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.

Did You Hear What Happened Yesterday???

"Stocks skidded Monday, with the Dow slumping nearly 778 points, in the biggest single-day point loss ever..." -CNN
The Stock Market Crashed! What happens next? Well, I guess there is only one way to go after this...and that is up. We are at the all time bottom now, so its time to re-evaluate and work our way back up again. But what does this mean for me? How will it affect me now? How will it affect me in a couple years when I am trying to get a job?

Elite Article and Political Cartoons

From the article:
I think attending an elite school aka Ivy League ... all depends on what you want to do in your profession. People all have there opinions and if they hear "President from JMU VS. President from Harvard" the one from JMU will be judged and probably not succeed. (If that makes any sense) People shouldnt be ashamed of going to an elite college - congrats your very smart!...it just depends on what you aspire to be.

I thought this cartoon was really funny especially after seeing the SNL version of the interview yesterday during class. Later on I went home and compared the actual interview with the SNL version and although it is over exaggerated it is partially true. This comic is about how they are trying to give her SOME knowledge to base her answers off of so when she is asked she can answer.

At this point who would I vote for?

At this point, if I were able to vote just based off the topic of Energy and Environment I would probably vote for Obama. I would vote for him because I agree with his plan to cut Greenhouse gas Emmisions and his "Cap and Trade" plan. McCain's tax reduction idea to make people buy fuel friendly cars is a good idea however even with the reduction there may be families who still will be unable to afford them or they may have other priorities. Back to why I would vote for Obama...I also liked how he wants to lower fuel prices because that is a topic that directly affects me (about once a week at the gas station!) lowering fuel prices will benefit me because I wont have to spend so much on gas and I can save that money.

typology

My results came out to be....liberal. I can kind of agree with this statement but then again...i could also be understanding of me being conservative. I have been tending to agree with points from both political parties. I am open to change in some aspects. I don't agree with some of the things it said. For example, if I remember correctly it said something about Religion playing a lesser role when it came down to making a final decision...I think it plays a great role in people and their morals, how they were raised, how they are as a person, how they go about doing things, etc - I am not (by far) the most religious person - however I believe it is important. In the end I can see some reasons why i would be liberal but I dont think its very accurate.

Important political issue that matters to me...

I don't have one specific issue that matters to me. I think some important ones are prices, illegal immigration, and the war in Iraq.

Prices of things and the war in Iraq are tied together. We have been over there for along time, which means we are spending alot of money on it - which is affecting prices of EVERYTHING and as a 17 year old who drives, it really sucks having to pay $55 bucks to fill up my tank. I am limited to working after school and weekends (which yes, I do have two jobs and work 6 days a week..) but most of that money is going towards gas, when I am now trying to save some extra cash for college. Now i understand how we cant just pull out of Iraq, we do have to stay there to provide some stability - but, there has got to be some alternative....something to help the economy.

Another issue is that of illegal immigration. I understand how people don't want them to take all our jobs that WE need. HOWEVER, in the end ... they are the one's who will do the hard manual labor, they are the ones who will work from before sunrise to after sunset, they are the ones who will come in when everyone else is vacationing for holidays, they are the ones....People also need to take that aspect into consideration every time they bash immigrants.

McCain's RNC Speech

At this point, if I had to vote in the 2008 election, I am not sure who I would vote for. I always pictured myself voting for Obama but after watching McCain's speech...who knows? I thought he had a very strong speech.

After his many "thank yous" he started to talk about Sarah Palin. She seems to have a strong background and knowledge about what her role would be in society. She was and still is a normal person who has had to work hard to get to the point she is at today. Palin's list of accomplishments goes on and on - Dealing with problems such as energy independence and corruption, budgets, tax cuts, reached out to ALL political parties to work for her. Personally, what I thinks her even more well rounded is she has a family, she is a wife, a mother to 5 children - so as McCain stated "...she knows what its like to worry about mortgage payments, and health care, and the cost of gasoline and groceries." This shows that she is...normal and can bring to the table what a vast majority of the world is also concerned with. McCain also described her as a strong person, she doesn't back away from a hard fight, she stands up for what she believes in - which is also a great characteristic. I dont think people take her seriously or have faith/trust in her for two simple reasons: 1) she is a woman and 2) she has a unmarried 17 year old daughter who is pregnant. Gender doesn't play any major roles in my mind. However I can completely understand how it does make her look bad. Then again, she is human too, she along with everyone else has her own problems that she has to deal with.

OBAMA accepting his Democratic Nomination

Last night Obama accepted his Democratic nomination – it was packed! He talked about change and how change happens because its what Americans want, they want new ideas and leadership. You can tell that he wants to better America when he said “America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.” He has high hopes for turning things around by offering a better health care plan, and an education plan that would help make college more affordable, and offshore drilling. Also a point that I liked a lot was how he addressed the middle and lower classes of society, and how they need help too – the government should be helping them not hurting them. This I thought was good how he recognized this because I think that often times they get left out. Will Obama be our first black president? If so, it will be a major point in history!

Bill Clinton's Speech

Bill Clinton's speech definitely shows that he is in full support of Barack Obama. As I was watching this I was thinking how weird or "interesting" it was how he used to be president, his wife was running for president and could have had that spot and both Hillary and Bill are now here talking in support of the election of Obama. Clinton kept on stating that Obama has what it takes to be president, he wants it, he's got what it takes to lead America, etc. Although he had a decent speech, I am not sure if he will have that much of an impact on persuading people to vote simply because of what happened when he was in office.

Hillary Clinton's DNC Speech

I watched Hillary Clinton’s speech on you tube from Tuesday night. I wish I would have seen it live on tv because the sound on you tube wasn’t that great – at all, but that’s besides the point. She was all support for Obama and supported what his goals were. Clinton was in support of ending the war in Iraq and pulling out the troops, repairing alliances around the world, health care for everyone/improvements, clean energy economy, better education and making paying for education (college) more affordable, and “To make America once again a nation of immigrants…”. I disagree with pulling troops out of Iraq. We are already in there – you can’t just suddenly pull the troops out, they will have to remain their for quite a long time to keep things stable. With the other points I do agree, especially with the immigration point – allowing them in. If we help them out by letting them work here and get paid to send money back home, they are in return helping us greatly because they are the ones who will put in the long, hard hours of labor that most people will not.