McCain, Mormons, and Mitt

Flashback two months ago. In April, some McCain activist from Iowa made a blunt statement about Mormons and the Church of Latter-day Saints. Mitt Romney is a Mormon. Some speculate some republican on republican hate going on here, but honestly, tying McCain to these Mormon comments are ridiculous. Chad Workman is the chairman for Warren County, a county in Iowa which supports McCain and in April, questioned whether Mormons were Christians and referred to an article which linked the Mormon church to a Islamic militant group known as Hamas. Clearly, this guy didn't know what he was doing and should be fired. Trying to link hostile militant groups to another candidate's faith and reilgion is something that demoralizes character and therefore leads to a negative link to McCain and his campaign. John can't control everything his lackeys say and do for him and therefore, although not personally, his campaign came out and publically apologized to the Romney campaign about these comments. Although McCain isn't at fault here, it makes him look bad. Workman clearly did not take a class in ethics and at this point of the campaign, they should let their candidate do the bashing themselves. These candidates do a good job of making their fellow collegues look bad on TV during these debates anyways. Comments about one's religions and tying them into their stance on abortion and gay rights and the army are starting to wear thin on the public. The debates are fun to watch and Workman probably screwed McCain over because Mitt is probably going to stump McCain publically on TV sooner or later.

Dinner with Obama

Four donors to the Obama campaign were chosen today to have dinner with the Illinois senator next month. These four are considered to be small donors to the campaign, but the amount contributed was not disclosed. These four people are "average joes" and citizens of the United States who support the democractic party, in particular Barack Obama. Reading about this made me wonder about how much contact these candidates get with the people they're trying to get votes from. Sure, these candidates meet and greet people at every rally they hold, but its so early for all of this. True, its been almost 40 years since an encumbant hasn't run for President, and I don't remember the 2004 presidential being this crazy either. Its funny because the four peopel chosen to have dinner with Obama are from four states that are purple and usually sway the overall votes. Nevada, Florida, New York, and Louisiana are four states that aren't politically affiliated yet. I just wonder what they would talk about. Politics? Families? One lady who is having dinner with Obama has a husband serving in Iraq. I wonder if they will talk about Obama's presidential plan. Will these four have interviews with the media afterwards? I'm very curious to see what will happen with these four. I wish I could spend time with a candidate and talk candidly about anything that pops into mind. Sports, movies, gossip. Just to get a feel of what kind of person this candidate will be.

Back in Business

Originially, I didn't intended to write in this blog any longer than I needed to because I was for a school project. However, reading about politics everyday made me more aware of the campaigns, foriegn involvement, and politics in general. I renamed by blog and it will no long cover the presidential campaign exclusively, but if I read something interesting, I'll post something about it. I figure, since I already have something up, why not keep at it until I get bored. So I hope that for those of you who read this, you will continue to enjoy and comment on what I have to say. I love reading comments and it motivates me to write even more. Thanks.

The Third Republican Debate

The debate today focused more on the war in Iraq than anything else. Each candidate came out and had something negative to say about how the current administration handled the war. There was something wrong when we invaded Afghanistan, after we caught Saddam, or how we're currently handling the situation now. Many candidates also poked fun at Clinton's juke on a question during the democratic debate held a couple of days ago. The debate felt like the candidates were just pointing fingers about what's been going on. Well first off, the current administration is republican. Pointing fingers within your own party is a no-no, however there's been a lot of in house fighting in recent administrations.

Romney in 1994

Its true that political campaigning has changed over the last four years. The Internet wasn't used to its potential and now one's whole campaign could be used via the Internet. The Internet can be used by anyone, anytime, and anywhere. Information about a candidate can be sent to millions of people instantly and people don't have to wait any longer. Also, records, footage, and anything from the past can be revealed. This clip I found on youtube.com is about a debate between Mitt Romney and Ted Kennedy in 1994. 1994! Thirteen years ago! People can see Romney's views from 13 years ago and see if it fits with how he is today. Would you like to see a presidential candidate 13 years ago? Sadly, however, I'm unable to post acutal videos yet, but I can link the site. Please watch it if you're interested. Its quite fascinating actually. Without the Internet, this video would have only been shown to a limited number of people, and it would have taken weeks for it to circulate.

Mitt Romney in 1994!!!

Democrats Debate!

The democratic candidates met today for a live debate in New Hampshire. and I've been watching clips all day. The biggest issues were Iraq, energy, and health care. Edwards called out some of his colleagues about about Iraq and he had some legitimate points. He particularly called out Clinton and Obama stating that they were the last senators to make their vote when issuing the time table for withdrawing the troops and cutting funding. However, Obama came right back and stated that Edwards was "four and a half years" too late about showing leadership in his stance on the war. Obama said that he opposed the war from the beginning and that Edwards took his time to make a firm stance, due to the fact that Edwards supported the war while serving his term as Senator. I haven't seen the full debate in its entirety, but I've been watching clips. I hear Biden was fun to watch.

Hugh Hewitt

Last night, we had a guest speaker by the name of Hugh Hewitt. He's one of the original political bloggers and has a radio show nationwide. He came to speak to us about the origins of blogging, the blogosphere, and how it has affected politics. check him out at www.hughhewitt.com
He's a mid-right republican and most of his comments are legit. He told us the story of how old media is dying and how the Internet is going to replace all media. I believe it as well. Newspapers will be obsolete because everyone reads their news online. Influential bloggers are going to have a bigger network than TV news anchors. After watching some local news reports, its mostly about petty crimes and regurgitated material. Petty crimes affect local governments, but to have big news and news you wouldn't normally hear about, Internet and the bloggers are a prime source. Liberals and conservatives also have different approaches.

Freeh for Giuliani

Former FBI Director Louis Freeh as publically stated that he will endorse Republican Candidate Rudy Giuliani. Freeh was the director of the FBI from 1993 to 2001. Giuliani says that being backed by a top U.S. law enforcement officer is a key factor in his campaign, which is focused on national security and the war on terrorism.
Freeh also compliments Giuliani for his hard stance in fighting crime and saying that Giuliani is the force that helped turn New York City around.
Freeh had a falling out with Former President Bill Clinton during his years as director due to his lack of effort in the war on terror as well as the affair he had with the White House intern. Freeh has written a book about his fight against organized crime, the war on terror, and his investigation on President Clinton.
What Giuliani says is true. Having a former FBI Director publically state that he supports Giuliani will have a lot of people be confident in Giuliani's actions against security. Freeh resigned in June 2001, before the 9/11 attacks so people won't be able to correlate the FBI's lack of information, but someone out there is bound to tie in something with Freeh. Someone always does. Regardless, my blog digresses. I'll write about my class and having Hugh Hewitt as a guest tomorrow.

Guiliani Hits Up B-Game

The candidates made their visit to California today, and Republican Candidate Rudy Giuliani made a visit to my hometown of Burlingame. Burlingame is full of rich, white, conservative people who come from old money. Giuliani, who is pro choice and pro gay marriage, is one of those "liberal" republicans and I feel that there are a lot those swing voters where I'm from. Actually, younger voters are more likely to swing to whoever gets the most checks on their checklist regardless of their political affiliation. Voting is different now and people aren't loyal to their parties anymore. Giuliani said that the early primaries have turned California into a political "ATM" as he visited one of his contributers at the Broadway Grill. I haven't been there, but when I go home, I'll make sure to make a visit.

Romney is Generous?

Republican Mitt Romney stated that if he were elected president, he would his Presidential salary of $400,000 a year, to charity. While Governor, he declined his salary of $135,000. Of all the candidates, Romney is the wealthiest with assets estimating from $190 million to $250 million. Romney was a venture capitalists and made good choices in investing his money. As a devout Mormon, he is required to donate 10% of his salary to the Church of Latter-day Saints to be in good standing with the church. I guess he's used to donating money to organizations and quite frankly, it doesn't seem like he needs the money anyways. It just goes to show how some gestures from candidates make them stand out more than others. As an elected official, it seems somewhat obligatory for one to give up their salary. The public wants someone for their leadership, not someone who does it for the money. If you think about it, everyone who runs for an office, is somewhat well off anyways. They usually have enough money to fund their own campaign and has something to fall back on after. Other candidates were probably thinking the same, but Romney was fastest to get on the ball.

Obama on Mental Health

Today, Senator Obama said that he would invest hundreds of millions of dollars for the mental health care of our troops and veterans. Seems fit for the Memorial Day weekend. This weekend is the time for us to remember those who've given their lives for our country. Obama's speech for the improvement of the mental health care of our troops now should score him big points with the veterans and those who strongly support our troops. He's using this weekend to bring in support from the highest demographic of U.S. voters. Its been proven that the biggest demographic of U.S. voters are the elderly/older people. It's funny because I've never heard of Obama and his stance on mental heath until today, and it happens to fall on Memorial Day weekend. Anyways, candidates say things for certain crowds and usually promises made pre-victory are often sketch.

Edwards Talks War

Today, Democrat John Edwards stated that the "global war on terror" has become a doctrine created by the Bush Administration which has strained military resources and "emboldened" terrorists. He says we need a post Bush, post 9/11, post Iraq War point of view in order to move on and finish what needs to be done. He gave several steps he would do as President to strengthen the military. He would improvie civilian-miltary relations, only use force on national security missions, and finally, weed out mismanagement in the Pentagon. He would create a national security budget to include many of the agencies which misuse the term "national security" for personal monetary gains. More funding would go into military recruitment as well. His main goal for this statement was to show the country his stance on one of the hot debate topics and to show his leadership skills. Although many specutlate that this was a wrong tactic due to the fact that he is using the troops to improve his image. His statement today was to show that American People that he's comfortable with his stance on the war and the military. He isn't making any flip flop statements about his stance on the war and feels that the public should know his stance on the war.

Bill Richardson is in!

Today, democrat Bill Richardson officially announced his entrance into the Presidential race and publically appealed to Hispanics. His intention was to target the "fastest growing voting block" in the country and stated that he wasn't doing it on purpose, but to show that he understands some of the gameplay mechanics. He announced his candidacy in both English and Spanish stating that he is not exclusively a Hispanic, but as an American Governor representing the state of New Mexico. The reason why he is reaching out to Hispanics is because they don't even know who he is. Which is true because powerhouses like Clinton, Obama, and Edwards dominate the polls and ratings. The third party democrats only have about 2% of the total ratings and get way more facetime in every aspect of media. Everywhere you turn its a commercial about Obama, Clinton, or Edwards on TV, the Internet, or radio. By reaching out to the Hispanic community, Richardson would have a voter base. He openly debates on the immigration issues in Congress and states that those who are the head of the household raising money for their families in another country should be sent back, but let back in with the rights for a citizenship for re-entry.

Clinton Pushes for New Orleans

Senator Hillary Clinton was the commencement speaker at Dillard University today and said that it was an obligation for the United States to restore New Orleans to its former glory. Dillad University was one of thse schools that was heavily hit by Hurrican Katrina. The damages estimated around $400 million and the school is still recovering. Clinton proposed having a "recovery manager" who would report directly to the White House in order to see that preperations were being met. With hurricane season only a few months away, many wonder if New Orleans could actually withstand another hurricane of Katrina's calibur. The public was skeptical about how our government had handled the aftermath of Katrina. Some say the government was to slow to react to the disaster, and some say the government isn't even doing much at all.

Giuliani = $17million?

Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani stated today in his finance report that he is currently worth $17 million. This is from one year of working. He made about $11.4 million giving speeches and publican appearances. He also made about $4 million from his NY bases consulting firm, $1.2 million from his Houston law firm, and about $150 grand in royalties from his book. I understand that these appearances are for rich people who pay about $500 a head a pop. Sometimes these dinners go for about $1000 and its ridiculous. Anyways, that's just about the same for any other front running candidate. Or...at least the more famous ones. Rudy also got a strong political support base after the 9/11 attacks. Portrayed as the strong and dedicated leader of NYC, he has had a political following ever since.
How is it that his one man can generate millions of dollars in one year? How are all these rich people just giving their money to a man that might be president? All these people are attending these poshy events and not caring about the other issues surrounding the presidential campaign. This is the first time ever, that there are different aspects to the campaign. Race, gender, even age are components of this new presidential race. I digress. I have nothing more to say. The next one will be better. I promise.

Romney + Abortion

Mitt Romney has been questioned about his views on abortion recently. As a republican candidate, his conservative views should point him in the direction for a pro-life and anti-abortion stance, but while serving as Governor of Massachusetts, he signed a program that uses tax payers dollars to support health-care, which included abortions. Also, his wife Anne Romney made a $150 donation to Planned Parenthood. Now digging up old graves might seem shady from different points of view, but having a candidate waiver his opinions in controversial issues such as abortion shows signs of weakness to the American voters. Its like having a President who can't make up his mind for what to do in Iraq. Pull troops out? Keep them in? Maybe for a few months? We'll wait till the elections are over? This teeter tottering of decisions can't be good for a candidate. Also, Romney's wife makes donations to an organization in which her husband is not supposed to favor? She could possibly be the next First Lady and if she and her husband are not on the same boat, it is not going to be a smooth Presidency. She could possibly do her own charity work or lead separate lives like FDR and Eleanor, but they have to at least be on the same page on certain controversial issues. I just think this was a folly and will blow over soon.

McCain + Abortion

John McCain was in Iowa today campaigning and said outright that a Republican who supports abortion would probably not get a nomination, and even if they did, the odds would be against them. I agree to some degree because Republicans are usually conservative with their religious views. Conservatives are usually against abortions due to their beliefs on life. They believe that the moment the baby is conceived, is when the life actually begins. Therefore, aborting the embryo would then be ending a life. Its true that Republicans are mostly conservative and Democrats believe in pro choice, but many politicians reaching into both bowls now. You could have a very liberal republican, and a very conservative democrat. Within each party, there are those from one side who favor certain issues that are characteristically view points from the other side. Roe v. Wade keepings getting brought up and I can see why candidates always use it as a big vote grabber. People are very passionate about pro choice and pro life, and it is going to be an on going struggle and campaign hotplate for candidates. Those who make a better stance on pro choice are going to get the liberal vote. Those who make the better pro-life campaign are going to get more conservative votes. It could get messy.

Clinton+School Reform

Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton had two appointments in Ohio today. She first stoppded by John Hay High School and gave a speech to about 300 people. This school and school district, according to the US Census Bureau, is one of the struggling school districts in the nation. She says that if she were elected president, she was work to revise the "No Child Left Behind Act" from 2002. She quotes, "but one of the saddest parts about whats happening [with the No Child Left Behind] is that schools are cutting so much in their curricula because they are trying to keep up with demands in unfunded mandates." Her second stop was at Wilberforce University where she was the commencement speaker. This university is historically a black college dating back to 1856. She has urged the graduating class of 225 with 4000 in the crowd, "don't let anyone wear you down to the point where you believe it is not worth trying to change your society any longer." Her speech lasted 25 minutes and she touched upon several campaign issues such as Iraq. Her plan to pick up education has been viewed by many as her strongest point in the election so far.

Republican Debate...yay?

Yesterday, was the first time all 10 declared Republican Candidates met for their first debate. Dubbed "the Republican Roundup at the Reagan Ranch," each candidate got to voice their opinion on each topic. However, the debate was NOT held at the Reagan Ranch, but the Reagan Library, which is about 100 miles away. Questions on social issues such as abortion, immigration, stem cell research, and the war were thrown around and some candidates stuck out on certain issues. John McCain for example was opposite of this opponents and was pro stem cell research. Roe v. Wade came up as well and the Terry Schiavo case in Florida as well. Every candidate had a different view on how the war was handled by President Bush. Guiliani said that the right decisions were made at the right time after 9/11. Mitt Romney spoke about the President's "character, passion, and love for the country." McCain said that he would have acted faster on certain issues and would have dismissed Rumsfeld a little sooner. "I would not have mismanaged the war,” McCain said. “And I would have vetoed spending bill after spending bill after pork-barrel project after pork-barrel project, in the tradition of President Reagan."


Provided by the NY Times

Who's That? part 2

When it comes to Iraq, Democratic candidate Bill Richardson is just like any other democrat. However, while the other Democratic candidates want to withdraw the combative troops from Iraq, Richardson wants to withdraw all troops from Iraq.
"I'd pull out our troops, every one of them, even residual forces," the New Mexico governor told the Review-Journal. "Because our troops have become targets. They've become the excuse for propaganda against us, and we are now viewed as occupiers."

Richardson believes that the solution to Iraq is a political solution, no a military solution. According to Richardson, the troops in Iraq are currently being used as pawns for the election. Whoever has the best solution regarding the troops is going to be favored more and he believes that it isn't right. He believes that there should be troops within the military bases, but not out wandering the streets. He also wants divide Iraq into semi-autonomous regions for the Kurds, Sunnis, and Shiites. His views on Iraq are somewhat feasible, but segregating relgious groups could feel somewhat taboo to some Americans. However, people don't realize that these ethnic groups have been fighting forever, and that these people just can't get along with one another.

Bush Vetoes Bill

Today, President Bush vetoed a bill that would withdraw troops and withdraw all troops by October. "This is a prescription for chaos and confusion and we must not impose it on our troops," Bush said in a nationally broadcast statement from the White House. He said the bill would "mandate a rigid and artificial deadline" for troop pullouts, and "it makes no sense to tell the enemy when you plan to start withdrawing." He doesn't want to seem weak and make it look like all his efforts into the war were for nothing. He wants to be remembered for something, which is admirable, but this isn't something that he would be very proud of. House speaker Nancy Pelosi says that the president just wants a blank check and that he wants to be able to have complete control over one thing that he has let slip. For example, global warming....

Bush on Global Warming

Obama Pulls Ahead

As of today, Senator Barack Obama has pulled ahead of Senator Hillary Clinton in the democractic preliminaries. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows Illinois Senator Barack Obama is at 32% while Clinton trails at 30%. John Edwards holds his position at third with only 17% support. The surveys were conducted between April 23-26, 2007, which means that the first debates in North Carolina did not affect the results. The survey also shows that more voters are leaning toward a Democratic President due to the hottest issue out right now, Iraq. "Fifty-seven percent (57%) of Likely Voters either want to bring home the troops from Iraq immediately or have a firm timetable for withdrawal. In the showdown over the Iraq funding bill, most Americans favor the legislation passed by Congress. Fifty-two percent (52%) oppose a Presidential veto. Looking down the road, just 33% of voters now believe history will judge the U.S. mission in Iraq a success."

Forty-three percent (43%) of voters believe that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should resign. Fifty-seven percent (57%) favor raising taxes on the wealthy.

Rasmussen Reports has also recently released poll results on the Supreme Court's ruling on partial-birth abortion, gun control and Global Warming.

These surveys show that more voters are ready to bring in a Democrat for President and want change in all these issues. You can find these polls at http://www.rasmussenreports.com/

I don't want to brag, but I knew this was coming. As of now at least. People are so fed up with being disappointed in the decisions the President has made. At times, the President has made a few good decisions, but only under specific circumstances. The long term effects of his decisions have not been handled nicely. It could be too early to see if the voters will sway their views, but as of now Democrats have the lead. Its just like the time in 04' when people were ready to vote for John Kerry just because people were fed up with Bush. If you think about it, Kerry's views on some things weren't that much different than Bush, and voting Kerry for the wrong reasons could have made our current situation somewhat worse. Just a thought, don't quote me.

Edwards Tax Rich

While campaigning in San Diego, Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said he would raise taxes for the rich in order to accomidate for a health care plan he is promoting. This health care plan is estimated to be $90 billion to $120 billion and would eliminate the tax cuts President Bush implimented for those making over $200,000 a year. Edwards also said that for those who make more than $200,000, there could be a possible tax on top of that. Quoting Edwards: "I think it is worthy of consideration," he told a news conference. "We have gone from a record surplus to a record deficit and I think there are some judgments the next president will have to make."
This is a very democractic approach to tax reform. Republicans usually protect big business and the wealthy. They promote equal taxation among all citizens whereas democrats usually see it fit to tax citizens based on their payroll. It seems as though Edwards promise to eliminate the tax cut made by Bush, just because it was made by Bush. So many people have been unhappy with the decisions made by Bush that any alternative would make it sound better than the decisions that have already been made. Any candidate who takes a stab at a policy made by Bush will sound appealing to the public. Especially the war in Iraq and domestic policies he has made. Many seem to forget that the War in Iraq is not the only thing Bush will be remembered for. His policies dealing with domestic issues has also been criticized as very poor and lacking.

Who's That?

This blog is supposed to be about the Presidential candidates and their views on certain issues and policies, but it seems like I've been mostly talking about the mainstream candidates. Most people don't even know the other candidates and I feel as though I should at least plug some of the underdog candidates. This could take a come of days, but I'm going to start to write about a few no name candidates. Starting with...

Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore. He calls himself a true "Reagan conservative" who has the experience to deal with the nation's security issues. He was nominated as the in 2001 to be head of the Republican National Committee, but resigned a year later after conflicting views with the White House. With virtually no campaign funds and no name recognition, this ex-prosecutor and war veteran decided to run for President on Thursday stating that he has proven conservative credentials that stand in contrast to the shifting views of the GOP front runners. With Republican activists stating that the front runners in the Republican party are too liberal and might not be backed.

Gilmore is trying to run for President with virtually no money? Are you serious? Rudy Guilliani and Mitt Romney both have about $11 million in their campaign fund while McCain has about $5.2 Million. Does this guy think he can be the new Howard Dean? There are too many big name candidates for this guy to get in the mainstream. Even with the support of the internet, the big name candidates also have websites and site teams to get shit out on the internet too. Then again, who knows. This guy could be the darkhorse and come out on top a couple of months later.

Rudy's Got Balls

Today, Republican Candidate Rudy Guiliani stated that if a democrat were elected in the 08 elections, another terrorist attack would occur. He stated that if a republican were elected, they would stay on the offensive and anticipate an attack. He didn't necessarily state whether he would keep troops in the Middle East, but he did say that Democrats do not understand the threat posed by terrorists. Democrats blasted Guiliani on the comments he made. Senator Barack Obama stated that using the terrorists attacks to create a punchline for a political attack is uncalled for. He believes that the public will not buy into Guiliani's statements. Finally, quoting Senator HIllary Clinton, protecting the country from terrorism "shouldn't be political football." Senator John Edwards said that Guiliani knows better than to claim that there is a "superior republican way to fight terrorism." It is somewhat true because it was a Republican regime that led out country into the war with Iraq. It made us feel less safe from Al Qaida who continue to send tapes to America. Sending our troops and reporters to the Middle East has done nothing but up the death toll and now, the Republican regime is trying to send more troops in to Iraq to finally "end the war" which has gone on for more than 4 years. Although Rudy was there at the 9/11 attacks, he can't possibly think that being a republican helped him through the hard times and being a repulican sure didn't prevent the attacks from happening either. This attack on the democrats gives Rudy minus points to the public and to me. No matter how brave and honorable you were during the biggest terrorist attack on our country, using it to bash other candidates and using the fear of the American public to pick up more votes is not honorable.

McCain too old???

If John McCain were elected president in 2008, he would be turning 72. The oldest president to ever take on the role was Ronald Reagan at 69. If McCain were to run again in 2012, he would be 76 and by the time his 2nd term was over, he would be 80. Questions of his age are bringing a negative stigma to voters around the country, even older citizens. Statsitic have shown that voters, especially older voters, would not vote for a candidate over 70. Being the oldest candidate running for president, McCain is often known for working long hours in Washington. When here's there, he works 16 hour days, and sometimes 7days a week. McCain plans on releasing his medical records soon to the public and there are some things you may not know about him. For example, he has had surgeries regarding his melanoma (skin cancer) which left a scar on his cheek. He has a slight limp and has limited use of his arm due to the Vietnam War. He was also a POW (prisoner of war) for about 5 and half years.
It's quite true that the pubic wouldn't want an old president. But its all about how McCain shows himself. If he's shown as slow and un-energetic, then the public will see his age catch up to him. He has to be on top of everything and show the public that his age has nothing to do with his views and drive. For example, when Bob Dole ran against Bill Clinton in 96', Dole's age wasn't a factor until he took a slip on stage one time and took quite a long time to recover. Being exposed like that in the public will devastate one's image regarding age. However, McCain shows no signs of slowing down on this campaign trail, and he can't afford to. This month he was ranked 3rd in the Republican party.

Earthday and Democrats

Yesterday, Clinton, Obama, and Edwards campaigned in Iowa (at seperate times and venues) to push their views on the environmental issue to the public. Ever since Vice President Al Gore released his movie, "The Inconvienient Truth," the issue of protecting our planet has become a primary initiative for candidates. Each candidate had plans for the country in terms of renewable energy, and alternative energy. Clinton wants to get 20% of the nation's electricity from renewable energy sources by the year 2020. She has become the democratic front runner and criticized the Bush administration on the environment and the war in Iraq. Edwards wants to the 25% of the nation's electricity from a newable energy source by the year 2025. Obama said he has offered specific proposals on the environment, ranging from toughening fuel efficiency standards to cutting back on carbon emissions.
Earth day was a great opportunity for the candidates to focus on one issue and make it stick to the public. The state of our environment has become such a hot issue that it can make anyone look good if they say the right things. "Lower carbon emission, renewable energy, recycle, the future." That's everything needed to catch the attention to the public. But if you throw in a few numbers (which are exaggerated) and throw out some ideas which "could" work, people will love you. However, realistically, these plans for 2020 and 2025, are unrealistic. The country and the planet has been dumped on so much that we need a 50, and even 100 year plan. We can't undo the damage caused by humans, but we can slow down the process by some life changing alternatives. The polar ice caps are melting, we can't stop it, but there's a way to slow it down. We can't patch up the O-zone layer, but we can prevent it from getting worse. These are the realities the candidates need to show to the public. Fancy numbers and unrealistic time tables won't impress us.

Edwards needs billions...not for haircuts

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said that he would invest billions into the state of Michigan. Edwards wishes to invest billions into the automotive capital of the United States so that new technologies would be developed. He hopes that the future of our country and our world could be changed by new automobiles which do not rely on fossil fuels. He intends on investing billions into new technology and a billion into the state of Michigan itself. As the first primary elections are only nine months away, Edwards is trailing Clinton and Obama. However, his new new plan for Michigan has him favored from the labor heavy voters.
It seems as if Edwards is trying to take a strong position that he can be known for. When he was a Senator for North Carolina, he voted for the war, and now has changed his views to appeal to the public. He states that if he is elected President, he would bring the troops back and close down the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. He has also been recently criticized for 2 haircuts which costs his campaign $800.
$800 is more than an unemployed Michigan citizen can recieve in a week.

McCain, Beach Boys, Vegas

A day after John McCain's rendition of the song Barbara Ann, he ended up in Las Vegas for a fundraiser, and retorted against news reporters to, "lighten up, and get a life." Yesterday, McCain was at a convention where he changed the lyrics the song "Barbara Ann" by the Beach Boys to "Bomb Iran." The intial response at the rally was laughter, but after a day of ridicule on the net, there has been an ill reception to his song. By publically displaying his song, it shows McCain's view on Middle East politics and how he views these problems. Sure, news reporters and bloggers around the nation are going to use this against him, but at the same time, candidates need to come out to the public and showcase themselves. Then again, a lot of political figures and politicians have had their reputations destroyed by bloggers around the country. Maybe McCain's little song has offended many who take Middle East politics seriously, and McCain could be another causualty.

VA Tech Aftermath: Day 1

After a day of mourning and shock, the whole country could not get enough of the VA Tech shooting massacre. The shooter has been identified as a South Korean male who immigrated in the early 1990's and was in the country legally through a green card. He was described by many as the loner, quiet type and in his creative writing assignments, it was shown that he had very disturbed and violent thoughts. Given medication and therapy, people thought it would be enough to keep him sedated.
Anyways, there have already been stories on the internet on how the shooting would affect the presidential race, or rather, lack the infuence on the race. The shooting rampage would not affect the presidential election because most top candidates already favor gun control laws. The strongest advocate for gun control is Hillary Clinton. Not only do the top 3 democratic candidates favor gun control, Rudy Guiliani and Matt Romney of the Republican party favor gun control as well. Gun control is such a hot topic in politics, but to come out and use gun control as their main focus would be detrimental to their campaign right now. Unless the issue of gun control would be considered a vote winner, instead of a vote debater, then the candidates shouldn't be jumping on gun control laws yet. Well, not until Congress does. Congress hasn't done anything about it yet either.

Country in Mourning

Early this morning, a student at Virgina Tech University killed 32 people as well as himself. This disaster was the worst shooting rampages in U.S. history and news coverage of the event has been non-stop. For those of you reading, I'd ask for a moment of your time to greive for those people whose lives have been taken.
Even though this is a political blog, the events that occured today will be used for debates such as gun control, immigrations, and civil liberties. The shooter was a Chinese nationalist who was here on a student visa. Even without this catastrophe, immigration (illegal and legal) has been a topic of debate by the President. The candidates will have to take a stance on whether or not to tighten our boarders towards the legal immigrations that come over on worker and student visas. Another topic for debate is going to be the issue on gun control. The shooter had two pistols and multiple clips were found at the site of the shooting. Hand guns are permittable for purchase by anyone, but seeing that he wasn't an American citizen, and how accesible firearms really are, will be a hot debate topic. Finally, this topic is kind of sketch, but the topic of civil liberties could be at hand. Like the Patriot Act which was initiated after 9/11, another act which could give the executive and legislative branch more power in order to "secure" the saftey of the American people could come about. With a new act which could pry into people's civil liberties, the American people could feel less safe, and more paranoid. I'll try to see which topics are most common throughout the week and what the candidates have to say about each topic.
Once again, I'd like to give my condolences for the families and loved ones of those who were killed today.

James.

P.S. The Hilary health care reform is going to have to wait.

Hillary and Health Care

In 1993, Hillary Rodham Clinton's national healthcare reform was shutdown by congress. Fourteen years later, she is running for President and wants to bring back the national healthcare reform. However, she is also pushing a reform in government as well. She wants to improve government by curring back on no-bid government contracts, and bannign former Cabinet officials from loggying their former colleagues. By doing so it will make a more compitent and reliable government. Hillary's stance in reforming the government is a good tactic to turn heads in her direction. With so many people being skeptical about the government we have today, many are looking for a new, refreshed outlook on government. With a candidate who is confronting the problems we have with government, Hillary is trying to become that "breath of fresh air" people are looking for. We'll see how far she gets with that angle.

Obama, Imus, Rappers

After the Rutgers Women's Basketball team accepted Don Imus's apology today, presidential candidate Barack Obama compared Don Imus's derogatory terms to the way some rapper speak about women in their lyrics and videos. He said that when rapper degrade women that it doesn't inspire him. He also criticized Imus earlier in the week about his behavior. Even though everyone else is comparing Imus to the rappers in the industry, Obama is just using this as a campaign pusher. I'm not trying to say that everyone is using Imus as a stepping stone for more votes, it just seems that the whole Imus fiasco is dying down. He got fired, he got publicly tarred and feathered, and now he has no future. Its also true that rappers use derogatory terms when referring to women and it makes it seem OK to their listeners to do so. There won't be a change anytime soon, but I guess everyone will be a lot more careful at the expense of Don Imus.

McCain and the War

Today on washingtonpost.com, its posted that Senator John McCain, presidential hopeful for the Republican party, supported the war in Iraq saying that it was "necessary and just." With the lowest popularity rating among the candidates, it seems as though he's taking a stance on the war to directly tackle an issue that is current with Congress/Presidential politics. McCain states that even though the country has lost patience with the on going war and the government has failed to gain the nation's trust back on the war, he feels that the fight against terrorism is a just and necessary battle.
I don't mind McCain taking a stance on the war because during these pre-election times, a candidate needs to stand out and make a name for himself. Rudy was the major of NY during 9/11. Hillary was once the First Lady and possible first female president of the US, Obama could be the first Black American to become president, and what is McCain going to be known for? Being a white collar criminal? By establishing his stance on the war, he'll be remembered for it as the elections come around.

Rudy Doesn't Buy Groceries

The other day I read an article about Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani campaining in Alabama. He was doing fine until a reporter asked him if he knew what the price of bread and milk were at a gorcery store. "A gallon of milk is probably about a $1.50, a loaf of bread about a $1.25, $1.30," he said. However, at the grocery store near his house, a loaf of bread is about $3 while a gallon of milk is around 4. This doesn't look good for Rudy. People like a candidate who is in touch with the citizens. If a presidential hopeful doesn't even know mundane facts like how much bread and milk cost, it just looks like he's out of touch with the public. People think that politicians are all power hungry and money driven to the extent where they have lost their focus on why they are running for an office. He'll look like one of those people who have their maids buy their groceries. However, a politician's main focus is to go around and raise money for himself, especially during this time. Then again, you can't give Rudy a hard time. He WAS the mayor of New York during the 9/11 crisis who showed a great amount of courage.

First Political Post

Hey everyone,
I made this blog for my Political Science 129 class called "Blogs, Politics, & Media." We're required to make a blog dealing with politics, so I chose the 2008 Presidential elections. Since the candidates haven't been chosen, I've decided to blog about the Reblican and Democratic Primaries. News about Hilary, Obama, Rudy, and John have been buzzing lately so I thought I'd write a little about it as well as learn a little too. There might be times when I write only about a certain candidate, but it'll depends on what I hear about or research that day. So if you're favorite front runner isn't getting any love let me know. I'll try to keep it informative and of course interesting. Thanks for checking it out.

James