1. Poli Sci this year has taught me a lot about not only politics, but how politics relates to basically everything in life. Throughout this semester, I have learned that the only way to see change in the world is to get out and make a difference. I have also learned that politics does not just involve the government, but it is mostly the people thats make a difference. The speech was very moving, and it made me realize that no matter what happens in life whether good or bad, you need to live with a purpose.
2. Some "portable skills" i will take away from this course is to not sit on the sidelines and let the world pass you by. If you are one of these people, you have no room to judge the actions of politicians. If you want to see change, you have to be the change. Every vote counts, and US citizens have rights thats no one else in the world has and we need to use them to their full potential. I will also take away the passion from this course. Living with passion and for a purpose is the most important thing you could ever do.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Election Reflection
Wow, the election felt so far away for the longest time, but now it is over. Barak Obama will now lead our country, and hopefully make positive changes. Throughout the election, many aspects have influenced and definitely impacted the election. First of all there is technology. This election is unique from the previous elections because of the impact technology had on it. Although many adults were influenced by technology, the youth was more susceptible to being influenced by technology because we have yet to be directly involved in the process, and therefore we are trying to determine where we stand in politics, and the influence of television, internet, and the radio is definitely effective. After listening to the NPR interview about the impact of technology on the youth vote made me realize how much we are influenced by what we see and hear. The NPR interview discusses how the youth is so enthusiastic toward the election because for many it is their first time voting. Also, they said that technology is like a phenomenon, and the campaign issues are surfacing everywhere, and the youth is formulating opinions towards the presidential candidates. They described the graph of Obama’s supporters as a hockey stick he started out slow, and then the youth got involved and his supporters spiked up. They also mention that the youth vote is really the vote of the state especially in Ohio and Texas because of all the colleges. The students tend to influence one another, and their vote swings the vote of their entire state. That is really significant! Finally, NPR suggested that the Democratic Party is more galvanized, and therefore was able to gain the youth vote. The other key influential technology during this election was SNL. SNL and moreover Tina Fey proved to be extremely influential said a FirstView Study. Researcher Mike Dabadie ran the study on the impact of the SNL skits. This study showed that ten percent of voters were directly influenced by the skits! Also, the study revealed that voters were interested in restoring trust in government more so than the economy. The skits captured the essence of the politicians while using their weaknesses to prove points. I personally thought the SNL skits were hilarious, and they really make you rethink who should be in charge of running the country.
The MSNBC discussion of the Civil Rights Movement was very moving. The Congressman described the suffering and past pain was so worth it. He says that it is a victory for America because it is finally a union. He brings up Martin Luther King Jr, and his dream. The election of Obama as president really made Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream come true. African Americans worked so hard for so many years to become one with the white Americans, and it finally happened. America finally left discrimination and segregation in the past to come together as one to make a better future. It is truly a historic election, and it is a huge triumph throughout the world. We made history by finally coming together to elect a president based on the issues and not the color of their skin.
I was following the Election Geek blog for my political blog. After the election, the blog had tons of posts. This was a neutral blog that was neither republican nor democratic so the posts were pretty receptive of Obama’s victory, but some posts were of disappointment. There is also an interesting post about the stock market taking the largest post election dive. It links you to an article about this drop in the market. The most interesting post was the one that compared the vote of the youth US News said the youth had a large impact, but MSNBC said that the youth was not influential. These articles were both very good arguments, but I agree that the youth vote definitely had an impact.
The MSNBC discussion of the Civil Rights Movement was very moving. The Congressman described the suffering and past pain was so worth it. He says that it is a victory for America because it is finally a union. He brings up Martin Luther King Jr, and his dream. The election of Obama as president really made Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream come true. African Americans worked so hard for so many years to become one with the white Americans, and it finally happened. America finally left discrimination and segregation in the past to come together as one to make a better future. It is truly a historic election, and it is a huge triumph throughout the world. We made history by finally coming together to elect a president based on the issues and not the color of their skin.
I was following the Election Geek blog for my political blog. After the election, the blog had tons of posts. This was a neutral blog that was neither republican nor democratic so the posts were pretty receptive of Obama’s victory, but some posts were of disappointment. There is also an interesting post about the stock market taking the largest post election dive. It links you to an article about this drop in the market. The most interesting post was the one that compared the vote of the youth US News said the youth had a large impact, but MSNBC said that the youth was not influential. These articles were both very good arguments, but I agree that the youth vote definitely had an impact.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Political Blog Post 2
My original blog dealing with Al Gore was not updated so I have chosen a new blog to follow. The new blog is called Election Geek. This blog has all sorts of news, perspectives, polls, articles, and everything else dealing with the 2008 election. It is a very informative news blog, but it is also very interesting. Each post focuses on a single problem or issue. I liked this method because it is easier to understand and get a hold on that topic. When the blog talks about a whole debate, it is hard to pinpoint what each candidate’s exact response was to an issue.
This week, one of the posts discussed Obama’s side of the debate last night, and the other talked about the voter discrepancies in Ohio. Both were very interesting posts. The debate post talked about all of Obama’s key issues that he was going to discuss throughout the debate. It kind of inferred that Obama knew that John McCain was going to try to attack him. In doing this, McCain would seem like the stronger candidate and therefore, could possible win back some of his lost votes. Although, after seeing the debate last night, McCain did indeed attack Obama, Obama’s plan for Main Street and the economy of our nation was still much stronger than McCain’s. Obama plans to setup a four part plan of attack for the strengthening of the economy and the middle class. Obama's Economic Relief Video details the whole plan, and it is adressed by Obama himself.First, he plans to stabilize our financial system. Secondly, he wants to provide relief to communities everywhere. He also wants to provide relief to families, and help the struggling homeowners. I think Obama seems to have a better grasp on the whole situation. The blog also said how confused McCain has been since the whole crisis began. I feel that after the debate, Obama won.
The most recent blog dealt with the voters in Ohio. It is an article from the Associated Press. It talks about how one out of every three new voters will be questioned about their voter registration. So far, 200,000 people have been but on a court list because their voter information does not match their social security or motor-vehicle information. I think that this is very interesting, and I cannot wait to hear more information about this problem.
Fianlly, this Poll Tracker, allows you to see the percentages of votes between Obama and McCain.
This week, one of the posts discussed Obama’s side of the debate last night, and the other talked about the voter discrepancies in Ohio. Both were very interesting posts. The debate post talked about all of Obama’s key issues that he was going to discuss throughout the debate. It kind of inferred that Obama knew that John McCain was going to try to attack him. In doing this, McCain would seem like the stronger candidate and therefore, could possible win back some of his lost votes. Although, after seeing the debate last night, McCain did indeed attack Obama, Obama’s plan for Main Street and the economy of our nation was still much stronger than McCain’s. Obama plans to setup a four part plan of attack for the strengthening of the economy and the middle class. Obama's Economic Relief Video details the whole plan, and it is adressed by Obama himself.First, he plans to stabilize our financial system. Secondly, he wants to provide relief to communities everywhere. He also wants to provide relief to families, and help the struggling homeowners. I think Obama seems to have a better grasp on the whole situation. The blog also said how confused McCain has been since the whole crisis began. I feel that after the debate, Obama won.
The most recent blog dealt with the voters in Ohio. It is an article from the Associated Press. It talks about how one out of every three new voters will be questioned about their voter registration. So far, 200,000 people have been but on a court list because their voter information does not match their social security or motor-vehicle information. I think that this is very interesting, and I cannot wait to hear more information about this problem.
Fianlly, this Poll Tracker, allows you to see the percentages of votes between Obama and McCain.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Palin vs. Biden
The debate between Biden and Palin proved to be much better than Americans expected. The debate was predicted to be full of drama and mistakes, but surprisingly, neither Palin nor Biden made any noticeably large mistakes.
The first key issue discussed was the financial crisis occurring in the United States right now. Palin was asked the question and responded that it was the people on Wall Street’s fault. She said the bankers were just being greedy. She also said that is was partly Congress's fault because they ignore the loans that are given to people who cannot pay it back. Biden responded by saying that the whole crisis was no doubt due to George Bush. He was very adamant that Bush's weak presidency was the cause. He then went on to say that McCain supports the politics that regulate the economy, and the country cannot have four more years of Bush. Another key issue addressed was the drilling of oil in Alaska. Palin stood by her statement that there should be oil drilling in Alaska. I thought it was funny how she said that it would be "environmentally safe" drilling. Honestly, if you are drilling a state for oil, that is never environmentally friendly. Biden was against the drilling, and proposed alternative ways of energy like wind power or solar power. Finally, the third major issue discussed was Iraq and Afghanistan. Palin wanted the government spending to pay for more military troops in Afghanistan. Biden on the other hand said that the government should use the money to rebuild. Then, Palin attacked Obama's plan to meet with Iran's president who I will not even attempt to spell his name. She said that this was a dangerous move for our country. Biden's only response was that Obama never said that. This response was fairly weak.
Although Palin was a lot more camera friendly than Biden, who continued to address the orator Gwen, I think Biden won the debate. Palin's earlier interviews left McCain's campaign scarred. So, she practiced a great deal for this debate which paid off because she was able to stitch up the scar. Despite the stitches, she is now back to where she was before the previous interviews. She needs to start healing the scar in order to win the presidency. Biden was very to-the-point and straightforward. Unlike Palin, he answered the orator’s questions when asked. Palin was asked questions or a rebuttal and immediately changed the topic to talk about something she practiced. Also, Biden was very careful not to be make big mistakes when quoting McCain. In the previous election, he was caught for plagiarizing, and so I thought it was very good when he said McCain said...and I quote, and then he switched quickly and said something like actually I will paraphrase. This left him free from criticism about mixing up McCain's words. Biden also made very good arguments, and he did a better job promoting Obama then Palin did McCain.
The first key issue discussed was the financial crisis occurring in the United States right now. Palin was asked the question and responded that it was the people on Wall Street’s fault. She said the bankers were just being greedy. She also said that is was partly Congress's fault because they ignore the loans that are given to people who cannot pay it back. Biden responded by saying that the whole crisis was no doubt due to George Bush. He was very adamant that Bush's weak presidency was the cause. He then went on to say that McCain supports the politics that regulate the economy, and the country cannot have four more years of Bush. Another key issue addressed was the drilling of oil in Alaska. Palin stood by her statement that there should be oil drilling in Alaska. I thought it was funny how she said that it would be "environmentally safe" drilling. Honestly, if you are drilling a state for oil, that is never environmentally friendly. Biden was against the drilling, and proposed alternative ways of energy like wind power or solar power. Finally, the third major issue discussed was Iraq and Afghanistan. Palin wanted the government spending to pay for more military troops in Afghanistan. Biden on the other hand said that the government should use the money to rebuild. Then, Palin attacked Obama's plan to meet with Iran's president who I will not even attempt to spell his name. She said that this was a dangerous move for our country. Biden's only response was that Obama never said that. This response was fairly weak.
Although Palin was a lot more camera friendly than Biden, who continued to address the orator Gwen, I think Biden won the debate. Palin's earlier interviews left McCain's campaign scarred. So, she practiced a great deal for this debate which paid off because she was able to stitch up the scar. Despite the stitches, she is now back to where she was before the previous interviews. She needs to start healing the scar in order to win the presidency. Biden was very to-the-point and straightforward. Unlike Palin, he answered the orator’s questions when asked. Palin was asked questions or a rebuttal and immediately changed the topic to talk about something she practiced. Also, Biden was very careful not to be make big mistakes when quoting McCain. In the previous election, he was caught for plagiarizing, and so I thought it was very good when he said McCain said...and I quote, and then he switched quickly and said something like actually I will paraphrase. This left him free from criticism about mixing up McCain's words. Biden also made very good arguments, and he did a better job promoting Obama then Palin did McCain.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Al Gore Tells All
1.The blog I read was all about Al Gore's efforts since his lose in the election. The blog, Al's Journal, has many posts that were very interesting. They touch on major issues, but especially, global warming. Gore writes a new entry about once a week. His posts cover all different issues and they deeply analyze the government today. I liked the way he writes because he explains the issues, then he states his opinion, and finally gives research to back his opinion. In a couple of the posts, he wrote plans of action for the citizens as well. His blogs are very personalized and when reading them it is like he is talking to you. It was very nice to have that non-distant feeling like we do with President Bush today.
2. This professional blog was a lot more sophisticated than the other blogs I have viewed so far. It was much more focused, and the issues affect the entire world. Also, the writing style is very professional. Some of the gossip blogs I have read were not correctly punctuated and they used slang. Gore also added a lot of evidence that supported his opinions. Most of the blogs I read were opinions with no evidence supporting it. He also added movies and graphs so that viewers could really see his points visually. Finally, this blog had links to action plans, laws, other politicians, ect. The other blogs were basically just a person's thought about an issue. It really did not give research or links to further learn about the topics.
3. The major issue presented in almost every month was global warming. Gore describes this from different perspectives which I thought was very well done. He describes the climate change through different people in different location's eyes. He also presented a series of graphs. On one of his more recent posts from September 8, 2008, he describes how Los Angles is beginning to have massive mud slides. He provides links to articles in the Wall Street Journal to give readers a better feel for the topic. Gore thinks that the climate is changing significantly, and it needs to be stopped. On September 16, 2008, Gore explains his new "Hockey Stick" graph. This graph shows how the temperatures remained the same for 1,000 years until the Industrial Revolution took place. After this, the temperatures increased and they have been on the rise since then. I think that global warming is slowly destroying the world. Species of plants and animals can not live, workers are losing jobs, farmers cannot control their crops because of the increasing temperatures, and the Artic Ice is melting. I think that this is a very important issue, and I am glad to see a politician taking it upon himself to do something about it.
2. This professional blog was a lot more sophisticated than the other blogs I have viewed so far. It was much more focused, and the issues affect the entire world. Also, the writing style is very professional. Some of the gossip blogs I have read were not correctly punctuated and they used slang. Gore also added a lot of evidence that supported his opinions. Most of the blogs I read were opinions with no evidence supporting it. He also added movies and graphs so that viewers could really see his points visually. Finally, this blog had links to action plans, laws, other politicians, ect. The other blogs were basically just a person's thought about an issue. It really did not give research or links to further learn about the topics.
3. The major issue presented in almost every month was global warming. Gore describes this from different perspectives which I thought was very well done. He describes the climate change through different people in different location's eyes. He also presented a series of graphs. On one of his more recent posts from September 8, 2008, he describes how Los Angles is beginning to have massive mud slides. He provides links to articles in the Wall Street Journal to give readers a better feel for the topic. Gore thinks that the climate is changing significantly, and it needs to be stopped. On September 16, 2008, Gore explains his new "Hockey Stick" graph. This graph shows how the temperatures remained the same for 1,000 years until the Industrial Revolution took place. After this, the temperatures increased and they have been on the rise since then. I think that global warming is slowly destroying the world. Species of plants and animals can not live, workers are losing jobs, farmers cannot control their crops because of the increasing temperatures, and the Artic Ice is melting. I think that this is a very important issue, and I am glad to see a politician taking it upon himself to do something about it.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
2 Interests
1. Project Runway
This blog gives all the details of the show, and gives you a glimpse of life behind the scenes. I love Project Runway, so it was really interesting to read about the show. On the blog, you can also click on any of the designers from this season or seasons past and it will connect you to their own personal blog. It tells you where they are now and what impact the show had on their life.
2. Photography
This blog is very helpful if you are interested in buying or learning about cameras. I am obsessed with photography so this blog was very interesting to me. It gives reviews and ratings on the cameras. It also has a discussion forum that you can post questions or comments to.
This blog gives all the details of the show, and gives you a glimpse of life behind the scenes. I love Project Runway, so it was really interesting to read about the show. On the blog, you can also click on any of the designers from this season or seasons past and it will connect you to their own personal blog. It tells you where they are now and what impact the show had on their life.
2. Photography
This blog is very helpful if you are interested in buying or learning about cameras. I am obsessed with photography so this blog was very interesting to me. It gives reviews and ratings on the cameras. It also has a discussion forum that you can post questions or comments to.
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