Should the Electoral College be reformed? - NO

First answer: No, I don’t think the Electoral College should be reformed because we need structured voting and that’s what the Electoral College is…Plus, it would be a very complicated and confusing process which may just end up causing chaos.

2nd answer: Maybe? After reading the “NO side” of the topic…I agree with the fact that it is ridiculous that Wyoming voting is 3x more powerful then California….that makes no sense to me. Look at the size comparison!!! The EC also doesn’t represent EVERYONE in America.

3rd answer: Yes.

4th answer: No. I think political stability is good…once a there is a clear cut winner (voted by the people) everyone needs to accept it

5th answer: No

"Drill Baaaaby Drill"

Amazing.
Words cannot describe how awesome the Palin Rally was. It was such a great experience and I am glad I brought my younger siblings along. I don't even know where to start! First off, I uploaded my pictures to this "community site" so hopefully, you'll be able to see them.

My alarm went off at 6:15 AM...not to worry I was already up! I was just so excited. I quickly got ready and woke up my bro and sis and we walked down to Hurkamp Park (didn't want to get parked in!). I looked at the time on my phone - 7:00 AM.....what?! There was already a line??! Not to worry, we were only a couple people away from the grand entrance. (phew!) People came around taking pictures, interviewing, passing out flyers, and stickers - many asked "are you cold?" and I was just like...do you not see me shivering??? The cold was worth it. Everyone came out wearing some sort of red "to keep Virginia red - it was really neat to see the crowds support.
There were some really neat signs- some taken from things she said, others from country songs.
"Read my lipstick"/ "I am voting for Joe the Plumber"/ "She's not just a pretty face, She's got everything it takes."(-Shania Twain song)/ "American Lipstick Club"/ "Teacher and Proud Marine Corps mom"

If you read my previous post, it was about how Wittman came to Fredericksburg Academy and spoke. Well, just so happens he spoke before Palin at the Rally...and we ate lunch at the same place! So, I re-introduced myself and took a picture with him!

Wittman at Fredericksburg Academy!

Yesterday the high school was able to meet, listen to, and learn more about Congressman Rob Wittman! We learned about his stance on issues such as wasteful spending, health care, transportation, taxes and economy. It was a great opportunity.
(Above is a picture of Rob Wittman taken by a student when he visited Fredericksburg Academy)

Poor Economy...is like a domino affect

One of the 293847 times I checked CNN yesterday there was an interesting article that I read about "Police face cuts as economy falters". This story really stood out to me because now we are starting to really see how our economy is affecting everything - such as, job cuts. Job cuts to the police force is major. This means that there will be a smaller police force out in town, in neighborhoods, on roads to keep drivers safe as well as the community. This cut comes at a bad time. Let's look at it. Because the economy is low, this means people are losing jobs, not making enough money to pay their bills or support their family...which means their is a greater chance for theft (crime will go up) - some people will do anything they can to make ends meet. Because our economy is bad, again I will point out JOB CUTS aka POLICE. This means it will be easier for people to get away with things. Crime is going to go up. Safety is going to become an issue. Ecspecially as more people loose jobs, it gets colder outside, Christmas time....

YIKES.
:(

Should the Government Regulate Interest Groups?

Ahh, good question. After reading this article I'm not really sure if they should or not - there are valid points on each side. I think the government should have some kind of say in the matter because it is superior to everything. It should set out "perimeters for the playing field" so to speak.
However I would say NO for a couple reasons. I believe that they shouldn't level the playing field. If a group is wealthier then the rest, then let it be. They clearly have established themselves and have the resources and support...so why take their hardwork away? I think all groups should have a say (FREEDOM OF SPEECH *ahem* CONSTITUTION!) - they are representing people's beliefs.

When does importance of safety have priority over individual rights?

Many are starting to ask the question, "when does safety become a priority over individual rights..?" In 3 new American airports and along borders they have installed X-ray machines that "hat peeks underneath passengers' clothing to search for guns, bombs or liquid explosives" (CNN). Many Americans are against this new device, they do not like it at all. They believe it is a violation of their personal rights. Although it IS understandable that they believe it is a violation of personal rights - I believe that this new xray machine is a great idea. In this case, I believe security and safety comes first. For example... walking through an airport, I'd rather know that I am safe and that the guy sitting next to me doesn't have any weaponry or explosives..then to be concerned with whether this new "detector or safety device" violates a personal right.

Who would I vote for...?

At this point in time, if I were forced to vote I would have to say...John McCain. I would vote for John McCain because I agree more with his aspirations for this country and he also has some experience to draw from unlike Obama. Everyone complains about McCain possibly being our future president because of his age, and "wonder if something happens when he is in office..." Well hate to break it to you but the same question applies to Obama - something could very well happen to him if elected into office . I believe that Obama's tax policies would hurt the economy - raising taxes isn't going to help us it will only make us hurt more. McCain is for on and off shore drilling which will help Americans buy gas -- Obama is against this and would make it harder applying unnecessary taxes on oil companies making it more of a burden and causing prices to soar even more. Another trait that I admire about McCain is that he works to help both sides of the aisle. I agree with his want to put an end to illegal immigration. Another thing he is striving to get is affordable healthcare which is very important and it about 4 years or so I will be off my parents and having to pay for my own. McCain also understands the situation in Iraq. Yes, everyone wants the war in Iraq to come to an end. However, you can't just stop and leave otherwise we will end up with a situation similar to that of the 'civil war' in Darfur. He is understanding of those who want to end the war but he knows the correct way to go about doing so.

For GREAT political cartoons...

Hat's off to Daryl Cagle. If you are ever in need of a good laugh (or hours of laughing) you should definately check out this man's sight - he is fantastic! Political Cartoons
Enjoy!

2nd Presidential Debate

"My friends, My friends, My friends, My friends, My friends....."
This was said one too many times McCain.

This debate wasn't very interesting in my opinion, which made it hard for me to pay attention and follow what was happening. I don't think the questions were as good as I expected. Everyone was reporting that there would be "off the wall questions" but they screened totally normal questions - which was a let down. I think both candidates could have done a better job last night. Rather then focusing on bashing each other and their campaign. In comparison to the previous debate there was definately newly found tension between both candidates.

The main topic of last nights debate was the final crisis. Both presented ideas that they would have to help pull us out of this dark tunnel. However, that being said - Obama made a stab at McCain. "Obama, looking to link McCain to President George W. Bush, described the financial crisis as the 'final verdict on the failed economic policies of the last eight years' that Bush pursued and McCain supported." (CNN) I thought this was a very strong point, that may have leaned more people towards supporting Obama.

Stocks - Seriously, what's going to happen??

"(CNNMoney.com) -- Stocks plunged Monday, with the Dow down..."
This was all over the news again today. At one point it was down roughly 800 points - it finally closed at 370. This is a MAJOR issue. Money is getting tight. Items in today's society aren't cheap - look at the price of gasoline. Alot of people are losing their jobs. And its about to get worse. How are people going to afford things? Kids going to college? This really affects those who will be going off to college this year. More and more will go to public colleges instead of the private ones. What happens when they fill up? As it gets harder and harder to meet the requirements to get in. I'm really worried about whats going to happen. I'll be going to college in under a year then I'll be out in the real world, on my own - I will need a job with an income to support at the least myself. People need to stop spending crazy, without thinking. People need to start saving again and ask themselves, "Do I really need this?". We all (including myself) need to be more wise about our spending decisions. Today, the economy was like a roller coaster. What will the McCain or Obama do if they are elected president to help the economy, help everyone get out of this dark road were about to go down. Is there anything they CAN do at this point?

VP Debate '08: Biden vs. Palin

"Phew, she pulled through" are the words that came out of my mouth when the VP debate ended last night.

I was so worried that Palin was going to ... "come short" [in nicer terms :) ] as she has in her past interviews. However, she did surprisingly well. That being said, Congrats Palin!

PALIN:
Instead of answering the moderators questions Sarah Palin had her own method of running the show. Which is a good thing and bad thing. While watching the debate, it made me bite my lip and ask "WHAT are you doing?! That wasn't the question!!". For example, they had been talking about bankruptcy and mortgages and then it became Palin's turn and she would start talking about Energy again. However after watching it - I don't think she was necessarily avoiding the questions rather she was PROMOTING the policies of McCain and then attacking Obama's. Then she really threw it out there to the audience - to make it known to all. (Speaking to Biden) "I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I'm gonna talk straight to the American people,"said Palin. This must have been an eye opener to the audience, in fact ... I KNOW it was because I heard this quote at least 3 times during news reports on my way to school. This showed me that she knows what she's doing. She is aware that she isn't directly answering the question. Her focus was more on promoting her ideas. She doesn't need the media to bash her about it. Now, was that the right move to make? Probably not - she probably should have answered the question and then go on to issues she wanted to promote because it seemed like she had been trained on a few topics and so thats all she would talk about. In the end, Palin did a pretty good job.

McCain at one point said something along the lines of "Through 35 years of experience I have learned how to reach across the aisle..." addressing the needs of both republicans and democrats. Then Palin's HORRIBLE response to that was something along the lines of "I know how to address both sides because even members of my own family have conflicting views." That - wasn't as substantial evidence compared to McCain's...

Another thing! I do not believe that "shout out" she did to one of her family members third grade class was appropriate, saying they would get extra credit.... what?! This is a VP DEBATE in front of ALL of America. She was trying too hard to appeal to the middle class...I think she felt as though she could relate better to them because her family as always been middle class, she has kids, a child with special needs, etc. The fact of the matter is....is that McCain can relate too. This is when he brought up that he lost his wife and daughter in a car accident, leaving him as a single parent with 2 critially injured sons. Once again Biden was on top. Something that I thought was annoying was how Palin kept talking about "up there in Alaska.." we arent talking about Alaska anymore we are talking about ALL of America.

Both candidates targeted the Middle Class in their speeches. Palin did not agree with Biden's comment about it being Patriotic to pay taxes - and Obamas plan to increase taxes. Palin stated that there is nothing patriotic about being a middle class citizen and paying taxes. She made a strong point that increasing the taxes would further hurt the economy.

After writing all my thoughts down about the debate last night...I'm starting to think. Palin didn't do as well as I had thought. Yes, she did do better then expected and in comparison to her other interviews but ....
I feel as though both candidates talked themselves in circles - so to speak. I honestly don't know what to think about the final outcome of the debate from last night.

As Mr. Eckerson just perfectly said, "Personally I think Biden won ... however Palin won because she exceeded peoples expectations." I completely agree.

Political Ads - Obama 08

I thought this was a good political ad for Obama. As all presidential candidates go on to make endless promises Obama does this but he also backs it up with things that he has accomplished. This is good because it gives evidence to the audience which will then make them feel more confident in that candidate.