A letter from a Write or Remain Silent reader

The following is an email I received from a friend/acquaintance — one of a number of people I've come to know to varying degrees through both online and real-world election-related groups over the past year. Although I wouldn't normally devote a whole post to someone else's email, I wanted to include it on our class blog in part because the man who wrote it, Dan Greco, has been reading our blog for the past month or so. I don't usually hear back from readers, but it's nice to give them space here to share their views with our community as well. I actually got it right before Election Day, but haven't had time to get it onto the blog until now.

On the cusp of a new American moment……


I have had two full-time jobs the fast few months. In addition to my job as a tutor (the one that pays the bills), I have also been a full-time election addict, splitting my time in the blogosphere trying to decide if the minute gaffe Joe Biden made on Tuesday (really, on any day) has cost Obama’s chance at victory to slip from 96.4% to 94.9% on 538.com. Nate Silver has become our national electoral therapist. I wake up to the polls every morning, and routinely check liberal blogs several times per day. For my part, I have also canvassed New Hampshire five times and have called more than 2000 people in support of Pre…I mean Senator Obama.

I have finally let it sink in that, barring unforeseeable circumstances, Barack Obama will become the 44th president of the United States. The vaunted McCain comeback did not happen. Obama is widening his lead in the national polls. If you only cherry picked the state polls most favorable to McCain, Obama would STILL have over 300 electoral votes. Barack Obama has a better chance of winning Arizona than McCain has of winning Pennsylvania, Colorado, or Nevada. The only question most pollsters have will be where on the continuum Obama’s victory will lie, from a 3%, 286-252 electoral college victory to a 12%, 400-138 blowout.

Like so many other people out there, this election feels deeply personal to me, so much so that I sometimes tear up a little thinking about an Obama victory, and have even sung “We Will Overcome” in the car. I am not alone. I have spoken to many others who share my obsession. CNN even had a news segment on EOS, Election Obsession Syndrome.

The question is why? Certainly, part of the answer is Senator Obama himself, and his historic candidacy. He is the singularly most impressive political talent I have ever seen. Obama combines a keen intellect, a reassuring temperament, a soaring oratory, and a fundamental decency. He is able to balance icy resolve and pragmatic determination with idealism and optimism, an incredibly lethal combination. He has allowed the Clinton and Republican machines to defeat themselves while incurring barely a scratch (his approval ratings actually IMPROVED during the Ayers/terrorist/socialist silly season). He does it was with a preternatural calm and a disarming smile.

He is also the man of the moment. What an Obama victory tells the world about America, and tells America about itself, is urgently important to our collective identity. An Obama victory tells the world that America does not equal Bush and Cheney, and that America values cooperation and communication. We will listen. An Obama victory tells Americans that we have turned the page of the divisiveness of the last 40 years, and that America is embracing the diversity that is changing the American electorate.

An Obama victory will signal a new American moment. I think this moment, even more than Obama himself, has fueled my emotional connection to this election. Because this new American moment is mine. Ours. This moment is a testament to our wonderful diversity, which, like Obama’s face and family, is of colors of every hue.

It is also a moment of the liberal fusion of reason and emotion. Since Kennedy, Democratic candidates have spectacularly failed to emotionally connect with Americans, with the notable exception of Clinton, whose emotional connection was personal and not liberal. Reagan and Bush were the feel good connectors. Obama has changed the landscape, and has found a language, OUR LANGUAGE, to describe a progressive vision of America that resonates on both an emotional and intellectual level.

Finally, in this moment, we can put an end to the liberal/conservative trench warfare that has defined our country since Vietnam. Obama is progressive, more progressive in fact, than any candidate in our lifetime. But he is not partisan. He is more of a democrat than a Democrat. He is willing to reach across the metaphorical aisle and embrace voters who Democrats have long ago stopped trying to reach. That’s why he has a chance to win the kind of massive electoral victory undreamed of by Democrats in over 40 years. Since 1980, Democrats have been afraid of themselves and their beliefs. They have allowed liberal to become a dirty word. Gore, Kerry, and Clinton all had the stench of political fear, afraid if they were to reveal their true selves, they would lose their election. None of them ever articulated a full throated support of progressive taxation, the need universal health care, or our collective responsibilities for fear these messages would not resonate. They were wrong. Obama does not have the stench of fear. He has the stench of hope and optimism, and has lifted these important but long forgotten values onto American consciousness. Obama is also not afraid to embrace “conservative” ideas such as individual responsibility. Of course, individual responsibility is also a progressive value, but no progressive has talked about it for 40 years, because in the war for America’s soul during the Vietnam era, personal responsibility fell on the side of Nixon’s silent majority, and has stayed there ever since.

I also think in this moment, we are seeing the extinction burst of the hysterical right. An extinction burst is a behavioral term that describes a spike in a behavior right before it extinguishes. I think this is what we are seeing at the McCain/Palin rallies, and the angry delusional rhetoric of the Rush Limbaughs and Shean hannitys of the world. They sense their moment is over. They are angry and hurting, and are taking their last shots before they recede into acceptance. Of course, there is a dangerous strain out there of those who will not accept, and they need to be watched closely. Some will not accept that their moment has passed by. But is has. The moment is ours. If we use this moment to lord it over the Hannitys and Limbaughs, we risk creating the same rift in the electorate that happened to our parents’ generation 40 years ago. May we use this moment to bring out our better angels. May we use our moment to heal and to help. Obama has. So may we.

Dan Greco

Newspaper Front Pages from Wednesday, November 5

I put together some images of how newspapers from around the country and the world reported on the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

Special thanks to Newseum, which catalogs the front pages of over 700 newspapers every day of the year, and to the people involved in the recording and (re)mixing of "Yes We Can".*

If the video doesn't appear or won't play (it's been hit-or-miss so far), Facebook members can view it here. A lower-resolution version is also available on YouTube here.






*Newseum's "Today's Front Pages" section

"Yes We Can" (Barack Obama, will.i.am, and others)

Here's an interesting site that has archived every major political campaign commercial. I suggest going to the Curator's Choice.

http://www.livingroomcandidate.org

Lipstick Confessions

Now that its been two days after the election, there is already discussion of McCain staffers getting ready to throw Sarah Palin under the Straight Talk Express. It was obvious that Palin was unqualified to lead the country in the event that McCain died or became seriously incapacitated during his term. But it is only now known (perhaps not so hidden now) that even the McCain staffers and many hosts at FOX News knew she was unqualified. I quote Daily Kos by saying: "...but they all sucked it up to put their party first. It must have been a bitter pill for many because now that the election is over, they've started releasing their own versions of "Lipstick Confessions." Below is a video clip released by Daily Kos but broadcasted by FOX:



Some of the highlights of the confessions:

• Palin did not know which countries were part of NAFTA.
• It had to be explained to her that Africa was a continent, not a country
• She was angry at staffers over the Gibson and Couric interviews, yet she previously refused staff requests to prepare for the interviews.
• Palin went "rogue" by attacking Obama for his loose "association" with Ayers, before the McCain camp had a plan of attack
• McCain advisors showed up at Palin's hotel room to meet with her and Todd during the RNC and she entered the room in nothing but two towels (one wrapped around her wet hair).

We can only imagine that more confessions will be released in the near future...

Senator McCain's Concession Speech

And here is Senator McCain's concession speech for those who are interested:

Part One - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24QdO4TGMYc&feature=iv&annotation_id=event_471642
Part Two - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peDK_HyXbvo&feature=iv&annotation_id=event_193492

Senator Obama Presidential Acceptance Speech

Here is Senator Obama's acceptance speech for those who are interested, enjoy:

Part One - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrXkBuWNx88
Part Two - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02BV5Zah1Tw&feature=related
Part Three - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69JeattgAqI&feature=related

Post-Election Stock Market Reaction

On Wednesday, the stock market dropped a considerable amount following the conclusion of the election and the announcement of Barack Obama as the new President of the United States.

“A case of postelection nerves sent Wall Street plunging Wednesday as investors absorbing a stream of bad economic news wondered how a Barack Obama presidency will help the country weather a possibly severe recession. Volatility returned to the market, with the Dow Jones industrials falling nearly 500 points and all the major indexes tumbling more than 5 percent.
The market was expected to give back some gains after a six-day runup that lifted the Standard & Poor's 500 index more than 18 percent. But investors lost some of their recent confidence about the economy and began dumping stocks again; light volume helped exaggerate the price swings (Lepro & Paradis, Associated Press).”
"I think what is happening in the market is a continuation of really the last few weeks," said Subodh Kumar, global investment strategist at Subodh Kumar & Associates in Toronto. "The markets are still incorporating the slowdown in the global economy."

Regardless of the exact cause of the sudden drop in the market, one thing is for certain: all eyes are going to be on President Obama in regards to the future stability and efficacy of the markets upon his inauguration; the nation will be watching to observe how he will (“if he can” to some) react and respond to the limping economy during his presidency. This is just one of the many challenges he will face as President of the United States

Lepro, Sara & Paradis, Tim. “Stocks plunge as investors ponder Obama presidency.” Associated Press. 5 November, 2008. <http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081105/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/wall_street >

California Passes Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

California voted on Tuesday for the bill opting to pass a ban on same-sex marriage within the state. And so, as it turned out, the bill passed. The verdict came as a shocking blow to gay rights advocates as all previous indications led most to believe that the state of California would spearhead the movement to legalize same-sex marriage in this nation.
As it stands right now, the Constitutional Amendment of the United States only defines marriage as being that solely between that of a man and a woman; despite the fact that on an individual state-by-state basis, California had originally legalized same-sex marriage since this past June. It would appear that the Constitutional Amendment overrides a state-based amendment in this instance…


"Similar bans had prevailed in 27 states before Tuesday's elections, but none were in California's situation — with about 18,000 gay couples already married. The state attorney general, Jerry Brown, has said those marriages will remain valid, although legal challenges are possible (Leff, Associated Press)."


Close to follow in California’s approval in the ban on same-sex marriage were the states of Arizona and Florida.
In Arkansas, however, the measure was taken even further to mandate that not only is same-sex marriage banned, but also it has been declared such that same-sex couples can neither adopt, nor serve as foster parents.


"People believe in the institution of marriage," said Frank Schubert (Co-manager of the "Yes on 8" Campaign), "It's one institution that crosses ethnic divides, that crosses partisan divides. ... People have stood up because they care about marriage and they care a great deal."


Less, Lisa. "California voters approve gay-marriage ban." Associated Press. 5 November, 2008.
<http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ballot_measures>

The Multi-Party System

One of the cornerstones of American democracy is that any American-born citizen over the age of thirty-five is allowed to run for president if they should so choose. While this is an important democratic idea, I am beginning to see this idea as more of a decoration rather than any idea of purpose. When you look at the numbers, not one state went to anyone other party besides the Republicans or Democrats, and to make it even worse, this comes as no surprise.

Ralph Nader, the frequent presidential hopeful who always falls dreadfully short of the votes he needs, has always been a critic of how our elections are set up in a two party system. He has even gone as far as to say "we've let our country be hijacked by political gangsters in Washington who've sold our government to fewer and fewer giant corporations (that) have no allegiance to this county" (Aronson, "Nader Rails Against Two-Party System at Ames Stop"). While I feel that Nader's comment is a quite extreme, I do agree with its underlying theme: in America, there are only two-parties that are really in control.

In my opinion our political system would be in far better shape if we were to switch from a two-party system, to a multi-party system, which would be harder than it sounds, but would be the best choice for democracy. This would be keeping with the idea that "anyone" can run for president, make it so the political power in our country is now dispersed more evenly to other parties aside from the democrats and republicans and it would provide american voters with more diverse options as to who they want to have represent them in Washington. It would also give a voice to the smaller and generally voiceless third parties.

As it stands now, third party candidates stand virtually no chance of winnning, which almost mocks their purpose in our democracy. Unfortunately the political efforts put forth by candidates like Bob Barr, Cynthia Mckinney and Ralph Nader go unoticed for the most part and are almost solely there to make us feel better and remind us, that yes, we are a democracy, even though it is partially just for show.

The Final Map

This result is if North Carolina is declared for Obama and Missouri is declared with McCain (as if that even changes the map...)

Virginia, Virginia, Virginia!

Virginia, the Mother of Presidents, also known as the Old Dominion; has for the first time since 1964 (when Lydon B. Johnson ran for President) gone from the Republican column to the Democrats. It was perhaps the final blow to McCain -- after all, he had lost Pennsylvania, his only 'true' state he was on the offensive in and then followed by the fall of Ohio. As Republicans known, its impossible to win the White House without winning Ohio and its 20 electoral votes. It was at this point with two of his three big targets had fallen to Obama-- everyone was watching for Virginia. And it happened.

At 11pm last night, the results for California, Oregon and Washington State came in and right after that: Virginia. Over the last few years the state has been turning bluer with the rise of younger voters and more affluent citizen moving into the northern counties of Loudon, Fairfax County (the most populous county in Virginia) and Prince William; which are perhaps the most liberal sections of Virginia since they border the District of Columbia and Maryland. Most political analysts agree that like most states, the Economy was the biggest priority voters made their vote based upon as they went to the polls and by reading the exit polls, they believed Obama's plan was better for the nation as it moves forward into the twenty-first century.

As of this morning, the popular vote is almost complete with 99% of the precincts reporting and it is the following:

• Obama: 1,791,154
• McCain: 1,635,292

Click this link to see the larger county result map of Virginia, courtsey of CNN.

Notice how close the result is: a difference of 155,862 votes -- this was so close, it was even closer than Florida in 2000 when it was decided by 500,000 votes. Virginia this year is the new Florida and with the party change in this critical state, this election is truly a realigning one, it will take a good thirty to forty years before we see another truly as symbolic and important this one.

Wheaton College Reactions:2008

https://mail2.wheatonma.edu/Session/201242-NXgbTwXoZVql8PdmoSMT/Message.wssp?Mailbox=INBOX&MSG=1112



The reaction of Wheaton College students after seeing Obama win the 2008 elections.

The "Closeness" of the Presidential Race

We had previously discussed this concept in English class, but I feel it is necessary to refer back to it in relation to the lead-up and outcome of this presidential debate. For the entire duration of the race for presidency (even until just recently), the mainstream media made it appear as though the race was too close to call. For me, I knew that Senator Obama had won the race upon Senator McCain’s selection of Governor Palin as his running mate – which in my own opinion, was nothing more than a desperate attempt by McCain to accomplish two things: first was to sway Senator Hillary Clinton voters from the democratic party with the enticement of voting for a female candidate for vice-presidency (as I had mentioned in one of my previous posts, some people are foolish enough to vote for someone strictly on the principle of appearance, and completely disregard the critical aspects of political values and views held by the candidate), and the second was to present the voter with a choice of making history with either candidate – with Obama’s election marking the first time for a racially diverse president, and Palin’s election as the first female vice-president. In my opinion, this was nothing more than a desperate attempt to play some last-minute tactics to equalize the political position. However, back to the point… The media had depicted the race as being too close to call for the entire duration, and yet, Senator Obama completely devastates Senator McCain in the Electoral College vote. I suppose that this just goes to show how the media can over-exaggerate certain instances of reality to present a more entertaining visual portrayal of the event (for the sake of ratings and profit).

Recent Israeli Conflict

Another critical issue that doesn't really require action (yet), but rather close international attention is the animosity and violence perpetually waging between Israel and Palestine.
Just recently, Israel launched an airstrike on the Gaza Strip after Hamas militants fired mortars into Israel, killing six Palestinians. This airstrike was the first assault by Israel since the truce previously established back in June.
Now, I have been following events and stories for the past few months regarding the gradual, yet inevitable decline of relations between Israel and Palestine, and I believe this to be a critical international issue that serves to represent the sheer impact and influence of religion on people for them to engage in perpetual (and violent) dispute over religious territorial claim.

One matter I am interested in that I haven't heard very much at all about recently in presidential political debate and discussion is the stance taken on the issue of genocide. Genocidal violence is still occuring (though more subtlely at this current time) throughout the world, even in areas like that of Sudan (e.g. Darfur). Aside from minor conferences being held regarding the animosity between China and Tibet (though no clear lines of resolution have been established yet), I truly haven't heard anything significant in terms of developing an appropriate plan to combat international genocide. But this is a critical issue and deserves attention by the United States.

OBAMA'S VICTORY

Well, Senator Obama has now been elected (in a landslide victory) President of the United States... successor to one of the worst presidents in U.S. history. I am very thankful Obama has been elected as opposed to McCain (no disrespect to Senator McCain at all, it's just that I disagree with his socio-political policies, and I don't really find all too much favor in Governor Palin - I certainly cannot possibly imagine her being President of the United States should something befall McCain due to his age and health).
However, there are two issues that concern me significantly: one being that I hope that Obama is ready to clean up the mess so kindly left in the wake of the Bush Administration – I have faith in him (I wouldn’t have voted for him otherwise), but I just hope he is ready for that…
The second matter I am worried about (probably the most) is the notion of radical white-extremist organizations and individuals doing something incredibly stupid (authorities had already prevented violence planned by one of the white extremist organizations). Unfortunately, there are a lot of racist, bigoted fools in this nation who are not keen on the idea of such considerable change and societal progression, and will resort to violence to prevent such dramatic change. I sincerely hope that nothing will happen while Obama is in office related to that. If such a United States and its reputation on the world stage will evaporate (displaying our adversity towards change and our violent means by which to express such).

What Do We Vote For?

I remember my dad and I having these sorts of discussions on long car rides to and from home and college, pertaining to the simple, yet commonly overlooked aspects of general politics. He and I recently were discussing the two presidential/vice-presidential candidates for this election, and were making reference to the concept of appearance and ethical presentation of the candidate him/herself and its impact on the general audience of America. Most notably, the question of “why do why vote for this person and not the other?” And it is truly something that everyone needs to consider: “am I voting for this individual because I agree with their socio-political views, or am I just voting for them because they look the part of president (and the look/personification of political change in relation to the nature of the political, social, ethical stance and nature of the general populace)?
Not to play stereotypes into the equation, but I am sad to say that there are unfortunately individuals out there who had voted for Senator Obama simply because of his racial orientation, just as there were people who had voted for Governor Palin and Senator Hillary Clint just because they are female. Not to be sexist or racist in any capacity here, but that is what I have observed and that is regrettably what actually happens in this nation. And I am certainly not against having a racially diverse president or a female president/vice-president – truth be told, I frankly don’t care who is our president or their personal background; as long as they we’re qualified for the position, represented that people of the United States well, and I agreed with their socio-political views (that’s what is important to me). I don’t really care what race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual preference that candidate might have – in the end, does it really matter?

The Closing of Guantanamo Bay

To many, the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility serves as a pure representation of the violation of human rights that contrasts the essence of the United States as a leader in the world for the safeguarding of said rights.
However, both presidential candidates did indeed make reference to the nature of Guantanamo Bay’s establishment in the international realm as retaining such negative reinforcement relating to the treatment and conditions of its prisoners. Both candidates also noted that closing the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility would help restore the United States’ reputation on the world stage as a leading figure in international preservation and promotion of human rights.
Another element to this is pushing for the United States to abide by the Geneva Convention, Common Article 3 (granting the prisoners standard rights, including that of right to a fair trial) relating to the treatment of prisoners stationed in the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility – upon which there has been repeated, notable violation, resulting in considerable controversy by the general public.
“About 255 prisoners remain at Guantanamo of the more than 700 brought there. Most have returned to their home countries. In almost seven years since the military began sending detainees there, just two have been convicted of any criminal offense (Boston Globe, November 4th, 2008).”
Amnesty International is consistent in such rational, residing with the notion that the removal of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility would certainly promote America’s position internationally as a stronger advocate for social change to prevent abuse to human rights. Being a member of Amnesty International myself, I understand the rationalization for the elimination of Guantanamo Bay, however, one does indeed need to take into consideration the nature of human perception of “appropriate” treatment of said individuals. These aren’t just ordinary run-of-the-mill criminals placed there, there are those detained there that are linked to possible involvement in terrorist plots against the United States. Do they deserve the same rights as everyone else – especially when they strived so hard to attempt to deprive us of those democratic rights and justices? Do they deserve to be transferred to state federal prisons and detention facilities?

Missouri

With 99% of precincts reporting, the current tally in Missouri is 1,418,537 for McCain and 1,415,983 for Obama. McCain is ahead by only 554 votes! With 100% of precincts reporting in Buchanan county, Obama leads by 47 votes. In Washington county, with 9415 votes in, Obama leads by 9 votes. Incredible!

Check it out on CNN.

Obama's Speech

Read the full text here.

I personally thought it was a great speech. It was amazing to be cheering along with the crowd in Hindle auditorium, seeing people with tears in their eyes.

What did you all think of it?

Realignment Has Started

Winograd & Hais were right. Technology, along with the war in Iraq and the current economic crisis, has lead Americans craving for change. And Obama is the one they have chosen as the one to lead them into the prosperity that the United States was once globally known for, an image that has recently lost its luster. Obama clearly showed he understands how to reach the voting and non-voting citizens, especially the millennial generation. Through innovative tactics and eloquent speeches he managed to win over a population of many who had lost confidence in their governments ability to make proper decisions and to serve the citizens in the best way possible. Hopefully Obama can restore the confidence to those who didn't approve of the governments incompetence.

It remains to be seen whether or not this will cause a full realignment in future elections. On one hand, you could think that if Obama won what seemed like an insurmountable goal, any other Democrat could follow in his footsteps and win. Or you could say that it took a candidate with this much diversion from the average candidate to capture an entire nation's attention and propel him to the White House. It also remains to be seen whether Obama's time in office will close the racial divide. As Obama said in his "A More Perfect Union" speech, racism still exists but we have come a long way. Slavery and the civil rights movement were not that long ago but since then, racial equality has greatly increased as evidenced by the fact that a black man could be elected president by American people, including whites. I know the election of Obama won't affect how some black people disdain whites, and how some whites don't trust blacks. It won't affect any of that. But perhaps having a black man in office will inspire other blacks and other races in general to step up and take the chance at running for the White House. Only when a few non-whites have been elected will racial equality begin to show amongst the people. Because the most important diversity in this world is not race, it's intellectual diversity; how people think and how people perceive events and life. For the moment, most non-white races still perceive the power of white privilege with contempt and are willing to support a non-white candidate for the fact that he is not white. But when multiple non-white presidents have been elected, they will be able to see that their respective races are equally looked upon by America as a whole and the idea of white privilege will become a thing of the past. In turn races will be more comfortable with each other of different races, because they see that each race can trust the other race enough to elect him president. Obama's time in office will not change any of that, but his election was necessary to pave the way of others who follow him on the path to presidential diversity.

Congratulations to both President Obama and Senator McCain, and here's to the hope that there really is change we can believe in.

Congrats, President Obama!

It's official!

Our New President: Barack Obama

At 11:05 Barack Obama was announced our new President of the United States of America. Winning the electrial votes for California,Washington,Oregon and Hawaii bringing his electoral votes to 284. At 11:11 Obama wins Virginia leading by far with 297 to 145. At 11:19 Obama wins Florida 333 to 155. McCain makes his speech giving graditude towards Obama for his win on being the first African American president and for all his hard work. He gives thanks to all for the support and thanks America for all that we've done for him. That he wants to work with Obama that republicans should want to make America better that he's our new President.At 11:32 Obama 333 to McCain 155 he wins Nebraska. At 11:37 Obama wins Nevada with 338 to 155. Here's for change our new President Barack Obama.

Obama wins Pennsylvania and Ohio:207

Obama has a great win with Pennsylvania and Ohio leading with 207 to 135. Chicago is packed right now waiting for Obama to make his speech if he wins or doesnt win. The republicans are still optimistic and say it's not over. It's gonna be a close one.

Crazy stuff

I don't know which station it was on, and I don't know which county it was in, but some county in Florida had a very confusing ballot, in which voters had to connect two sides of an arrow for their vote to count. I'll try to find a picture later.

Coming to an end:Finally

There is still time for people to vote, it's only for today and your vote does count. Finally in just a few hours we'll find out who are new president is, I dont know about you but it's a relief for me the wait will finally be over, hopefully for the better.

What would you do if McCain/Obama wins?

 John McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain said she would get a "Live free or Die" tattoo if New Hampshire helped her father win the election. Another blogger on Boston.com said that he would organize tax protests if McCain won. A lot of bloggers discussed how they would flee the country if their candidate did not win. An example was "If Obama doesn't win I am moving my family to Iceland."It is pretty harsh to say that you would flee the country if your candidate does not win. I believe that you should be patient and just hope that you can chose a better candidate in the next four years.

Another blogger said, "If McCain doesn't win, I am moving to a place with lower taxes and more safety." There were a few people who said that the economy is pretty messed up and that no political figure will be able to completely resolve such a problem. Most of the bloggers on yahoo.com believe that it would not matter who wins and that is because any president is better than bush and McCain or Obama would both be a good replacement. 

From reading the blogs, I noticed that there are a ton of Obama supporters who believe that McCain will only make things worse and follow George Bush’s trail. Others think that Obama is too young and is looked at as a celebrity rather than a political figure, and he is going to take everything as a joke. I believe that people should do more research before they decide to blog about what they think and why they think so. Most of the comments were about how McCain is better than Obama because he is older, and how Obama is better than McCain because he is young and has to learn a lot. 

Saturday Night Live-Presidential Bash '08

Here are the links to sections of the Presidential Bash which aired yesterday, Monday the 3rd of November at 9:00 pm. 

 

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/presidential-bash-gov-palin/807241/

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/obamamccain-montage/807161/

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/presidential-bash-sen-clinton/807141/

Who is going to win this intense election?

I believe that Barack Obama is going to win the election tonight.  My roommate, on the other hand, believes McCain is going to win simply because Barack Obama is a good guy and good guys never win. I overheard students talking about how excited they were to find out the results. They had both voted for Barack Obama and would like to see him win this race. When asked why they replied that they were tired and sick of having the same form of leadership for the past eight years and would like to see change. Change is what they see in Barack Obama.

According to www.fivethirtyeight.com, both candidates have “safe electoral votes.” Barack Obama has 225 safe votes, and McCain has about 110 safe votes only. I believe that Obama has way too many supporters and voters to lose this race. I guess we will have to wait and see.  

Voter Perks

Has anyone seen the Starbucks ads that declare, 'if you show us an "I voted" sticker, we'll give you a free cup of coffee'?  Well, according to election laws, that's kinda illegal.  If you offer someone gifts or incentives, even after they have already voted, it's considered bribery.  So this means that Starbucks, Ben and Jerry's, California Tortilla, and Krispy Kreme have all had to change their offers.  Instead of, 'show us you voted and we'll give you free food', it's now 'we'll give you free food'.  Not quite their original message, is it?

Source: The Washington Post, Authorities Eye Voter Perks

New President: Terrorism Threats

History shows terrorist testing new presidents early, who ever becomes president will have to jump right into transit with homeland security. Kenneth Wainstein homeland security advisor says it's not surspring terrorist would strick during transitions. Al qaeda attacked the world trade center on February 26, 1993 shortly after Bill Clinton took office, then on September 11, 2001 when George W. Bush became president months after. Even in other countries on March 11,2004 islamic terrorist attacked spanish trains just before national election day. In Great Britain Gordan Brown became prime minister on June 27, 2007 and 3 days later attacks were made on the glass co airport, and then a week later in London cars bombs were set to detonate but failed. Which is why our new American president and his aids must be ready for anything. George Bush has already got it planned out for the next president to take over. White house chief of staff Josh Bolten has already been working on the transition he calls it a relay a botan hand off , that the next runner needs to already be running when the white house hands over the botan. Will this plan work? What if are attcked will we be ready? Has there been enough training with the new incoming team? I guess were let to wonder until tomorrow November 5th when a president will be announced and in office.

Where's Dubya?

Election day.  It's finally here.  We get to choose who will be our next president.  But what about our current one?  Well, he's nowhere to be seen.  No statements, no appearances, not even a press conference or a wave.  He even didn't make an appearance to vote - he used an absentee ballot.  Apparently, he's holed up in the White House watching the results on TV.  I would have thought that it would be important for the President to put in an appearance, make a statement to the nation, or something, but - not this time.  Bush's support is at an all-time low of 26%, and he's not showing his face.  Maybe it's because many equate him with election fraud - remember 2000?

Federalize it!

Okay, so elections are great. So is voting. But we need a better system.

There has been confusion and turmoil at every Presidential election in recent memory; different states use different ballots, some are electronic and others aren't, and overall there is just so much chaos and stress in the voting process that many people are deterred from voting.

Using whatever method an area prefers in terms of county and state elections is fine, but there needs to be a greater sense of unanimity for the Presidential elections. It is the most important election there is, so why is it not federalized? So many problems would be solved: only one method would be used, so the ballots could all be counted on the same system, it would be much more difficult to fudge numbers (ahem, Florida), and with a trained staff fixing whatever technical problems arose would be easier. All in all, a lot of great things would happen if the US actually made fixing the voting process a priority.

Voter Supression Tactics

There was a fake email sent to students at George Mason University (which is in Virginia) saying that the election has been postponed until tomorrow.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1108/A_fake_email_at_George_Mason.html?showall

I'm sure that this is just one of many, but I thought I'd share it.

My Election Predictions

Electoral Votes
Barack Obama - 322
John McCain - 216

What are your predictions?

Murdoch likes Obama

I recently viewed a video on You Tube where Rupert Murdoch, media mogul and owner of FOX News, admits to favoring Obama, and allowing the New York Post to endorse Obama in the New York primary election. I just find this interesting that the man who controls arguably the most biased right-wing news corporation supports Obama for president. What does this say about the hypocritical  elite and the influence they have over voters? I was in Alabama over the weekend, McCain country, and I literally heard a middle aged man trying to persuade his buddy that, "Hell sure, Fox is good. I get all my information there and it hasn't led me wrong yet." I wish I were kidding. You would think that Murdoch, an educated man in his own right, would realize the influence he has on the voting public, and provide them with the opinions reflecting the views of the owner.  

Black Panthers Armed Playing Security at Poll

Two black panthers appeared ate a Pennsylvania poll one armed with a nightstick.  When asked what they were doing there the one with a night stick responded that he was security.  The two members o the black panthers did not stop any one from voting, but several people when asked said that the two men made them feel uncomfortable.  One of the two men was a registered poll watched, but the implications of his Black Panther uniform are obvious.  One of the two supposedly said that he was tired of white supremacy.   When questioned about it the man with out the night stick said that the people of the community wanted to voted in a peaceful place, and that the fox news reporter did not have a right to be there, when in fact the reporter has a legal right to be with in ten feet of the front door of the polling place.  The presence of an armed member of a violent gang at any polling place is entirely inappropriate and terrifying. 

Virginia's Voting Dilemmas

It seems Virginia is having widespread trouble, according to reports from the Election Protection Coalition comprised of over a dozen rights groups. Touch screen machines have been experiencing glitches, and ballot-scanner paper jams are creating problems in Richmond, Alexandria, Newport News, Chesapeake, and Vienna. Additionally, some polling places such as Virginia Beach were not open on time, leaving voters waiting. The weather has also added to voters' frustrations. Apparently touch-screen machines are very sensitive to the water on voters' hands from the rain, causing machines to break down. Water stains on traditional ballots have also rendered these votes illegible. Additionally, some machines couldn't be operated due to failure to supply extension cords to the machines. It seems to me that whoever is in charge of such polling locations should feel embarrassed for not recognizing such fundamental problems. They have had two years to organize the orchestration of election day; how do you not understand how to open your voting place on time, or fail to provide resources to operate the machinery? Even if such a simple problem arises, one should plan to have volunteers take care of these hang-ups. Such lack of organization left some voters in the rain for up to 8 hours. 

But beyond dilemmas at the voting booths, Virginia (along with Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Maryland) has experienced underhanded tactics as well. There are reports of automated phone calls with incorrect voting locations. Hopefully this will not deter too many voters from exercising their basic democratic right. 

Supporters Wait for Obama in Grant Park

Barack Obama announced that he will spend election night at Grant Park in Chicago, IL. When supporters head the news, they literally took captive of the park, as main sidewalks and streets have been fenced off, and police stand guard everywhere. Train stops have even closed, and conductors are even leaving work early. Parking is packed, and even suspicious men in suits with squiggly things in their ears with trained dogs have been seen around. Lines have been forming on the sidewalks sine this morning, and no one will be allowed to enter the park until 8:30 tonight. People have complained of the barricade, but those who are eager to attend want to be a part of this moment of history. These eager supporters eagerly await for Obama's arrival, and hopefully tonight they will be able to celebrate his victory with him. 

Information from this article. 

Hillary Clinton: A Broken Woman

One question that has been on my mind since the Democratic primaries ended is, "How does Hillary Clinton REALLY feel about Obama's presidential bid?" Today I got my answer from CNN Video which had a clip of the Clintons voting in Chappaqua, New York today. Watch here:



To me, Hillary Clinton comes off as dejected and generally depressed that she could not have voted for herself in that booth. Her blatant lack of insincerity while speaking about Barack Obama's presidency could not have been more obvious. The way she comes out of the booth and puts those long pauses in between "Barack Obama!...Next president of the United States...No doubt about it....we're going to have a great election today...." comes off almost as sarcastic. Then she begins the interview by saying, "I am so looking forward to getting to work with President Obama..." putting the stress on the work she is going to do rather then congratulating Obama on his campaign efforts. She comes off as still self-centered and bitter after everything that has happened during the primary season. One can see further through her insincerity they way that her eyes wander during the interview. She generally looks down as if she's embarrassed about the outcome. That is the curse of the politician that belongs to a political party. They must endorse their victor even if they themselves are the loser of the primary.

The McCain campaign has recently used a quote from Hillary Clinton in a robocall used to target people in key states that may have voted for Hillary Clinton in the primaries.

The robocall says,

“I am calling for John McCain and the RNC. Listen to what Hillary Clinton had to say about John McCain and Barack Obama:

‘In the White House there is no time for speeches and on-the-job training. Senator McCain will bring a lifetime of experience to the campaign and Senator Obama will bring a speech that he gave in 2002. I think that is a significant difference.’

This call was paid for by the Republican National Committee at 866-558-5591 and authorized by McCain-Palin 2008.”

(RNC enlists Clinton to attack Obama)

Did Clinton have the urge to pull the Republican lever in the booth? And if she did, did she follow it?

Winograd and Hais would argue that this election will act as pivotal and could possible change America forever. If Obama wins, he strengthens our vague sense of culture by embodying democracy in its truest sense. The unusual experience of having a black president would set a new precedent for future generations, as a national intermediary that extends beyond, and will possibly change the media. Either way, we face some national challenges in the coming years. Gas prices will inevitably go up as we crawl out of the recession, we have a war to finish (quickly), and an entire new generation to provide jobs for. Equality has finally broken through political doors and will hopefully break down many other social, economical, and educational barriers in the future. Our culture will rise from its imperialistic ashes to create a new face for America in equality, consciousness, and progressivism.  

The Harlem Interviews

As a segment in his radio show Howard Stern sent a reporter to Harlem to interview black voters.  Stern’s speculation was that many black citizens are voting for Senator Obama only because he is black.  In order to prove this the interviewer in Harlem found black people who intended on voting for Barack Obama, but would then ask them about the policy that Obama supported they would replace Obama’s policy with John McCain’s and were able to receive responses that, for example, people supported Barack Obama choice of Sarah Pailin as his vice president.  The implication that the interviews gives is that these voters have no idea what any of Obama’s policies are, but are going to vote for him because he is black. 

            To state that these people are voting along “race lines” may or may not be a fallacy, but to say that they are completely ignorant is correct. If Howard stern were to do this gain he would most likely be able to get the same responses from several white people.  Consequently what the Harlem interviews indicate, more than Barack Obama’s favorability generated by his race is, the favorability that his campaign generated with out anyone noticing his policy. The ignorance displayed in these interviews is comparable to the ignorance displayed by voters who favor John McCain based on a belief that the name Barack Hussein Obama is evidence that Senator Obama is an Islamic extremist terrorist.   

Election Controversies and Complications

Turnout for this election is high. Very high. The vast numbers of voters flocking to polling booths has created some glitches as well as controversies. There has been a lawsuit from McCain's campaign filed to extend the deadline 10 days for counting overseas ballots because the ballots were distributed late. This has been a huge issue because it is extremely difficult to quickly transport troops' ballots overseas especially in the heat of conflict in the middle east. 

There have also been charges filed against a man in North Carolina who put anti-Obama stickers on a coffin labeled, Joe the Plumber who died from being "taxed to death." Since this was placed outside of a polling location, I feel that these charges are justified. This was not an example of free speech, it is leaning towards voter intimidation. If one is going to put up such an extreme display, make your statement from your private residence. 

In Indiana, a court decision rejecting many old voter registration forms has been challenged. The old form from 2004 contained a check box confirming that the one registering is over 18 and a United States citizen, while the new one requires a signature to affirm these qualifications. It seems to me that whether you check a box, or put down your signature, both are equally fair ways to assess these qualifications. Since you have to sign the registration form either way, it seems that whether you check a box or directly sign your name to declare citizenship and age requirements, both leave a citizen equally liable for truthfulness. 

Ohio is a hotbed for election controversies, with a case leading up to the Supreme Court. Democrats felt that Republicans were attempting to suppress voter turnout. Republicans defended that they merely wanted to discourage ineligible voters from attempting to abuse the system and vote. 5,000 Democratic lawyers were sent to Florida to monitor voting locations. The AFL-CIO sent over 500 poll monitors to "each of the battleground states of Ohio and Pennsylvania." The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division also sent over 800 observers to Virginia where voters had experienced ballot shortages in the primaries. I think Republicans have been smart to check and double check the registration of such vast amounts of voters in order to keep those who would be Democratically inclined out of the polling booths. However, I think it's sad that clearly eligible voters could be stripped of their voting right from a technicality. 

The Absent Middle Class President

To become President in American politics, one must either come from an over privileged, rich family, or from a family teetering on the almost lowest rung of societal hierarchy. Historically speaking, we have not had a "middle-class" modern president. We either have families like the Kennedy's, the Roosevelt's, or the Bush's, that are super-educated, rich and privileged become presidents and politicians, or we have people that come from rural areas of "small-town America" like Ronald Reagan that rise from the bottom to hold the highest office in the land. In Reagan's case, he came from a rural area of Illinois and was educated at public school and then at Eureka College, as small, not particularly elite school. Juxtapose this with George W. Bush's experience, coming from a political family (his father being president), born in New Haven then lived in Greenwich, being educated at boarding school and then Yale. George Bush comes from the upper-class of society and yet in a way acts as if he came from the rural town of Crawford, Texas. Bush's genius has managed to gain the best of both the upper-class and the lower-class.

Politician's main job while campaigning is to reach out to middle class Americans because thats where the biggest base of voters is located. American complain that the middle class is underrepresented and that the focus of politicians is to cater to the middle class, yet we have yet to see a modern president from such a class. Why is this? Is it because the middle class doesn't generally move up or down in the social hierarchy? Is it because we see middle class Americans as too average? The answer is not obvious. Perhaps the next batch of presidential hopefuls will yield the average, middle class American, that has been absent from these past elections.

Wheaton's Voters

This morning when I was in Chase, I overheard two girls discussing the election, both agreeing not to vote because they were uncertain who to vote for. This really made me wonder how common non-voting was here, and how common it was to be undecided on election day. So, this afternoon, to connect myself to the election, I asked numerous students who they voted for and why. Here were some of the results:

"Obama. I preferred his policies over McCain's policies. I believe the health care system needs to be nationalized, the education system needs to be reformed, and I feel strongly that the middle and lower class should receive substantially lower taxes. Also, I support civil unions and aggressive energy reform." -Michael Oppenheim, Senior

"Obama. I know nothing about anything, and I just decided to put a name down. My parents said I should vote - it didn't matter for who." -Colleen Smith, Freshman

"Obama. I think we need a change in political party because clearly the Republican approach isn't working well. Obama is a much better speaker and that makes me feel much better about him that at least he can talk. His ideas seem like they will be good ideas; whether he will put them in place or not is a different story." -Katie MacDonald, Freshman

"I could not vote because my registration wouldn't go through but I would've voted for McCain. I think Obama is a good guy, but he is unrealistic in his plans for the future. In his speeches he will throw in random things like that every child who does 12 hours of community service will get $500 for education. He seems naive and unrealistic about the war, whereas McCain knows what goes on in war." -Emily Norris, Freshman

"I didn't vote because every vote doesn't count. I felt both were bad candidates." -Colby Jenkins, Junior

"I missed the registration time so I couldn't vote. I would have voted for Obama because among other things, his policies are better and if by any chance Sarah Palin became president...we would all die." -Anonymous, Junior

So, in answer to my questions, it seems registration time windows were the main deterrent to students who didn't vote, and most student I talked to were able to provide substantive warrants behind their vote. Clearly, the students I talked to represented an interesting mix of political sense, opinion, and voting eligibility.  

ITS NOW OR NEVER...THE TIME IS NOW !

Today is the most historic day in history; many voters are hitting the polls in large numbers. We will either have the first African American president or the oldest president and first female vice-president. Many voters feel excited to votes because this is one of the most important elections. The voting turn out is historic because many people of different races and some people who are disabled also took place in today's election. Many voters had to wait on long line due to the long lines to vote. The attendances for this election have been very high, where as in some states like New Hampshire 100% of voters registered all voted. The 2008 presidential election is the most expensive in history. "Obama repeatedly shattered fundraising records by soliciting donations over the Internet. As of Tuesday, Obama had raised more than $639 million, compared with the $360 million raised by McCain." CNN polls shows that Obama has the advantage with the 5% undecided votes and electoral votes.
Obama haven’t lost his lead in the campaign. I think that Obama will win the election because of his advantage and due to his charisma and determination on change. Obama is still receiving support with the amount of money he was able to raise in comparison to McCain. At this point every action that each candidate does seems like a competition. I think it is possible to tell who is really going to win by polls and each candidate status of popularity at this point, which is where I feel Obama has won. It is obvious that he impacted many voters with his speeches as well as with plans that can actually save America from its crisis. Obama campaign on change has given him many supporters. So I personally feel that Obama has the edge and will win the election.

People Lining Up to Vote After A Historical Campaign

Voters have been lining up since before dawn to vote at polling locations. Election officials said this was an unusually large turnout. Mainly on the east coast these long lines are forming, in Virginia, people waiting for over an hour to vote. According to the New York Times, one voter used his 45 minute wait to shave and have a cup of coffee in Manhattan.  Experts also predicted that there would be a record turnout of 130 million voters, which beats the 123.5 million voters that voted for years ago. 

With 27 million people who already voted through absentee ballots, many people find it too ridiculous to vote on the 4th of November. There was a six hour wait in Ohio, "Six Hours is ridiculous in terms of waiting in line," of voter from Ohio stated. Another voter in Florida voter said after waiting in a line for three hours, "I still haven't had a chance to vote, it seems crazy" (The Huffington Post).

In Southern California, people waited under rain, and the line circled for blocks. But to these voters, the patience is worth it. They want to be part of this historical event, and the want to change the future of America is too necessary in voters minds.  Many said that this election felt different, and special. Things have been to bad in America recently that people can't miss out on this opportunity. 

"Bush's presidency sort of coincided with my political awakening," one voter said. "It's been pretty awful and today, this is something to be happy about."

Other voters took their children and grandchildren with them to endure the long wait just so they can witness this historical event. "I want him to understand this is history being made," said a voter about her 5 year old grandson. "It's beautiful."

Another an was so paranoid that his absentee ballot didn't make it through the mail, so he flew home from his job in Virginia to make sure his vote was counted. His wife badly wanted to get her vote in today too, "People have fought me to wait in this line," she said. "I'm voting" (Las Angeles Times).

America has gone through thick and thin to vote today, and it proves how important it is to them to get there vote in for the better of our future. They want to a part of this historical event, and they want their vote to change the future. 

Enough With Ayers Already!

I was reading an article in the New York Times (“The Final Countdown: Obama Casts His Vote,” Jeff Zeleny) which talked about how Obama had voted this morning at 7:36 AM in Chicago.

However, Obama was not the focus of this article. Another voter was: Bill Ayers. Shortly before Obama arrived to vote, Ayers and his wife voted in the same place as Obama (Beulah Shoesmith Elementary School). Although Ayers and Obama were not there simultaneously, reporters somehow felt it was worth mentioning this “truth-is-often-stranger-than-fiction moment in the presidential campaign.” Can we please stop talking about Obama’s alleged ties to terrorism through Bill Ayers? Don’t we have anything better to talk about as Election Day moves forward and more and more people cast their ballots? Unless Obama and Ayers met, spoke in a secret code, and exchanged packages marked “Nuclear Weapons – Handle With Care” I really don’t see the relevance that the two men voted at the same place. On the final day of this long campaign, can’t we put aside the hostile attitudes and attack ads? Election Day should be the day we all come together and vote, regardless of the candidate we support. Besides, talking about Ayers is pretty much beating a dead horse now. I don’t think many people really care about the rumor or consider it accurate anymore.

The article also mentions how Obama is spending the day in Indianapolis to try to convert the Republican-leaning state to a Democratic victory. The article ends on a positive note, with Obama talking about how he had fun on the campaign trail and joking that he was worried about who his wife, Michelle, was going to vote for.

Meet the Future Candidates

As the 2008 presidential election comes to a close, I find myself wondering how Barack Obama's potential presidency will open the doors for minorities in politics who may look to run for president in the future. Particularly, I wonder, "What will the candidates of the 2012 and 2016 elections look like? Will the major party candidates become more diverse or will they return to the stereotypical white, older male candidate? Is this the last we've seen of Sarah Palin on a presidential ticket?
Historically, the major party candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties have failed to produce an Asian-American candidate, a Jewish candidate, a Hispanic candidate, an Atheist candidate, and the list goes on. I believe that the the diversification of candidates will depend on Barack Obama's potential presidential performance in the White House. In this way, Obama will become a symbol for all minorities in politics. If Obama can disprove all the rumors about being a muslim and get rid of his "outsiderness" while in office, it may open the doors for other minorities who may face the same troubles while trying to emerge into the American political system. Barack Obama however is a perfect example of hypodescention, or viewing a person thats mixed race as one race. Americans seem to neglect that Barack Obama is as black as he is white and was raised by his white mother.
The question that remains on my mind though is, "Will Barack Obama's presidency change the world's view of America?" If Obama is elected president, other nations will no longer be able to view us as xenophobic, or bigoted. The stereotype of the American as a southern accented, undereducated, racist person can no longer be held in the global community.

State of Terrorism

A video on YouTube, a debate on Firing Line in the '60's between conservative intellectual Bill Buckley and MIT Linguistics professor and leftist intellectual, Noam Chompsky, gives outdated but relevant opinion on topics of war, terrorism, and US foreign policy.

The video highlights many faults of US diplomacy, and also the political theory that Chomsky and Buckley found their opinions on. This established their critique of the subject correctly, civilly, arguing with words instead of malicious slander. Buckley raises issues of morality in war terms and debates military force as a tool for diplomacy, while Chomsky argues the justification of the Vietnam War that can be used as rational in this generation's War in Iraq. Buckley then reasons that the goal of such military diplomacy is to stabilize a region through force, a method archaic and unnecessary, and also one that will lead to continued hatred towards America's foreign policy. It seems that the only way the political right knows how to fix things is by offensively defending American military hubris with our tax-funded "Defense" Department. Perhaps the opinions of the academic elite of yesteryear can shed some histrical light on today's situation. 

Things that make me nervous

My roommate asked me this morning why I was so nervous. She reasoned that Obama had a clear lead in the polls, and that there was very little for me to be worrying about. I tried to explain her that there was more to it than that.

I’m not just worried about the presidential election. I am worried about congressional elections. I am worried about state and local issues (a special note: I am in particular, worried about Proposition 8. I know it is a controversial issue, and that I do not even live in California, but I still feel a connection to it. The dissolution of equality is a terrible crime. If anyone reading this is a California voter, please vote NO on Proposition 8!). I am concerned about so many things that are beyond my control. I can’t vote for a senator outside of Maine. I cannot vote against things like Proposition 8 that I am deeply opposed to. Even my vote for president is fairly useless, as I live in a state with only 4 electoral votes that is not even close to being a swing state.

Right now, according to Pollster, Obama is in danger of losing Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia and Florida. Maine, the only state I have any influence over, will definitely go to Obama. Most of what I do for the rest of today is useless. Now it’s merely a waiting game. And that’s what worries me.

I am not saying that people shouldn’t vote. I am saying that the system is corrupt, and that it does not give the people a fair chance. I am not even really so much against McCain today as I am against the Electoral College. Whichever way the race goes, there will be unheard voices, and that doesn’t sit right with me.

Record Turnout

Record turnout numbers are expected at today's polls. Obama's carefully constructed political narrative is the reason. His political strategists have constructed his political campaign as a blank slate, allowing many new voters to attach to Obama's image rather than his little known career in the public sector. A new generation is now of voting age and are expected to overwhelmingly support Obama. This expected surge of young voters could cause some trouble, though. Long lines at the polls, registration, and a slew of other potential complications may lead to voter discrepancies or problems. 

Does this mean that Americans are once again interested in politics? You bet. We haven't seen Democratic excitement in an election since 1960, when a stoic and tanned Kennedy was introduced to the public. As beloved and missed as Kennedy is within the left, Obama could replace him in history as the one of the most popular presidents in the last hundred years. Obama has broken barriers and acts as a role ideal role model to many young and black voters. He is the embodiment of the American dream and thats why so many are going to vote with him. His policies are so emphatically supported by Democrats because they search beyond politics to the roots of liberalism: that of helping the underdog, righting social wrongs, and creating strength in America by another means than militarily. An enlightened youth population will most likely remember this election as the one that defined their generation. 

McCain's camp has tried to use this same popularity card with the Palin pick, hoping to draw middle class, middle educated folk who really don't know what they're voting for. The Palin factor could pose a moderate threat to voting tallies, but Obama should have nothing to worry about. Everything I'm reading points that McCain come back from poll numbers to "upset" Obama.

The Power of the Citizen Producer

            The new ability to harness the power of popular communications mediums is an essential part of the campaign for presidency made more complicated in the 2008 election by the emergence of new communications technologies, such as youtube, that are controlled not by a corporations, but by who ever choose to utilize them and. One of the first videos of note that supported the Obama campaign was the video “I’ve Got a Crush On Obama” By Obama Girl. This massively popular video established an emotional base for the Obama campaign and established the ability to gain social capital by favoring Obama.  Chronologically one of the next key videos was Sarah Pailin’s interview with Katie Couric.  Because of Pailin’s poor performance, the video established a perception of the lack of ability of McCain’s running mate, and the display of the video on you tube demonstrated that it was a popular perception of the candidate.  Taking this perception further the video The McCain-Pailin Mob showed the ignorance of voters who favor the Republican ticket. The Obama campaign has benefitted massively from several youtube videos that have established an appearance not of the candidate, but of the type of person who favors each of the candidates, and because youtube can be viewed as a microcosm of the greater culture it also show that these are not just how the supports are trying to be displayed but also how they are perceived.  The perception of a voter has become drastically more important in this election as citizens become the produces of political information. 

           

The video I’ve Got a Crush On Obama” By Obama Girl received 10,552,813 views as of 10:48 on November 4^th 2008 created a framework for a strong emotional connection with the Democratic Candidate. The popularity of the video establishes its value within the youtube community, and there for to favor the video’s message, to have a “crush” on Obama, is a way of obtaining social capital.  The majority of the lyrics denote the emotional favorability of Senator Obama, but the line of the song “You tell me the truth unlike the right” also established the Republican Party and those people to the right who favor the Republican Party as deceptive, ignorant, or uninformed.  The video’s total value to the Obama campaign is that it creates a reason to, and the reasonability of, having an emotional connection with Barack Obama and implies that the republicans are not worthy of trust.

            When the Sarah Pailin was intervened by Katie Couric the calamitous performance of the vice presidential candidate furthered the display of the ignorance of the Republican Party.  While Pailin’s interview was first filmed and displayed on national television, its’ appearance on youtube and its popularity, in excess of five million views between the several versions of the video that appear on you tube posted both the CBS and several other subscribers, demonstrates that this how many people perceive Governor Pailin, and make it a commodity produced by citizens rather than information produced by the mainstream media.   In this case it is both the replication of the video on youtube by people other than CBS and the favorability of the video created by people viewing it that allows citizens to become the produces of popular media.

            The portrayal and perception of Governor Pailin as ignorant and uninformed created the opportunity for portrayal of citizens who favor John McCain and Sarah Pailin as ignorant.e McCain Pailin Mob, number seven on the Politico list of the “10 most viral videos of the campaign”(Ressner, viral videos), shows the ignorance of some of the citizens who Support McCain and Pailin, and ostensibly all McCain supporters.  The fact that the video focuses not on the ignorance of the campaign but of its supporters demonstrates the focus on the citizens as producers rather than campaigns as producers.

            The world of youtube is not an exact reflection of the views of society, but it is popular enough to be an accurate microcosm of the trends in American society.  The popular videos of youtube such as The video I’ve Got a Crush On Obama” By Obama Girl, Pailin On Foreign Policy, and The McCain-Pailin Mob both reflect a major societal perception of candidates and their supporters, and the consumers of media who choose to produce videos for youtube also help to establish those perception. The citizens, not he campaigns, have constructed a single framework for the categories of people who favor a each of the candidates and not the policy of the candidates these three youtube videos display an affective connection with Senator Obama as favorable and reasonable, while displayed a connection with senator McCain as ignorant.   With the emergence of technology that allows citizens to produce media that can have a massive effect on the campaign, has rearranged the way in which a political campaign is run making it more important for the candidates to control not how may people favor them, but what media these people are producing and how those people, or the culture of the campaign, is displayed.

 

Works Cited

Barelypolitical. ""I Got a Crush...On Obama" By Obama Girl." Youtube - "I Got a Crush...On Obama" By Obama Girl. 13 June 2007. Youtube. 4 Nov. 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wksoxhyicqu.

Bloggerinterrupted. "The McCain-Pailin Mob." Youtube - The McCain-Pailin Mob. 8 Oct. 2008. Youtube. 4 Nov. 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjxzmaxag9e.

CBS. "Pailin on Foreign Policy." Youtube - Pailin on Foreign Policy. 25 Sept. 2007. Youtube. 4 Nov. 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noktjedaugg.

Ressner, Jeffrey. "10 most viral videos of the Campaign." 10 most viral videos of the Campaign - Jeffrey Ressner -Politico.com. 2 Nov. 2008. Politico. 4 Nov. 2008 http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15182.html.