Monday, November 3, 2008
Poised on the Precipice of History
At long last....the most monumental, historical election of your generation thus far is about to draw to its close. No matter the outcome, we stand on the ledge of history-in-the-making. You have seen the best and worst that this country has to offer in terms of media saturation. You have been inundated with ads, radio spots, commercials, sound bites and chatter. What have you learned? How the onslaught of political propaganda, self-aggrandizements, ernest pleas for votes and promises of brighter futures wearied or energized your souls? Did you come away from this election with a bad taste in your mouth about politics or a new-found sense of purpose? Don't hold back.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
114 comments:
What have I learned from this election? Well, I've learned more about humanity during this election time than I have about politics. Dear God, are people insane. On one side, you have the Obama supporters going, "If McCain gets elected, it will be another four years just like the Bush Administration, the world will end as we know it." On the other hand, we've got McCain supporters saying, "If Obama gets elected, he'll turn America into a socialist state, the world will end as we know it."
Then of course, you've got people like me, who are like, "Okay children, how about we all just take a deep breath and try and play nice, okay?" and people like meg r., who runs around screaming, "I hate you all! Vote Thomas Jefferson's sexy ass back from the grave and into office!"
(Sarah Palin, of course, just sort of smiles and squeals, "I can see Alaska from my house! Me and Johnny are such mavericks!" Joe Biden, by this time, has fallen asleep.)
Anyway, back to my original point, which is that I have learned just how aggressive people can be over silly things, and just how much people are willing to believe. For instance, there are people who seriously believe that Barack Obama is a terrorist. Really? REALLY? Now, what if I said that I think John McCain was brainwashed when he was a war prisoner, and now the Vietnamese government is secretly controlling his every action? That would be just about as believable as people saying Barack Obama is a terrorist, a.k.a. completely stupid and implausable. And you want to know the saddest part? There are some people who would believe my John McCain and the Vietnamese story.
Also, I have learned that some people really shouldn't be allowed to vote. Like the people who don't know who the candidates they are voting for are. Trust me, these people exist. I see them in Algebra 2 every day (except for when they skip).
And in my general psych class, we played jeopardy, and one of the categories was to name a person. The quote was "I can see Alaska from my house!" Now there is a boy and girl in my class, who are good friends, and both are 18 and plan on voting. It was the boys turn to anser, so he triumphantly responded, "Sarah Palin!"
"Who's Sarah Palin?" The girl asked, looking confused.
"I don't know," The boy responded, "But she was on Saturday Night Live.
I only hope (and it's entirely possible and plausable that this may occur) that this boy and girl forget that tommarrow's election day and don't vote. Because it seems to me that their votes can't be very informed. And honestly, I'd rather people didn't vote at all if they're only going to vote for someone because they were on a TV show, or because they think one candidate is "cool".
So in case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a little dissillusioned with the race for presidency. And also, anybody who was in AP Gov last year knows that the president holds very little real power. The true power lies in Congress, particularly the house of representatives. But how many people actually vote for their Congressional representatives? I bet you can't even name five.
And, based on what I've seen in this election, I'm starting to think that's a good thing.
Woo! First comment and first FULL comment! I am ON it these past couple of blogs!
Also, I'm fully aware that my blog reads a little insane angry rant-esque. Rest assured that while I am both insane and angry, it was not my attention for this blog to reflect that. It is what it is. I'm just so sick of political ads.
Oh gee whiz. I'm going to go crazy on this blog, I think. I just need some time to formulate my opinion.........
DUN DUN DUNNNNN. >:D
Oh, and Sarah Crane: Thanks for the Thomas Jefferson reference. Lord knows I love that guy <3333
And, I'll admit, I AM a little crazy in Cervi's class.
But JUST a little :l
Hey maeg you cant see with your eyes closed!
Just a little, for now.
But wait until we start discussing immigration.
Sarah: I think that the people in your Algebra 2 class really need to get some help. I mean to they even live on this planet. I hope that they don't in this election. because of people like them the wrong person gets into office. People think that America is in trouble right now well they should see it when the wrong person gets elected.
I am only posting this to get follow-ups. The rant I am preparing will take a day at least.
I personally am extremely happy that this election is coming to a close. I am so tired of the TV and radio ads, and the constant discussion on who will be the next President of our county. Everyone, from news casters to the candidates to everyday people, seems extra cruel around this time. The media tries to dig and find any little bit of discrediting information about either candidate and then run it all over the news. Each of the candidates’ publicists produces commercials that tear apart one another. All this politicking has left a bed taste in my mouth, as Bunje put it. There are too many vicious debates, verbal abuse, and mockery that make up the world of politics, which is why I never plan to see myself in a political position.
I usually keep my opinion to myself if it has to do with politics and religion because I know that you can’t argue with people about those things, and those are two fight provoking discussions, as we know from Cervi’s class. Those are two things where you can argue as much as you want, but you can’t change the way someone else thinks. It is their own opinion. In one of my classes today this black kid was arguing with this Spanish kid about McCain vs. Obama. The black kid was like “Yo, Obama is mad cool, because he is black. He should be president.” The Spanish kid was trying to say just because he was black doesn’t make him the best choice, but neither one of them would let each other finish a sentence before jumping down the other one’s throat. I just don’t get the point of arguing over something like that. It doesn’t even make sense, because they are both right in their own minds. It doesn’t matter what the other one says or thinks. I don’t even think that either one of them are even knowledgeable about each candidates platforms, judging by what they were saying through the course of their argument.
This brings me to another thing, their promises and standpoints. Each of the candidates promises so much to make our country better and it just starts to sound like blah blah blah. You can only hear so much bullshit before you get tired of hearing about it. I understand that they need to say that stuff to get votes for the people, but how much of it is true? I hope that whoever wins accomplishes as much as they say they will, but you don’t know until they actually get into office. When the debates first started I was like wow Obama is really going to improve our country and make it prosper and our economy flourish! He would go off about how we need change, change is what would make our country benefit. Then I start to become cynical and criticize what he is saying, how are we supposed to know if Obama really will make our environment more “green” and come up with alternative energy sources and give the middle class tax relief? It just seems like so many promises, how can make them all?
Either way I have heard bad stuff about each presidential candidate. I have heard from my old boss that Obama is the “anti Christ” and will doom our country to hell, and I have heard that he will go against all our beliefs and make us a socialist country. I have heard that McCain will probably die in office and then Palin will take over, which would inevitably also doom our country to hell. McCain is thought to be like our current “wonderful” president and if elected would probably just push us farther down from our current status. So don’t both these candidates and their running mates just so sound perfect? I guess we will just have to wait and see who wins, and just be thankful that we don’t need to hear anymore political campaigning right now. I am eager to see who the next president becomes and if he performs his job just like he outlined when running for office.
is this seriuosly a blog ... why bunje ? why?
I have only have one thing to say about politics “EEEWWWWW!!!!!!” I hate politics especially after AP Gov last year. This election is going to a historical election no matter what. If Barack Obama wins then many people I know are going to get extremely excited but some racist bastard is going to get pissed off and try to assassinate him. Also if Obama wins then he will be the first African American to take office (DUH!!). If McCain wins then people will just be afraid that he will die from a heart attack and Sarah Palin will take office, which would be like Homer Simpson, taking office. She doesn’t know anything because apparently all she can talk about is how she can see Russia form her bathroom window. This would be historical because Sarah would be the first woman vice president of America (NOOO!!!! Not to a woman as a vice president but Palin as vice president).
From this election and past elections the only thing I have learned is that the only way that someone can win in politics is to play dirty. To win you have to dig up the deepest darkest secrets. Just like the McCain campaign team when they dug up the information about Obama’s illegal aunt and waited until the last minuet to reveal it to the public.
The politicians always promise many things but do they really follow through with them. Or they follow with them half way but there is something else going on and they don’t even let you hear about it. For example Obama says that he will pull troops out of Iraq little by little. But he never said that he might send some in to exchange positions with them. Politicians play mind games. They are just like sour patch kids but opposite; sweet on the outside but sour on the inside.
Along with digging up information you also have to pick out horrid sound bites that make the opposing candidate sound terrible, illiterate, or harmful to towards America (or anything that they may be running for.) The sound bites can be from a great speech but there can be one sentence in there which in context would be fantastic but alone it could hurt the opposing candidate.
Like Sarah Crane, I also think that there are some people in this country that should not be allowed to vote. They are clueless about any of the candidates and yet they are excited to vote for someone. For example the people in Sarah’s Algebra 2 class. These are the type of people that should be forbidden to vote. If they know nothing about candidates then they should kept away form all voting booths. Plus if they are so clueless the I would be amazed if they could even figure how the voting process actually works.
But there isn’t much anyone can do about it. There is no way the public would have to give a test every time before they vote. That would just be excessively complicated. So if people don’t much about the candidates then it should be in their right mind not to vote.
Well, I am waking up at four in the morning tomorrow to catch a flight at six so forgive, me if I am a bit short. My opinion really isn’t even that extensive either..but here we go…
I have some knowledge in politics as a result of my dad being a lawyer and all up in the political world. So, from that alone, the controversial blog posts- resulting in more blog posts (that are not too nice btw), the threats that are made, and all of the foul play that goes on is insane! Sure the candidates act al civil towards people of the opposing party, but behind closed doors these politicians talk smack like you wouldn’t believe. As for the presidential elections, I would imagine they are similar in tactics. It’s all b.s with these people/ I mean, sure they promise all of these great new campaign ideas but they hardly ever follow through completely.
In the past few weeks, I’ve been doing my current event summaries for history class on the elections. All of the articles that I read just go to show that politics suck. All I read about is republicans trash talking (cough cough PALIN!!) and begging for votes pretty much. In this one article I read, McCain told ABC, in an extensive interview that he is the “underdog of the political election”. He says that Obama is ahead of him and that he [McCain] is always the underdog. He also says that Obama reminds him of the people of the sixties who were opposed to war. Hippies, almost. Basically, he just tells why Obama should not “win the White House”. Both McCain and Palin have done their fair share of trash talking the democrats. I think that they need to grow up. For one, McCain is not an underdog because he has the advantage of prior experience. Second, Obama may be beating him, but why does McCain have to trash him? Is McCain that much of a baby as to whine and complain? He plays dirty. Third, I hate him. (Just thought I’d throw that out there). Politics are, indeed “messy”, but I was not aware that such a prominent figure in today’s society would whine and trash talk. What are we now McCain? 4? I thought McCain was in his 70s, but guess not.
Thus being said, I can’t stand politics. I mean I already had a pretty bad view of it but this election just made it worse. At least democrats suddenly trash talk. Republicans are so blunt about it.
Bunje or anyone who knows:
Is this blog due Wednesday or Thursday, since it was posted on monday?
This election is everything I've learned in AP Government, going from the issues, to the parties, to the stupid people. Seriously, I asked a whole ton of people today who they were going to vote for and why they would vote for them. Lo and behold, the true idiocy of the people who vote based on color, age and empty promises. Really...I don't want this country to be based on the majority who has no idea why their voting for the candidate other than the fact that they are black (Obama), they are old (McCain) or they're female (Palin *shudders*). It's just sad really. But then again, who would take the time to actually look at the issues (other than us AP US History kids, YEA!!!)? I'm not saying all people voting based on the above are stupid because it could play a part in their choice. I'm saying that if that's all they have, based on commercial ads and SNL, I don't think they should be allowed to vote in the first place. Maybe I'm just being a bit arrogant about my fellow AP peers but I feel like smart people who actually know the issues and have looked at the candidates and thought it through should vote only. Plus, everyone knows that the President doesn't really have THAT much power. Both candidates are saying "I'm going to save the economy, vote for me!" but let's face it...Congress has the power to pass the bills, not the President. Both candidates are saying "I'm going to turn to better ways of making energy that's clean!" All I've got to say is "Well, sorry to tell ya, but you're not!" Maybe it's because of Mr. Sera and Mr. Cervi, but, like Eva said to me yesterday, this whole politics thing is like a puppet show to me. Very entertaining, but not something I'd like to join...yet...
As for the onslaught of political propaganda, self-aggrandizements, earnest pleas for votes and promises of brighter futures, the whole thing disgusted my soul so bad that it's retching in the bathroom as I write. But other than that, it's funny. It's just that, I feel like you have to be the mastermind of flipping masks if you were a politician and it just seems like you've signed yourself off to the devil by becoming a politician. It's also horrible how the candidates are saying "oh, I'm going to change government" and yet they are doing what generations after generations of politicians have been doing for decades—character assassination. If they really want to bring change, start by not completely destroying the other person for one little mistake. For the Obama people, I don't think that they should beat up McCain for being old and dying in office and giving it to Sarah Palin (who the media has completely destroyed, poor thing). For the McCain people, I don't think they should beat up Obama for what he's done in the past and the whole race thing and stuff. But then again... never mind... keep the stuff! It never ceases to amaze me what people come up with these days! It's very entertaining, though I'll admit, it does make me weary about the government (yet again! Thank you Mr. Sera, Mr. Cervi...). Loving the show, keep up the good work!!!
I did come away with a bad taste in my mouth, but I also kind of want to join in the fun! Who knows, I might even try to be President!!! *laughs at the thought* I think I'll be even worse than Palin, but who knows, right? Haha, I can imagine it now!
Vote for me! Alice Hu! The first FEMALE and ASIAN President! (Of course you don't have to vote for me based on that, but it'd be nice if you did! Oh, and if you don't, you're racist and sexist!)
Sorry, I had to throw in that last part because that's what I feel is going to happen if, and ONLY IF, McCain wins. The Democrats are going to call people racist for not voting for Obama. That's just what I think will happen. I didn't mean to offend anyone either, so please don't be offended!!! I guess I've just become really weird about the government after taking AP Gov last year. *sigh* What kind of a monster have I become!!?! *cries*
El Fin.
To Sarah Crane:
I love you! I love your examples and I love the part with Maegan Reese! I would totally bring Thomas Jefferson out from the grave to take office! lol XD I love you! Plus, those people in your class are like... I don't want to sound mean so I'm not going to say, but I really hope they don't vote. Gawd, if they vote with that kind of knowledge, *shivers*.
To Harleen:
I remember how much you said you hate politics when I mentioned it in physics! Haha, but you have to admit, Government was a fun class with its conspiracy theories and whatnots. I really liked how you said that Obama is saying that he's going to bring back troops, but says nothing of sending more. Go Harleen and Mr. Sera at work! lol XD, you probably hate me right now...haha
To be honest I can not stand politics! I hate the cutthroat remarks that the candidates make, hypocrisy, and the unnecessary cruelty. The main reason why I did not take Ap gov. as a sophomore was because I am not interested in the government and politics. I have learned my fair share and I understand that maybe I should be more interested in our government I mean after all; America will always be my home. I just feel like the government will always be unjust.
Hmmmm, what have I learned? After all of the ads that I have seen, radio spots, and commercials, I have only realized how much I really do not like politics. This years presidential candidates caused a lot of chatter and the vise presidential running mates caused even just as much chatter. To be honest I do not care for either one of the vise presidential candidates. The Barack Obama and Joe Biden slogan is, “Obama and Biden are the leaders who will bring the change that our country needs.” The John McCain and Sarah Palin slogan is, “Country First, Reform, Prosperity, and Peace.” Both slogans were about reforming this country and I can not wait to see who wins this election and actually makes this great change that we need. I learned a lot through the presidential debates that I tried to watch and yet I agree on some views with one candidate and other views with the opposite candidate. This election has truly made me realize what poor state this nation is in economically.
I wish that the candidates would stop bashing each other and just preach about what they can do for the country because in the end that is all that matters. The pleas for votes became old immediately because when they plea, they are either putting the other candidate down or sounding desperate. The promises of a brighter future energized my soul a bit and yet I can not believe in what the candidates promise until they actually follow through with it. How many times have presidents said that they believe one way and never act upon it? How many times do they not back up what they preach? I would have to say that I am not optimistic.
After all of the commercials, debates, SNL episodes, ads, and pleas my opinion on politics has remained the same. As a matter of fact it has worsened; these past months have frustrated me. I just can not get over how negative the candidates are towards each other but that is politics. Don’t get me wrong here, I love the fact that my one vote will count and that in a minute way my voice will be heard and every bit of it is worth it. Is it worth it to stoop down to a level where we degrade others rather than having them prove their character that will lead this country to the greatness that should be achieved?
One word can describe my answer to almost every question: JOKE. What have I learned about this election? On a more serious note, well, how seriously can you take this subject? Each candidate has proved in some way or another that they are clearly unfit for the presidency. Each candidate has shown their "evil" side, did some major trash-talking, made idiotic comments, and never failed to make empty promises.
As a Clinton-supporter, I clearly don't have much respect for any of the other candidates. But the one that makes me want to shoot myself every time I hear him speak is Obama. I've become so annoyed with his "It's time for change" crap. No, he's not gonna bring change. Neither will McCain, and neither would Clinton. Because they don't do anything ! They just state their opinions, and the more appealing they are to the public, the better their chances are of winning. Obama just straight-up pisses me off. Whenever I listen his speeches or anything, he just says EXACTLY what the public want to hear. Now, the one thing I didn't agree with on Clinton, was her thoughts on the war. Neither her nor Obama are realistic. McCain is saying it how it is: there's no way we're gonna pull our troops out any time soon. No matter how much we want to, we just can't leave that country with it being so unstable, which would put our own country at an even greater risk. Obama "connects" with the public, but he just tries way too hard. McCain, on the other hand, made the biggest mistake of his campaign by choosing Palin as his running mate. I'll just leave it at that.
I'm really not trying to take this blog too seriously because I've been stressing my views about backing McCain way too much lately. I hear so much shit about supporting Hillary, and then hating Obama, when they have "pretty much the same views". But they don't. It's more that I don't like McCain, but I REALLY don't like Obama, so who would I rather see in office since Hillary's not an option..? Simply put, if you want to argue with me about politics, you're wasting your breath because I'm just as stubborn as you are. Everyone's right, and everyone's wrong, all at the same time.
After government last year, although I spent 95% of my time staring at Mr. Sera, and 4% of my time just listening to his voice, the other 1% of the time I did happen to comprehend a few things. The most obvious, and probably most over-used statement ever: everyone's corrupt. We're not going to find true, honest people in politics. We have to accept that. And we also have to accept that people are going to argue over pointless subjects, no matter what. The constant bickering throughout this election, well in every election, is justifiable. Everyone needs some heated debates to make sure the public understands their opinions. But leave it to the politicians to debate, PLEASE. I have so much respect for the people, when asked who they're voting for, say something like "I keep that to myself" or "It's none of your business". Because once people declare their positions, arguments brew. It's better off if you keep your stance to yourself. If you oppose something one of the candidates say, so be it. But don't take it so far that you have to personally attack others for supporting that candidate. Wow, re-reading my blog, it's really ambiguous.. but I'm done.
I can’t believe that Election Day was today. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in the last row of AP Government class discussing this monumental election. But I have to say, it’s about time for this election to come to a close. I really don’t want to hear anymore about what each candidate will do if they are president. I don’t want to hear any more promises. I just want one of them to become the president and actually take some action! Even if the candidate I want to win doesn’t (Obama), I’m sure their opponent will do their best to fix our country and I can’t criticize them until I give them a shot to show me “what they got.”
I know that I’m not the only one who has seen the nonstop campaign for each candidate in the past few weeks. And when I watch these public announcements, I realize the strategies both men are trying to initiate. Last year for government we read the book Hardball, which talks about how exactly the game of politics is played. And it was really astonishing to read about all the things a politician must do to survive in the government like spinning an issue/story or getting close to your enemies. It makes me wonder… how far will these presidential candidates go in order to win?
One aspect of both Obama and McCain’s campaign that I don’t like very much, if at all, is when they speak badly about one another whether its in magazine ads or TV commercials. I know this is part of the game they call politics, but I don’t think a person (a respectable person) should resort to this. It’s a pretty low route to resort to and it shows a side of both men that I don’t care for. After all, one of these men will be our next president for the next four years and I really want to be able to trust them in that position, but I can’t do that if I don’t respect them.
To be honest, the election came so fast that I haven’t really been able to absorb everything that has happened in each candidate’s campaign. I wouldn’t really say that I am walking away from this election with a new found sense of purpose. This election and politics and government in general are not areas I want to wet my feet in. I rather not get involved. For one, I don’t think I could take the pressure. Two, I wouldn’t ever know who I could trust or not. I know I might be a little cynical, but I feel like every person in government is just trying to get ahead. Even with this presidential election, its just two men trying to get ahead and up in the ranks. But I’m not really blaming it on Obama or McCain for my dislike in politics. From the very beginning, I knew that I didn’t like that lifestyle- all the wheeling and dealing. That’s why I could figure out very early that I would never want a job dealing with the government.
Alice: LOL thx. I still hate politics and will probably never like them. If you ran for president I'd vote for you!! Alice for president!!!
President Obama.
Politics. Quite a nasty little critter. Just the name makes me shudder in boredom and confusion. Boredom because politics does not interest me, and my lack of interest often leads to confusion in politics. Just saying.
Firstly, I am in no way a politician nor will I ever be. Leading up to today’s election however, has given me a lot of insight into the politician’s world, and what they go through. It’s not just fun and games, but real hard work. To be able to sway the population to vote for you is difficult. It takes influence, charisma, and money. The amount of money that goes into campaigning did come as a surprise. I never realized just how much had to go into it. So technically, you have to go into this election being either popular or rich. Or have the ability to become very popular quickly. This is what fueled all the propaganda for the candidates.
The amount of propaganda was nuts! These past few weeks were the worst. I couldn’t go onto a channel on the television without hearing some ad or another about one candidate or the other. WHAT a nuisance. The only channels they were safe were Disney, ABC Family, Nick, and Cartoon Network. Which is finnnnnnne with me! These continuous ads grew tiresome to watch, and in turn, made me watch less and less TV. Plus, I very rarely tended to deviate from those 4 listed channels other than to watch House, which also had ads on it. DARN IT. It definitely did not make me more energetic, but the opposite. It made me just sick of politics, and the whole process of getting a decent President.
Thank goodness it is finally election day. THANK GOODNESS. I knew that politics were dirty, and the stuff that they did up isn’t too flattering, but I never knew it was this bad. This was just ridiculous. It definitely left me with a bad taste of politics in my mouth that made me not want to vote for either candidate! (Given that I would have voted could I have.) It just got so bad that each candidate tried to uncover stuff about the other candidate in ways that backfired, and made them look bad. I don’t know. Doesn’t seem like such a great trait or tactic to use. However, that’s just me. Whatever floats these crazy politicians boats. :)
Now for a song that has absolutely nothing to do with politics, well…maybe it could. =)
So,
SO WHAT I'm still a rock star
I got my rock moves
And I don't need you
And guess what
I'm havin more fun
And now that were done
I'm gona show you tonight
I'm alright
I'm just fine
And you're a tool so
SO WHAT
I am a rock star
I got my rock moves
And I don't want you tonight
Prezz Obama!
I don't want to killed for my opinion, but yea... I didn't really like Obama. Personally, I liked McCain for his experience, for his view that we are a nation of competitiveness [AP Kids] and unity, and how he'll keep the small businesses going. I mean, it's not to say that Obama won't be a good president, but I don't know. After Government and Cervi's class... I don't really want a socialistic type economy! We're a frickin' capitalist economy!!!
Ahem, I also like the government a little less powerful which is one of the main reasons I like the republican platform better. I mean, I can understand that the entitlement programs, like Medicare and Social Security, are good for us, but it makes us even more reliant on the government! I don't want to give more control to a corrupt government! That's why I went from being a die-hard Clinton supporter to a McCain supporter after Government.
Sigh...why am I even ranting this early in the morning when I should be getting ready for school?
Anyways, thank you, Harleen! I will do all I can to make this a great nation again. With all of the responsibilities handed to me, I will make the best possible choice so that we as a nation will benefit as a whole! I thank you for your support!
Just kiddin', I'm not actually running for President. But if I was running for pres, that's probably what I'd say, haha.
Peace out, my fellow Americans!
Hey mattyw, did yoiu get my email for my post yet? let me know If I have to resend it.
I think that this recent election just made me actually care less about
the presidency then what I cared for it before. To be quite honest,
I've never really cared about who we had as a President (I grew up not
caring about the President, why should I have to start now?) or for who
we have in Congress, Senate, and the Supreme Court (I personally
believe that it was this lack of interest that ultimately doomed my
chances of passing AP Government last year above a C.) Now this isn't
to say that I won't, on occasion, say things about what I like or
dislike about a candidate, but I personally don't care about who wins
either way. Both candidates are good, moral, men with some kind of
background in the government and have standing morals and beliefs that
are not subject to change. Both are committed to the country and will
do what they believe needs to be done to keep said country and the
people inside of it safe. Both want to help protect the people from
pains, crises, and danger and still have the citizens keep their civil
liberties. Both are good men, why should it truly matter who wins?
I know that some of us are touchy on the War subject, but will what
one or the other want make a difference on what we'll do over seas? We
can't tell how the situation is right now, will we be able to pull out
or will we have to stay? The President won't be able to make that
decision until some more time progresses. Same goes for the topics of
healthcare, income, the environment, and the economy. We simply won't
know what will happen until we come to that bridge and cross it. It
doesn't matter what the President believes we should do if, at the time
of suggestion, what he wants isn't an available and valid option.
Now don't get me wrong, I know that the candidates running are
different and have their own agendas, but, the way I look at it, those
won't come into play until at least two to three years into their term.
The future President will have to deal with the issues at hand and,
chances are, their opinion won't matter since Congress and Senate rule
on the majority of the issues that face the nation so it won't matter.
Not until the new President has gotten use to how things run in the
White House will we really get to see how he has established himself.
and even then, we may not be able to fully see the repercussions of
those actions for several more years. So maybe it doesn't matter who
wins. We honestly can't say. And this is why, partially, I don't care
who become President.
I know that there are good and bad sides about both candidates, and
those I'll go over briefly now. Good: Obama has charisma and will, no
doubt, be able to unite the nation if the need arise. McCain has had
years of experience and knows how the government works, making him a
good leader should a crisis arise. Bad: Obama is young and has had
little experience with the government, which could prove to be
problematic. McCain looks as though he's about to keel over and die
and, with the pressures of the Presidency, he may have to leave office
before his term is over. But keep in mind, no matter what happens,
things are either going to get better or they're going to get worse.
The really question is when you're getting screwed over by the
government, do you want it to be by an old white guy or a young
half-white guy?
But hell knows that I am not going to complain either way. You see,
I've realized something not to long ago about politics, and this is
partially why people will near to never hear me complain about
politicians: They're only human. Where do people think that
politicians come from- the sky? Our current, past, and future leaders
are just like us. They're humans, raised with human ideas, morals, and
standards. They're shaped by personal and social experiences like the
rest of us and are raised by human parents with their own ideals and
beliefs. We can't blame the politicians for the worlds problems if
they have the same ideas as other humans, if they, themselves, are only
human. We're all Americans here people, so are our leaders. They were
born in America, live in America, and chances are that they will die in
America. Our politicians are human Americans, just like us. Isn't it
time we cut them just a little slack?
In short, my opinion on the government hasn't truly changed all that
much.
TAP THAT!
And Sarah, yeah, Palin is just a little insane in the membrane. Of
course she can see Alaska from her house! She frigging lives there!
(On a lighter side for Palin, my two uncles and their wives and
families all live in Alaska and they thought that Palin was a fantastic
governor. She really knew how to get the state to work together and
organize how it was supposed to run. Palin is actually very bright
but, like us, she sometimes lacks common sense and says some dumb
things. She's only human.)
RANDOM FACT # 42: Mickey Mouse is the most commonly used for a
write-in candidate and if the President was selected solely from the popular vote, Mickey Mouse would have won the past nine elections. The last Presidential election would have been redone since Mickey Mouse and Homer Simpson tied for the win.
Alice for President? Not yet. I think she needs a little more training. But definitely for Congress. Any backing that she needs I will provide.
To be honest, I’m just glad this is over. I support Obama, but it was really annoying to have my parents (particularly my mom) shove it down my throat. I was better informed on the issues. Her main stance was anti-GOP. It got to the point where she would ignore any sentence with the word Republican in it.
Normally she is intelligent and rational. But not where politics is concerned.
And on the other side, four of my cousins will not speak with me. Why? Because I let slip that I was an Obama supporter. So, I don’t get any baby pictures of the new-born Emma, or college advice from Jeff anymore.
In between, I have to wonder why the older generation is go given to extremes. Shouldn’t that be my job? I’m the teenager! Shouldn’t my parents be the voice of moderation?
And the political ads were painful. Really painful. Obama’s were mediocre to good, for the most part, but played into the ground. McCain… The only good ones for him were the ones he hadn’t approved. I seriously think he should have fired his entire advertising staff and replaced them with two high-schoolers working with a Casablanca. The result would have been somewhat effective, as opposed to just impossible. (I suspect he gave it to a committee. Advertising committees NEVER work!)
Palin… Do not speak her name. She was dreadful. I’m all for a woman in the White House, but dear God never that woman. Never. Sooner another century of only men.
I found myself watching this election like a horse-race. I couldn’t make it seem real to me… the result was so obvious. It was amusing, even intriguing, but I felt like it was just a show. It all looked staged. The charismatic youth, the people’s heart-throb, won by a landslide.
Oh, and I find it really disturbing that freshmen are going around looking forward to an upcoming assassination. It’s downright morbid, the amount they talk about it.
Anyway, thank God this is all over and we can go back to pseudo-sanity.
I don't want to killed for my opinion, but yea... I didn't really like Obama. Personally, I liked McCain for his experience, for his view that we are a nation of competitiveness [AP Kids] and unity, and how he'll keep the small businesses going. I mean, it's not to say that Obama won't be a good president, but I don't know. After Government and Cervi's class... I don't really want a socialistic type economy! We're a frickin' capitalist economy!!!
I'll just leave these here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsVimwm6xQ4&feature=related
and more importantly...
http://media.www.dailycampus.com/media/storage/paper340/news/2008/10/01/Commentary/U.s-Becoming.Socialist.It.Already.Is-3462780.shtml
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/john-farrell/2008/10/28/barack-obama-is-no-socialist.html
Just saying, moving to Canada and Britain is useless if you want to escape "Socialism." I'm not some die-hard Obama supporter, but that stupid bastardization of the word socialism pisses me off. A more appropriate word for his plan would be the below anyways.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_democracy
Wikipedia is good for getting the gist of things.
What have I learned? Hmmmm… nothing I didn’t know last year that’s for sure. I think we can all agree that last year's government class was awful but we basically talked about the nature of politics 45 minutes a day, 5 days a week. People vote for their own reasons whether they may be for their own selfish needs, they are ethnocentric, or they really actually care about the future of our country. Nothing really surprises me about this election. Its all about making your “plan for the future” appealing to the public, and having the support of your party then you got in.
What energy? I have none.. They, as in all the presidents, do the same thing in every every four years. They make empty promises. They are the fathers of our country. It doesn’t surprise me that they break them. Their promises are too good to be true. We will never defeat poverty if no one wishes to give up their money. No one person could accomplish that much especially one that doesn’t have that much power in the first place (Congress does) but as long as they leave me alone then I’m cool with it.
My purpose is definitely not in politics. It’s too much drama and I don’t need it in my young life. I’m pretty much feeling the same about politics as last school year. That’s when all the dirty work (Hilary vs.Obama)started and it just continued on to the general elections, when politicians tackled each other like if they were beasts. If you ask me that is not the type of people I want for president.
Sorry for my pessimism but I really hate politics and I really don’t think that any of the candidates deserved to be president. Neither of them had or should I say still have, an almost perfect plan to how to go about fixing the country. They just have suggestions for example, universal healthcare, but they don’t say HOW they are going do it. Most of their explanations involve the words, “If we work together anything is possible!”
Peace and Love,
Leonor
meg song ...
I feel the same about politics i liked this paragraph ..
The amount of propaganda was nuts! These past few weeks were the worst. I couldn’t go onto a channel on the television without hearing some ad or another about one candidate or the other. WHAT a nuisance. The only channels they were safe were Disney, ABC Family, Nick, and Cartoon Network. Which is finnnnnnne with me! These continuous ads grew tiresome to watch, and in turn, made me watch less and less TV. Plus, I very rarely tended to deviate from those 4 listed channels other than to watch House, which also had ads on it. DARN IT. It definitely did not make me more energetic, but the opposite. It made me just sick of politics, and the whole process of getting a decent President.
i just wanted 2 continue with my scheduled programming and i like those 4 channels sometimes 2 lol
yaay 4 politics sucking!
Leonor <3
RANDOM FACT # 42: Mickey Mouse is the most commonly used for a
write-in candidate and if the President was selected solely from the popular vote, Mickey Mouse would have won the past nine elections. The last Presidential election would have been redone since Mickey Mouse and Homer Simpson tied for the win.
You people should have already guessed what I'm doing for this blog.
It's quite likely that Mickey Mouse is the most popular write-in, but that number cannot be counted correctly. In most cases, nonsense votes are tossed out, such as this case:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/regionalpolitics/2002003080_writein12m.html
Oh, and I hope when you say popular vote, you mean within write-ins.
Ivan©, ruining people's fun since 1992. I should really start writing my own blog.
To Myra:
Touche. I really liked your post, and it's an eye-opener. Yes, both candidates want to help the country and will do their best should they get office. But, in a way, I think that maybe your attitude towards government might be a bit too broad. Please don't take this offensively! I just think that it's not just helping the nation but also their party's goal. Like for the Democrats, they want more government involved with the people whereas Republicans not so much. That could do a lot with what the candidates will do, you know? I mean, they will both want to help the people out, but still, they will be helping them out in ways that will harm one person more than the other. I don't know if I make sense, but yea...
As for Palin, really? I guess I really shouldn't listen to the media too much... what happened to her reminds me of what happened to Mr. Smith in that movie last year in Costal's, you know, the guy who was naive about how the media worked and it destroyed him. Well, at least I feel a little better about it. Thanks!
To Eva:
You think I can make it as a representative in Congress? That'd be a pretty interesting job.
As for the whole thing about the political race, all I have to say is "tell me about it!" I mean, that's why I just closed my ears when the ads came up. I hated the ads with all of its "gross-ness" but I have a question...(just my curiosity)
Do you think this election was as bad as the one from 2004? I mean, I don't know since I tried to be neutral until Mr. Cervi assigned the assignment... so yea... I stayed away from the news channels as if they were carrying the plague because most of them had a liberal bias... which isn't good for someone trying to be neutral at the time. Anyways, I was surprised that you would watch the race like that because I thought you also found government disgusting and stayed away from it. Are people actually talking about the assassination like that? I haven't really talked with any freshmen recently...
And true dat! Let's go back to our pseudo-sanity. Haha...
First of all, thank the heavens this election is finally over. I think most people share this sentiment; this particular election has driven people into opposite corners and unfortunately, I think, brought back old prejudices. Everyday for the past month while I was working, I heard at least one ridiculous argument of why if either McCain or Obama were elected we’d all die, just die. I had to bite my tongue quite a few times to keep from spouting off at the customer about how stupid and illogical they were being. One of my favorite arguments was about the current recession we are all suffering through. The funny thing is I heard this quite a few times but each time it was from a different person. So the older generation had major issues with the government getting involved with the “money”. I have no problem that, it is a legitimate concern whether or not we are heading the path of no return to a socialist-type economy. The thing is had any one of the four times I heard this argument and then heard that was the reason, I would have been elated to know someone actually seems to have a clue about what’s going on, but not once was that the reason. Every time the reason was always the same: “They didn’t do it for us, why should this generation get any special privileges”. Every time I would do a double take but they would repeat it. I was fuming. “Are you kidding me?” I would think to myself, “They don’t like this plan because it wasn’t what they got! Wow, there major reason for hating the rescue plan is envy and jealousy. How shallow!” This truly made me wonder what type of people were voting and if they vote check “yes” or “no” just because it wasn’t “what they got and why should anyone else get something different or better.” This thought truly scared me that people would deny a resolution just because it is better than what they had.
What else have I learned? Well, Sarah C just said it so well I should just quote her: “People are insane. On one side, you have the Obama supporters going, "If McCain gets elected, it will be another four years just like the Bush Administration, the world will end as we know it." On the other hand, we've got McCain supporters saying, "If Obama gets elected, he'll turn America into a socialist state, (and) the world will end as we know it." I have also heard that no matter who got elected the president would die and the VP would take over. Many people thought, from what I heard, McCain would have fallen down the steps of the White House and Obama, some still think, will be the target of an assassin. Well, so if the world doesn’t end, the life of the President will, what a happy thought. NOT!
I have also learned that Sarah Palin can see Russia from her house, which by the way is now on a t-shirt. Ok, that was wrong. However, I do wonder what in the world McCain was thinking when he picked her. He could have picked some other young, women unknown who knew how to compose herself better and actually had a clue what’s going on. What really gets me is that Palin had so many of these mishaps, it is one of the major reasons I was driven away from McCain. Should he die, which is possible, I don’t want her running the country, even if congress has all the true power. Poor Palin, from Russia to “what does the VP do?”, she really had a tough race but there is one thing she can be commended for and that’s her perseverance. Even after falling and failing, failing and falling, she got up. Although she did fall and fail many more times. OK, I’m done picking on her it’s mean and petty of me.
The ads were ridiculous. Every five seconds there was another one ready to brainwash its viewers into why its sponsor was the best “man” for the job. As Meg said, there were five safe channels and even Nick had a “kids pick the president” vote; we couldn’t escape it. Some ads were good and some not so much and some made me wonder what the heck I just saw. But most of them became repetitive and stupid. That is one thing I will definitely not miss about the campaigning. And I don’t think any of them had a major or even minor impact on my decision of whom I thought was better. I think all of the negativity expressed in them actually made me feel a little depressed but now that it is over, I feel much better.
Since government last year with Mr. Sera, I haven’t really liked anything about politics in general. The dirty, underhanded things some potiliticans do to get elected or stay in office is disgusting and should be outlawed but that will never happen. Since AP Gov I also seem to look at everything politics with a negative eye. I seem to notice every flaw with every system and almost am lost its good. This election seems to have amplified the darkness I see. I’m not saying that democracy or the US is bad, just that, to me it seems, most of the people running it are corrupt, power-hungry, jerks would crush anyone to get want they want, and that worries. So I can’t really say what feelings this particular political event has elicited and don’t really want to. I hope that, one Mr. Sera and his negative thoughts that are imbued in my mind will leave and I can once again see the good that we have hear.
One other thing, I have heard that if one candidate over the other had won, people were going to leave the country. I was aghast. What? They would leave just because of the president. Ok, that’s their choice but it seems odd. One thing I did learn last year in Gov is that the president, while being able to declare war and make treaties, has no real power and even those powers are limited by one body, Congress. That’s where all of the power lies. I have told so many people that and they still refuse to believe it. Of all the people we should worry about, the president should be second when compared to congressmen/women and senators. They make the laws, pass resolutions, and pretty much dictate the way the country is run. They are like the puppeteers, controlling the lives of the American citizens.
In all, this election could have been much worse; there could have been riots and shootings and all kinds of mayhem that would have degraded America, thankfully that hasn’t happened. All I can hope for is that Obama and everyone else does their job well, there are no major outbreaks of violence and rebellion and those politicians keep themselves to a high moral standard.
Random Fact Time:
Richard Wisemen did a survey experiemnt to find the worlds' funniest joke (family-friendly). This is what he found to be the funniest:
"A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn't seem to be breathing, his eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps to the operator: 'My friend is dead! What can I do?' The operator, in a calm soothing voice, says: 'Just take it easy. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead.' There is a silence, then a shot is heard. The guy's voice comes back on the line. He says: 'OK, now what?'"
I am so sick and tired of politics. All the media bashing and cruel attacks between the opponents is way past the point of ridiculous. If I had a vote, I think I would vote against Barack Obama simply because I was so tired of seeing his face during every single commercial break. If someone who was living under a rock for the last six months turned on the television for an hour, they might think Obama was running uncontested. Obama is the first candidate to ever buy advertisement in a video game (Madden 09) and his thirty-minute infomercial was also a first. No wonder he won so easily; the simple fact that his face was plastered everywhere probably garnered him thousands of votes. For the last month, we have been inundated by flurries of attacks volleying back and forth between the candidates. They spend so much time going at each other’s throats, pointing out each other’s faults, that they completely ignore the point, which is to establish their positions on the troubles facing our country today. Most times, they take the other’s words completely out of context. The McCain commercial in which we hear Joe Biden’s voice announcing, “Within six months, the world will test Barack Obama” comes to mind. What we don’t hear is Biden proclaiming that Obama will prove he has a “spine of steel”. Are constant lying and underhandedly attacking the character of others the kind of virtues that the leader of our country should be displaying? And the worst part is, we’ve come to expect this type of behavior. Politics are awful. All they really do is create even more separation in our country, which is the last thing we need in these times. The creation of parties develops rift amongst us, which is something our first president, George Washington, warned about: "The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism." It’s amazing that he said this in the 1700’s, and not today.
I am glad this election is finally over, so we can stop hearing the media ripping someone apart over any shred of evidence they can find that proves their target did something wrong in their past. These are human beings we’re talking about, not gods walking among us who should do no wrong. Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin bore the brunt of these personal assaults. Any information of wrongdoing in her past was eaten up by the media and spewed out to the country as reasons why she is unfit to be in Washington. I think the media’s aggression is even worse than that between the candidates, because they have nothing to gain for themselves by ruining the reputation of a person they don’t even know. On the subject of constant promises for a brighter future, better economy, more jobs, etc., I hardly believe any of those vows. Promises, to politicians, mean absolutely nothing. They are simply a means of swaying voters with their smooth talk. These oaths are a list of sweet nothings that are sold to the American public to give us a sense of security and hope. Until their actions speak louder than their words, I’m not buying any of it. I would love to believe that everything they tell us is true, but in my lifetime I’ve grown cynical concerning anything the government feeds us. The concept of parties and politics has lost my respect throughout the entire process of choosing the man to run our country in its most trying of times.
Morgan: I hate the fact that people are voting (or not voting) for Obama simply because of his race. It’s amazing how ignorant people can be. Skin color should be the last thing on voter’s minds when deciding who the President of the United States should be. I saw something online where someone took a poll and switched Obama’s views on the major topics of debate with McCain’s views. He then told the people of Obama’s views (really McCain’s) and asked them who they would vote for. They still said Obama. This simple experiment shows how uneducated our society is concerning politics, even in one of the most important elections in American history.
Erik:
Your blog was so insightful and the George washington quote made it all the better. I know exactly how you feel about the negative ads and all of the character destruction that comes about from it. I, too, am gld the election is finally over. Erik, once again, tour blog was amazing, no joke or exaggeration. It really was, so kudos to you.
I haven't learned much about other people in this election, but I've sure learned a LOT about myself. First, I learned that I'm not easily pleased. I've scoured far and wide for a candidate, Republican or Democrat, that I felt would be a good President. I couldn't find a single one. All I could see in the candidates were flaws and possible failures. I don't know if it was just because these people's lives are so magnified in society, or if it had something to do with the severity of the position at hand, but every single candidate I researched I had a problem with. "This one's too cocky." or "She's single-sided." or "He's too ambitious." and other various criticisms kept popping through my head each and every time I heard their name. I couldn't, for the life of me, see ANY of them being a suitable president.
This constant nitpicking of mine occurs outside of the political scene, as well. I'm much more likely to pick out someone's weaknesses than their strengths, no matter how high in esteem I hold them. I have a hard time looking at the positive aspects of human nature, and instead focus solely on the negatives. I see the scabs and tumors that cover human nature; the greed, the manipulation, the deciet. I diagnose weaknesses in others. I look for the insecure, the greedy, and the short tempered. I can't help it. I just sort of.. happens.
I never realized why I did this until a few months ago, and since then the realization has haunted me constantly. I look for these things for two reasons: 1) I am so obsessed with my own flaws that I can't bear the fact that others are without them, and 2) Because, self conciously, I study them so that I may take advantage of them at a later time. I'm one of my toughest critics. The comments and thoughts of others don't have much of an impact on me, but I will eat myself up over the smallest things. I know I am far from perfect, yet I wish to create perfection with my flaws. I try to strengthen my weak spots, to take advantage of them and use them to my benefit. For example: I am the first to admit that I have a short temper, and I'm apt to go off at any second. Picking and choosing my battles has always been a problem for me, because I see everything as a personal injustice. My anger usually gets my into trouble, and I've made more than enough enemies from my quick tongue, but, I find, that embracing my anger actually makes me stronger. I find that controlled anger yields more empassioned and powerful means of communication. When I am angry, my speeches become more lively, my writing more insightful, and my mannerisms more emphasized. For this reason, I try to keep check on all of my weaknesses in order to transform them into strengths. I do this with others, as well, although my intentions are a bit more malicious. I see weaknesses in people, and, although I do not act upon them, I record them for later use. I never realized I did this until I caught myself plotting the demise of an insecure coworker. The realization, although quite schocking, hasn't changed my life any. As horrible as that sounds, I still do it. I doubt I'll ever stop.
The election has also made me question our governmental structure. I don't think that we should rid ourselves of democracy, but I am suggesting that maybe some modifications to our outdated system would benefit us. I already have some ideas for these modifications, but I'd prefer not to divulge them. We are at a critical point in history, and such critical times require critical changes. We need to take action instead of holding tiresome and never-ending debates. Otton von Bismark told us that the decisions of our time would be made not through words, but through iron and blood. His words apply to us now more than ever, although maybe not so dramatically. Talking is obviously getting us nowhere. We need to take decisive action in order to get the changes we want.
Finally, I've learned that I can't stand the hordes of mindless, brainwashed, American idiots who've been infected with the Obama fever, and that I'm disgusted by the "mavericks" chanting McCain's name. Every where I turn I get into arguments with people, trying to get them to see both sides of either candidate. If someone supported one candidate, I would immediately jump to the defense of the other, and vice versa. What does this say about my personality? I'm not sure. If I didn't know myself any better, I'd say that I like to stir up trouble. But there's a method to my madness, and I'm sure there's a reason that I assume formlessness rather than picking a concrete side.
During the course of this election, I've become even more engrossed with politics and power, and I obsess over it daily. I hunger for power, to be perfectly frank, and I know that one day, I will get what I deserve, whether it be the title of World Dictator or a cell in the local mental institution. I can't tell which would be a more suitable fate.
I already kinda sorta responded to Sarah's, but I'll respond to another. :)
Alice: I would totally vote for you for President. Just saying. And I love the racist/sexist part, it made me laugh. :D
YOU'D BE THE BEST PRESIDENT EVER. >:l
Alice, I think you have exactly the mind and ideals for politics, but your name is not the most political sounding. Vote for Hu? You'd need a really catchy slogan. Gotta say though, I'd vote for you.
Alice, most of them actually forgot to vote. YAY.
Myra, "Alaska" was a typo. I meant to say "Russia". Still, Sarah Palin might have said the first one anyway.
Also, how hard is it to organize a state with a population of 20 people max (counting the peoplesicles)?
And, I don't really care if she was a good governor. Sarah Palin doesn't even know what the VP position entails. Generally, when someone wants a job, they should know what that job IS.
Just saying.
Danny
Alice's slogan would totally be, "Vote for Who? Alice Hu!" and then on the bottom would be "don't be rascist. Or sexist."
Oh god, I AM addicted to the blog!
The road to becoming president is often referred to as a game. A game where if you make the right moves, spend enough money, and convince enough people, you win. It has a following larger that World of Warcraft’s, and people spend their entire lives palying, striving to be the best. This latest election is just the newest version of the game called Politics. Its got new levels, improved graphics, and of course, is the most expensive to date. As a gamer, it would be expected that I would love this game. But there’s one thing about it that turns me away, Politics has real consequences. When an economic stimulus plan fails, real people lose their homes. When social security cannot keep up with the millions that need it, real people go hungry. And when a president decides to go to war, real people die. The presidency is too serious a thing to be considered “a game.”
Last night as I watched the election, I was disgusted and annoyed by what I was hearing. Every time some outline of a state would appear on my screen, some reporter would say something like, “Obama is expected to win Connecticut because of his superior ground game." This bothered me for two reasons. Firstly, what the hell is a ground game? Did McCain have a better air game? Or were the F-16’s dragging “Vote for McCain” banners just convincing migrating ducks. And second, why should Obama win the state of Connecticut because he put more time and money into the state? The amount of money a presidential candidate spends does not correlate with how well that can handle the presidency. I become frustrated when people vote for someone, not on their issues, but for their convincing commercials.
I look at the political scene with a scowl on my face. Each candidate has one goal, getting elected, and they will do anything they can to achieve it. They spend millions of dollars buying voters. They put their names on signs, and faces on Youtube to try to win the favor of the nation. They know people are fickle, willing to sway their vote the way of the popular wind, and they try their hardest to take advantage of it. Politicians have successfully made a game out of the selection of the most powerful man in the world, and I fear it will one day come back to haunt us.
To Ivan:
I don't know what is up with you, but it was just speculation. Democrats want the government to be more involved in life like, maybe, the expansion of entitlement programs? From that, and the fact that his stance is very liberal, it would seem socialistic to me. Socialism, if I can recall, is "an economic system in which the basic means of production are primarily owned and controlled collectively, usually by government under some system." So, it would seem that he wanted a socialistic economy. I'm not saying that that'll be what he does, but chill. I'm not killing Obama for it. Jeez...
I will be the first to admit that I am not the most informed American out there. Throughout this whole election, and especially recently, I have tried my hardest to pay attention and watch the news for the facts (or at least the facts that the bias news wanted to provide me). From the beginning, I never thought the country would even consider having a black man seriously run for president, so when he became the democratic big guy, I was shocked. After that whole buzz died down, I then started hearing from my dad and the news that he was expected to win the presidency by a landslide. I couldn’t believe this as much as I wanted to. I just had a feeling republicans already in government would somehow get McCain into the white house, even if that is not how America decided to vote. Because of the past presidential election, I most definitely had my doubts in our government.
It seems like this campaigning ordeal has been ten years long. The candidates’ beliefs, ideas for change, and character assassinations of each other greatly infuriated me. Hearing over and over just how terrible and devious the other one was made it difficult for me to decide who I liked better. I felt like the good qualities of each candidate should have been addressed a bit more than the bad things about the opposing candidate. I understand that they both had the desire to win, and therefore wanted to tell the American people why they are obviously better, but at times it seemed very childish and petty. Especially the health care issue, and when voice recordings with obvious alterations were used. I feel that Obama did the better job with ignoring McCain and addressing how he was going to change America which I believe made him seem like the stronger candidate. I really wanted to barf but at the same time sigh with relief when Obama started his campaign of “change we can believe in.” I knew that the American people would give into this strategy because who doesn’t want change? Obviously there would be a change after the polls had been tallied. But I have to say that in the end, I really find myself rooting for this proposed change. It will do our country good to unite under Obama and progress as a country.
Last night was when the polls finally started to close and the results started to trickle in. I really felt the rush of excitement that only something as big as this historic election could cause. I found myself truly interested in our government on my own. No teachers pressuring me to pay attention at home. No parents forcing me to take initiative in understanding our government. It was just me and the remote glued to the table that were trying to suck in and retain all the information being thrown around during those critical hours. Slowly and one by one, the big Electoral College states turned blue. The early predictions (even though most of them were still 0% to 0% and I still don’t know how they can call that! Even the raw votes were like 5 votes to 3 votes?! ) proved to be true. I couldn’t believe that Obama was in the lead. I was so happy that America had not failed me. For once. I was sure I had figured out the mind set of America, and therefore given up all hopes, thinking that racism was still just too alive for Obama to be voted in. During this whole process, I had favored Obama. I really had hopes that him becoming president would finally end a lot of the ignorance and beliefs in this country that there are no intelligent, able African Americans out there to take on high rolls in America (and the presidency, I’m pretty sure, is the highest?!). I just HAD to go to sleep early last night because I was just too tired to be able to function the next day. So when I woke up and asked my dad what happened, he told me the good news. I still half expected to wake up and find 1000 year old McCain with his big yellow toothed smile and that coot of an Alaskan standing next to him with her poofed hair proudly waving (waist high) to his “friends” who consisted of old white people. I really respect McCain for his war merits and all the extreme torture he was forced to endure, but his age was what killed it for me. I couldn’t bear to stand the thought of him keeling over a year into the presidency, giving the United States of America to a woman who.. well.. knows pretty much nothing about anything but her isolated governed area of Alaska. Needless to say, I was overjoyed to see that Obama had retained his place at the top through the night. I honestly think that he can bring positive change to America. Maybe I’ve been tricked by his charisma, but I’m willing to at least give him a chance to prove that he means what he has been saying all along. It will be nice to get things back on track and finally have a respectable president in office.
If I learned anything from AP gov last year it is this, don't trust politicians even those who tell you not to trust them. That being said this election has only served to increase my distrust of the government and further distance myself from politics. This election looks to be another one of empty promises and forgotten oaths. This statement pertains most to Obama whose wild acclaims and ideas have no support base due to his inexperience and the fact that he has never and I repeat NEVER passed any legislation. He has absolutely zero credibility and yet people flock to him. I consider it the choice between an earnest fool and a corrupt intellectual, at least as far as political experience goes. That’s why I honestly believed Hillary was the absolute best choice. She supported all of my opinions on healthcare, social security, abortion, energy and taxes although I don't agree with her position on the Iraq war. She has proven time and again that she will pursue her claims such as the years she spent fighting for universal healthcare until she was completely shut down by corporate conglomerates. She had the experience to lead and from my view the right opinions. And then there is McCain who really isn't that different from the other two candidates. If you really go and look at the issues you'll find he basically has all the same opinions on major issues as the other two candidates, with exceptions being the war, taxes and abortion. But for the most part he follows the democrats but with a more cautious air. So we could be here and talk politics all day but the point I want to make is that for all the bustling and fighting we are looking at three roughly identical people.
Now this brings me to my biggest problem with the election. The media. They have distorted and skewed the candidates to make them look nothing like their actual selves. They had so obviously picked a favorite from the start and then exploited the two opposing candidates. They were given no reprieve from the constant abuses of the media and therefore the fickle public saw the constant attack and thought that if all these people hate the candidate they must be bad. So now we've got the entire country pinned against someone when they really have no idea why.
My second big issue with the election is the single issue voters. I never really understood how much of a problem it is until today. Way too Americans vote on single issues and are not educated as to the opinions of the candidates. They vote because Obama is black or Palin is a woman, they don't really have any insight as to what the candidates really offer. This type of one track mindset can only lead to an increasingly unintelligent population who are generally uninformed about the mechanics of our political system.
Never before have a felt so helpless and alone in an election than I have in this one. For the first time I felt that if I voted my opinion would not count. Maybe this is because this election was the first of my time to have been a blow out, but I think the answer is larger than that. When faced with such huge powers like the media and big business you actually do have no say. When a word from their mouths can sway millions, you can barely convince one person to your side. The point I want to make is that America has become a place where your voice is not heard unless you're a big dog. This concept should seem vile to us as a people because of the values this country was made off of, but we just accept it blindly as another thing that is out of our grasp. So when did it happen? When did Americans let control of the government slip away from us? the answer is all around us; computers, the internet, iPods, cell phones, headphones, video games it is all just isolation. After we became entwined within our little worlds it was as if the jail guards had left the prison and the prisoners went wild. With no one paying attention to legislation or to jeep those in power in check, they went on to run havoc with the government.
All together this is just depressing. I was always taught you have a say and you have a voice, but you don't. This world is ever increasingly becoming one of big business and even bigger powers. We can't hope to ever be heard unless we become big business which is something I refuse to do. All we can do now is wait, wait for the days when the government has total control and strangulates our lives. Because if you think about it, this all can't last forever. some day it will all come crashing down, the elaborate spires and structures of the government come down in flames, whether to another power or at the hands of its citizens. To what extent will we have to go before people realize what’s happening? That’s a scary thought to consider as you read this and then just go answer a text as you sink back into the system. God damn all of this, god damn it all.
People think this is the turn of an era. That this will pick up the economy and bring us to the height of world power. Well I hope everyone’s misguided hopes are shot right back at them as we experience a decline that the world has never seen. Then maybe then the power will be back in the hands of the people. But you can still curl up in bed at night and look at your ceiling and you'll think everything will be alright, the lights might dim but it always gets brighter. I hope that thought comforts you but just remember it’s always darkest just before it goes pitch black.
In response to Sarah c's blog:
I really think people need to lay off of palin. Why are we so enthralled with having a perfect android working in the Whitehouse? Frankly I trust Palin a lot more than any of those corrupt bastards others presidents have chosen. She is more like one of us than anyone else running atm. yes her lapses of thought and ......interesting ideas make her look like a fool, but I’d love to have someone like that in office. Someone who is not so elite and perfect compared to other Americans. You know what’s crazier than a black president? Having a soccer mom as president. It would really just prove to America that this is not all about being a suit and tie. It’s still a human organization and not some programmed armada.
“TV. Plus, I very rarely tended to deviate from those 4 listed channels other than to watch House, which also had ads on it. DARN IT. It definitely did not make me more energetic, but the opposite. It made me just sick of politics, and the whole process of getting a decent President.”
Meggg,
Haha :] of course House is worth the risk of seeing a few presidentially based commercials! But I was also sickened by the number of adds run and the tiresome negative messages. It made me mad at myself for taking such a dislike in politics and trying to tune out reality. I think that by doing this, I put myself at a disadvantage. I can see years down the road when my kids ask me about the issues Obama brought up (him being the first black man to become president will obviously go down in history books) for their homework assignments saying “Oh honey, I don’t remember. I tried to avoid the ads.” I really hope I am able to recall this historic event for years to come even though its significance has probably not completely hit me yet.
In the words of the late and great Douglas Adams, “Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.” Judging by the current election, I must reaffirm my opinion that Douglas Adams is always right. The only man for the job would be someone completely unaware he was ruling the country, as he would be the only one immune from all the fighting, bickering, squabbling, and general tomfoolery involved with politics.
The squabbling, while revolting, is ultimately a good thing for America. We spend the entire election bemoaning the character assassination and attack ads, then do it again in another four years. Why? Well, first off, there is the obvious explanation that it is a good way to get votes. Secondly, it is an excellent tool to build confidence in the voting public. The majority of people in the nation are apparently Obama supporters, judging by last night. However, a significant number of these are independents, people who would not always vote for a democrat, and people who will be revolted at their choice when Obama messes up. The attack ads show us exactly how the maybe-presidents have messed up in the past, and their supporters rise to defend them and gain a hatred for the other guy. With the little things politicians dredge up about their opponents, nothing that comes out about their pasts during their presidency would have the drastic impact it would during the campaign. So ultimately, the media circus reinforces faith in the president by desensitizing us to the evils in their hearts.
But the Circus is part of the job. It takes a cutthroat person to get to the top, which is why I'm afeared if Nancy Pelosi *shudder* gets the presidency when Obama gets shot and Biden kicks the bucket. (At only 6 years younger than McCain, he's due any time now.) Women have to be doubly cutthroat to get through the possibly illusory glass ceiling that's (maybe) there. So they're all scary, desparate people, willing to cut their friends throats for a vote or two, who are entirely unfit for the job. So, this period of anger and fear and hate and attacks within ourselves may be depressing, but it's the only thing keeping us from ripping each other apart when we find out who we really elected. Bad for morale, good for the campaign.
MORGAN:
"I usually keep my opinion to myself if it has to do with politics and religion because I know that you can’t argue with people about those things, and those are two fight provoking discussions, as we know from Cervi’s class. Those are two things where you can argue as much as you want, but you can’t change the way someone else thinks"
^That about sums up my feelings on politics. Basically, somehow everyone is right with governement and solving the issues of our society. Arguing and sometimes even using brain cells to ponder these elections feels like a waste of my time.
We’ve witnessed a lot in this election. We have seen vicious attack ads, some of which were proven lies. Through this election I have seen some of the most creative and, surprisingly, effective ways of getting voters attention. McCain sacrificed his VP position in the hopes of getting conservative and post-Hilary Clinton supporters. The mainstream media was greatly utilized in this election as well. Obama and Joe Bidden both appeared on The John Stewart show. Obama and his wife, Michelle appeared on Oprah. McCain and Palin both appeared multiple times on the Saturday Night Live show. Obama also purchased a half hour time slot on three major networks.
I have come to realize that in American politics, any thing can happen. During the primaries critics of Barrack Obama said, “America isn’t ready for a black president.” Obviously, since America just voted Obama the next president, they were wrong. I have learned that it’s possible to like both candidates that nothing is set in stone, especially when it comes to voter opinion. Democrats don’t have to vote Democrats and Republicans vice versa. Many life long party members crossed over party lines to vote for the candidate of their choice. I think, considering past elections, that this was a remarkably clean election. Never did I hear any candidate call another a “monster” or any sort of slander. In fact both candidates said “____ is a great man, and a dear friend with great ideas, but___,” at least a dozen times. An example of the excellent composure both candidates had on the campaign trail would be when McCain was at a rally and several audience members began shouting racist remarks involving Obama. McCain stopped the rally and publicly berated the bigots, calling them out for their racist ways. A few days later Obama, during his rally, told his supporters of McCain’s deed and thanked McCain. Towards the end of the campaign, the claws started to come out, but that’s only natural when your 270 electoral votes away from the most important job in America. The candidates proved to me, that campaigns are not always dirty. I hope future presidential candidates take note. One of the reasons I had such a hard time picking, between Obama and McCain, was that they were both extremely likeable and professional.
I feel I’ve walked away informed. I believe I’m better prepared for the day when I can cast my ballot. I realize now when I get my chance to vote, I’ll need to be well educated about my candidate. One thing that has angered me about this election is what I call, a mob-mentality-vote. Millions jumped on the Obama bandwagon. Now I rooted for Obama because we agree on important issues, but I heard of incident where people in the streets were asked, “Do you think Palin will be a great VP for Obama?” and those people responded with “yeps, yeahs, and go Obama’s. It scares me when people vote these ways.
Harleen----
I agree with you about Palin. She’s awfully clueless about what the job of vice president entails. During an interview, she said she would make sure her opinion was heard in the Senate. As a former AP government student, out of shame I put my head in my hands. In the Senate, vice presidents do not give their opinion, they remain silent. In the event of a tie, they cast the deciding vote. Other than that, the vice president has no other duties to the Senate and doesn’t attend most Senate sessions. Palin is unqualified, not to mention unprepared, to be vice president. If she became president of the United States, I’d move to Canada.
Well, after AP government last year my mind is fried. It's like the part of my brain that used to be interested in politics is turned off. After May 6, I simply did not care about anything dealing with the election. It was really weird, because I have always had an opinion when it came to politics...
Anyway, Mr. Cervi made us write an essay about which candidate we would vote for, so I found myself doing some research and forming an opinion. Regardless, I still felt mildly uninterested. The media saturation has only helped to feed into my "I-don't-care" attitude. I think that whether or not I had taken government last year, I would still feel bitter about this election. I HATE the he-said-she-said nonsense, and the dumb people running around like chickens with their heads cut off, spewing uneducated opinions and totally biased views at anyone who has ears. It's quite ridiculous. I completely agree with Alice when she says:
"Really...I don't want this country to be based on the majority who has no idea why their voting for the candidate other than the fact that they are black (Obama), they are old (McCain) or they're female (Palin *shudders*). It's just sad really."
It is sad. People in this country are so crazy. Half of them have NO IDEA what the hell they are talking about when it comes to politics. Really, in all honesty, the President doesn't do squat. They are a figurehead who takes the blame of the Congress's mistakes. Apparently nobody knows this, as every 4 years the whole country makes a huge deal out of elections. If we had any sense in the world, we would take more time and place more value on who we voted into Congress. But whatever, it is what it is.
This election has taught me that people are so quick to form an opinion, often based off of nothing. In homeroom the other day (my favorite class), a few kids were talking politics. They were discussing Obama vs. McCain, and I could not believe my ears. Seriously, I have never heard more bullshit in my whole life. They were talking about Obama and how he was going to lower taxes, fix the economy, help the poor people, change our whole country. He might, don't get me wrong, but seriously. They were so earnest, so sure, so confident. I just felt like saying, "HOW?" Because every politician out there talks the talk but never walks the walk. It's so easy to stand up at a podium, smile, and tell people that everything is going to be okay. But when it comes time to actually do something, things get a little scary. I cannot believe how dumb people are for not realizing this. They really do not understand the intricacies of government, and how difficult it really is to inspire change. This election, more then any one before, has shown me just how uneducated American citizens are.
This election has left me with a very bad taste, but I can admit that I'm starting to become more intrigued now that I know Obama is the new President. I can feel that little space in my brain starting to perk up. I can't wait to see what happens, and how things turn out when he takes office. I have no idea what's going to happen, and I prefer to keep my opinions to myself on this matter. Yet, as Mr. Cervi says, PRESIDENT Obama is "flying by the seat of his pants." I already know that if things go wrong, my dad has an exit plan ready, and we're headed to Norway :) Hahah, who knows? Obama may be the best thing that has ever happened to the United States of America. Whatever happens will no doubt be interesting, that's for sure. We're in for a ride.
To Maegan Reese:
Don't look at yourself that way!!! You're my idol! You're the reason I have been able to break out of my shell and fight for what I believe in (though I'll admit I get into some fights that I shouldn't get into, but nevertheless, you're still awesome). You can ask some of my friends. I remember talking about how I wished to be more out there like you. You are awesome, so don't worry too much about your flaws or anything like that.
Also, I can kinda understand what you mean when you go for the underdog's side. It's good though because you're very knowledgeable about everything, you know? It's cool!!
And thanks. ^_^ Who knows? Maybe you'll run against me one day because I think you'd make a better one, personally. You're much better at arguments than I am, so you'll beast at the debates.
To Danny P:
I would? -////- Thanks everyone... I didn't think I would make a good candidate... I just thought it'd be fun to say that. Thank you for your vote though! I feel a bit more confident about being a politician!
Also for the slogan, I like the one in Sarah's comment. I think that's a pretty good slogan, don't you? lol XD It's nice, haha.
To Sarah:
Thank God, they didn't vote! It wouldn't have made a difference since Obama won by about 99,000 votes. ^_^
To Mike N:
I liked the comparison you had going on, it was great! You also got me thinking...what the heck is a "ground game"? Confusing, but hey! The people these days demand that the government give them something... so the politicians kinda have to buy their vote... It's like what Mr. Cervi said, it's no longer "what can I do for my country?" It's "what can the country do for me?"
Peace Out, peeps!
After enduring a long and dreadful AP Gov class last year and watching tons of bias commercials in the recent months, I am more than ecstatic to see the 2008 campaign come to an end. Politics in general have not only bored me throughout my life, but even hearing the fueling of a party platform argument brings a sick feeling to my stomach. Holidays have been scared from two families arguing Democrats v. Republicans and the productivity of George Bush. Last year I left my delicious Thanksgiving dinner on the table and left the room because I couldn’t take the bullshit bickering anymore. Talking about governmental policies annoys me to the worst extent and unlike some people I cant even find the energy or enthusiasm to compete with others on the virtues on my side.
As far as the attacking commercials and campaign ads go, although it they are misleading and bias, they are a part of the process. What people need to do is listen to the commercials and find the bias in it. Then take the possible fallacies that they said and do some research. I won’t hurt to know who and why you are voting for someone.
Overall, I would have to say the worst part of the election is the people who pick candidates because of appearance and generally are naive to the election process; although this is the majority of America today. I am an Obama fan because of what I think he will bring to the White House. Although it is a great accomplishment for him to be the first African American to take office, I’m not voting for him just so he can make history. Unfortunately many people base their elections off of things like this, which is why politics is basically who can win the public’s heart.
One thing specifically that I am exhausted from hearing about is how ANYONE can run for president. I hear the, “Oh, well my solution for health care or global warming is blah blah blah.” No one associated in our school, I believe can win the presidency. Just because you have strong morals, ethics, and a basic knowledge of all political issues doesn’t qualify you for this office. Both McCain and Obama have spent their lives studying and experiencing how politics works and how to govern. They know how to play the media and the public to their advantage and their opponent’s downfall. They are both extremely qualified, but only one can win the election. So for the people who say that they can solve the problems encompassing American and other nations…think again.
Although I have an opinion on who I would prefer to see in office, I would have to tip my hat to both of the candidates. They have spent the last two years vigorously campaigning and spending billions of dollars to win the acceptance of American voters. I would never in my life take on this job because it would consume my every action and make me an easy media target for harassment. What a hard way for your family to live their life as well. Running for the presidential office is a grueling process that I congratulate the candidates for enduring as long as they did.
The only positive thing that I have gained emotionally form the 2008 election is the comedy I receive from watching SNL, the Daily Show, and the Colbert Report. No matter what day, these programs have an undeniable line of jokes ready for viewers not only to laugh at but also see a lot of the bogus that occurs in the media and government corruption.
MAEG-------
“I have a hard time looking at the positive aspects of human nature, and instead focus solely on the negatives.”
I always look at the negative aspects in life because I feel like if I have no expectations then how could ever get let down and things can only get better.
“We are at a critical point in history, and such critical times require critical changes. We need to take action instead of holding tiresome and never-ending debates.”
I could not agree more, I mean why do we waste our time and voice for such nonsense?
“If someone supported one candidate, I would immediately jump to the defense of the other, and vice versa. What does this say about my personality? I'm not sure.”
YOU love a good argument. :)
“I obsess over it daily.”
That is a bit frightening but YOU WOULD!
Maeg just break one goal at a time. Oh, and I can bet that in Bunje’s room there is something about wanting all of the power in the world or similar to that on your star!
I don't know what is up with you, but it was just speculation. Democrats want the government to be more involved in life like, maybe, the expansion of entitlement programs? From that, and the fact that his stance is very liberal, it would seem socialistic to me. Socialism, if I can recall, is "an economic system in which the basic means of production are primarily owned and controlled collectively, usually by government under some system." So, it would seem that he wanted a socialistic economy. I'm not saying that that'll be what he does, but chill. I'm not killing Obama for it. Jeez...
Ah...it is merely my job to stop misinformation. It seems that I began targeting those who believed him to be Socialist in general, instead of just what you stated.I probably should have noticed when I scoured the page for the first instance of calling Obama's plan socialist. For that, I apologize. However, the fact still stands. We aren't pure capitalist. His plans are no more socialist than many of the other institutions already in place, from both sides of the aisle. It isn't going to be much different overall.
It is likely true that the government will get a bit more involved with Barack Obama as president, assuming anything he wants is either true or passes, and it is your opinion that it is a bad point. That, I'll leave be, as it is just that, an opinion. I was only here to clear up the notion of Obama being a socialist, not force the view of whether or not government.
Oh, and as a side note: Try not to use dictionary definitions for any ideology, especially for politics. It usually varies from group to group. Their ideas really cover a wide range of ideas. There's also the fact that most people are comparing it to communism nowadays...but I'd rather not go too deep into that.
Oh, and that representative idea is actually somewhat logical, as long as you become a bit more eloquent in your writing and speech.
~Ivan
To everyone else
Don't even try going into detail with anything false. I'll disprove it if you provide me with enough ammo. I'm just plain in that mood. Of course, karma is likely to bite me back.
Oh, and a ground game is essentially the normal people who go around to garner support. It seems to cause confusion, though I'm sure it was in part sarcasm, seeing as "air game" was mentioned.
good catch ivan ;)
To Devon:
Your blog is awesome as always. I like how you said that the president is just a figurehead, but in a way, you still need a good figurehead, you know? I think without someone who the people can believe will "do a good job" and do it in a way that favors them, no one would want to vote for the president at all. Also, about the figurehead thing... I wouldn't say that they have nothing to do, you know? I mean the President is the Chief of the Government meaning that he is in, technically, control of all government workers. They are also Head of State, Commander-in-Chief, and such. I mean, Sure, they don't do a lot about it now since there are layers upon layers of bureaucrats everywhere doing stuff, but still, you know? Or maybe I'm weird for remembering things like that...
Either way, I really like your dad's exit plan! It's brilliant!!!
Going on about a year now of solid campaigning, the election has not so much brought attention to certain characteristics of modern politics, as much as emphasize these infamous features of politics. The campaigning of these two men has shown the competitiveness, desperateness, and dog eat dog world of politics that is easy to see if you’re looking in the right areas. So, to be more specific, there are strategies by the politicians as well as the public which clearly show these harsh qualities. First off, I have to address the issue of the public endorsing candidates. It’s not necessarily a strategy that candidates choose to use, because of the public’s lack of knowledge toward certain subjects…but that’s just it! The public ignorant supports and backs a candidate and their policies when they have no idea what their candidate stands for. Like I said, it’s not so much a strategy, but rather something that I learned out of the propaganda misinformation that comes across during an election. The only reason this comes to mind is due to the several text messages, one specifically that I got a few minutes ago saying, “ATTENTION AL WHITE PEOPLE MST REPORT TO THE COTTON FIELDS TOMOOROW MORNING AT 7 AM FOR OREINTATION, PAYBACK SUCKS!” Come on; is that really what this election as come down to? Has is succumbed to the ethnicity of someone’s skin color? It Just make me mad that the public whether through texts, YouTube videos, or even blogs respond to their candidate and the election based on arbitrary ideas like this. So one point that I must make, is the campaign has showed me the ignorance of the public, and their vulnerability to be overtaken by obvious media strategies, and in some cases ‘Obama fever’ as Meagan says. And just for the record this doesn’t leave McCain without any flaws; many people, (my parents), believe that just because he went to war that he automatically knows how to run our country, save our economy, and control our people. But onto another topic, constantly throughout the election I have seen candidates talking without really saying anything at all. Not to bash on Obama again, but I just see some of the things he says inconsistent and contradictory. Let me clear this up for Obama fans. Personally, the fact that Obama accepts Partial Birth Abortions where the babies are delivered up until the part of their heads, and then have their brains sucked out through a tube doesn’t sit well with me. And on top of this Obama defends infanticide where babies that survive abortion are left out for hours to die. This is all recorded stuff that found on YouTube and on the internet. But back to my point; how can someone who claims to be a religious man, go ahead and support these actions on abortion and infanticide? It just seems to me that will succumb to any issue as a way of gaining votes. I feel and hope that no one would want these actions to take place on a baby, but if that’s what will gain votes, than I guess you should put it on your agenda to encourage it. Most of all, actions like these ones show a politician’s ability to allow their word to be unreliable and capability to make empty promises. Above this issue is the test of character matter, of two candidates criticizing each other. Whether it’s between two governors, two board members, or two equal human beings competing to become president, it’s important that we realize that both of these people are striving towards the same goal so its almost unnecessary to criticize another’s goals. Of course it’s easy, when both people think in their mind that they are right and the other is wrong, to go ahead and bash their competitor, but ultimately it either shows a lot of character of the lacking there of. Although all of this information comes so abruptly to the public’s attention, including my own, I wouldn’t say that it has wearied my soul. What it has done, has made me realize that people are different, have different opinions, and different goals to match. For a long time I thought that most people were republicans, had the same ideas and values as my own. But now as I research candidates, write these blogs, and simply examine people around me, I see that I am completely wrong. Many, many people think differently than me and I’ve still been unsure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. Of course I would love everyone to have my opinion and hold value to the same things I hold valuable; I now know that this is impossible. Something that we can all agree on is the fact that as human beings were not always going to be right. So maybe it really is better that we all obtain different views to maybe enhance other people’s view, and vice verse, they enhance ours. If I had to choose between the ‘bad taste in my mouth’ or the ‘newfound sense of purpose’ I would have to say that I have for the most part, found a send of purpose out of this campaign. Realizing people are ignorant as well as politicians having their moments of dumbness as well, I feel as if I should inform people about things they simply do not know. Another thing I simply assumed people obtained, was the common sense to morally and logically choose a candidate for president. When my partner in lab today said, “I voted for Obama because I trust him”, I literally felt it was my duty to inform her about his policies and overall goals for office, since she clearly had no point of doing so even though she took the time to vote for him. So yes, this election has given my life some sort of nerdy zeal. 1) I feel the duty to inform the public about candidates. 2) I will be searching for a new lab partner in the future.
One aspect of both Obama and McCain’s campaign that I don’t like very much, if at all, is when they speak badly about one another whether its in magazine ads or TV commercials. I know this is part of the game they call politics, but I don’t think a person (a respectable person) should resort to this. It’s a pretty low route to resort to and it shows a side of both men that I don’t care for.
-Kelly Nyge
Kelly I completely agree with this statement. The first thing that came to mind when I read this was the competitiveness that comes out when human beings, specifically males are placed in competitive situations. Whether it’s in a hockey match or an election for president, we always see the ugliness that comes out not so much in a person’s character but more of their desire to win and beat out our opponent. Especially in a presidential election we see the competition not counted through points, or blows to the face, but rather in a moral and ethical way. I guess this is why it surprises us so much when candidates don’t do their best to deal with this competiveness or at least do their best to hide it!
To Ivan:
No comment cuz I really don't want to say what's on my mind right now. ^_^
I'll always have a respect for government, because holding an office is a tough job. There are so many people that one has to please, with the cost of knowing that not everyone will be satisfied. So, naturally, the politician is hated by someone out there.
I understand this concept. In order to keep control, there NEEDS to be a government to keep everyone/thing in line, or humans, with ultimate freedom, will go insane and kill each other. Just a theory. Read Lord of the Flies and you'll understand what I'm talking about.
Anyway, after all this said, I HATE government. This is mostly thanks to my experience in AP government class last year. Not only do I find the subject PAINFULLY boring, but evil as well. All I learned last year was that politicians are conniving bastards and take FULL advantage of government loopholes (which includes tax dollars). I hated that class. It made me feel as if there was no hope left in the world, no hope for humanity. Can any human harness power and not be corrupted by it? I can't answer that question.
When the election rolled around, and the television began to be nothing but political commercials, naturally, I hated that as well. McCain and Obama promise everything we could ask for- one day, we will teleport! One day, our fuel supply will come from rainbows and smiley faces! and etc., etc. I'm not a big television-watcher as it is, and now with all of these empty-promises-bull-crap commercials, I watched very little. This is due to the fact that when a commercial came on, I simply turned it off.
It seems like everyone is freaking out about this election. What the shame is, there are two issues that are the deciding factors of the election. They are:
A)HOLY CRAP! A BLACK PRESIDENT!
or
B)HOLY CRAP! A WOMAN VICE PRESIDENT!
Really?
Is this what politics come down to?
I guarantee that the number of voters jumped tremendously because it isn't a matter of who will be the better president, it is votin fo' da brotha, or WE NEED WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT! MEN ARE DUMB!
GAH.
This is another reason why I hate politics.
The evil politicians basically hypnotize the voters with smoke and mirrors to persuade them. And then after they are elected, all of the promises that some people may have been depending on, are thrown to the curbside. Because the process in Congress is OH SO LONG. Dumb Congress.
Basically, if you haven't already guessed, this election has definitely left a bad taste in my mouth. I don't look forward to the voting years in which I'll have the responsibility to force myself to pay attention to government. Ugh. Only one more year.
Alice, I don't like politics. But my parents had the TV on. It's like those movies they show in Health. You know it's stupid, and you really don't want to watch, but you find yourself watching anyway. Besides, if it's all a puppet show, we might as well grace their effort and acting with an audience.
As bad as 2004? I'm not sure really. I was a lot younger then, and hadn't taken a Gov. class yet, so it all seemed more exciting. This time I was more annoyed generaly. The campaign had been going on for WAY too long.
Oh, and Dan, thank you for putting a Douglas Adams quote in. As usual, he was right. Though I'm not sure that the alternative he uses in his books would be any better. Would we really want to be ruled by a lone man on a distant planetoid who may or may not believe in his own cat? But his universe seems to get on quite well under such leadership. Maybe we should give it a try.
In response to Donkalicious-
-OH! I mean carly. :)
I totally agree with what you said about finding the bias in commercials and stuff. It's a total shame that people are too lazy to look up the candidates themselves, and therefore are so easily swayed by the media madness.
People are dumb.
I can't type anymore about government. It's giving me a headache. :(
“Man, how about Obama’s speech last night, huh? I mean that was really great. Man, I’ll tell ya, this is really history in the making you guys. I mean this morning I went out and...[shuffles through a plastic bag containing several different newspapers]…look, I got the New York Times, USA Today, The Press, The Washington Post, and a whole bunch of others. These are going to be worth a lot some day. I mean this is amazing. This is really a historical event.” I watched as our biology substitute today stood up in front of the classroom with a look of pure enthusiasm marking her face, as she placed each one of her treasured newspapers back into the plastic bag. I greatly admired her outlook upon today as being one which, I agreed, needed a few freshly-printed newspapers to serve as small reminders of such an immensely memorable and history-breaking day. They were newspapers which, I am sure, will be passed down to her children and her children’s children up to centuries from now in which we will already have had twenty-two female presidents, ten Hispanic presidents, and seven homosexual presidents. This inexplicably significant event may not seem to phase such youths in the distant future, but it will remain in the hearts and minds of older generations, some of which may honestly be able to say that they remember the very day America’s first African American president was nominated.
Additionally, I have learned through observation that this election holds a particular significance due not just to the fact that it marks the first time a black president has been elected, but it marks that first time in which younger voices finally feel as though they are being represented. Never before have so many young adults voted in a presidential election, and the reason is because a change had been posed to them. Finally, they no longer find themselves staring into the faces of older men with white hair, fake teeth, aged skin, and a strange and unfamiliar reputation. Millions of young voters see themselves in our new president with a particular recognition only their eyes could understand. They are faced with words like “change” and are met with a rather favorable connection they wish to keep. As if their lungs have finally encountered air after searching upon the floors of a desolate ocean, they begin to want this change more than anything.
With the media, I have once again been encountered with the same bias that was introduced to me in AP Government. There is not a single radio station, news network, or website that can be trusted to give the plain and simple facts. One way or another, the media finds ways to “spin” the news, essentially no longer making it news, but more or less mere opinions. This serves as one of the many reasons as to why I behold a great dislike in my being for politics. Nevertheless, a particular aspect that I had noticed in each of the candidate’s commercials was the need to establish a connection with the audience. One of Barack Obama’s commercials that got my attention was the one which showed him sitting in a seemingly middle-class looking living room talking in a very calm, but matter-of-fact manner as to why Americans should vote for him. The idea was brilliant because he, unlike his opponent at the time, was making a connection between him and his audience. Senator Obama was showing them that he knows what it is like to be in a middle-class state; even if he has lived under higher-class standards his entire life, he made it seem believable. He was easily able to portray John McCain as the regular lying, competitive, and deceiving politician working on Wall Street as all of his commercials showed nothing but blame and criticisms of Barack Obama. Additionally, I learned in Mr. Sera’s class that even the way in which a news camera is posed, the time in which each candidate is shown giving a speech, the lighting, the background, and the particular segments shown of each candidate are all very important factors which reveal a news station’s bias. In this election, I began to pay much closer attention to all of these aspects to the point that I could accurately decipher which news stations were liberal and which were conservative within just one report.
Although the commercials, speeches, and conventions were all very interesting, the promises seemed to be nothing more than disguised lies. Eventually, they seemed too good to be true, and, keeping in mind what I learned from government, I knew that half of the promises being made by the candidates were not even under their own control. In addition, the “pleas for votes”, while they did show dedication, seemed to become cries of desperation. Consistently, they had to prove something, and somehow accumulate ample evidence to show why the other candidate was unfit for the job. Even within the last moments of the election, I logged on to Senator Barack Obama’s main website and the first thing to greet me was the words, “HELP GET OUT THE VOTE IN THE LAST HOURS: CALL SUPPORTERS IN BATTLEGROUND STATES. ONE CALL COULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE” with a “MAKE CALLS NOW” button at the bottom, hence, showing more desperation. On the other hand, I did appreciate seeing so many adolescents outside of and within our school wearing Obama t-shirts, or carrying around notebooks with Obama’s face on it, or even taping photos of Barack Obama on their agenda books. There were so many students who really seemed to care and were looking forward to the election results.
Regardless of the excitement and anticipation seen in this election, it has still failed to change my mind about politics and our government. Unfortunately, while reruns of the conventions were being shown on the weekend, I continued to watch “Whose Wedding is it Anyway?” or an HBO movie. Politics have never appealed to me, though I did enjoy hearing Obama speak on the radio. I would hate to say that I find it boring because the truth is that this nomination is history in the making. Nevertheless, I believe it is because of the fact that healthcare, taxes, college funds, and the stock market are all subjects which really have no affect upon me personally. When they change, it is not my life that feels the effect, but rather my parents’ lives. Hopefully, I will be able to acquire more tolerance for politics in the future when such subjects do pertain to me, but for now, I find myself at a distance in favoring politics. Plus, it is not really much of interest to me to simply watch news or commercials that I know favor one side over another, and are therefore, not necessarily producing reliable news. This election was interesting, nonetheless, and I cannot wait to see what ‘change’s Obama will bring to our country.
In response to Deana:
First of all, I love the fact that you are catching a plane in a few hours (that’s what got my attention); I absolutely love planes. In fact, I would even become a flight attendant if only they didn’t make near to nothing in pay. Anyway, second, it got my attention when you said, “Sure the candidates act all civil towards people of the opposing party, but behind closed doors these politicians talk smack like you wouldn’t believe.” In AP Government, I remember Mr. Sera telling us this all the time. Politics is a lot different than how it appears, and many things go on behind closed doors, it is almost like a different world. All they try to do is make connections with new people with whom they can manipulate into working for them, or secretly giving them some information about the opposite party. Next, when you stated, “It’s all b.s with these people/ I mean, sure they promise all of these great new campaign ideas but they hardly ever follow through completely,” I realized that we really have not been introduced to an adequate leader yet in our lives. We are too young to remember when Bill Clinton was in office, and the only other president we have had is George Bush. As a result of this lack of leadership, we are left thinking that political leaders will never follow through with their promises; that it is all a lie. Hopefully, President Obama will accomplish at least the majority of the changes he wishes to make, since, we cannot forget the fact that such changes depend also upon the Senate and House of Representatives. Lastly, I found it to be quite hilarious when you added, “McCain told ABC, in an extensive interview that he is the ‘underdog of the political election’”. That has to be the worst method ever in gaining more votes, I wonder if he thought of that or if someone else in his party came up with that excuse for him. Politics can really seem to be nothing more than a child’s game at times. I must say that I did enjoy reading your blog, and that I appreciate the fact that you included specific information during the course of this election.
To Maegan R
"We need to take action instead of holding tiresome and never-ending debates. "
I also think the whole political system is broken. The United States government wasn't created with a two party system in mind. I think it ruins the possibility of getting a president that can take issues on both the democratic and republican sides, which makes an ideal president impossible. Politics has become so convoluted and changed so much as the years have passed it's now impossible to straighten out.
One point. This government was meant to work even in the total absence of virtue. Whether populated by angles or devils, men or swine, sages or fools, it will continue to work. So no one election will make or break the country or the system.
The founders had more foresight than we can give them credit for.
After seeing this election come to a draw I have come away from it with a sense that there is hope for America. As long as our generation has been alive we have never seen a president that lived up to its full responsibilities. The first eight years of my life were filled with a president who thrived off of the presidents that preceded him and took all the credit. And the latter eight have been filled with a man that should have been our countries mascot, and not the president. But now we finally have a man who is competent to run a country. A man that went to Columbia a graduated with a business degree and further more went to Harvard law school, arguably one of the best law schools in the country, and was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review.
Now that the election is finally over I feel as though I would do well in the world of politics. I like knowing about the inner workings of the government. Also I dislike most of the politicians today and would like to do something to try and better America. I have always had an unexplained interest in politics. Even when I was younger I constantly asked my parents about things I saw about our congressman on TV. So naturally as I have recently been researching what I want to do with my life, political science is a very possible idea.
My actual post. Feel free to ignore it as always. Unless you’re Dan, but you would already know this is the actual post as we are the same person. A bit late, as I played too much monopoly on Pogo.
It has been nearly two years. The battle has ravaged the country, and the participants themselves. Their battles wage far, and countless cower in fear. Strangely enough, this isn’t some weird battle from fantasy. It is the presidential campaign. It’s the race to the Whitehouse.
The presidency is probably the most overhyped event ever. It’s true that the President is important, but is it worth all of this? People are led around like fools, not realizing the real facts. Both candidates have thrown aside what they believed. Though when directly asked, or when the issue is important, they may present their beliefs. However, in the end, they were reduced to either rallying support through overinflated and silly descriptions of whatever riles up the crowds, or downing the other candidate. Obama was better at the former, so the latter was not as needed. The worst thing he has said that is actually memorable is the comparison of McCain with President Bush. It isn’t because he is the better man, not saying that John McCain is either, but the fact that it was all he needed to do. Sadly, people believed it, and John McCain has done little to correct him, until the final debate, which was obviously too late. McCain on the other hand cannot draw as many people. He was an honorable man, but now, he has been reduced to gimmicks, though he may not truly wish for it. The John McCain in the election, as stated by many, is not the maverick people knew. He refers to Bill Ayers, a man I pity for the negative light he has been put in once again, and silly things such “Joe the Plumber”, the average man, who happens to be cashing in on his fame, by getting t-shirts, record deals, and even a publicist. His campaign even calls Obama’s plan socialist, even though he had a near identical plan in a campaign years before. I’ve learned that politicians are liars or more correctly, they lie to please the people. Chances are, the more a candidate is liked the more they’re hiding. Then again, perhaps it is better that way. A good president can lead the people.
It’s hilarious. It isn’t the fact that the candidates have sold their souls to get people to vote for them that makes me laugh, but the fact that everything Mr. Sera said about politics was true. Negative ads and attacks work quite well. Politics changes people. Corruption is amok. All of these proved true. Yet somehow, I don’t hate politics. I hate how much John McCain has thrown away all the things that made him a “maverick”, and the fact that Obama was able to act like he was a kinder person, while still attacking John McCain. Yet, politics itself, I love. It’s most likely my love to see people fight for their ideals. Yes, these people include me, who cannot stop himself from being a bit biased, even when trying to be non-partisan and truthful.
Perhaps my imagination ran wild and I thought politics to be worse than it actually is. Perhaps I really do love chaos, and arguments are fun. Perhaps it’s because I can now actually get involved in part over the internet. Whatever the reason, I am now interested in politics. I am so interested that if I were like this last year, I would have easily sailed through AP Government. It is like a war that doesn’t follow the first rule. People can fight and aim for victory without anyone dying, at least physically. This battlefield is just too interesting to ignore.
Unlike most people here, I think politics is interesting. If you really delve down and research your stuff a bit, you can find out how intricate everything is in running this country. It takes an AMAZING deal of work, and I’m impressed either candidate managed to travel hundreds of miles a day, kiss a bunch of babies, and convince the American people that THEY were the right choice, all at the same time.
I’ll be blunt and say I hate the media coverage. In fact, I find major news to be faux and absolutely sensationalist. There is not a single news outlet around that will tell you what you need to know. They add copious amounts of filler, and twist words left and right to make you believe stuff. I mean, if it wasn’t bad before the election (No, I don’t care if Brittany Spears shaved her head. Though I do admit, I love me some Keira Knightley and Jessica Alba), the amount of bullshit on the news outlet increased tenfold. There's so much goo on the news that I actually wonder how some people fail to pick up on it. I guess I have Mr. Sera to thank for that. Obama isn’t a terrorist. McCain isn’t George Bush.
That’s exactly why you should be conscientious about what you read and hear, and base your own opinion out of it. The internet is a great source for opinions and news from both sides of the political spectrum. Get a healthy dose of accredited news sources and independent blogs and you’ve just become a pretty smart American.
And because of that, I can proudly say that I know quite a bit about politics. The biggest gripe I have with these “voters” is with their ignorance. I mean, don’t vote for Obama because he’s black. Don’t vote for McCain because he’s old either. Actually take time to learn and figure out where your candidate stands. Make an informed decision and find the one candidate that best represents your core values.
Personally, I didn’t like either candidate. I’m a supporter of Dennis Kucinich, but face it, there’s no way he was going to win. If I had to pick though, it was Obama. Mainly because I’m a hardcore liberal. Now, I also think John McCain is a fantastic man, and would make a great president. However, Sarah “Liptstick” Palin would be even better. She is amazing.
Speaking of Sarah Palin, people say that she gets a really unfair rep from the media and people all over. I'll be the first to say she deserves at least a portion of it. You don't become a vice presidential nominee and NOT know any other court cases asides from Roe V. Wade. You don't become a vice presidential nominee and wink every two seconds during a live debate. However, the biggest problem I had with Palin the timing in which shet got nominated. Clinton had just lost to Obama, and women voters were fuming. As soon as I heard the nomination choice, I was taken back. This, without a doubt, was the cheapest shot at women voters and supporters of Clinton. Even though the two women had completely opposite views, women were supposed to vote for her because she's... well, a woman. Now, I also find that ridiculous that people who supported Clinton (who is a lot closer to Obama in ideaology than she is to McCain) decided to jump ship and change sides. Now, some people I've talked to had reasonable explanations for doing so, such as Obama was too inexperienced. But I feel angry at the women voters who switched sides, just because Palin is a chick. It plays into what I said earlier about making an informed decision. I found all this to be offensive, and I guess that's where I realized Obama would make a better choice.
And I was right. I think the climax of this election was the victory speech given by Obama. Now let me make clear again, I really don’t like either candidate too much. But there’s no going around the fact that Obama is a fantastic speaker. He gave me goosebumps. Almost reminds me of Hitler (I’m just going to wait for someone to take that completely out of context). He mobilizes and energizes people so much… it’s scary.
Reading everyone’s blog, I laugh at the pessimism and cynicism. I mean yeah, the government deserves some of the resentment the people have for it, but it’s this same government that we hate so much that has kept this great country running for almost 250 years. Can you honestly say that every single politician out there wants money? Can we really say that there isn’t one group of people actually caring about the welfare of human beings? If you honestly believe that, then great. You hold your views, I hold mine.
And a side note, I saw a bunch of Ron Paul supporters at school on election day. They had no clue what he stood for. Idiots.
¡Ay, caramba!
To Alice:
You would definitely get my vote. you sould go with some type of ryhm slogan. And i don't think you'd be worse than Palin.
To Ashley:
Your intro or 1st paragraph whatever ou want to call it was amzaing. I wasn't in bio today but i could imagine the scene. And your right, even though some day this will be a flicker in the distance, right now it is historic and we are living it
There's no reason to take that particular comment wrong. Great speakers always have an uncanny effect on the people. It is not the rich that society should worry about offending. It is the silver-tounged. Money only buys bodies. Words buy hearts and souls.
Jani:
I completely agree with you on everything you about Palin. She definitely derserves some of the heckling she has gotten. I also agree that it is ridiculous that people would vote based on gender or race. It really makes you wonder if people would vote for the dumbest person in the world just becuase they are of a certain group. It is a frightening thought.
Some people would. And do. Let's just hope the majority has its eyes open.
Mike-
I was looking at all the comments, and as I scroll down I see World then Warcraft and then I see that you typed World of Warcraft. And I died. If I hear one more thing about that stupid video game I just might die.
Erik, I agree with you on how vicious politicians are. They do tear each other apart and are usually the main subject of most people's jokes like Palin on SNL. She wasn't my favorite political figure, but I don't think that she needed to be a victim to all the jokes made about her.
Maegan Reese, your constant rants about politics and income tax and TJ always make me laugh!! I think you should just run for some sort of office because you can't seem to find any candidate that fits your specific criteria. Wow, that is really interesting how you learned so much about yourself from this election! and the fact that you someday want to be a dictator:) "I hunger for power, to be perfectly frank, and I know that one day, I will get what I deserve, whether it be the title of World Dictator or a cell in the local mental institution. I can't tell which would be a more suitable fate." You crack me up, girl!
Well, lets see, the election? It was great. Yeah, it was a close race, but in the end McCain won. Yeeha!!! I mean, for the short time that I've been to this counrty, I've supported the Democrats all the way, and I still do. But something about Obama just screams "We're Boned!!!" But at least McCain won, I can deal with that. Maybe it will be another 4 years of Bush like everyone says, but I think I can deal with it for 4 more years. Wait, what? Obama!!? He won!?? Why, why thats absurd!!? How did he beat McCain!!? Oh.....oh thats how he beat him....right, right, he got Cali....and Ohio? How the hell did he get Ohio? Well, whatever, I guess he will do an O.K. job. Or he will drive this country into eternal turmoil. Oh well, if that happens, theres a home and government waiting for me on the other side of the world.
So yeah, in a nut shell, thats basically how I feel. I like Obama's side on the issues, but I like McCain more as a person. He is just seems like a much more trustworthy person than Obama. And I know people say that he is mad old, but for his age, he looks pretty damn young. And his wife. Excuse my language but how the f. did he end up with Mrs. McCain. She looks half his age. Obama on the other hand, looks about right for his age, and his wife is not at very least attractive. So, if you are looking for what I have actually learned from this election, its not here. Cause I learned absoultely nothing. Except maybe that people are soo easily led by a strong speaker, and most choose to vote only by party, not candidate. I mean seriously, all Obama had to say about McCain is and I quote "Do you want more of the same?" I mean what the hell, Bush is gone, stop relating McCain to that son of a ....Yeah, thats about all I have to say on this, if you want more, then comment on it, and Ill type up some more stuff. See yaz
Wow, I really like this blog! It just made me really interested in getting involved with politics. Maybe I won't be president, but I want to try and be a representative just to see how it is. I wonder... will I change that much by being up there in Congress? Who knows? *shrugs*
To Sergei:
I love you Sergei! Marry me!!!
*ahem* you are awesome and a great writer! Even my sister gives you props!!! Please continue, I wanna see what else you have to say! ^_^
To Eva's comment on me, Actually, a possibly insane man in a distant place who is not entirely sure any of this exists would be the most intriguing possibility for government I've ever heard. And to Eva's comment on Alice, I agree this campaign has been going on for far too long. I really think we might be better off with the 3-month british system.
Sergei: we all want to hear your entire rant. So please post it. Now.
If this doesn't exist, there's certainly no point in campaigning over it. You wouldn't worry about the people's oppinion, because there might not be any people.
You couldn't be corrupt, because the people trying to corrupt you might not be there.
Hmmm... this has potential.
There's no reason to take that particular comment wrong. Great speakers always have an uncanny effect on the people. It is not the rich that society should worry about offending. It is the silver-tounged. Money only buys bodies. Words buy hearts and souls. -Eva Bakshis
That... Is quite possibly the most intelligent thing I have heard in a month.
Dev: Uh, sorry about your brain being fried. I didn't think last year was THAT bad. but anyways, my point exactly. Some of the idiots in school really really bewildered me. And although there's no way Obama is going to live up to the ginormous hype, I have a feeling he's going to be a great president. I f all else fails, I'm coming to Norway with you. :p
Abby: I got that text too, or something close to it. I also got
"Stop the monkey business! Vote McCain!"
Damn. It's really upsetting. The elections have become a popularity contest. It's really ironic that we're doing exactly the opposite of what Martin Luther King wanted; to be judged by creed, rather than by appearance. It's sad.
Scary thought... There are voters who think Roe v. Wade was a wrestling match. One has to wonder what they think people mean when they ask candidates about their position on it.
There's no reason to take that particular comment wrong. Great speakers always have an uncanny effect on the people. It is not the rich that society should worry about offending. It is the silver-tounged. Money only buys bodies. Words buy hearts and souls. -Eva Bakshis
That... Is quite possibly the most intelligent thing I have heard in a month.
Yes, quite.
I went home today, and I watched my DVR version of the View. Yes, I DVR the View. And I really just wanted to hear what Elizabeth, the crazy Republican, had to say about the election. And I think what she said really put the election into perspective. Right now is the time where you put behind all the negative messages, the nasty debates, you hatred for one candidate. Barak Obama is going to be our new president, whether you like him or not. As a country, we need to come together and support anything that he decides to do. Because right now we aren’t Republicans or Democrats we are Americans. We need to show every other country around the world that we are a strong country, no longer a divided one, one strong American country. This election changed our country. First of all, we had more than fourteen thousand more voters than last election. For many people, this was the first election that they truly felt passionate about, and I think that both candidates brought that passion out of them. And today, one of my teachers said, “Other countries leaders will wake up this morning and see that America is a different country, they are a force to be reckoned with.” And I couldn’t agree more. Yesterday, we put aside our prejudices, put aside the stereotypes that we have placed upon the candidates, and voted for our first black president. I don’t really think we realize how important this is. This event will be one that will be literally “written in the history books.”
Right now my brother, mom, and dad are talking about the election. And my brother just said, “Yes, everyone is excited about change, but realistically how much will he do.” And although everyone is anticipating the change that Obama has promised, it will be a very long time before we see that change come into effect. Obviously, I wasn’t so gun-ho about either one is the candidates, I still think that Hillary should have won yesterday. I think that with her experience, her view on universal health care, and her plan for Iraq, she would have been the best candidate. But honestly, I have lost all positive feelings for government after last year. After I heard what really goes on, the lying, cheating, stealing, I don’t know who to trust. When my friend was saying yesterday that Obama lied and used more money for advertisement then he and McCain said they would, I just thought to myself, “Lying to get ahead, its politics.” You turn on the television and you are bombarded with negative ads about each of the candidates. Rarely did I see a positive commercial. I don’t think that it truly bothered me, because in our society when do you ever see something that is positive about politics? But what bothers me is that the younger kids of today will grow up see the nasty name calling, the judgmental media, and be afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Sarah Palin isn’t dumb. But once one SNL spoof came along, she will always be known as the woman from Alaska, the Maverick. People were so quick to point fingers and talk crap about the candidates, and I will admit that I was one of them. But I don’t think we realized what they were doing, they were standing up in front of millions of people, putting their life into the media, and trying to help out country. But we are so negative that we were quick to find all of their miniscule flaws.
But after today, seeing how our country came together, I am not left with a bad taste in my mouth. Even in McCain’s speech yesterday, when he mentioned Obama and the crowded started to boo, he stopped them, and told them that we needed to come together. Because right now, with our economy in a recession, our countrymen fighting a war, and millions of people without jobs, our country needs to put aside the Democrat and Republic labels and start acting like one nation. And today, I do believe I saw that one nation start to form.
Funniest thing is, with all the import Congress actually has, and all the power the Pres doesn't, the approval ratings for Bush at his lowest point are higher than Congress. According to the New York Times, Congress's approval rating last month was 15%. And how many of them are being voted out? None. Why? No competition. Regardless of the rest, this insanity keeps the best man in office. 15%, and most incumbents. Really America?
I agree with harleen’s comment on politics “ewwww!”. My father is so big on politics and these past few months have been hell for me. He wakes up every morning at 5 am to turn on CNN and watch this news show that I have yet to figure out the name of. All I know is at the bottom of the screen there are green and red numbers and acronyms for a name zipping from one side to the other. EVERY MORNING. Now this wasn’t such a big deal when he gazed at his idol Don Imus, a man who turned the news into a laugh and whose words (for the most part) were plausible for everyone, every few minutes in between the dreadful CNN report, but we all know what happened to that little wrinkle of a man! Oh, and did I mention, my dad is quickly losing his hearing which causes him to blast the big screen volume on like 20 at 5 am. ANYWAY, my point is, CNN is more formal which automatically bores me and forces me to want my racist, yet witty, Donny boy back. I was going to say that I am glad the election is over, but really it’s not. I mean, sure, the actual voting is done, but people are not going to stop throwing politics in my face. It should settle down since the voting is actually over though, right? I don’t know, I hope it does because I am sick and tired of all this campaigning BS.
I learned that the role of presidency is one of show. The president is like a trophy, he’s all shiny and new, but really he serves almost no purpose except to remind the people who voted that they made something happen. I mean, what does he really do? He represents us, and our choice as a nation. He can’t do anything on his own. He needs the people of America to have any real value. He is just a name to put to a body of people. He is the face of America, and now America is black. Black people used to be the minority. Blacks used to be slaves, they used to be treated as lepers that if you drank from the same water fountain as them, you would be contaminated. I have never experienced this first hand, where the law actually denied blacks from certain things, but I’ve seen people discouraged from things like using an extra coffee cup because the black man before him grabbed it on accident. Look now all of you racist, white supremisist, ignorant fools, the minority is in charge of the majority. Technically, blacks are no longer the minority by number, but in history they are. Which brings me to another point.
History is in fact in the making. Today at wawa, every single paper was sold out by 8am. Usually we have at least a few solitary papers floating around at 10pm. Everyone wanted a piece of this history. My mother is an advocate of the rules and doing everything right and just. She asked my brother to steal an Obama sign off someone’s lawn in the pouring rain because she wanted a little slice of it too. Apparently, no one can get the infamous signs anywhere and she just needed one! So when my brother tried to hop out of the car and jam the iron wires into the soggy ground, my mom hollered “Are you stupid?! Someone will steal that out of the yard!” Her actual words for the reason she took it were “If he gets assassinated, people on Ebay will go crazy for this!” And all the while black people are going crazy for this fad. One girl was crying in school today because she could finally “be proud of her race.” What a fool. I wonder, do they realize that the second he messes up, (and according to the VP he will be tested in this soon) they will all be damned. They will be ashamed and upset that their messiah is failing and giving the country, but more importantly their race, a bad name. I honestly think that if this happens, the US will begin to polarize and it’s going to begin so many problems. I am frightened of Obama to tell you the truth, and I hope with the entirety of my heart that he does the all the right things.
The whole channel for the status of the votes is a bad idea. If you try and predict the way the votes sway, you can dissuade people from voting. Let me help you see this. You’re a resident of California. Today is election day and you have a crap load of work to do before you can get to the polls. You work in a coal mine where the only light you see is the one atop your head shining on some dirty coal. No media. Phones can’t get internet down there, so there is no way of checking the results. After work (and a much needed shower!) you head down to the polls and get there by 7pm. You see on a projector screen that Obama has won Ohio and Pennsylvania. No president has ever won without winning Ohio and PA is a big state as well. Why wait in a 2 hour line for a vote that potentially wont count when you already know who is going to win? The media trashes the freedom to vote. The whole status of votes should be kept quiet until the next day because it is taking away the whole reason to vote in the first place. It makes people feel like their vote doesn’t count and that is unfair and unconstitutional. The only perk of the media such as debates and whatnot, is seeing people mess up. It fuels the opposing sides arguments. It gives some pep to an otherwise formulated idea. I didn’t like either candidate, thought I thought McCain was a cute little old man <3 I wish one of the independent parties would have had more funding and recognition. I guess I could end this with a question. What are your choices if neither candidate is to your liking? Should you not vote at all knowing that you’d either have to vote for someone you don’t like or someone you knew was going to fail?
This feeling bites at me that I have never felt in the past elections. The feeling really didn't show it's head until this year, which has completely changed my perspective on the election. I could only believe that in the past an election as significant as the one would have be bouncing off the walls in support of either candidate. No longer evoking me is this same idea of the presidential election. I feel now as though the importance of this election weighs so much less than past, like there is less emphasis on it. This can not be the case, for the country has completely hyped this election past others. I can only speculate this change of heart comes from self-reflection. Part of it may come from the fact that I know more about the the importance of the presidential position, which from a constitutional standpoint is not much. I feel as though this idea has completely depleted my excitement on the position, thinking it has no real importance(even though it is the symbolic position of leadership of the leading world power). Part of it may have developed from my own political standpoint which has declined me from supporting either candidate. I would admit that I hate Obama less than McCain; however, the fact stands I can not agree with both of them totally. They both just have too many rancid ideas that I can't support them for on varying issues. My own independent/third-party beliefs on government elections just leaves be unsatisfied with what I'm presented. I know that no candidate can be perfect for one person, but there are just numerous amounts I disagree with. Quite frankly, I'm just sick and tired of both the major parties. I agree with ideals on both sides, but the way they compete and handle situations any more sometimes leaves me in disgust. How can there be any real change when you have the same people consistently ruling the government, back and forth? I'm just sick of the Republicans and the Democrats all together. All this just makes me feel like “Who cares about the election? It's not that important.”, when in all actuality, the importance is extreme. It may just be life has been packed with so many things, I don't want to be bothered with this right now when my opinion doesn't even count for anything yet(at least from a voting standpoint).
By some standards I am satisfied with the results. I really didn't start thinking completely about the candidates until the few days before the election. McCain is so anti-union that it's sickening and my families ties with the unions over the last few generations leaves me at least comforted from that perspective. However, I still feel that even if McCain would have won, I would feel the same as I do now. By no means did this election leave a bad feeling in my gut or an uplifted spirit of morality that the best is yet to come. I just feel like “ What ever happened, happened. I don't really care.” It kind of bothers me when I think about it; at least when I have a bad feeling I feel I'm worrying about everyones future. Not caring about this election makes me feel as though I'm not trying to work for the whole. It may just be from all that I am currently working on in my life. It is hard for some teenagers to be enthusiastic about these things, and I don't thing it stems from the fact that they are all just self-centered. I feel as though our time to decide will be soon, but right now we must focus on bettering ourselves and those around us to prepare for that adulthood. Then again, that could always be seen as a lame excuse to greed.
The candidates seem like they will once again be all talk about righteousness and doing better for the country, yet we will once again have a presidency where the American Public bitches and moans and the media stokes that fire. I understand Obama can be an extremely effective speaker. I have been very impress with not what he always has to say, but how he says it. Just from hearing him speak and reading what he has said, I think he is slowly working his way on my list of best speakers in history. Some reporters went as far as the call him “The Achilles of tempering with the English language” and compared his ability with that of Martin Luther King Jr's. However, I feel that from my own views of how politicians generally work and how they may convey their words, he really is not as special as everyone makes him to be. I do not agree with a number of his ideals and policies in dealing with many issues. Many of the American people don't even know what his policies are; they simply hear a charismatic speaker with lots of energy and ability when they don't even know what he's about. Some just vote with him because of Democratic allegiance while others vote because “he seems cool.” Then again, what is new about the majority of the American people? From another point of view, those who do feel negatively about Obama must sit back and think about the process of our election. The American people really don't matter in the long run because the Electoral College really decides who takes the office. We must assume these people are smart enough to understand who would be a better chance. Then again, look who they picked in the last election... All of this means nothing when it comes down to it. What's done is done and nothing may change the results of the polls. We can only hope now that the decision made was most correct, and as the American people, we must do our part to fix the issues as seen fit by our own self-guidance and the guidance of our leaders.
This election has been one hell of a journey for anyone who has a mild amount of intelligence. I say a mild amount of intelligence because I have actually met people who have no intelligence and just realized that Sarah Palin and John McCain were running on the same ticket. Speaking of Sarah Palin, there were so many instances where people who were hidden in the background emerged onto the scene to cause a whole host of problems. Barack Obama was at first projected as not even winning the primary, but look how silly the pundits are looking now. Also before the election it's a wonder if anyone even knew who Sarah Palin actually was, and her appearance caused quite a change in the election. For Obama. In any case this election was definitely one of the most shocking and unexpected elections throughout history.
From this history-making election a plethora of things were learned. Actually I'm not going to sit here and lie, due to the AP Government class that I was amazing in last year not much was learned from this election. Everyone with half a brain already knows of the countless speeches that are going to be riddled with fruitless promises that can not be achieved through the efforts of just the president. Many of the things promised are policies that must be enacted with the joint compliance of Congress, which he can never be sure he has. The public innately knows to not believe these promises, but they do look at the general concept and implications of the policies. This is actually something I learned from the election come to think of it. The AP Government class never exactly explained how people come to realize the actual stance on issue of politicians when all the promises are flying around, but from conversing with actual voters I have gleaned this information. Along with this I've learned that many people will put aside their feelings to do what is the right and necessary thing to fix their country. It's quite amazing that people would see the light through the color barrier, and although with skeptical thoughts, would still vote for Barack Obama regardless of his color. This is seen from the 44% of white voters that turned out to vote for Obama, which is a much higher number than almost ever pundit would of guessed. Now that I'm actually old enough to see the techniques that presidential candidates deploy against their foes, along with the tendencies and intricacies of elections that my previous stepping stone to greatness has shown, I have begun to learn the true nature of politics. Its a game of appeal and persuasion. Its almost equivalent to a relationship. A man, the candidate, approaches a woman who at the time is living life to the best of their abilities, which can either be good or bad depending on luck. The woman would be the country and the people. So now the man must swoon the woman into believing that they are the best guy to make their life happier and more enjoyable. At this point though more than one guy is battling for that position of boyfriend, so now the first man must pull out all the stops to defeat the others. With this comes along dirty tricks, unveiling secrets in the life, and promising sweet things in the future. Then it finally comes down to the day where the girl must choose which guy she likes, and this is our election day. Why did I make this comparison, because this is what the U.S. Presidential Election is on a more individual level. This is something that I've gleaned from this election considering I now know whats going on thanks to Government class and my observation experience gained from age.
While many people have taken the political propaganda and other techniques to garner votes as something completely energizing, I am actually indifferent due to my education. All the little spot ads and sound bites are just media techniques used to get the uninformed hooked, and then the more they see the further they are reeled in. What really energized me in this election was the debates and decisions that each candidate handled in different manners. The debates brought forth the actual issues and stances of each candidate, while the decisions to respond to criticism and crises within the campaign showed their ability to handle pressure. This is what the true nature of politics is all about. Right in the thicket of all this, back in about June and July, was when the most energy was radiating from the election. Besides that though nothing really energized me or made me weary of this whole monumental occurrence. Sure the prospect of history being made by choosing a black president for the first time sent a huge jolt of energy through me, being as I am a "halfie" just like Obama, but it wasn't something that I was really focused on. Race may have made some aspects exciting, but when you have learned to view intelligent blacks as the same as intelligent whites it becomes a normal election. So after the initial excitement died down, I pretty much just went back to my life as it was pre-election days.
As crazy as it might sound, my life has been completely revamped thanks to Obama winning this election. I feel like I can now reach my goal of working in the government one day. It's possibly one of the most influential moments of my life, due to the amazing comparisons between me and him. We both are coming out of families that aren't blessed with riches. We both were raised by our mothers in a household where our fathers were no where to be found. We both are highly intelligent. We both have/had aspirations to be president one day and change this world. All of these similarities just bring to mind that it is quite possible for me to be something amazing in this world, just like he has ascended to. And I know I am not the only person who feels affected by him in this way, because I've talked to numerous African-Americans today who have said they feel that just the concept of living in a truly equal world is possible. Ultimately, his success has utterly given me new vigor to achieve my goals and stand on the pedestal of greatness in the future.
In response to Harleen
Really after government you hate politics? I know the class itself made everything seem so much worse than it really is, but that isn't politics. You can't hate politics because the class was ridiculous. The whole point was to understand politics. But besides that the fact that the politicians dig up dirt and use horrid sound bites, is due to the fact humans respond certain ways to certain information. If you think of it as a school election, where you can't dig up dirt, it seems pretty much like the two people don't even know the others are running. How can you build a campaign around saying good things and using good quotes their opponents make. How do you win anything that way? It would just make your opponents look good and you look like your the person that isn't qualified, since your opponent is the one saying and doing all the good things. I guess that can be a reason to hate politics, but what it boils down to is that its necessary to achieve face in the spotlight to make your opponent look bad, regardless if its in life or politics. Its going to happen if you want it to or not, and someday, if it hasn't happened already, you will be forced to do the same thing to someone else for a position at a job or something else.
“During the course of this election, I've become even more engrossed with politics and power, and I obsess over it daily. I hunger for power, to be perfectly frank, and I know that one day, I will get what I deserve, whether it be the title of World Dictator or a cell in the local mental institution. I can't tell which would be a more suitable fate.”
Mae- I think that book that you are reading is making you a world power. And your blog was amazing. Every time I read your blogs I know think of the Seminar piece you had, and how it was just like you. And you will become a World Dictator, and I was wondering, can I be your secretary?
Jani- That speech pissed me off. It was like 1am and my dad had the speech on. Remember how i said he is going deaf? Yeahhh I'm pretty sure I heard Obama's speech in my dreams. I do see what you say about him being like Hitler. The way he speaks and draws people in. Kind of reminds me of why my friend said he'd be the 3rd anti-christ (:
Funniest thing is, with all the import Congress actually has, and all the power the Pres doesn't, the approval ratings for Bush at his lowest point are higher than Congress. According to the New York Times, Congress's approval rating last month was 15%. And how many of them are being voted out? None. Why? No competition. Regardless of the rest, this insanity keeps the best man in office. 15%, and most incumbents. Really America?
To be fair, Congress is rarely popular, and by rare, I mean never.
HilDOG- I guess voting is the only thing you can look forward to as you grow in age, you know not like you're gonna get your license or anything <3 ahahaha
This historic election has been by far one of the most interesting that I have seen and the most expensive. I truly like both of the candidates. They have traits about them that are necessary to the way the county works. Obama has some of the most revolutionary ideas, and isn’t afraid to put them out there. John McCain has an air of a weathered veteran. This air around McCain besides smelling old, has a connection to President Reagan. Either one of these people would make a spectacular president, or just because each has a different idea of how the country should be run, either of them could be right. The only difference is, we will only know how well Obama will run the country. He has four years to prove himself, and then, and only then, can he take a shot at the possible extension of another four years.
The ads on TV are better than the ads from our local politicians. They probably have a bigger budget, but they also have a professional touch. The genuine clarity and crispness of the person’s voice and the picture itself are very nice. It is a pain to get the quality of a person on camera to be perfect. Whether Obama has the most photogenic face in the world, or the production teams that film Obama’s videos are some of the best in the business. That is what I accredit the victory for Obama to, the quality of his videos. To others this may seem like a stretch, but subconsciously the viewers of Obama are sitting there and they think that his ideas are clear and concise. That is the power of media. John McCain also had the ads that both sides are pretty much required to have. His had some black and white images, with the hazy filter effect. This tells a viewer that McCain has a clouded mind, even though he was trying to make it seem like Obama was the one that faltered. Not only were the video qualities good but the variety of the types of videos Obama used were very nice. He had some with him, others without. He had the long infomercial and short commercials. This plethora of videos set Obama apart from the previous elections.
I just admire the quality of work that these ads have. I don’t even pay attention to the message they have. As long as they aren’t like the local politician’s low budget productions, where everything is obviously scripted, I don’t mind watching them at all.
To everyone:
If you think of the elections as just one big game of tag, it makes it a lot easier to handle. Nobody wants to be it and then give up so they need to keep running around until they tag the other person. It's just like one big joke, except for the prize at the end. I hope that's important to them.
Let’s see, what haven’t I learned? I learned that you should never underestimate the underdog because really I never thought Obama would get this far due to his lack of experience. For once, I do not agree with something Mr. Matlack said in class yesterday in response to Alice asking Matlack who he would be voting for. His response seemed to be that he wasn’t voting for someone who is associated with people who are wrong in their actions. Then Matlack went into a rant about how you can tell who a person is with whom they hang out with. He went on a few rants yesterday, actually. I respect him, but I think this election taught me the exact opposite that you can’t judge someone with whom they have been associated with. We all have that family member or that friend that may have made bad decisions, but that doesn’t mean you follow in their footsteps. That was a pretty big lesson learned. Also, politics is brutal and so deceiving, which makes me love and hate it. It’s interesting how the candidate twists words to accommodate everyone or at least try to. Charisma seems to play a big factor because you need to be able to communicate to others while swaying them onto your side.
The signs, commercials, speeches, and everything have just been very annoying because they all have reiterate the same things I mean how many times can you really discuss your position on an issue and there are only several issues that the American people really care about. The debates were pretty good this year though. Pretty darn intense. I really don’t think candidates should make any promises because there also really not in control. From AP Government and to the election, I am just utterly sick of politics and I do not want to hear about government for a year or so. I enjoy living in my own little world and not letting outside distractions affect me.
Overall this election gave me hope for myself not necessarily the country. Obama illustrated that anything can happen and anyone can climb the long ladder to success. I used to have a really strong opinion about politics and different candidates and I would get into never ending arguments with numerous people concerning politics, but now and the last couple months I can careless. Everyone has been so consumed in it and the media. I don’t even really know what to say about this topic anymore. It’s like a THAT song that just keeps playing over and over on the radio. If you listen to it too many times it just loses its “umph”/ its meaning. Therefore focusing on Obama’s story, it left a good taste. However, everything else like the nonsense of the election has just left a bad taste.
Jordan
"Its almost equivalent to a relationship. A man, the candidate, approaches a woman who at the time is living life to the best of their abilities, which can either be good or bad depending on luck. The woman would be the country and the people. So now the man must swoon the woman into believing that they are the best guy to make their life happier and more enjoyable. At this point though more than one guy is battling for that position of boyfriend, so now the first man must pull out all the stops to defeat the others. With this comes along dirty tricks, unveiling secrets in the life, and promising sweet things in the future. Then it finally comes down to the day where the girl must choose which guy she likes, and this is our election day."
I like this comparison a lot. I never really thought of it in that way, but it makes a lot more sense. Politics just gives me a headache and last year I really don't know how I got through AP government because everyday i dreaded that class. I absolutely hated it, feared it, and wanted to ignore it. I like conspiracies though. Good job on the comparison. I could now relate to it more.
It was this year’s election that actually got me interested in politics. I’ve known for a long time how the voting process goes and this and that, but I have always ignored politics and anything having to do with it. I used to hate the topic because it always seemed to raise so much tension and argument between people, and I tried not to get involved because the last thing I needed was more reasons to argue with people. But despite my attempts, I failed. This election got me so absorbed, I spent hours doing research, and watching the debates as well as crazy youtube videos. And guess what I learned? Politics are interesting. I never would have said this before. And even though I was disappointed in the end about how the election turned out, I will continue to be involved and informed about what is going on in the government.
Political propaganda and temporary pointless promises are heard so often that it goes in one ear and out the other. I am tired of hearing these promises being made, but nothing being done, so I don’t take the promises seriously. Each candidate every term makes promises which, if all were followed through, our country would be perfect…but look where we are. During this election, I avoided falling in the hands of political propaganda, and decided who the better candidate was by hours of research, and not 30 second commercials.
It is just plain sad that there are people who vote and have no idea what their desired candidate has to bring to the table. I was at my friends house yesterday and there was some girl there who actually said, “How can you vote for McCain? Have you ever noticed all those wrinkles on his face? Seriously, he got mad wrinkles on his face!” Uh….what? I don’t even know what to say to that. I’ve been hearing stupid comments like this so often that it makes me want to become president so I can pass a law that says only people who know what they are talking about can vote. It’s really aggravating to know that people do not bother with research even with a topic as important as this one.
I definitely came away from this election with a new-found sense of purpose. Like I said before, I used to always ignore politics and anything having to do with the government. But no more. I actually had fun following the debates and hearing what people had to say about the two candidates. It was an interesting election, one that everybody is bound to remember.
Alright. I'm going to take the lack of a word count/grade amount to mean we can go a little more freeform on this one and just put in our thoughts on the election. Being not much of a television watcher, I've managed to avoid every single political ad since the republican primaries ended, and all I saw before that was a Huckabee ad. I suppose this question really isn't geared towards me, who has only learned what he cared to look up, but I will do my best to answer it regardless.
Obviously, anything about McCain recently has paled in contrast to Obama. Obama is simply more interesting, and McCain probably pulled in Palin in an attempt to close the interest gap. Even still, the audacious Obama managed to stay in the public mind far more than his potato-headed gegner.
Regardless of public interest, though, Obama won. This made me happy, though it was no surprise at all. Once I saw the “Rednecks for Obama (Even we've had enough)” signs, it was fairly obvious who was taking the election. Obama winning is good. It means our president is democratic, which I am. He's moderate, which will help keep most people content. And he is African American. Despite the seeming stupidity of voting for someone based on the color of their skin, it does have the advantage of opening the door for others who may not fit the bill as a presidential candidate. This will help racial minorities. This will help women. This will help all kinds of people, even those with differences which you cannot immediately see.
One small difference could, in turn, create a world of difference to me. This election has, in fact, given me a newfound sense of purpose. The way I see it, if an African American can be elected president, perhaps we would soon be able to elect an atheist. Now, I'm not trying to push all my morals onto you, about how I believe religion is wrong. I'm not going to force any atrocities down your throats, either. That was for the last blog. This time, I'm simply going to say I believe in the separation of church and state. I do not believe in god, and I don't want any religious laws forced on me because “God” declared they must be. I do not want women to be denied the right to kill a creature of comparable intelligence to a salmon because of God. I do not want two men or two women to be unable to hold the label “married” because of God. I sure as heck do not want to go off to war in another country because of God.
Faith can and will go on without having official backing from the United States government. I believe that an atheist president would be able to more logically think through our nation's problems. And because of this, I will continue inching towards this goal. Perhaps this seems as crazy to the right as the right does to me. But I still dream of the day when the mixing of religion and politics is unthinkable.
To Dan: Best political quote ever. And so true. We're never really going to get a good president, and we've accepted that.
I don't really agree with your political choices, but I don't think either obama or mccain, both being rather moderate, would do a terrible job. Give obama a chance. He might actually be able to change something.
No he can't?
Yes he can. Probably.
Sergei:
"Well, whatever, I guess he will do an O.K. job. Or he will drive this country into eternal turmoil. Oh well, if that happens, theres a home and government waiting for me on the other side of the world."
Ahahaha..best partt! I am definitely the same way. Turmoil = Thailand here I come!!! =P
Brendan:
"Obviously, anything about McCain recently has paled in contrast to Obama. Obama is simply more interesting, and McCain probably pulled in Palin in an attempt to close the interest gap. Even still, the audacious Obama managed to stay in the public mind far more than his potato-headed gegner."
I totally agree. Obama is just much more interesting compared to his 72 yr old counterpart. Like really, who is going to end up writing songs about McCain? (I'm thinking about the song that goes "ObamaObamaObamaObama O-O-ObamaObamaObamaObama...")Plus, the whole Palin for V.P. does not help at all, and if anything, the interest shown with Palin is not the positive ilk.
One more thing again!
Sarah, I can't wait to get my laptop this christmas so i can be addicted to blogs with you!
The only thing I have to say really makes me angry about this election is that today I heard one of the television political people wonder if Palin would headline the ticket for the Republicans in 2012. This makes me angry for two reasons. 1) I'm Libertarian, but I like the old-school republicans well enough to want to vote that way. And Palin just worked sooo well the first time around. And 2) Really? It's one day after this election and they're already on the next one? Bull Honkey.
Monumental and historical both sum up this election very well, however it is also one of the first elections that I will remember in the future, so I have a deep respect and aversion to elections that have this much backstabbing and underhanded works. There seem to be many parallels to high school on the national political scene. Best friends become “traitors” and become friends with your worst enemy, vicious cat fights ensue over perceived slights, and even a detachment of the whole from the “elite” who really run the show. High School is just drama, drama, drama and I had previously hoped to escape such an atmosphere when I left, unfortunately this seems unlikely.
My soul was energized by the promises of a better future, however it was crushed by the subtle references to more time in acceptance speeches, so now my cynicism has returned to my person whole and unharmed. The taste in my mouth rather makes me want to brush my teeth, as I hope that it will become much more fresh, this taste is one of things that are delicious but then the aftertaste is horrendous. This includes promises made and then not kept. I guess I should’ve believed Mr. Sera when he said people run and win on the same issues all of the time. *sigh*
Ali.
Meg Song
I whole-heartedly echo your "thank goodness it's election day" sentiment, but just one day later... :P
Mike
I also agree with your disapproval of the factor that money plays in elections, however I have resigned myself to the fact that money is never going to leave the system.
To Alice and Eva
Thank you for commenting on my rant. Sadly, I don't think I will have time to follow it up today, because I'm way too tired. I went over Kyle's place for some SSBB, and then came back here for some SRO. Thats a lot of gaming for one boy to handle. But, if at all you ever want to hear my politial beliefs and for me to start yelling and possibly swearing, you know where to find.
Lol, Alice, I liked how you used yourself as an example all the way towards the end.
"Vote for me! Alice Hu! The first FEMALE and ASIAN President! (Of course you don't have to vote for me based on that, but it'd be nice if you did! Oh, and if you don't, you're racist and sexist!)"
Though, I gotta tell ya, if you went running under that slogan, I might have to run against you. I think mine would go something like this:
"Vote for me! Serj Jouikov! The FIRST RRRUUUUSSSSIIIIAAAANNNN :)President" *then in small letters underneath* "I promise not to sell all U.S. secrets to foreign countries and sobotage it from the inside."
I think I would totally win. But before that, we have to go through the first Mexican president, first Canadian president, heck Im sure even that North Korean guy who wants to bomb the hell out of this country would get elected. As far as people are concrened, he is better than Bush.
I’m in no way a fan of this election, and I have been completely disinterested from the start. In being brutally honest I didn’t think either of those men was fit enough to lead the country. They both were missing something, each having a different important quality that to me defines a leader.
All day today I’ve been hearing about what it takes to be a leader, and how leadership is truly most effective. I’ve watched first hands as my peers transformed from regular school kids to these amazing leaders. Leaders to me have something about them, something that really gives them a right to be called leaders. It’s not just being loud, nor is it running around the cafeteria in colored shirts, but it is pulling together when times are hardest. Mr. Edmonds talked to us today about his football team, and how it was really hard because he was a solo captain in the first losing season for the University of Delaware. He said it was easy when they kept winning the years before, but when they were losing he really had to step up and become a leader. To me this relates because the country is losing, we’re in a recession a MAJOR one, and a true leader would see this and step up. I don’t think either of these men have the savvy, nor the true leadership qualities to really make it long term. Sure, they are great quick fixes but we need leaders that can actually handle the long haul.
I have learned that no matter how bad I wanted to go into politics, it just isn’t happening. I was disgusted by the ads in this election. Thank god that it is finally over. The ads on both sides were slanderous and over done. I’m sorry but I’m just not a fan of over doing political commercials, John McCain had like 10 different commercials which mostly were slanderous, and to be honest I shut off the television because I didn’t want to see Obama talk anymore when he bought time on three major networks. I think buying time on the three major networks was a waste of money, and a waste of time. He would have won either way. By buying the time on the television I got tired of him, real quick. I know that stinks for me because now he’s president and gets to do that all the time, but at the time I couldn’t even watch it so I turned off my television. Maybe if McCain focused more on himself and less on Obama he could have gained a few more votes.
The entire over done campaign has completely disheartened me. I have for a long time had this secret want to go into politics. I’ve had this little part about that felt the need to go into politics. Now, I want nothing to do with politics. The onslaught was a massacre and as most massacres are it was totally unnecessary and over done. I’m so tired of the corruption, and the stupid acts the media pulls on the country. I know I’d hate to be Sarah Palin, because I know if I ran they would do the same exact thing to me. Then, everyone would hate because the media is able to paint the picture of a person’s character any way they want to. It makes me so sick the media has so much pull, and it also makes me sick the extent to which people believe the media. In the famous words of John Mayer “When you trust your television what you get is what you got because when they own the information they can bend it how they want.” I no longer want a career in politics. I no longer have faith in anything I see on television. I no longer believe that people can be held accountable for their actions because too many people just keep passing on the blame instead of looking the problems straight in the eye.
I’m usually an energetic person, and I usually love to “fight the good fight.” But in politics these days I don’t think that there is a good fight out to there to fight. It’s all the same old crud we’ve been hearing over and over again. It’s left a bad taste in my mouth, and that taste just won’t go away until someone does something monumental. I know that won’t be right away, but I’m hoping our new president takes a few initiatives. It’s a sour situation only made worse by the fact that the media does a terrible disservice to this country and the fact that we as Americans are uniformed by that same media that we hold in such high esteem.
It’s such a shame that everyone, including myself, just wants the election to be over. People like us, the bright minds of tomorrow should have been following the election and getting involved in healthy way, even if it wasn’t supporting a candidate. We should have been getting involved in this piece of history and having fun with this election. We should have fun with every election. Yet, people like me decided to turn the television off and couldn’t wait for the election to be over with.
Matt C –
They had so obviously picked a favorite from the start and then exploited the two opposing candidates. They were given no reprieve from the constant abuses of the media and therefore the fickle public saw the constant attack and thought that if all these people hate the candidate they must be bad. So now we've got the entire country pinned against someone when they really have no idea why.
THANK YOU MATT! I agree completely the media picked a winner from day one and haven’t stopped trying to sell him since. It’s been a little play that the media has put on for us. Here we look like we give each of the candidates a fair chance to speak their mind and we don’t have an exact favorite, but then oh look again we have a favorite and are using a lot of sociology to make you join the bandwagon absent mindedly. Everyone was against Sarah Palin, but how many people honestly know Sarah Palin outside of the picture the media painted and that she played along with. She played it up so t hat way she could get free face time on Saturday Night Live, and could get her name out there. She took the it’s better to be known than not to get your name out there at all. She made fun of herself and made herself look like an idiot and although she didn’t win the election she did everything she could to help McCain, well what she thought she could do. Everyone knows her name, but how many times did you hear one person even mention Joe Biden. So for all of you that hate Sarah Palin get to know her, her record and what’s she’s done in Alaska before you hate her. If you then hate her be my guest, but don’t hate her because she’s with McCain or because she’s from Alaska.
Oh the other morning I got dropped off and this one girl was talking about Palin and said that Alaska honestly only has about two people in it. She honestly looked at me and tried to tell me it wasn’t a state and that it was basically empty. This made me so angry! Like come on! I don’t care if you like Obama but get your facts straight about someone before you make bogus claims like Alaska only has two freaking people.
So much for disproving stuff...there were barely any posts on this blog, and I wasted my time playing monopoly on the internet with a friend.
Anyways, I forgot to mention this, and I'm not sure if anybody else did. The high point of this election for me was when John McCain defended Barack Obama, telling his supporters to show respect, even if their ideals are different. It kinda showed the best of John McCain, and the worst of his supporters, who booed when he said it. It is really a shame that these people are so insane that they won't even accept the kind words of the candidate they support.
Then...there's that woman who lied about being attacked and getting a B carved into her face...
phew. almost forgot all about this.
"Everybody seems to think I'm lazy
I don't mind, I think they're crazy
Runnin' everywhere at such a speed
'Til they find: there's no need."
^after years and years of contemplation, I still can't agree (with myself) on my favorite Beatles song, but I've been leaning towards that one for the past year or so.^
Alright, so I watch Disney Channel and G4. In other words, I don't see too many political advertisements, if any at all. I don't listen to the radio, either. Basically, all I see are the little signs people put up in their yards, and I read the paper.
I can't really say I've learned anything. I was overjoyed with the fact that Hillary Clinton got knocked out, so I guess I learned my hatred for Clinton is real.
I'm not a gullible person. When candidates spout promises of change and prosperity, I tend to ignore them. Obama just wouldn't shut up, though. Day after day after day, I'd see signs going up with CHANGE in big letters. "A CHANGE we can believe in." It took not a month before my eyes grew weary of such false hope.
Change isn't something that's going to happen in a day, a week, or a year. Change takes decades and decades to occur. The only type of change that doesn't fit this rule is the continuously changing technology. Buy something today and in 3-6 months it'll be outdated. Since I don't see Obama as too much of an inventor, I also don't see him changing too much too soon....
Let's go back to the "start" of the election two years ago. John Edwards was running again. Hillary Clinton was running (I was pissed when I heard this, to say the least). Joe Biden was running, too. Ralph Nader was thinking of taking a break. Romney and Giuliani were the men to beat as far as conservatives go. Notice something. I didn't mention Obama or McCain. At the start of the election, they weren't prominent figures. Sure, people knew McCain (don't think I can say the same for Obama), but they didn't really see him as a major candidate.
Fast forward a year.
Dem. = Hillary, Obama, Edwards
Rep. = Giuliani, Romney, Huckabee, McCain
My favorites? I liked Edwards, McCain, and Kuccinich, in that order.
Then McCain had to go and turn into a republican. (No, he was not a republican before.) Edwards went and committed adultery. And Kuccinich? Well, he really had no chance from the start.
So I walk away from this election feeling pretty pissed off at the country. We're in an economic disaster, and we elect OBAMA?! Oh well, I've always wanted to live through a disaster, anyway =)
"But if I seem to act unkind
It's only me, it's not my mind
That is confusing things"
Vikkie: "Yeahhh I'm pretty sure I heard Obama's speech in my dreams"
I actually did hear his speech in my dreams. I'd explain it in more detail, but I don't think I've done enough research just yet. I really want to do something on that for my dissertation, though (if I decide to become a pyschologist instead of psychiatrist)
But yea, I left the radio on, and they were broadcasting his speech, so I heard it while unconscious, and it made it into my dream by way of a really good Obama impersonation (I forget who did it, because it was a dream, but I remember thinking it to very very well done). Turns out it was the real thing, haha.
In all honesty, I HATE GOVERNMENT and try to ignore the whole idea of it. But, because this election will significantly impact my generation, I figured it was time to listen up.
This past election has been driving me insane since the campaigning began last year. The television, radio and interviews have been brainwashing Americans all over about how great their candidate is and how horrible the others are. Frankly, I’m quite tired of it. Not only is the media buttering up each candidate as something they’re probably not, but Americans as well are making a big deal out of this election for two reasons:
1) We may have African American president!
2) A woman may be our vice president!
Woo hoo, big whoop. What has our world come to?
What I have learned is that America has focused more on these two facts than what each candidate actually has to offer. It sickens me that minorities vote for Obama because he is black and women vote for McCain because they want a woman with a considerably high position. They don’t take the time to figure out how each candidate feels about the war, the energy crisis, and so many more issues that could actually change their opinion of the person. All of this continues to fuel my “I don’t care” attitude.
It’s really sad. A good amount of Americans have NO IDEA when it comes to politics. Let’s see, the president actually doesn’t do very much—he’s just a person for everyone to blame when something goes wrong. If we had any brains, we would stop making such a big deal about presidential elections and start focusing on who we elect to Congress. They are who make the difference.
I so glad this election is finally over. The media will eventually die down and we will soon feel the effects of our new president: Barack Obama. No more trashing him about his past or speaking so highly as if he was a God. This election has left me with complete apprehension. Will the promises and vows be fulfilled? If so, will it help our country or hurt it? I understand that Obama was big about “change.” How much will he try to modify? The answers to these questions won’t be answered for a while I know, but I will not be satisfied until they are.
Mike N—
“I look at the political scene with a scowl on my face. Each candidate has one goal, getting elected, and they will do anything they can to achieve it.”
I completely agree. Each candidate preaches that they will fix our country which ever way they believe, but will what they do actually help? Probably not. They may not even get anything done while in office. But either way, they persuade people into thinking that they are angels who will save them when all they are focused on is getting the position.
To Serj!
Oh my gawd! I think Matt Warrener might actually become president in the future!! I had a dream that he was the president and that you were the vice president!! Oh my freakin' what-cha-mah-calls-it!
And hey, that's not my slogan! lol XD If you really do run against me, I will have use dirty-handed tactics! *kicks you from beneath the table* haha, I win! Nah, just kiddin'! If you were going to run, I'd be all like, "Whoa! Serj's running! Can he handle the pressure!??!" But then again years would've passed by then so you would have changed, most likely into a hard-working guy. Who knows? The future is always so fuzzy.
Whoa... I know I commented a whole lot and so did other people, but why the heck did we end up with only 108 comments on this blog?!?! I was sure we'd be around 130+! This is surprising...
I’m so exhausted from having politics constantly shoved down my throat. Mr. Sera’s class last year was brutal for me. But from his class, I learned that politicians are liars. Everyone in government lies and manipulates to get ahead. I hate everything about politics, especially the conniving demeanor of the candidates and the media. I try to stay away from politics because how do you know who to trust and who not to? The media has distorted the candidates and it’s sickening to see how much influence that has. Some just automatically believe what they hear. Everyone is so easily convinced by what they hear. Obama’s a great speaker, but you know who else was? Hitler. And half the people out there are ignorant of any standpoint the candidates have. Mae Ree told me the other day that someone switched McCain and Obama’s views, and no one took any notice of the change whatsoever. People (some, not all) are just voting for Obama because he’s black; Palin because she’s a woman. It’s said to see that our society has come to this.
Just the word politics gives me a nasty taste in my mouth. I am so relieved that this election is finally over with. I don’t know how much more of it I could take. I’ll admit, though, I am curious (and afraid) of how Obama proposes to get us out of this economic mess. Will his promises to us Americans be fulfilled? Will this ‘change’ he spoke of so often ever occur? America has voted. We can’t turn back now.
Erik-
Your blog was very insightful i thought. :) I agree with Matt W. about your George Washington quote, too. Nice touch. I feel the exact same way about your overall opinion though. I'm so sick of seeing Obama everywhere! But nice blog :D
Oh my gawd... Ms. Bunje? Was this blog due yesterday or today because I'm not sure since I saw hayley's comment. I mean, if it's today, I'm going to be waiting for some more and comment on 'em. Other than that, I've got nothing else to say except that GUITAR HERO RULES!!!
El Fin!
Alice,
I totally want to be your campaign manager. We'll take Sergei the Communist down! Not that we'd need to since S was born in Russia and can never legally be Prez. But still. We should just start a smear campaign for fun.
To Sarah and Alice:
Before you two get any ideas, let me just say that when I !!!WILL!!! become president, I will not the be a very nice leader. I will be the type of dude who will use any force necessary to stop you rebels. *cracks knuckles*, *grins*. Wait for it.....wait for it.........waaaiiitt for it.......*Evil Laugh*
Jk
But seriously, don't be startin' nothin', this won't end pretty. >=(
Post a Comment