Obama and Clinton on the Trail

Barrack Obama told voters on Saturday the only way that he can win the presidency is, "if you decide that this election is bigger than flag pins....or a former pastor." Obama makes these comments as he and Clinton fight for the two states with primaries on Tuesday. Clinton hopes to win North Carolina and Obama hopes to win Indiana. Today, both candidates had unusual hour long appearances on network television channels--Obama on NBC's Meet the Press and Clinton in a town hall meeting on ABC's This Week.

Both candidates have spent time in their key states. Clinton spoke to a group of mom's in Cary, N.C. before she stopped at the N.C. Auto Racing Hall of Fame. She looked amazing in a N.C. blue pantsuit, according to the Lexington Herald Leader. She answered questions about motherhood and her career in the public eye.

Obama spent the day with his wife and two younger daughters. It was his daughters first series of public appearances since the Iowa primary. Seems like both candidates have taken more time to answer questions and spend time with family instead arguing.

Damage Control for Obama

Since the scandal about Obama's pastor Jeremiah Wright came out, more voters have been turning away from Obama. A poll conducted in Indiana found that voters were 21 percent less likely to vote for Obama since the scandal hit. These voters could ruin Obama's chance in November.

Obama is now trying to show that he doesn't believe what Wright believes like; personal history, his professional career, and his voting record all show he has fair liberal views in U.S. domestic and foreign policies. However, Wright's statements in the past weeks have forced Obama to make a renunciation that undermined the credibility of his well-received speech on race. Some say that the question now for Obama is which is worse.....People thinking you agree with Wright, or people not believing your explanations for associating with him?

The Diffrences in the Candidates

The differences between the two front runners, Obama and McCain are strikingly different. McCain is more spontaneous and accessible, and Obama is more disciplined and remote. However they have one trait in common, they both want the Presidency very badly.

Each candidate has a style of their own and they carry themselves very differently. McCain is 5-foot-9 and 71 years old. he has a ramrod posture, and likes to move quickly while clinching his fists. This combination makes McCain often come across as stiff and unapproachable. On-the-other-hand Obama is 6-foot-2 and 46 years old. When he gives a speech he holds his head up high and his arms swing freely by his side, instead of hidden in his pockets.

The two have extremely different personalities and campaign approaches. Both candidates also understand that mannerisms on the trail can provide insight into how one will act in office.

The Divided Democrats--Brienne

It seems like the Democratic Party is more divided now than it ever has been before. The race is so close, so Obama supporters are being attacked by Clinton supporters and visa versa. It is okay for now. It is just a race and the supporters of different candidates are supposed to be rivals. However, after the Democratic Party has a presidential candidate, we are going to have to come back together if we want to get the Republicans out of the White House. With the way everyone is treating each other, this doesn't quite seem possible. It looks like we are burning too many bridges trying to win the primaries that we as a democratic group will loose the general election, which is the whole point. We need to all be able to get behind one candidate, whichever candidate that may be, in order to stop McCain, because I think mostly all democrats will agree that either candidate is better than McCain. On the other hand, though, why would I want to vote for someone who called me a latte sipping elitist (as Hillary Clinton said of Obama supporters)? I am not naive. I know politics is a dirty game. I know that almost any politician will do whatever they have to in order to get ahead. However, we as voters cannot buy into all of the insults and cruelty once we have our presidential candidate. We have to support whichever person wins the primary, or else John McCain will be the next president of the United States. We have to forgive the insults that were said towards us by the opposing candidate. Who knows, maybe Obama and Clinton will surprise us and choose the other as his or her running mate? Or have they burned too many bridges between themselves?

Obama rips Clinton

According to CNN Obama attacks Senator Clinton. On Saturday he said that Clinton's support for a summertime break from the federal gasoline tax symbolizes a candidacy consisting of "phony ideas, calculated to win elections instead of actually solving problems." Clinton told an audience of supports that, "Obama is attacking my plan to try to get you some kind of break."

This attack is all over a gasoline tax, which both have aired ads on the issue. Phil Singer, a spokesman for Clinton, responded, "Considering that Sen. Obama voted to suspend the gas tax three times when gas cost less than $2 a gallon and has an energy lobbyist chairing his Indiana campaign, it's hard to take his latest criticisms very seriously." Obama recently said that he opposed this because it would cost more money than actually saving money.

Beyond the arguments for and against the tax, the issue has assumed a far larger significance in recent days. Clinton is using it to buttress her argument that Obama is out of touch with the needs of working-class Americans and Obama is citing it as an example of his opponent's embrace of what he calls old-style politics. Both want to extend the debate on this issue, so I guess we will see how this issue play out with the Dem's.

Response to "The Demise of the Democratic Part"

This is a response to a blog that another contributor posted. I agree with this blog and on the issues with in it. I am a huge Obama fan and I want nothing more than for him to win, but I think that the democrats have "screwed" themselves. In order for Obama to win he is going to have to sweeten things up a bit, when it comes to Senator Clinton. He needs to quit attacking her, even if she bites first. He needs to keep in mind that it is a close race and if she keeps attacking him and he acts like nothing happened than he will start to gain more voters. If the fight between Obama and Clinton doesn't simmer down then the Dem's are going to start swaying towards Senator John McCain, because they are starting to give the Democratic Party a bad name. One way to fix that from happening is for Clinton and Obama to quit focusing on themselves and to focus more on the American people. They both need to straight up tell the citizens of the U.S. what they are going to do to fix the economy and our country as a whole. If neither of them can do that, then it looks to me like John McCain will be our next President.

Representative Richard Henderson

Last Wednesday, Representative Richard Henderson spoke to one of my college classes. If you don't know he is running for a third term in office and he wanted to tell us why we should vote for him. He spoke on many different issues like college tuition and a bill that he has tried to pass, but failed to do so. The one thing that caught my attention most was his thoughts of new bridge being built in Northern Kentucky. The only thing that the state can't figure out is how to pay for it. Therefore, most of the House has come up with the idea of putting a toll on the bridge. Most Representatives liked the idea except for the several from Northern Kentucky. They don't want their communities to have to pay, every time that they use the bridge. So, since they don't want that; why can't they put tolls in every part of the state that leads to a major interstate. Like Northern Kentucky, Louisville, Southern part of Kentucky leading into Tennessee, and Eastern part that leads to West Virgina? Rep. Henderson's response was that the Representatives from those districts don't want those, including him. When he told the class that, I was in shock. I wondered how could he be for something and against it at the same time. He wants to put one in Northern Kentucky and make the people there have to pay and not put them elsewhere. If the tolls were other places like I mentioned before then maybe tuition would be so high and the state would get extra money. The only answer that I got after several questions was, POLITICS.

Taxes--Brienne

Taxes are somewhat of a difficult thing to understand. They have obviously been a big deal in this election. Bush's infamous tax cuts for the wealthy caused problems for everyone throughout the entire country. What sense does it make to allow wealthier people to pay less taxes than poorer people? Both Clinton and Obama were against this tax policy from the very beginning. Obama stated clearly that wealthier people will pay more taxes than poorer people. This is how it should be. While wealthier people should not be penalized for being wealthy, in order for the economy to work properly, that is what has to happen. Poorer people cannot afford to pay all sorts of taxes and it is nearly impossible to ask them to. Hillary Clinton wants to put people back to paying Pre-Bush tax rates, but wants to expand child tax credit for the child's first year. She also wants to increase tax deductions for college students. Obama has somewhat of a different plan. He wants tax cuts for older people and families making $75,000.00 per year or less. He has a more progressive tax plan for our country. He also wants to provide tax incentives to create jobs at home rather than offshore. McCain has just been off and on with his support/disapproval of Bush's tax plans. At first he opposed them, then he supported them, then he opposed them. However, he does not want to raise taxes. He feels that could be the worst possible thing we could do for our country right now.

Loss of Freedom of Speech--Brienne

This election is a huge deal. There is no doubt about it. It could quite possibly be the most important election in the history of the United States. I mean, lets face it. We have a very high possibility of having either our first woman president or our first black president. It is a historic moment in our lives. However, that does not mean that people have to right to take away another person's freedom of speech. Yesterday, my dad came to my work to drop off some keys. On his way out the door, he asked my where my Obama bumper sticker was. Well, I told him it was on the back of my car, like it has been for months. When I got off work, I checked my bumper, and the sticker was gone. I was so upset. It isn't the missing bumper sticker that I was upset about. It can easily be replaced. It was the fact that someone decided they could go up to my car, rip off my bumper sticker, and take away my freedom to express my support for a certain person. Just because someone doesn't agree with who I choose to support, that certainly does not give them the right to try to take my support away, or at least to shut it up. I have the right to put that bumper sticker on my car and no one but me has the right to take it off. I am also not the only person that this has happened to. One of the teachers at my school had an Obama yard sign. Someone took it down, ran over it with their bike, and put it back in a different location. My grandfather also had his bumper sticker torn off his car. I just don't understand why people think that they have the right to take away our freedom of speech. I don't understand why they think their opinion is worth more than my opinion, or my teacher's opinion, or my grandfather's opinion. Now, while people feel strongly towards certain candidates (I completely understand this, being a huge Obama fan myself), they should no express their feelings in this way. If they want to change my opinion, they should try it in a way that would make me actually respect their opinion.

Racism in this Election--Brienne

I have been shocked and appalled these last few weeks to discover how racist many of the people around me are. In my world, skin color doesn't matter. In my world, religion doesn't matter. In my world, gender doesn't matter. Apparently I am alone in my world. I have been talking to many people about the election, who people want to vote for, and who I want to vote for. When I tell some people that I plan on voting for Obama, they gasp and ask me how on earth I could vote for him. When I ask why I shouldn't, they tell me straight up because he is black. I had no idea people still felt this way and believed these things. It is pure nonsense that someone who is of a different race is incapable of leading a country purely based on the fact that he is of a different race. In fact, one of my friends asked me why I wouldn't want a true American to serve in office. He said he was voting for the "normal" candidate, meaning McCain. We are no longer friends. I just couldn't believe that someone would actually say those words. It seems impossible to me to have so much hatred toward someone just because of their race. It is ludicrous and I thought by now we, as a country, would have gotten past that. I thought that we, as a country, would be able to vote for the person best suited to run our country. I thought that by now we, as a country, would be able to see that a person’s race does not affect his or her ability to act. I thought wrong.

Obama Rally--Brienne

Today Benjamin McKenzie came to Transylvania University and spoke on behalf of Barack Obama. He talked about all different topics, ranging from the way he grew up politically to why he feels Barack Obama is the best candidate. He did his best to answer question regarding the policies of Obama, and he admitted that he would not be able to answer every question. Basically, he showed he strong subjects as well as his weak ones. Now, as I said in my last blog, I feel that the entertainment industry and politics should remain separate. However, these are the kind of people that the candidates should have campaigning for them. I don't mean celebrities, but people who will share what they know and how they feel, as you cannot see that in many politicians. They should have people who will answer questions but be laid back and relaxed. Most politicians are very uptight and have to be extremely careful about what they say. However, their campaigners do not. They can treat people normally. They can talk to them on an equal level. Many times, if politicians try to relate to their voters, they get punished for it by their competitors. Take Barack Obama for example. A few weeks ago in Pennsylvania, Obama tried to relate to his voters by saying that they weren't happy with their current situation. He said many past presidential nominees have promised to help them, but none of them have and he hoped to be the one to change it. Then Hillary came out saying that the were not upset and that Obama was out of touch with the voters. All Obama was trying to do was to be on the same level as his voters and in turn, he got punished. This is why they need people to campaign for them. They need people who can say the things that need to be said without having to say them themselves. I felt after this Benjamin McKenzie experience that this is what he did. He related to the everyday voters, which should be the goal of all the presidential candidates out there.

Hollywood versus Politics--Brienne

Tomorrow Benjamin McKenzie (The O.C.) is going to speak on behalf of Barack Obama at Transylvania University in Lexington. This is an event that I am very excited about. This is also an example of how politics and entertainment are coming together in this election. For many, many years politics and Hollywood have been coming together. It seems like each presidential election brings them closer together. Last election, MTV created Rock the Vote, which inspired young people all over the country to go vote in the election. This year, you can't help but see the music videos campaigning for different candidates. You see all sorts of movie and T.V. stars picking and endorsing candidates. You have to ask yourself, though, if this is a good thing. Rock the Vote, in my opinion, was an excellent idea. It did not have a party preference, it just got the idea out there that people have the right to vote and they should use that right. However, I feel that with the entertainment industry and politics collide, people stop voting on issues and start voting for who their favorite T.V. character endorses. While it might be a good eye opener to people who don't necessarily care for politics, those people more than likely aren't educated in the positions the politicians take of different topics. People tend to focus on non-issues like what Reverend White thinks. By focusing on the celebrity side of politics, voters are making uninformed decisions, on decisions that will effect the entire world! While I agree that it is a good thing that people are aware that their vote does count, they shouldn't base their vote on the vote of another person. If I were a celebrity, I would want to use my celebrity status to inform people of the issues at hand, which is what Benjamin McKenzie will do, but I am also sure that he will try to persuade people to vote for the person that he supports, which is Barack Obama. These are very difficult ideas to balance, and I hope that the industries don't collide in a harmful way in the future.

Obama Controversy--Brienne

Ally basically said it all in her last post. Our first amendment right gives us the freedom of religion. That is the bottom line. It shouldn't matter if Obama is Muslim, which he isn't. He would still be the best candidate in my eyes, even if he wasn't Christian. I will never vote for someone based on their religious denomination. People say that because his father was a NON PRACTICING Muslim, Obama must be a devout Muslim and therefore cannot be the president of the United States. However, Obama is not a Muslim, so this is a moot point. He is a Christian and has been one for years. Let me ask you this: how many of you believe every word that comes out of your religious leader's mouth? How many of you will blindly follow what your religious leader says? How many of you have absolutely no questions whatsoever regarding your religion? The answer is, or at least should be, none of you. Everyone disagrees at one point or another with something your priest or pastor says. If you deny this, you are lying, which, let me point out, is a sin. Obama should not be penalized for the things that his pastor is saying. This is an unfair comparison. He has said time and time again that he does not agree with the crazy things coming out of Reverend Wright's mouth. Obama is not on the same page as he is and people need to stop associating Obama with him.

Environment--Brienne

Our environment has become a very intense problem in today's society. You constantly hear about people buying hybrid cars or using more energy efficient light bulbs, or things of that sort. Recycling has even become popular. All the T.V. channels are talking about how everyone needs to be "green" and live a "green" lifestyle. In fact, my aunt is currently in the process of building an environmentally friendly house. It is this kind of change that needs to occur soon, before it is too late. We have experienced many natural disasters in the last few years, and I am no expert, but I am sure global warming has contributed in some way to their occurrences. First it was the tsunami, then, and closer to home, was hurricane Katrina. Not to mention the several other natural disasters that weren't as disastrous. It is just a matter of time. Change is something that has to happen in order for us to survive. This is why the politicians' plans for the environment is a hot topic in this election. We need to bring about change, and either Clinton, Obama, or McCain is going to be the one responsible for doing it. Clinton wants to put $5 billion towards green-collar jobs, support green-collar job training, advocate a cap and trade system, and come up with a way to reduce air pollution to improve children's health. She has already launched an EPA study of air quality at Ground Zero, voted to include oil and gas smokestacks in mercury regulations, and sponsored a bill for tax credit to remove lead-based paint. She has also put much time and effort towards recovering from Hurricane Katrina, something that should have been completed long ago. Obama has the same attitude as Clinton regarding the environment and the need to clean it up. He wants to end the notion of Yucca Mountain nuclear storage, promote green technologies and fuel efficiency standards, and protect the Great Lakes and National Parks and Forests. His past also proves that he is willing to put his plans into action. He has organized inner-city recycling, passed lead abatement and 24 other environmental laws in the IL senate, and spent three months working on minority students recycling. While I am more supportive of Obama in this campaign, both Democratic candidates have proven that they are willing to do what it takes to end this environmental crisis. Even John McCain, the more conservative candidate, has taken steps to ending global warming. He wants much tougher regulations on emission requirements and voted to require EPA risk assessments. However, he isn't the most constant candidate when it comes to protecting the environment. He voted against protecting the deserts in CA, along with some other minor actions that sends mixed messages. This is not surprising, though. Until recently, the stereotypical conservative did not feel the environment was a problem. They felt we could live how we pleased and thought no consequences would follow. Not to say that the stereotypical democrat was taking all the actions necessary to preserving our environment. However, global warming is now a problem that most people believe needs to be solved.

Petraeus Focuses on Positives

General Petraeus has made tons of progress in Iraq, but it seems like to me that when he steps in front of Congress, he cannot hold his ground. However, the last time he was in front of Congress he started by saying that his colleagues have a, "hear no progress.....see no progress.....speak no progress," attitude towards the war. I agree with General Petraeus about this issue. It seems to me that Congress only focuses on the negatives. Every time they meet they seem to always get mad that there has been no progress, but there has been a lot of progress. The soldiers are doing an amazing job and are making a huge difference in Iraq. I think that Congress should focus on the positives and work off them. Maybe the morale of the country will change dramatically then.

President Bush Honors a Solider

While Democrats and Republicans were fighting over who could describe what to do about the war, President Bush was honoring a fallen solider. Michael Monsoor received the Medal of Honor for protecting his fellow soldiers. A grenade was thrown onto the Ramadi rooftop, that he was patrolling and bounced off his chest. This didn't kill the solider, but it was going to kill two of his comrades. Instead of letting it hit the other two men, Monsoor threw himself on top of it and trade his life for theirs. President Bush had tears in his eyes as he described what kind of a man Monsoor was. I feel like these are the types of stories that we should hear about in the news, instead of how many are dying and how President Bush isn't doing his job. President Bush has a tough job and I know that most Americans wouldn't have been able to look Monsoor's mother in the eyes while giving her his award. President Bush is an awesome President for honoring young men just like Monsoor. The president also cares about our soldiers that are fighting for our freedom; the rest of America should too.

Gay Marriage--Brienne

Gay rights is a subject that is very close to my heart, as I have family members who are gay and I feel that they deserve the same rights as straight people. I feel that being gay is not a choice mainly because I do not know one person who would choose to endure the hoops homosexuals have to jump through if they could choose not to do so. I also don't understand when conservatives use the Bible to defend their position on homosexuals. The Bible says so many things that are irrelevant in today's society. Then people say that those things are in the old testament, but there is nothing about gay marriage in the new testament either, so it really confuses me. Therefore, this topic is something that I am paying attention to in this presidential election. Obama, I feel, has the best, most realistic views and ideas regarding this subject. Barack Obama feels that gay people should have the same rights as straight people but that gay marriage is not that important. He feels like civil unions and giving rights is really all the change that our country can handle at this point, which is certainly true. Complete change cannot come overnight. It is something that will have to come gradually over time, very similar to civil rights in the past. He also thinks that gay marriage should be something that is recognized by individual churches, not by the state, basically saying that this shouldn't be a government issue, which is another thing that I completely agree with. Many conservatives say that they do not believe in gay marriage because it says that it is wrong in the Bible. Well, aside from the fact that this is certainly debatable, in this argument you are conflicting church and state, which are supposed to be separated. If you do not agree with gay marriage, that is fine. However, there shouldn't be a law against it, which is why Obama voted against the constitutional ban on gay marriage. Similarly to abortion, Hillary Clinton has the same views as Barack Obama. However, she has been back and forth. In 2004, she defended traditional marriage and then in 2006 defended gay marriage. John McCain has also been extremely indecisive. He has voted yes to prohibiting same-sex marriages, but then no to a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages. This is one of the many topics in which McCain is more of a middle man between the right wing and the left wing. He also thinks that gay marriage legality should be left up to the states. It seems like all of these candidates are somewhat open minded to gay marriage, which really says something of our country. It shows that we are growing as a whole, even when we are separated in two parties. It shows that we are becoming more tolerant of others.

Abortion--Brienne

Each of the candidate's views on abortion are very important. Abortion and its legality is a hot topic in today's politics. Obama has taken the steps to expand availability to contraception, thereby attempting to decrease the need for an abortion, which is a step that I fully agree with. If a woman doesn't get pregnant, then the need for an abortion no longer exists. However, he has been a pro-choice politician for several years, if not his entire career. He voted against banning partial birth abortion in 2007 and has voted yes to doing stem cell research. Basically Barack Obama is a far left liberal when it comes to abortion, which is really what I think is right. A woman's body is a woman's body. I don't feel that I would have an abortion, but until someone is put in that situation, they have no right to judge. However, I don't think I could ever support partial birth abortion. When you have to pull the fetus out of the mother and wait for it to die, it seems like you have waited too long. If a woman wants to get an abortion, I feel it is a decision that needs to be made early on. Hillary Clinton has many of the same beliefs as Obama, basically because they are both on the same party and with this subject, there is either the leftist belief or the conservative belief that abortion is either right or wrong. John McCain, on the other hand, has a much different view. McCain has had a pro-life view since the beginning of his career. He thinks that abortion isn't the best way to go, but it is OK if the woman was raped, which is not something I completely understand. I feel that if you see abortion as murder, then it should be murder no matter what. There shouldn't be exceptions. Now, I feel all women have the right to do whatever they want with their own bodies, so it isn't like I am saying that a rape victim should have to have the baby if she gets pregnant. However, if you see abortion as murder, it should still be considered murder even if the pregnancy wasn't consensual. Something else that surprised me on John McCain's political views regarding abortion was that he supported federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, which isn't typical of conservatives. Most republicans are against embryonic stem cell research since it kills the embryo, so in a way this is somewhat hypocritical. Adult stem cells can be obtained through extraction from the umbilical cord or placenta, so I could understand him supporting that, but embryonic stem cells are a different story. So it seems obvious that each party basically has a certain set of guidelines/opinions/views regarding abortion, with a few surprises thrown in here and there.

Superdelegates--Brienne

The race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton is probably one of the closest presidential races our country has seen. The ending result will basically come down to the superdelegates, which I will admit is one aspect of this campaign that I just do not understand. However, after reading one article in the New York Times, it has become clearer to me. Superdelegates are basically delegates who are uncommitted to any one candidate. Where delegates from each state have to vote for candidates in proportion to the way the popular vote turned out, superdelegates may vote for whomever they chose. Now, in the beginning, Clinton was receiving most of the superdelegate votes, but now many of the superdelegates are switching from Clinton to Obama. In the end, Hillary will need two-thirds of the superdelegate votes in order to win the primary, even in the best case scenario. While many people still have hope that she will triumph over Obama after the primaries have finished, I have doubt that this will happen. There is too much ground for her to recover in order for her to win. However, many more difficult tasks have been accomplished in the past, so it is still impossible to call the race. The tides have definitely turned in this primary and I can’t wait to see who will win overall.

Clinton and the Economy

This election is a very historical election; there is an African-American and woman running for president. Hillary Clinton has already made history and Clinton supporters are hoping she will continue that by becoming the first woman president of the United States. However, there are many Obama supporters hoping that she will fail. Both candidates have something in common: they both have plans to address the economy’s problems. Clinton recently became emotional while she was speaking to a small group of people. She briefly spoke about her talk with Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, when her eyes became filled with tears. In pictures you could tell that the economic problems this country is facing, is dear to Senator Clinton heart. Clinton’s dominate issue is our economy. She has strong emphasis on pragmatic plans and pocketbook issues. Analysts say that Clinton could win the presidency if she can convince voters that she will fix our economy. Senator Clinton has done best with lower-income voters, but let’s see if she can convince the rest of the nation.

Raising the Bar--Brienne

Many people feel that Barack Obama's lack of experience is a terrible thing that will cause him to be unsuccessful. However, I feel that because he doesn't have much experience, he hasn't been as corrupted by the political world. Everyone can agree that politics are dirty. Politicians lie, cheat, and steal. Many come to think that because they hold political offices, they are above the law. This is basically how scandals such as the Bill Clinton scandal and the Spitzer scandal came about. They were in politics so long that they start to feel the rules don't apply to them and they become careless and selfish. This is where Obama's lack of experience is a great thing. Obama hasn't been pulled into the world of cheating and scandal. He is above the rest in a way that not many people can understand. He doesn't try to bring the other candidates down, he merely defends his positions. This is one of the main reasons I am voting for Obama. He isn't a typical candidate and he is what I feel our country needs right now to get back on its feet. We have been pulled down by our current administration over the last eight years and putting the same type of people into office will not help us regain our strength. Obama is who we need. Not to mention that there was another president with a lack of political experience who did great things. That president was Abraham Lincoln. I think that we can all agree his lack of experience had no effect on his presidential capabilities. We just need to all have a little faith that this is the breath of fresh air our country needs in order to get ourselves back on track!

McCain's High School Days

John McCain has run a successful campaign so far and Republicans are hoping he will continue his streak into the November election. McCain recently spent hours answering questions at his old high school, where a town meeting was held. He answered questions about teachers pay and public service. One high school student stood up and blatantly asked McCain what his purpose was for being there. McCain jokingly responded, he knew he should have ended the meeting. It seems like McCain loves campaigning at town hall meetings.
As most all ready know McCain is the presumptive republican presidential nominee. McCain has ran an unscripted, any-question-goes campaign, which is an advantage. It gives the voters a chance to ask what is really on their mind and he can give an honest answer. I guess that we will find out how effective McCain’s “town hall” meetings are in the 2008 presidential election.

The Election in the Cyber World

I have recently realized that there is no way to escape the 2008 presidential election. The election is covered on the TV, newspaper, magazines, radio, and now the cyber world. The presidential election is so heated that online games are now discussing the election. One popular game is the World of Warcraft , where players are supposed to be fighting dragons, raiding enemies, and performing magical quest are now discussing who will be our next president. Sean Goldman told USA TODAY, “Here we are logging into the virtual world to escape the grip of the real world for a few hours, but this election has brought the real world closer to the virtual world. Players have been in debates for hours trying to make their point to the other players. Goldman also told them that, “99 percent of the gamers on WoW are talking about politics. Not only are gamers discussing the election, but MySpace and Facebook contributors are battling for the support for candidates. It seems like no one will be escaping this election.

MTV in the 2008 Election

MTV is a music based TV station, but as most people are aware, it is host to many reality TV shows. The Real World, Road Rules, and Making the Band are all popular reality TV shows, but recently they have taken a back seat. Instead there have been many news briefs interrupting the shows. The news briefs are covering the 2008 election. USA TODAY (April 2 edition) reports that MTV has educated young voters for 16 years, but this year will hopefully be their biggest success. If you recall in the 2004 election, MTV launched the Choose or Lose campaign. This was to try and get young eligible voters to actually go out and vote. However, this campaign wasn’t as successful as they hoped to be. For this year’s election they have launched a Street Team 08’. This is where they will have one young reporter from each state reporting on what the young voters are doing in their state. Hopefully MTV will be more successful in this year’s election than in 2004.

Voting in the 2008 Election

In several months, the citizens of the U.S. will be voting on a new President. It seems to be very important for young people to get out and vote. However, I was watching the TODAY Show and they were talking about who Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama were counting on for votes. They reported that Hilary was campaiging for the older generation and the womens votes. Obama is campaigning for the younger generation and the black vote. This election is one of the most historic elections that we have ever had, because the minorities are rising and the race is so close. Personally, I feel that younger voters mean the most in this election and that candidates should focus more on the younger generations votes. The candidates should remember that the younger generariont is the future. Props to Obama for focusing on the younger vote and maybe Hilary will take a hint

President Bill Clinton

On Tuesday, March 25, I had the opportunity to watch former President Bill Clinton give a speech in Frankfort. This was a rally to get supporters for his wife in Kentucky. Now, although I am not a Clinton supporter I wasn’t going to dog Hillary or protest against her, but I wanted to give him the chance to tell me why I should vote for her. I have to be honest with you, he was an excellent speaker, but he did not persuade me enough to vote for Hilary. President Clinton spent the first 15 minutes of his speech talking about how great it is to be a democrat. Now, I am not disagreeing with him, but I wanted him to get the crowd fired up and for him to jump straight into why I should give Hillary my vote. He didn’t do this; instead he focused on being a democrat and what happened in the 90’s. Now the 90’s for the most part was great, but we are in 2008, so let’s focus on how we are going to try and change the economy and the war we are currently in. I loved listening to him speak and thought he was an awesome speaker, I just wished that he would have focused more on Hillary and her campaign.

Votes--Brienne

The way that the United States typically votes is somewhat unfair. In general elections, the people vote. Whichever candidate, republican or democrat, receives the most votes, all of the electoral votes go to that candidate. Now, it is the same in the republican primary. However, in the democratic primary, it is based on percentages. Say 60% of the democrats in one state vote for Obama and 40% of the democrats in that state vote for Hillary. Around 60% of the delegates will be counted for Obama and 40% will be counted for Hillary. This seems to me to be a much more accurate way of getting what the people want. For example, in the general election, one candidate could get more of the popular vote (or the votes by the people), while the other candidate could get more electoral votes. I feel like we should do our elections based on percentages, as it is done in the Democratic primary. It brings the people closer to the executive branch and people would feel like their vote really could make a difference. It would encourage more people to get out there and vote. Some people say that the reason we do not do this now is because it takes too long to count. However, I feel that the president of the United States is a very important profession. If it takes longer to count votes, so be it. The presidency should be based on what the people want, or the popular vote.

Obama Scandal--Brienne

There has been some recent scandal regarding Obama and his pastor at the church he has been a member of for over 20 years. The pastor said some hurtful things that many people do not agree with. Among these people is Obama. Regardless of the fact that he has been a member of that church for so long, he recently said in his speech that he condemns the things that this pastor has said. Now, let me ask, who agrees with everything that they hear at church? Religion is a very touchy subject. However, unlike most politicians, Obama did not distance himself from his pastor. He said that he cannot disown his pastor, as he feels that after 20 years, he is a part of the family. He said that he does not agree with the things said, but that he cannot disown his pastor anymore than he could disown his own white grandmother. He said that she has said some insulting comments about race that make him cringe, but he loves her, therefore keeping her a part of his life. This shows how different Obama is as a politician. He refuses to give up important people in his life for this campaign, showing that family and his beliefs are more important. These qualities are what great politicians possess. I feel as though Obama could be the Bobby Kennedy of our time. This is history in the making.