Hello everyone, we all have read that during the early years of the nation there where many ups and downs. It had a huge debt to settle. At this time not one state could agree with one another. Even those who were in the government were split in two groups, the Federalists led by Hamilton, and the Democratic Republicans who were led by Thomas Jefferson. These were the first two political parties in the history of the United States.
Every four years as we all know, the United States holds its Presidential Election, so please post how the two major political parties, The Democrats and the Republicans, have affected the nation within the past four years and how that might affect the election that is coming up soon.
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This year's presidential elections will be like no other. I think that the Democratic nominee, Barack Obama, appeals more to the younger generation. There has been a giant increase in voter registration by young people in the past month. Also, the choice of Sarah Palin as VP nominee has had a great effect on the elections. The fascination with her inexperience, quirky remarks and distant relationship with the "lower 48" will have a large effect on the elections. People will be forced to choose between competence and inexperience, conceivability and dreams. In the past four years, our country has lost much of its dignity. The reelection of George Bush, in my opinion, has only ended in economic, political and social catastrophe. The country's economy is failing, gas prices are skyrocketing, political relationships with other countries are strained and Americans are much more doubtful of the country's future. The slogan "four more years of the last eight years" is now constantly associated with John McCain. Can American afford to elect a man who has agreed with George Bush on his policies 90% of the time? Sure, he has served valiantly for our country, but that doesn't mean he knows what is best for us right now. As the saying goes,America needs a president who is an advocate for change, not "more of the same".
In my opinion the public perception of President Bush and the current presidential candidates has been largely unfair and based on false information. One point that I feel is important to make is that the national media essentially decides who wins every election. The candidates can only do so much to enhance their public image, though debates and so fourth. Every single news station has a bias, whether liberal or conservative, and will always include this bias in its programming. The political media is not even limited to news programs, but also includes several extremely popular comedy programs. Nothing Sarah Palin can say will reverse the damage she has sustained from "Saturday Night Live". News stations make money off controversy, not boring political updates. The Headline "Sarah Palin is Stupid" attracts more people and brings more revenue than "Sarah Palin's Political Views."
Many Americans, especially the younger generation, have an "i'm smarter than you" attitude when it comes to politics. They begin to think "why can't we just have peace," and begin to hate George Bush, the warlord who oppresses Iraqi civilians for the sake of oppression. War is one of those things that the government can't exactly go on national television and explain to the public. They cannot simply say "attention American people, there will be an air strike in Baghdad in an hour." War is generally kept secret and confidential, and for good reason. I would think that, with the sophistication that the most powerful country operates in war, every action is carefully thought out.
Though i'm sure there are very good arguments against the policies of George Bush and John Mccain, public criticism has gone too far. President Bush has, in the last eight years, been characterized as a murderer and a moron, views which show a lack of basic human respect and decency. When someone calls George Bush an idiot, is this view out of careful political analysis or anger? I cannot fathom how someone could consider the president of the United States an idiot. Sarah Palin has been repeatedly been publicly harassed and given the image of someone too stupid to run a state, let alone a country. John Mccain too has not been spared from this barrage of insults.All the while, Barack Obama has been welcomed by the nation as someone who will make everything better for everyone and get rid of the tyrants who have apparently run the country into the ground.
I'll make an attempt to avoid the issues when I try to explain the popularity of Barack Obama. Obama is the rare type of politician who could make people support him no matter what the issue is. His loud, rhythmic, booming voice adds a sense of grandeur to his speeches, in the same way that somber music adds mood to sad movie. Personally, I find it likely that if Obama was running for the Republican Party, he would still amass such massive support from voters. Though this should, in a perfect world, be irrelevant, his being African American is a bonus. Additionally, the constant appearance of the words "change" and "hope" is a very well known political tactic. If something is said frequently enough, people will begin to believe that it is true.
On to the economy. When one looks, for example, at a chart of the Dow Jones Industrial Average for the past several years, they will begin to see how an economy fluctuates. Even in the best or worst of times, such a chart will fluctuate in daily waves. If the economy is steady, we will see " /\/\/\/\/" instead of "-------". My point is that the economy is not going to crash and burn. It is ok. The cycle simply continues in the same way that is has been for decades.
Another issue that coincides with the economy is the general public's hatred of the rich. Corporate CEO's are seen as oppressors who are out to steal every penny from hard working Americans. These robber barons are exploiting every loophole in the system so that I can't pay for college. Lets tax them. They have so much money that they won't care.It doesn't matter that they worked for all they had, and had a dream to become someone in life. They have too much money for their own good, and I need that money.
What is the reason that we devote so much time and effort to succeed in IB? Most likely to go to college. Why bother with college? most likely to get a job, and make money, get promotions, work our way up the ladder, and hopefully be financially stable. With some luck, we might even call ourselves rich. When a political candidate decides to remove money from those who really made an effort and tried in life, I don't see this as being fair.
Who I vote for really depends on who I am and who I know. If I am a corporate CEO, I will vote Republican to protect my life's work. If I am down on my luck, I will vote Democrat in hope of receiving more money from the government. One's political stance depends on how they and their loved ones will most benefit. There is no reason to hate or nationally insult those of another party.
To conclude, I do not wish to foster any sort of argument with those who think differently from me. Rather, I wish to make my viewpoints known, and that is all.
Roman, I really do respect your beliefs, but I want to clarify a few things in your argument. I know you did not specifically mean me, but I don't think that George Bush is an idiot. It's simply that his wrongdoings have had a greater effect on the country than his accomplishments. I especially want to stress that I do not hate George Bush. Rather, I admire quite a few things he has done for the bettering of this nation. George Bush has been an advocate for change in the education and prevention of AIDS and in fact, has donated over $350 million to the cause. Another one of his ideas that I support is the $30 million he donated towards abstinence education in schools. Lastly, he also increased military salary by $1 billion per year. I think that's something to admire, but then you have to think of the cons.
In his first two years in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs. After the 9/11 bombings of 2001, he failed to keep his promise of capturing Osama Bin Laden "dead or alive". He also cut health care benefits for war veterans. Personally, I value my loved ones and my security and health above all other things.
You failed to mention the accomplishments of Sarah Palin in your argument. We cannot blame the media for going too far in attacking Sarah Palin. In fact, the media is the one thing that has educated this country for an election more than ever before. I don't agree with most of the things Sarah Palin has to say, but it's not because of the television I watch.
I confess, I am a fan of Saturday Night Live but you should see my internet homepages - two of the most respectable and unbiased names in news - CNN and the New York Times. I like to be educated on who I'm supporting based on facts and nothing else. I can trust CNN to give that to me, because as far as I know, Anderson Cooper has yet to reveal what political party he is registered to vote for. If you want to get your Republican fix, you are free to watch Fox News and for those with a Democratic mindset, I suggest MSNBC. I try and get the best quality of unbiased news for myself. I avoid getting political news from the Chicago Tribune, not because it's a Republican newspaper, but because it is biased in that way. I agree with you that Saturday Night Live has gone a bit far with the Sarah Palin jokes, but have they not done so with Joe Biden and Barack Obama as well? If you recall the skit of the Vice Presidential debates, they made it point to be very even-handed with their jokes about both Biden and Palin. It just depends on how you perceive it.
And yes, the economy does have its ups and downs, but something needs to be done about it. As of this moment, our national debt stands at $10, 530, 834, 716, 023.08. That's no trick of the eye, it really is in the tens of trillions. Our country's debts overpower its profits. During the presidency of Bill Clinton, our country had a surplus of money. It just depends on how and why you implement your ideas.
I really respect your even-handedness (in the last paragraph) but I really think that we were both a bit vague about what we meant by our stands on politics and this year's elections. I hope to continue this discussion!
If the national media decided every election, Bush would have never seen the White House. Maybe Sarah Palin’s damage is deserved, as she has repeatedly said ignorant things. I guess I’m not from ‘Real America’ so I wouldn’t know what she’s talking about.
The democrats don’t think war is a bad thing. They think THIS war is a bad thing. It is unacceptable that this war was started in the first place. The selfishness and the secrecy in which the decisions were made was disgusting. Bush is a murder. He has now killed over 4,000 Americans, and many other Iraqi citizens. He is one of the greatest criminals of our time period.
Sarah Palin is too stupid to run a country. The fact is, she is just as corrupted as the rest of the Bush administration, as Alaska is well known to be one of the most corrupt of all states. Too say that McCain has been harrased more than Obama is just ignorant. Many, many people support McCain. The “Liberal Media Bias” that everyone believes exists makes fun of Obama too. They poke fun at his celebrity and how he can apparently fix everything.
The reason why Palin has taken so much more hits in the media is because she attacks Obama and Biden. The Democrats have not taken any dirty shots at McCain and Palin, yet they continue too. The media simply shows their hypocrisy so that America does not make the same mistake twice.
And if for one second you think Obama being an African American HELPS him, then you are in fact wrong. Look at the Bradley affect in California in 1980. This man had huge leads in the polls, but come election day, he actually lost. This is something called voting for the socially desirable answer. In the exit polls, people didn’t want to seem racist, so they insisted they voted for Bradley. Racism exists very much so in America.
My only point to the economy is that McCain has admitted that he does not understand how the economy works. Point, Obama.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf6YKOkfFsE
That is the real McCain. He is a very moderate, honest, good politican. Because of his dirty campaign that he was pushed into because of the Republican’s party Karl Rove, totalitarian tactics. McCain and his campaign created a monster, and it’s backfiring.
Every since, Nixon, the Republican party has had to target the intolerant base, and the political smears they have created over the years are a black mark on American history. They are simply shameful.
Saying that the public hates the rich is saying a bit much, but the reason they consider some CEO’s as oppressing penny-stealers is because some of them are. If it wasn’t for the executive’s selfishness and ignorance, the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac situation could have been avoided.
As an upperclass citizen, you have a responsibility to the rest of your country. Believe it or not Roman, there are many kids in this country that are more deserving to be in IB than many of us, but they don’t have the same opportunities. I personally have many friends that, because of financial insecurity, have had to resort to a poor lifestyle to get by in life. As IB students we are lucky, and have a responsibility to give back to those that are less unfortunate. This theory is very similar to the Affirmative Action measure.
Also, can you please give me three examples of the press attacking Palin? Honestly, I will agree with you, but I just don't see it. And by the way, Saturday Night Live is not the press. It is a comedy show, where they make comedy.
Also, if there is such a liberal media bias, why has there been a republican in the white house for the last 8 years, and up until 2 years ago, controlled the house of representatives and the Senate?
And no animosity here, buddy. I greatly respect that a student can cut against conformity and feel strongly for the Republican party.
I simply want to clear things up, and get some truthyness to overcome us all :D
Jerome, as we've discussed this topic before, you know I agree with most of your ideas. I especially agree with the first line of your post. You're right, if the media had such a large hand in the elections, we wouldn't have Bush for our president right now. People obviously know of the corruption that went on [for the second time] to get him elected, yet they still voted for him.
On to Sarah Palin, I don't think she's stupid, I just think she's a little confused. She's only got 20 months of experience, last March, she was a supporter of Barack Obama, prior to being nominated VP, she told the media she would have to "figure out what they do first", and her idea of being a good Republican is to be part of the NRA and to be pro-life.
As I said earlier, SNL has made fun of everyone in the presidential elections. They spare nobody. It just depends on how you perceive it. If some jokes on Palin are funnier than those on Biden, they're automatically scrutinized as being too harsh with Palin. SNL has made fun of Barack Obama as using too much emotional persuasion and telling too many stories. As such, they have made fun of McCain for contradicting everything Barack Obama says, regardless of if he agrees with it or not. You have a choice to watch SNL and blindly follow it or stay in tune with the real news to be even more informed. It is not like anyone is forcing you to watch.
And Jerome, I believe the term is spelled as "truthiness". Thanks :]
The presidential election this year will end up as a very important part of United States history due to the fact of the policies being by both of the candidates. Obama in one had has a very socialistic view upon the United States. This being an immense shift of ideals from a Capitalistic society in to a more Socialistic society. There have been many arguments over the "Joe the Plumber Statement" this being said Obama stated "Share the Wealth". I was reading something the other day it was written by just an average joe and he said "So we work harder, and harder just to be taxed more." he brings up an important topic. Tough there is the fact that if one looks at America as a whole most of the citizens do not make 250 k. This being this idea that, "yes middle class is struggling". On the republican side McCain wants to keep the same ideals of America. To keep it as a Capitalistic society. The problem with this is, the American society is having trouble keeping up this Capitalism. The economy is far too damaged to handle this. The Bail out propposed by President Bush ended up as a total failure. Banks that were bailed out now stated in the news "Wants to buy out other banks because now they have much money".
In essence,it is a no win situation
Wait, Ralph I don't get your statement. Do you mind rephrasing it??
the republicans have been in control of the white house, the senate, and the house of reps for most of the past four years. regardless of whether it is really their fault or not, people generally link problems with the country straight to the president. as a result, there is a general negative feeling towards bush, and general hesitancy towards voting for his party again. people want something different from what bush did for the country. It was clear from the start that obama would run the country differently than bush would, but a big question with mccain is whether or not he would be "more of the same." despite having voted with bush 90% of the time, mccain is trying to prove that he has very different plans if he gets elected. And depending on how well he sells that, the presidential election should be very close
But you see Femi, the problem is that people don't know what to think anymore. Last time they thought Kerry would win, but the "rigged votes" told us otherwise. People are afraid we'll be stuck with McCain even if Obama does win.
In actuality, I wouldn't say it's going to be close. The margins between Obama and McCain speak for themselves. The New York Times national poll had Obama ahead by 15 points, leading at 53 to 39, while Los Angeles Times had Obama leading at 9 points, at 50 to 41 percent. Right now, Obama's got a lot of votes on McCain, but that could all be jeopardized by voter registration and ballot rigging. Let's hope we finally get the person who deserves to win.
Overall point i wanted to state was that both candidates have their flaws.
Gotcha.
I agree, so it makes the decision harder. I guess the best way to decide is:
a) think of how their policies would directly affect you
b) think of how their policies would affect the lives of your close friends and family
Whichever candidate addresses your needs more, I guess, that's who you would choose.
Lisa and Jerome, we have been discussing all of these issues constantly and I agree and enjoy your comments! I want to say that the Democrats and Republicans have changes the nation but I don't really feel it is the parties but more the ideas the individual members present. I say this because sometimes a republican can sound democratic or a democrat can sound republican and preach the ideas that seem to fit with another party. Then you also have the "independents", which I consider myself. Within the four years, I feel like presidential candidate try too hard to appeal to the people and tend to stray from what they really want to do when they move into office. For example, Obama and McCain discuss the same general topics but slightly alter how they will deal with them. I believe they both want to accomplish the same thing but of course some candidates show idealism and others show their realism. For example, taxes are one of the most pressing issues in America and have been since colonial times. Both candidates want to lower taxes but they both have different ways of doing it and different people they want to effect (we all know about Joe the plumber!). If you were to compare the ideas of the political parties in the Early Republic and today, I can guarantee you would definitely see a more drastic difference in what the candidates fought for in the Early Republic than today. Look at Hamilton and Jefferson! Hamilton wanted his bank, tariffs, the excise tax, and a more powerful government (to list very few) and Jefferson wanted state control (banks included) and taxes to not weigh heavily on the middle class. You can see this is much different from Obama wanting change in taxes and McCain wanting change in taxes. From the people I talk to, children and adults, it seems people base their election decision more on their own beliefs, who fulfils their personal needs better, and who seems more intelligent and “qualified”. The actual parties are not very influential. I know many people will disagree with this statement so I would like to say this is my personal opinion and I most definitely do not speak for everyone (just my observations and interpretations).
i agree with alex on the fact that everyone doesn't necessarily vote based on political parties...there are some die-hard democrats and republicans, but for the majority, most people choose based on their opinions.
I don't consider myself an "independent" voter(if i could vote) because i tend to favor the democratic candidates, but that doesn't mean that i am totally oblivious to McCain's arguments because a lot of their ideals are the same as alex said, so when it really comes down to it, i think a lot of people start to consider personality and the type of person the candidates are, and that helps American voters make their final decisions, because even in the early republic years elections were more about personality than politics. Which is not extremely true now, but in the end with this election, they have the same basic policies so i would definately say that personality has too do with part of a voter's decision.
i agree with alex on the fact that everyone doesn't necessarily vote based on political parties...there are some die-hard democrats and republicans, but for the majority, most people choose based on their opinions.
I don't consider myself an "independent" voter(if i could vote) because i tend to favor the democratic candidates, but that doesn't mean that i am totally oblivious to McCain's arguments because a lot of their ideals are the same as alex said, so when it really comes down to it, i think a lot of people start to consider personality and the type of person the candidates are, and that helps American voters make their final decisions, because even in the early republic years elections were more about personality than politics. Which is not extremely true now, but in the end with this election, they have the same basic policies so i would definately say that personality has too do with part of a voter's decision.
i agree with alex on the fact that everyone doesn't necessarily vote based on political parties...there are some die-hard democrats and republicans, but for the majority, most people choose based on their opinions.
I don't consider myself an "independent" voter(if i could vote) because i tend to favor the democratic candidates, but that doesn't mean that i am totally oblivious to McCain's arguments because a lot of their ideals are the same as alex said, so when it really comes down to it, i think a lot of people start to consider personality and the type of person the candidates are, and that helps American voters make their final decisions, because even in the early republic years elections were more about personality than politics. Which is not extremely true now, but in the end with this election, they have the same basic policies so i would definately say that personality has too do with part of a voter's decision.
sorry guys my computer was being stupid...
The Democrats have truly not had enough of an opportunity to have a major impact on america for the past 8 years becaus ewe have had a republican president and most of the people that had taken up the major positions in the executive branch were republican so there ideals and beliefs where being executed throughout these few years . As all of us can see through these leaders our country had been lead to a dump and we are now suffering for poor economic issues and our political offices are now being occupied by people who aren't focused an dtalking about the issues but they are rather slandering the other opponents or opponents. It is sad that this is what Americans what to hear and it saddedns me that we as a people are electing people to office not because of what tey can do when they reach office but because of their social matters.
h erepublican this year played poorly in the race for the presedential nominee. McCain and his officials chose Sarah Palin as the vice president and this served as one of there biggest flaws. the media became so interested in her inexperience and the tactics form which they chose her. Believing that all of Hilary Clintons supporters would become Sarah Palin's supporters because she is a woman. This goes on with my dissapointment in american politics and the means by which decisions are made. Due to poor judgement and doubt in the intelligence of the American people Mccains ideas and his attempt to het vote in ways that had no effect on the changing the poor atatus that america is in today.
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