The following video contains commentator Michael Scherer responding to a caller who brought up issues at the voting site. Sherer begins to discuss voting issues as well as the Help America Vote Act. He highlights that America may need to re-write some voting rules, such as the requirement of certain identification.
Friday, September 30, 2011
African American Turnout in 2008
The following clip shows Michael McDonald takes a question from a caller. He begins to explain the reason for the increased number of African American voter turnout.
Voter Turnout in 2008
The following video from the C-SPAN video library includes commentary from Michael McDonald discussing the voter turnout from the election of 2008. The election resulted in record high percentages of turnout all over the country. In this clip McDonald explains the actual numerical results and how this election, in terms of voter turnout, is similar to elections in the 1950s and 1960s.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Primary Woes
The map displayed above may be subject to some changes. In recent
a statement Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon told CNN that his state was
examining potential primary dates to be closer to January 31st. This
decision would result in the complete upheaval of the finely tuned Republican
nominating schedule. Florida’s new date will surely force the traditional early
states to move their primaries and caucuses to mid-January. States like Iowa,
New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina have always been the first states to
hold primaries or caucuses. However, recently many states have attempted to
move up their primary dates in order to be more relevant when choosing the
party nomination. States have until this Saturday to submit their dates to the
Republican National Committee.
This move
for Florida will directly violate the nomination rules set up by the Republican
National Committee. The rule outlines that no state can hold primaries or
caucuses prior to the first Tuesday in March, which is when the first four
states hold theirs. As a consequence the RNC pledges to strip delegates from
states that break this rule. Essentially, states that hold their primary or
caucus prior to the four early states could lose up to half of their delegates
for the Republican Convention.
The reason that
states are so eager to push their date up closer or ahead of the four early
states is merely to stay relevant in the nomination process. In the past, such
as in 2008, the Republican candidate was decided very early on in the
primaries. This meant that Republicans voting in primaries held in April or May
did not contribute to selecting the candidate chosen to run. Florida is one of
many states, including Colorado, to seek an earlier date for their primary. States
that desire to move their primary or caucus date up are taking a large risk because
they could end up being left out of a decisive primary later in the year. However,
there is still a chance that the early states themselves could decide the
winner, as they did for Republican candidate John McCain in 2008.
Although the actual dates are not known yet,
the schedule will most likely be completely different from the one in 2008. For
example, in 2008 twenty states held primaries or caucuses on February 5th,
or Super Tuesday. In 2012, it is assumed that only ten states will hold
contests on March 6th. This is also a result to states holding their
elections later in the year during April or May. States like New York and
California are still scheduled to hold their primaries in April and June
respectively. This approach is completely contrast to Florida’s because it
would result in a more drawn out process to pick the nominee.
Another factor contributing to the RNC’s
desire to have a more drawn out primary process is their adoption of a new
rule. The rule limits the ability for candidates to win large numbers of
delegates in contests held before April. This is because the delegates won in
those states are awarded proportionally to the votes candidates receive. Essentially,
the rule makes I harder for candidates to win large amounts of delegates in early
states, or before April 1st, even though those states assign delegates
based on the number of votes received. States holding primaries or caucuses
after April give delegates based on a winner-take-all process. This is mostly
because these states would like to gain more attention and create a buzz around
their primary or caucus. The RNC’s new rule was adopted mostly to create a
nomination period similar to the Democrats in 2008, in which Barrack Obama and Hilary
Clinton fought competitively until after the convention. The reason for this is
to create excitement and suspense within the party.
Overall, the controversy over the dates
of primaries and cuscuses may bring up debate on whether or not the process
should change. Many believe that parties should hold national primaries, in
which every state votes on the same day. States like Iowa and New Hampshire are
not in favor of such a change because it would take the attention and
significance away from the contests held there. But some may argue, who cares
about Iowa? The answer is, not many, which is precisely why Iowa and other
states are so eager to push the nomination up further, they want the attention
of the media, their own party, and the candidates. This will ultimately result
in a drawn out nomination process that we all are so fortunate to follow. So if
you’re already sick of the debates, advertisements, or the candidates
themselves, you’re out of luck. It seems that the nominee may not be chosen
until June.
Sources:
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Campaign Finance
The following video, taken from the C-SPAN video library, introduces guest Meredith McGehee. In this clip McGehee discusses the problems with the public finance system in terms of the past general election. She also outlines problems with the system and how they will effect the 2012 election.
Effects of Supreme Court Decisions in Camaign Finiance
The following video contains a panel discussion on the effects on campaign finance as a result of the Supreme Court decision Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission. In this clip, a panelist from the Brennan Center discusses the direct effects of the Citizen United decision in regards to disclosure laws. This clip is evidence that although there has been changes to the public finance system, there is certainly room for more.
The Future of Campaign Finance
The following video includes Meredith McGehee responding to a question via twitter about the use of internet donations. She discusses its benefits and uses the Obama campaign from 2008 as an example. She also mentions the trouble with large donors.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Debate Déjà Vu
 |
| GOP Debate, Photo Source: ABC News |
In the
third GOP Debate in three weeks, the same candidates stuck
out among the rest. Lately, it seems that I have only been focusing on two
candidates, Former Governors Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. This is with just
cause, due to the fact that they have successfully gained the most attention
during the race thus far. Both candidates stole the show with constant
bickering and arguing as each tried to denounce the views and achievements of
the other. Unlike the past debates, however, many political analysts believe
that Romney came out on top. Another result of the debate is the declining
popularity of Perry. His poor performance on Thursday has called for criticism
from both the left and right. Also not surprising was the other candidates’
inability to gain any attention alongside the top two contenders. I wouldn’t be
surprised if the American people forgot about candidates like Rick Santorum or
Herman Cain. The only other candidate to get some attention has consistently
been Michelle Bachmann mostly due to the media coverage she gains because of
her Tea Party connections and her many unsupported statements. It seems the
closer we get to the primaries this spring, the tighter the race becomes and
the more it takes shape for the nomination.
The supposed winner of the debate,
Mitt Romney was semi -successful in avoiding harsh criticism from the other
candidates. Many political analysts have stated that Romney proved himself as a
good debater. One stand-out moment was when Perry attempted to imply that
Romney supported President Obama’s educational program “Race to the Top”,
Romney’s immediate answer was a sharp “Nice try”. Following was his explanation
on how he only stated that parts of the plan “make sense”. Romney also had his
number of attacks on Governor Perry. Quoting from Perry’s book, “Fed Up!”,
Romney tried to make the case again that Perry’s views on government programs
like Social Security are too extreme. The use of books as ammunition is not new
to the debate stage or the campaign trail. Perry also used the book “No
Apologies” written by Romney to claim the candidate was a flip-flopper on many
of his views like the health care plan passed in Massachusetts. Romney also thwarted this
notion, denying Perry’s allegation.
Although Romney has been dubbed the
winner of the debate, he owes much of the achievement to his main competitor
for a poor performance. Perry’s time on stage was not convincing, as he rambled
on and struggled to successfully take down Romney. Much of his attempts failed
due to Romney’s sharp comebacks and responses. Perry also struggled with
answers to questions having to do with foreign policy. When asked what action
he would take as president if he received a 3 a.m. telephone call informing him
that nuclear weapons from Pakistan
fell into terrorist hands, Perry did not give a sturdy answer. After the debate
one of Romney’s strategists called the response “completely unintelligible”.
His response began with the claim that he would have had to build a
relationship with that region prior to such an event then went on and some how
fit in references to Taiwan and India. Perry will also struggle with his stance
on immigration, something all the other candidates use against the former Texas
Governor. Perry tried to defend himself, stating that the decision to allow
children of illegal aliens to pay in-state tuition for public universities was made
by the state legislation. He also stated that the other candidates “don’t have
a heart” when it comes to the issue. Perry’s stance on immigration will be a
huge factor as the primaries get closer.
With the debates moving along,
Democrats are now beginning to weaken the stances of Republican candidates.
Obama advisors are trying to lay the groundwork for a campaign as they
highlight contrasts between President Obama and the leading Republican
candidates. The candidates that are being focused on are not surprisingly Perry
and Romney. Democrats are challenging Perry’s economic record in Texas, claiming that
many of the new jobs created by Perry were low paying. They also intend to
paint Romney as out of touch with the American people and a “corporate titan”.
The democrats are starting this negative campaign by using the Democratic
National Committee and outside groups like American Bridge
and Priorities USA. The use of these groups will allow Obama and his campaign
to be viewed separate from negative attacks.
Another debate is over and the
feeling of déjà vu follows. The same candidates are getting attention while
others struggle to even make the summary articles the following day. Even
finding a picture from the debate with all nine candidates was hard. The same
issues are being brought up and it seems that no candidate has given a solution
for problems like the economy, immigration, or foreign policy. Hopefully these
debates will start to narrow down the race so that the focus turns to more
serious contest.
And in case you didn’t notice, there were nine candidates on
stage last Thursday. It was the first appearance for former Governor of New
Mexico Gary E. Johnson. None of the articles used for this post mentioned the
new addition but he is in the picture, so we do know he was in the building at
some point.
Sources:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/23/perry-faces-scathing-reviews-day-after-debate/?hpt=po_bn1
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/09/mitt-romney-goes-to-the-head-of-the-debate-class-the-note/
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/09/mitt-romney-rick-perry-wage-a-war-of-authenticity-at-republican-debate/
Sources:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/23/perry-faces-scathing-reviews-day-after-debate/?hpt=po_bn1
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/09/mitt-romney-goes-to-the-head-of-the-debate-class-the-note/
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/09/mitt-romney-rick-perry-wage-a-war-of-authenticity-at-republican-debate/
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Perry vs. Romney: The Tactics of Two Republican Candidates
 |
| Source: Google Images |
As the race for the Republican nomination for the 2012 Presidential Election moves forward, two of the eight candidates have become party hopefuls. Candidates like former Senator Rick Santorum and former Governor Jon Huntsman did not do enough to gain the attention and support of Americans. Also evident, is the unsuccessful approach from Representative Michelle Bachmann, as she attempted to gain support through erroneous statements and outrageous allegations. Although it is too soon to count Bachmann completely out of the race, Governor’s Mitt Romney and Rick Perry seem to be the two most likely to win the nomination.
Recently, it
seems that the two candidates have been using entirely different tactics to win
support from both the American public and the Republican Party. Romney has been
on a full blown crusade to convince Americans that he is a regular working man,
despite his family’s estimated net worth of $200 million. In contrast, Perry’s
new campaign video makes the candidate seem like a super hero saving America
from the latest villain, President Obama.
The video was
made by Perry’s filmmaker Luca Baniano, who was also the filmmaker for
Republican candidate Tim Pawlenty. This is the second video released for Perry’s
campaign. The first was released shortly after his announcement to run for the
nomination and served a biographical purpose, introducing the governor and his
message. This new video however, packs a certain punch. The cinematic quality and
dramatic disposition of the video makes it seem like a trailer for the popular
super hero genre. It opens with clips and sound bites of President Obama’s
speeches juxtaposed with gloomy visuals of a distressed America. Then cue the
super hero! Governor Perry makes his appearance as the only answer for America’s
current situation. In a dramatic and emotional speech, Perry exclaims “I believe in America. I believe in
her purpose and her promise. I believe her best days have not yet been led”. He even calls the President “President Zero”,
a villainous nickname that sounds like it was taken right out of a comic book. Overall,
the video is meant to send a dramatic message and catch the attention of
Americans who will no doubt be impressed with the action-packed minute and
forty-five seconds.
Perry uses the attack tactic,
meaning he is attacking President Obama’s promises to Americans by claiming he
did not follow through and that Perry himself is the only answer to America’s
rebirth. I believe however that this attack is unfair. Although I am not
certain, I believe that the speeches in which are used for the video were taken
from President Obama’s campaign trail. The fact that he said these things
before even taking office discredits the objective of Perry’s video.
Now in the Romney camp, their
tactics seem to be of a less dramatic approach. Through various Twitter updates
the Republican hopeful only wants to prove to Americans that he is a regular guy.
Multiple snapshots of the Governor show him eating “normal people” food like
KFC and Subway. Romney claims to love fast food! It must be the easiest thing
to get for dinner since he is renovating his
$12 million home in San Diego. Nonetheless, Romney may not be lying about his obsession
with fast food, but does that necessarily make him just like the rest of us? He
has also been known to tweet about flying with the Southwest airline, known for
its cheap rates. These excessive blog posts from Romney are all schemes to ensure
to Americans that he is not out of touch with their struggles. The most likely
reason for Romney’s common man obsession was a result of a slip up made while
giving a speech in Florida to a group if unemployed citizens where he stated
that he too was unemployed. Romney caught a lot of bad publicity with this
statement and is now on a quest to re-brand himself using less luxurious
brands, all too gain support from the American people.
 |
| Mitt Romney eats Subway. Source: Twitter |
Will Romney’s “regular dude” tactic work, or Perry’s dramatic and attack driven ads? It is too soon to tell, but with the primaries coming up this spring it is clear we will see more attempts from all eight candidates to win the nomination.
Sources:
abcnews.go.com
www.politico.com
www.nytimes.com
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Obama's New Tax Plan Deemed "Class Warfare" by Republicans
Representative Paul Ryan was among the Republicans to call President Obama’s proposed tax plan “class warfare”. The plan is set to be announced on Monday according to White House officials. The controversy arose when it was revealed that the plan would include something called the Buffet Rule. This rule would replace the Alternative Minimum Tax that was created decades ago to ensure that people paid the minimum percentage of their income in taxes. As a result, individuals earning more than $1 million a year will receive a new tax rate. According to CNN.com, the new tax rate would guarantee that the wealthiest individuals in the country would “pay at least the same percentage of their earnings in taxes as middle-income Americans”.
President Obama rightfully named his proposal after investor Warren E. Buffett. This billionaire has openly complained that the richest Americans pay a smaller share of their income in taxes than middle-income workers. The New York Times explained that this is a result of a lower tax rate for investment gains than wages. The Buffett rule is set to replace the Alternative Minimum Tax and begin a process to reform the tax code.
Representative Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, has openly opposed the tax plan that has not yet been formally announced. Ryan claims that the new minimum tax rate for millionaires would punish job creation and that “it looks like the president wants to move down the class-warfare path”. However, Ryan was not the only Republican to speak out against the proposal. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has said that raising the taxes of the wealthy will hurt both the economy and small business owners that may file individual tax returns instead of corporate tax returns. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said on CNN that the tax would not bring in as much revenue as the administration has implied. As of today, the Obama administration has not specified the rate or the amount of revenue that would result in this proposal. In contrast, former President Bill Clinton stated that tax reform would be a good idea and that ending the Bush-era tax cuts is what is best for the country.
The early opposition is a clear indication that the Obama Plan has little chance becoming law unless Republicans can compromise. Many believe, however, that Obama would agree to changes in programs like Medicare only if Republicans budge on taxes. It is certain that politically, Obama is attempting to make Republicans seem indifferent to the struggles many Americans are facing today. With the new tax rate only effecting 0.3% taxpayers or fewer than 450,000 individuals, middle-income Americans may see the proposal as a good thing. This would greatly affect the Republican Party and their campaign. The hasty reaction by Republicans is not a surprise given the current relationship of both parties and it seems that the plan will divide them further. Obama’s tax proposal will be announced on Monday.
Sources:
Friday, September 16, 2011
Meeting of Electors 2008
The following link will bring you to the C-SPAN coverage of a 2008 electoral meeting in Illinois. The electors were casting their ballots for president and vice president. Here is a look into the process created by the framers of our constitution but today is subject to controversy.
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Illinois2/start/801/stop/1047
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Illinois2/start/801/stop/1047
Amend the Constitution?
Many people believe that the electoral college should be either modified or taken out of our constitution. Reasons for this view include the consequences of the present day electoral college such as certain states gaining more attention than others while campaigning and the fear that not every vote counts. The following video taken from a C-SPAN discussion on the topic suggests ways in which the electoral college could be dealt with.
The Electoral College and Past Presidential Elections
The following video was taken from the C-SPAN video library. It includes examples of the presidential elections from the past in which the electoral college significantly change the outcome.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Tea Party Debate Re-Cap
Last night’s Republican presidential debate took place in front of a crowd of about 1,000 Tea Party activists at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Cable network CNN co-hosted the debate and provided the moderator, Wolf Blitzer. In many ways, the debate had a similar outcome to the September 7th Republican presidential debate held in California at the Ronald Reagan Library. Former Governor Rick Perry continued to be a so-called “punching bag” for the other seven candidates. Both Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann and Representative Ron Paul to jabs at the former Texas Governor for reasons including vaccination mandates and raising taxes, respectively. As a result of there being eight opinionated people on stage, each candidate fought hard to get the attention of the public by making strong statements and insulting their fellow presidential hopefuls. At many times, the debate seemed less presidential because of the constant berating from candidates and cheers from the audience.
The candidates that summoned the most attention from last night’s debate are no surprise. Just as they did during the September 7th debate, Perry and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney commanded the stage as they tried to one-up each other while simultaneously insulting each other’s political ideals and accomplishments. Governor Perry is seen as the front runner of the race which is primarily the reason for the attacks from all candidates. However, Perry’s recent remarks towards the Head of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke and the government program Social Security were other reasons for the attacks. In previous statements Perry insinuated that the actions of Bernanke were “treasonous” and compared Social Security to a “Ponzi scheme”. These types of statements are just what Governor Romney and Congresswoman Bachmann hope for. At this point in the race as eight people are competing for one position, each candidate must find ways to outshine each other and slow down the front runner.
The candidate that stole attention away from the dueling duo of Romney and Perry was Congresswoman Bachmann, although she did not give the former Texas governor a rest. The representative from Minnesota took her time to criticize Perry’s 2007 executive order for Texan girls entering the sixth grade to receive a vaccine against the human papilloma virus. This virus, in turn, causes a sexually transmitted disease that is linked to cervical cancer. Bachmann accused Perry of passing the executive order as a favor to the drug company that makes the vaccine which in turn donated up to $30,000 to the governor. Congresswoman Bachmann did not stop there. She also challenged Perry’s stance on immigration as she criticized his decision to allow children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public Texas universities. Bachmann will continue to struggle gaining a fan base beyond the Tea Party as she is the founder of the Tea Party Caucus in the House of Representatives. For now, she must rely on bringing down the front runner, Perry.
Overall, the Tea Party Debate did not surprise many in terms of its outcome. Candidates like former Senator Rick Santorum, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, former Governor John Huntsman, Representative Ron Paul, and business executive Herman Cain each struggled to stand out. However, they attempted to fire their own zingers against the star candidates like Romney and Perry. At this point in the race each candidate must try and stand out among the rest and take advantages of opportunities like this debate. So who was the winner? Many may claim Bachmann, for coming, out gloves swinging, against Perry. I believe she is the winner plainly because she was feeding to the audience of Tea Party activists in which she shares many ideals. As we get closer and closer to the primaries I hope that the candidates will focus more on their own plans as President and less on insulting one another. Although by then, the race to the white house will be much less entertaining.
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/us/politics/13debate.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=politics
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/09/13/bachmann.perry.debate/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
ttp://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/09/more-swings-at-the-perry-piata-the-note/
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