction assignment.

The Ghost of Full Employment

Campaign plagiarism?

Armageddon?

Conservative pundit on NRO sees the 2010 election as the decisive battle in a fifty year war between liberalism and conservatism. Do you agree?

Tea Partiers continue to pick up support

It is very interesting that the Tea Party's right-wing messages are being embraced throughout the country. This article was particularly interesting because I was surprised to learn that the Tea Party is gaining popularity even in states that are usually thought of as liberal leaning, such as Massachusetts.. this shows the recent trend to the political right in this country..

Obliterating a Generation

Obama Seeks to Reconnect with Voters

Blaming the Voters

House Passes 9/11 Health Care Bill

The House approved a new health care bill about providing medical treatment to sick workers who clean up the world trade center after 9/11 (CNN).

As many workers answered in surveys and interviews, they indeed need health care. Therefore, the House made a huge step forward in terms of protecting human right of these workers after long impassioned debates. Among these debates, Republican and Democrats hold opposite opinions, which are highly compatible to their traditional ideologies. Republicans are worried that this bill might increase the federal deficit and increase tax, while Democrats found it very necessary to create a common good for these sick workers. Learning their different views, I came up with several questions for Republicans: What is the purpose of solving the current deficit? Aren't creating better welfare programs and improving people's living standard part of its purpose? Does the "golden rule" lowering the tax always create the best result?

In addition to different views of the Republicans and Democrats, we should think about how we can best implement this bill. As reported by New York Times, a first responder died of a common symptom of most first responders, but "the medical examiner concluded that his death is not directly related to the 9/11 attack". We want to make sure that people are not using this new health care bill to request a compensation for a sickness unrelated to 9/11, just as many non-disabled people are using disabled parking spaces.

Meager Cash Reserves Dog Several Congressional Incumbents

Republican's Deficit Cuts Lack Specifics

Dramatic increases in federal spending have caused the national debt to spiral out of control and unleashed a populist backlash against elected officials in Washington. This past week Republicans presented their "Pledge to America" which outlined key positions and specific steps the Republican Party promised to take if they resume control of Congress after the 2010 midterm elections. The pledge promised to reduce federal spending but Republicans have been vague as to what specific cuts should occur. The bulk of the deficit problem comes from three popular programs, Medicare, Social Security, and the military. These three problems are the only programs that the Republican pledge promises to exempt from federal spending cuts. If Republicans want to make a significant dent in reducing federal spending they should target programs that are the most costly. The military-intelligence infrastructure has become inefficient, enormous, and very costly. A true fiscal conservative would look at the nation's enormous military budget first if they wanted to find programs that easily could be cut. Reforms to Medicare and Social Security could also save the government billions of dollars in the long run if properly done. Instead, the Republican pledge is vague about what spending cuts to enact and lacks the specificity that is required to truly control the enormous deficit.

Beer, Candy And Pot Among Issues Before Voters

All that about money.

Fiscal environment is the most important issue for this year's mid-term election. Interestingly, many of our conventional hot topics, such as gay marriage and abortion, are no longer as important. What more important are candies, marijuana, beer allowance, and tax cut. Apparently, people put increasing revenue as top priority in this election.Could this be a bad sign for the Democratic Party?

Obama: Democratic voter apathy 'inexcusable'

Admonishing his own party, President Barack Obama says it would be "inexcusable" and "irresponsible" for unenthusiastic Democratic voters to sit out the midterm elections, warning that the consequences could be a squandered agenda for years.

For Jobs, Justice and Education

Obama Returns to Campaign Mode with Altered Team

In response to his diminishing popularity, President Obama is rethinking his campaigning strategy for reelection. This team will focus both on saving Obama's public image and maintaining a Democratic majority in Congress through get-out-the-vote initiatives.

A Democrat, in Campaign Ad, Embraces Bush

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OVesNzO8qk&feature=player_embedded

Poll: Bill O'Reilly is popular, but Rachel maddow is unknown to likely voters

Socialist Economy in Cuba

No presidential administration or form of government has ever been credited with finding the “right” role that government should play. The economic situation in Cuba is yet another illustration of the ongoing debate over if, and how much, government should participate in society. This article brings up the issue that too much governmental involvement has hindered progression by stunting the natural development of the economy. The economic instability in Cuba reveals that Castro’s influence over the private sector has led to a failing economy and in my opinion an infringement on personal freedoms and rights. To “save socialism” in Cuba, Castro has been forced to relinquish some state control to allow for “free enterprises” to revive the economy. Fewer government run businesses in Cuba is a first steps towards a more balanced role of government and a more independent citizenry.

Wiretap the Internet?

I thought this article was particularly fitting to the discussions about rights that we have been having in the past few weeks. It raises many questions about the evolution of our rights and governmental control over the people.

Guantanamo Detainee's Trial May Set Tone For Others

President Obama promised to close Guantanamo Bay by January this year when he was running for president. However, a new trial of a Guantanamo detainee, Ghailani, is going to begin, and this serves as a "test run for future prosecutions" as NPR put it. Does this mean there might be more detainees from Guantanamo being on trial no matter under the federal system or not? If so, closing the Guantanamo Bay is currently not on our federal government's agenda. Perhaps, as President Obama answered in a press conference on September 14, "the politics of it are difficult".

Poll: Rocky road seen ahead for Obama

Poll: U.S. Wants More Health Reform, Not Less

Study: Sexist insults hurt female politicians

I thought that in light of our recent discussion of the nineteenth amendment this was interesting.

How to Tilt an Election Through Redistricting

This article discusses the impact that redistricting has on congressional elections throughout the country and notes the five ways to "tilt" an election in one party's favor or another. One way involved tribalism; for example, a district in Arizona was drawn in order to encompass a Hopi Indian reservation. This kind of districting is to make sure that minority groups are being accounted for in terms of ethnicity and race. After losing two House seats in the 2000 census, New York's state government struck a compromise in which two incumbents, one from each party, would be protected in particular districts. Essentially, this article shows that elections aren't traditionally democratic anymore: it is always possible to manipulate a state's voting patterns. In response to this redistricting issue, it is something that should be fixed, as it is not completely representing the interests of areas as a whole. In Sabato's book, he suggested that we try to eliminate gerrymandering by having a nonpartisan council in every state who would be dedicated to drawing the district lines fairly. I think that this idea is a good one, as long as it isn't proposed as an amendment to the Constitution.

What Happens To Health Law If GOP Wins Congress?

"We will repeal the health care (law) and then we will replace it."
- Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)

Republicans claimed that they will repeal the new health care plan. Such claim from Republicans is not peculiar especially during an election period. Possibly, the Republicans announced that they are dedicated to pushing tax cut and replacing the new health care plan in order to win the election. However, this year, as Republicans raise the topics on tax and health care, they should be careful. Votes might not go to the Republican Party because there is a Tea Party movement going on nationwide.

Kennedy on church and state: a speech no candidate would make today

The role of religion in politics has certainly changed over the last fifty years. Government is not as removed from religion as it was then. Even the media is criticizes for Obama for not attending church regularly. Kennedy's speech is truly moving. Is it possible for us today to separate church and state once again? Or is religion too deeply entwined into important social issues?