2nd Quarter Election Post #1

This week my political cartoon dealth with immigration, a topic i have been studying intensely in polysci over the last 2 weeks. Upon meeting rep. Jose Serrano, and finding his views on immigration policy, i decided to create my cartoon. It represents America's distaste for illegal immigrants, but all of the immigrants that were being discriminated against were from south carolina. My cartoon shows this "racism" as some would call, in the form of the Statue of Liberty allowing European immigrants into the USA while rejecting those from Mexico. Measures such as a physical fense along the Mexican border influenced me to create this cartoon, which was done before Mr. Stroud had made the assignment, so i lucked out and didnt have to do it. And that is the overview of my cartoon, as well as a backgroud of where its influence came from.

Volunteer Post 3

On suday i went canvasing again for the obama campaign in herndon with katie. We were sent over to the reston community center to meet and get maps. I would say about 3, maybe 4 people opened their doors. They wanted to talk to us for as little time as possible, but they were generally nice about it. One lady we saw walk in her house, and then hide away as we rung the doorbell three times. It got dark fast, and we finished our list which was pretty short. We went back to the community center area and got our sheets filled out. We then went to diary queen (which was a bad idea becuase it started getting cold) and talked to one of the volunteers, who was very active for the democratic party, for about 15 minues. Like i said in my last post, the work wasn't very exciting, but it was easy, and it gave me the feeling that i made a difference in the election (but really probably not).

Volunteer Post 2

For my 2nd volunteer activity, i went canvasing for the democratic office in herndon. I drove the neighborshoods in reston and knocked on a lot of doors. The majority of the people i talked to( and there werent many) didnt really want to talk to me at all. Most either said right off the bat "im for obama" or "im for mccain" and asked me to go away. The majority of people ignored me, or werent home. It was simple work, not very fun, but easy. Im glad i was able to support Obama by contributing in my community.

Volunteer Post 1

For my first volunteer activity i volunteered to march with the young democrats in the herndon parade with Connor Shannon, Chad Schaner, and Shannon Story. It was a lot of fun. We all got to meet Judy Feder, who seemed like a nice enough person. We walked down the street holding democratic signs, while Judy Feder walked along the sidewalk shaking hands will all of the people watching the parade. The even only lasted about an hour, but there was a long time setting up. We met at eight but didnt start to march until nearly 9:45. But the weather was nice, and I was able to meet Judy Feder and talk with my friends. Overall it was a good experience.

Election Post #6

The presidential race is now just around the corner. For the majority of the election race Obama has held a significant lead. Now that the election is upon us, the lead seems to be closing in. Even though Obama is still the projected leader, his 9 point lead has been cut down to a 7 point, and with error in polling, it could only be so much as 4% of the popular vote. I believe that this election truly could go either way, comming down to a few key states. If Obama follows through and wins key republican states such as Virginia and Colorado, I think that he has a very good chance of winning the presidential election. I believe that Obama will lead the popular vote by at least 3-4%, but I believe that the electoral votes will be almost as close as the 2000 election. I predict that Obama will win with somewhere between 275-300 electoral votes.

The Senate race is basically decided. Warner leads the republican candidate Gilmore by about 30 points. Throughout the last months it has been a clear democratic victory, and at this point it looks like Warner is a sure winner for the Senate seat in Virginia. I know that he has my vote.

Currently Wolf has a lead over Judy Feder. I believe that wolf will continue to on to win the Virgnina house seat due to his impressive actions in this position over the last few years. This assumption goes along with America's fear of change, because he has done a good job at addressing Virginia's needs, Virginians will continue to vote for his because he has proved to be a good representative.

Connolly is facing off against Fimian. From what i can tell, the democratic nominee (Connolly) is currently favored in the district against Fimian, the rebulican nominee. I truly do not know how this election will turn out, as i have not been following this election very closely, but I will agree with the polls and predict taht Connolly will emerge victorious this upcoming Tuesday.

Current Event #6

My current event this week deals with Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney. McKinney has been known to be a very quiet and somewhat reclusive candidate. Sources note that her schedule is very carefree and she often avoids answering her personal phone. McKinney has served in the National Government from 1993-2003 in the House of Representatives, and again from 2005-2007. On Dec. 11 of last year, McKinney was officially announced as the Green Party's nominee for the presidential race. Currently, McKinney is on the ballot in thirty two different states. Though as a third party member, nobody expects her to even come close to being a serious competitor, many people say that they will give her thier vote. McKinney and the Green Party are looking at a 2-5% popular vote, thus encouraging third party involvement into the future.

Election Post #5

Two of the major swing states for the 2008 election are Colorado and Virginia. Both have previously been seen as strong republican supporters. This year this is a big change. Currently, Obama is leading in both states. Both Colorado and Virginia hold a key amount of electoral votes, and if Obama can secure these two, along with other critical swing states, I believe it is safe to say Obama has the election down. Colorado has become a major state of interest in the last month. McCain has slowed down in his campaigning there since the Republican national convention, and thus allowed Obama to move in. Obama now holds over 50 offices in Colorado, rivaling McCain’s measly 10. Obama is outspending McCain in advertising in both Colorado and Virginia, due to immense support base. It is looking like this election, Obama will turn critical states that have been labeled as “red states” for a long time. Swing states are important to the electoral process because it gives the people in those states a fair vote. Swing states can go either way, and every vote counts towards the view of the state as a whole. Other states that are so democratic or republican, such as Massachusetts, make a single person’s vote seem useless. If a republican votes for McCain in Massachusetts, they know they are going to lose due to the overwhelming democratic population, so it is almost as if the vote is wasted. Swing states preserve the feeling that every vote counts, and that everybody needs to go out and vote. It also bring political attention to the western states that would otherwise be ignored. The candidates will fight for their vote. This is why swing states greatly benefit the country’s electoral process.

Current Event #5

The race for the white house has been brought to Colorado this week, which has been a red state for the last 16 years. Obama is there to change that. McCain, on the other hand, is just as determined to keep Colorado voting republican. In the early campaign, McCain spent large amounts of his budget campaigning in the Colorado, but since the presidential conventions, spending in the area has lessened. Obama has begun to outspend McCain in advertising in this area, in hopes of gaining ground and eventually turning what seemed to be a safty state for the republican party. Obama has set up over 50 offices in the states, as opposed to McCain's 12. Local democrates note that a change in popular vote could happen this year, but it would be a very close call. Over the next week McCain will be finishing his appearances in this area and moving to other swing states, while Obama plans to hit Colorado full force and gain many new supporters. The vote in Colorado could be pivital in this election, and should the Democratic party gain control over this state, McCain could be out of the running for president. News stations will continue to cover the upcoming changes in Colorado, as the race for the white house comes down to its final week.

Election Post #4

I went to gallup.com to look at the polling information for the presidential race. Recent polls show that Obama has a 9 point lead over McCain, holding 51% of the polling votes, leaving McCain with a mere 42%. The polls predict that McCain is going to need to win all of the swing states to secure his victory in the 2008 election. The Virginia Senate race is basically decided at this point, with Warner holding a drastic lead over his republican opposer. Warner currently holds about 57% of the vote, while Gilmore has only 33%.

Polling has both positive and negative effects on the election. I believe that it is useful, giving the public a general idea of who is in the lead during the campaign. Some argue that the polls sway people to vote one way or the other, depending on who is ahead. They say that people who are not likely to vote will vote for their candidate if they are losing by a large margin. I believe that this is a good thing, encouraging more and more people to vote. I believe that overall polling helps during the campaign season.

I do believe that there is a percentage of error in the polling system, but I agree with experts that it cannot be much more than about 3%. With polls clearly showing Obama with a nine point lead, I believe that Obama truly has the upper hand in this election. The way that the polls are conducted to maintain the randomness and authnicity, with the random phone calls and door to door, seems to be enough to keep a real enough estimation of what is to come.

Current Event #4
Many experts across the country believe that the economy crisis in the United Stateswas only worsened by the government funded bailout plan. The plan was set to restablilize the country, and hopefully bring down the large rates in mortagesand loans, which has spurred up in the last months. The effect has been quite theopposite. Bank loans and mortages are harder to get than ever, and the intereston these loans are also rising at an alarming rate. Economic experts believe this is just the beginning problems to come due to the bailout plan, and they suggestthat the capitalist system should have tried to work thier problems out without thehelp of the federal government. I strongly disagree with many of these experts. The negative effects of the bailout plan were very probable, but the alternatewould have been much worse. Higher interest and stricter limits on loans is muchbetter than house forclosures, along with new families with no way of getting the money they need to start their family. Eventually, I do believe that the bailout plan will benefit America far more than hurt it. Given a couple of years for theeconomy to level out, our capitalist system will be restored to is former status.

Election Post #3

-My election post is based on the race for the Virginia Senate seat, between Mark Warner and Jim Gilmore.
-Jim Gilmore is the republican candidate for the Virginia Senate. He has shown devotion to his country by volunteering for the United States Army, and even receiving honors after completing training at the Army Intelligence School and Defense Language Institute. After returning to Virginia, Gilmore received a degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. He ran for Attorney General, won, and then later in 1997 won the race for Virginia Governor.
-Mark Warner, now running for the Virginia Senate seat as a democrat, served as the governor of Virginia for 2002-06. His administration recieved six billion dollars in budget shortfalls, which allowed him to place the largest investment in history into Virginia schools. Warner also put extra money into cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay, which was suffering from immense pollution. Before Warner's run in politics, he displayed his leadership ability by co-founding a telecommunications company that would soon become NEXTEL.
-Currently Warner holds 58.6% of the polling votes, while Gilmore holds 30.4%
-The most pressing issues on this campaign trail are : energy, taxes, health care, and education

Current Event #3

While America has been facing a major crisis at home, the world has been following in this series of unfortunate events. The same weekend after the bailout plan was passed in Congress, European countries finally decided on how they would go about solving their own economic crisis. The European banking and financial institutions were headed in a downhill spiral, and debates had been ongoing for weeks over whether the counties should initiate a group rescue plan, or if every country should solve its own problems. Representatives from France and Germany strongly felt that each country's banking system had different needs, and therefore each country needed to instate different rescue plans to account for the different problems. That was the final decision last week, as Europe agreed to tackle its financial crisis in their own ways. This is good in some ways, and mathmatically at least some of the institutions should revive for other failed banks to fall back on; but in another way it is harder for the smaller European nations to devise a large scale rescue plan for their banks without the help of their larger neighbors. In the comming weeks we will see how this agreement plays out.

Current Event #2

The new economic crisis is putting a major strain on McCain's political campaign. Especially after the major bailout plan failed (which McCain full-heartedly supported and pushed to be passed) McCain's image has been ruined (well... not ruined, but he has lost some support). Obama has gained more of a lead since the 1st presidential debate, now ahead by a good few points. Obama has gained support by announcing that something must be done, but the $700 billion dollar plan will not help anybody, only affecting the taxpayers, and in a negative way. McCain has been trying to convince the public that the economic crisis will only worsen if Obama becomes president, saying that he will raise taxes for all Americans (even though Obama has been saying that he will cut taxes for 95% of Americans). The comming debates will be of crucial importance, as the economy will either worsen or pull out of its sudden slump. I currently agree with Obama, but my opinion is subject to change. We will see who is better suited for the Oval Office, but for now my confidence lies with Obama.

Election Post #2

The most important issue to me for this election is plans for new energy. I agree with both candidates that America needs to end its dependence on foreign oil, but I disagree with the way McCain wants to do it. I do not believe that we should begin drilling in Alaska and other parts of the United States, I believe that these resources should be left be in case of an emergency (not that this isn't an emergency). But I think while we still have a good source of oil we should look into taking bigger steps towards new types of energy, including solar and wind. There needs to be new advancements in electric and solar cars. I believe that Obama will be the right man to accomplish this goal, and it seems to be one of his top priorities. That is why for the moment, I am an Obama supporter.

The debate ended up doing little for either candidate. Though no candidate did a phenomenal job at the debate, I would have to claim Obama to be the winner. As a result Obama gained a very slim lead in the polls the following weekend. The campaign was fun to watch. Obama, as usual, was a very good public speaker; and in my opinion made McCain look fairly stupid. McCain seemed to try to ignore Obama a lot, attempted to stray away from eye contact. Obama did a good job speaking, but also seemed a little to agressive, cutting in with points when it was clearly not his turn to speak. I suppose that both candidates were prepped on how to act during the debate, and they followed their advisors' words. The last thing that sort of bugged me, but has held the same in every debate, the candidates never really answered any of the questions. They always tied the question to another issue that they could effectivly debate. I am glad that Obama preformed so well, and that his numbers in the polls went up; but the race is far from over, and the next president of the United States is still unclear.

Current Event #1

This week, many important financial institutions in America face collapse. The government is proposing a bailout plan, in which they will spend $700 billion to save these companies. President Bush says that the effects of these companies failing would be far worse than the $700 billion spent now. If congress does not pass the bill enacting this plan, America could very well slump into another depression. America is not the only country suffering, Britain is facing similar hardships with one of their biggest institutions, HBOS. I agree with Bush that this plan must be enacted to save the American economy, even if it is not the government's place to meddle. The effects that the collapse could have would be devastating, and I hope that Congress has the sense to see that.

Election Project Week 1

Overall I would say that I am a Democrat, but that does not mean that I always vote for the Democratic candidate. Right now I do believe I am leaning towards voting for Barack Obama, but I am still not 100% sure who I will be voting for in the presidential election. I am currently supporting Obama because he seems to have the same priorities that I do, economy first. I am currently effected by our raising gas prices and taxes, so these issues seem to be of importance to me. I am hesitant about Obama's political experience, but i believe a fresh, young president would do this country well. McCain does seem to have the knowledge needed to run this nation, but his primary interests are in Iraq; and while I wish it were over, I know that American presence is needed in areas to keep peace. My final decision for the presidential election will be made in the next couple of weeks during the debates and end of the campaign trails.

Two of the issues that I feel strongly about are Iraq and Energy. I support Obama's plans to research new forms of energy (wind and solar), thus producing new job opportunities to Americans. I believe that the future of the American economy depends on the fact that we need alternate fuel options, and completely become independent from Middle Easten oil, which Obama has promised within ten years. Another pressing issue is the Iraq war, and I am currently undecided on which candidate I agree with. I wish we could pull out of Iraq, as Obama wishes to do; but I also believe that if America does not stay then everything that America has worked for will vanish. This is what McCain supports, sending more troops and supplies to keep the peace. This is a major issue that I will continue to follow and will eventually sway my opinion of which candidate I believe will make a better president.