Now Thats What I Call Interaction

Man, the games you can play these days. Fantasy football, fantasy nascar, march madness in NCAA basketball, and now the 'VEEPSTAKES 08' brought to us via MSNBC. Websites are using their creative genuises to produce interactive tools to get everyone involved and interested. The hosts even coin it as the "march madness for politics." Good stuff.

The point of the game is to narrow down the choices and eventuall come up with a running mate for the John McCain. At the end, we will see who the msnbc.com users believe will be the 2nd in command. Sounds easy huh? Well, give it a shot. The rules of the game are as follows:

1. Click on the names (there are 64 total possible Republican VP candidates) and learn more about each individual

2. Pick the individuals you believe will make it to the next round

3. Submit your picks and see how your picks are doing weekly

4.Come back the following week to submit you next rounds picks

So, get out your cheat sheets, do some research, pluck out your sleepers, and pick away!

VEEPSTAKES 2008

After this she may as well quit

Hillary continues to bury her campaign by making foolish comments that all re but solidifying her loss in the race for the democratic nomination for the presidency. In an interview the other day she said, and I quote, "You know, my husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. You know, I just don't understand it. You know, there's lots of speculation about why it is. " Wow. Some pretty heavy words. Yes, she did reference an assasination and did so in a very non-chalant way. Okay, maybe it is getting blown out of proportion by the likes of keith olbermann but, some think the ridicule is justified. Personally, I think it was an honest mistake that it will undoubtedly effect her in a very negative way. Considering the death threats that Barack Obama has gotten since he declared for the presidency and the seriousness of assassinations, the quotes by Clinton will linger with her for days to come. If you were unable to catch her comments, they can be seen below.

Ann Coulter

Before tonight i had never heard of Ann Coulter. But, after arriving at one of my classes at UCI, we were fortunate to go on a mini "field trip" to listen to her speak at the student center. During the walk over I was completely unaware of the long night that was ahead of me. As soon as I jumped into line I noticed a booth for "college republicans" and many signs that read "young americas foundation" or YAF.com for all you right wingers. Immediately, i knew that it was going to be an interesting and controversial presentation. We sat for about 45 minutes anticipating the arrival of Miss Coulter. Apparently she was stuck in three hours of LA traffic. When she walked in i was caught off guard- i was expecting some 60 year old white head (aka white hair). However, what walked in was a tall, youthful looking female, with long legs and long blonde hair. Alright, things were getting better...or so i thought. Then she started talking. Line after line there was democrat and liberal bashing. All the old folks in front were getting a good laugh. Students in the back were mocking her by clapping really loud or yelling random comments. The division in the room between youthful Obama-backers and Republican old timers was obvious. The presentation continued- hate filled words that irked some and were applauded by others. Like one questionaire put it, "It was like a bad comedic act." She spoke for about 40 minutes with most of her material putting down the democratic party with bad jokes. Overall, i was appauled by some comments but realized that she says a lot of things to sell her books and to garner attention. Although i agreed with absolutely NOTHING that she said, I am glad that i attended and I was able to get a few good laughs. It was interesting to hear the far rights point of view and see a little controversy brought onto the UCI campus. I got home and immediately 'youtubed' and 'googled' her name. Apparently, I am not the only one that carries a negative opinion on Miss Coulter- Keith Olberman of MSNBC has a few good things to say about her:

McCains Mate

Amidst all the controversy and bickering in the democratic party, the Republican party has been all but forgotten. Old Man McCain has been sitting on his already-won nomination for nearly 2 months and has been able to stay out of the controversy while garnering some attention by periodically chiming in on significant issues and detailing his plans if he wins the election. But, alas! News on the GOP front. It looks as if OM McCain has begun to look for a running mate. The options are a plenty and range from Mitt Romney to Jeb Bush to (yes, i heard it) Michael Dell. For the most part, I could care less who he picks as I am not to well informed on the status of prospective Vice Presidents.
According to Yahoo! news and various other sources OM McCain is planning a delightful memorial day weekend retreat at his ranch in Arizona. The attendees will be Bobby Jindal, the Indian-American governor of Louisiana, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, and former presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. Sounds like a very diverse and exciting group of fellows.
Well, thats all on the Republican front for now. Hopefully McCain will make his decision soon so we wont have to worry about the Republicans again until November. The following video is a snippet from MSNBC that gives a run down of the potential picking of a Republican running mate:

As expected, Hillary wins Kentucky and Obama Wins Oregon

Each candidate campaigned heavily in a state and each candidate came away with state. Thats how the story went for Clinton and Obama in Kentucky and Oregon, respectively, as each candidate won the state they had spent a good amount of their time in.
Obama spent the majority of the past week in Oregon, drawing the largest crowd of his campaign in Portland-an estimated 75,000 people showed up to hear the Senator speak. He pretty much had given the state of Kentucky to Clinton as she spent nearly four days in the state campaigning alone. By winning Oregon, Obama was able to get the majority of pledged delegates and is that much closer to winning the nomination. As Barack marches on, he also continues to take jabs at his Republican foe while all but ignoring Hillary and her efforts to spark controversy. Once again, he criticized OM McCain and his gas tax while speaking very little about Hillary and her views. But, boy, Hillary keeps on fighting.
As i mentioned, she spent a good amount of time in Kentucky and won it by a landslide- 35%. She continues to reitterate the fact that she is leading the popular vote and is winning all of the states that are essential for Democrats to win in November (all of the states that Obama presumably cannot and will not win). I applaud her effort and the points she makes are good ones. But, she has been all but forgotten. Despite a miracle, like Boys II men said, "its the end of the road" for Hillary.
Obama's Huge Crowd
Hillary gets Kentucky; Obama wins Oregon

Hillary Continues On

Despite all of the numbers pointing towards Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee, Hillary continues down the campaign trail. She recently stopped in Kentucky, where she recieved a ton of support. Many of the people interviewed in the "bluegrass" states are supporting Hillary because of what her husband did during his tenure as President Of the United States.
Winning white middle class voters has not been a problem for Hillary. In fact, it has been a big reason to why Hillaryhas stayed in the race.
On the other hand, Barack Obama has been campaigning like he has already won the democratic nomination. He has spent the last few days campaigning hard in states such as Oregon and Montana. I dont blame him for campaining like the democratic nominee. Mathematically, he has all but won the nomination and it is in his best interests to start campaigning for November. Continuing on with the dogfight with Hillary will do nothing but hurt the Democratic party come November. He needs to now focus his attention on winning white middle America, a troublesome part of the country for him. Which makes him blowing off Kentucky all the more interesting.
It is almost a lock that Hillary will win Kentcuky and Obama will win Oregon. Unfortunately, a victory in Kentucky will keep Hillary afloat and will no doubt give her the hope she needs to drag on these primary's.

Cutting College Costs

There was a very good article today on CNN.com about the what the nominess have said in regards to the current cost of college.
Being a college student myself, I have seen the rapid increase in the cost of attending a four year college. When i attended UCI in 2002 the cost of tuition was approximately $1700. Now, 6 years late, its near $2800 and rising. The numbers dont lie. The average cost of attending a private school, according to CNN, is $32,000 and a public in-state school is $13,000. Those costs are difficult to afford for even a higher income middle class family.
Apparently all 3 candidates have ideas that will help ease the financial burden on such families. Obama said that "We will give you the money you need to afford a college education without going $30,000 or $40,000 into debt. And in exchange, you are going to participate in community service." Hillary says that she wants to give $10,000 scholarships if the young give two years of national service. McCain says that he wants education to be available for EVERYONE.
Big proposals on a very big issue. They could just be saying this to win votes in November. Who knows if what they say will actually be put into effect. Only time will tell.

Gay Marriage

In a suprising move today the Supreme Court of California decided to overturn a voter approved ban on gay marriage by a vote of 4-3. This is monumental news for gay rights movement and its community, not only in California but, throughout the nation. California has always been seen as a state that has sparked social movements. Although the state had already established same-sex marriage laws, the overturning of the ban will perimit gay couples to recieve equal treatment in repects to marriage and their love for their significant other.
Despite the jubilation seen throughout the gay community, there were many conservative groups that could be heard outside of the court building. One of the dissenting judges echoed what many social conservatives feel- that issues on marriage should be determined by the voters and not the higher courts.
Personally, I am torn between the two main aspects of the court ruling. I agree that gay marriage should be allowed as i am not religous and i believe gays should be treated equally in all aspects of society. However, the fact that the California Supreme Court is able to overturn a law that was voted on by the people is troubling. The basis pf our democracy is that the people of the country are allowed to vote on the significant issues that are proposed. And this is what happened when Californians voted against gay marriage 61% to 49%.
With the court overturning the people's vote and voice, it is only a matter of time before OUR vote becomes pointless and our VOICE is no longer heard.

Is there an end in sight? John says so

John McCain spoke yesterday about the Iraq war and came off as quite the fortune teller. He has boldly predicted (more like projected, but seemed a lot like a prediction) that the iraq war will be over by 2013, that the Osama Bin Laden will have been caught, and that the threat of terrorism will remain. Old Man McCain has become Nostradamus.
This was a bold move on McCains behalf as he laid out what he believes the state of the nation will be at the end of his first term- assuming that he wins the presidency, of course. Many believe that this is a very optimistic, yet unrealisitic, view on the future. To accomplish in four years what our current administration has failed to do in the last 7 years is actually VERY optimistic.
His whole speech are promises of 'what he is going to do.." A very odd speech that sounds to me like a bunch of BS.
Check out the story: McCain predicts Iraq war over by 2013
& the video of his speech below...

How well do you know Hillary and Obama?

Websites continue to add and creature interactive features to draw readers and compete with other websites. So, when I was looking at the chicagotribune.com the other day, I was not suprised by yet another interactive political feature. It was not really well represented but I did spot it on the bottom right of the page. There were two pictures- one of Obama, one of Hillary- and next to each of the candidates were the words "Test your (insert candidate) IQ?" Immediately I was interested. After spending so much time researching all of the presidential nominees I was ready to test my knowledge on the two democratic candidates. Boy, was I in for a suprise. I scored 29% on the Obama test but, faired slightly better on the Hillary test, scoring 38%. In other words, I did horrible. I guess Hillary, Barack, and myself aren't as close as I had previously thought. Although the questions were quite absurd and had a lot to do with the history of the candidate, I thought i would fare a lot better.
Overall, the feature on the Chicago Tribune site is a pretty cool interactive tool that gets the reader involved and tests their knowledge. Its also a good way to learn about the candidate without having to read some boring biography.
If your interested, take the test yourself, and find out how well you know the two democratic candidates. You may be suprised with the results. Good Luck!
Test your Barack Obama IQ
Test you Hillary Clinton IQ

As "Normal" as You and I Part 2

Give it up Barack. Even though I am leaning towards voting for you in November, it is not necessary to continue on with your "Im a normal dude" gig (compliments of the NY TIMES blog). On April 15th I wrote a piece in the Informant that showed Barack "ballin" with the fellas and showing off his game. It reminded me of the "They're just like up" section in Star magazine. You know, the ones that show the celebs pumping there own gas, just like we do. The picture that make you feel like the stars are just like us- forget about the beautiful woman, the millions of dollars, and the cocaine.

Thus, here we have Obama-again. This time he is shootin' some pool with the fellas. Maybe I'm going out on a limb but do you think he is trying to appeal to the white blue collar workers?? I mean, he was seen bowling a few weeks back. And nothing defines white blue collar America like bowling.

I have to applaud his attempts though. He is definitely trying his hardest to sell himself as the "normal" candidate that is just like you and I. But, I'll finish with one last comment: He is going to have to start fishing, hunting, throwing darts, and going to Nascar events if he wants to have any chance of winning middle america in November.

What Powers a Blog?

Was checking out one of the websites that i monitor every couple of days and came across a cool video on IPDI. Its discusses the current blog craze and its current influence on politics and the media. The video that caught my eye is entitled "What powers a blog?" and the links for Part I and II are below. Some interesting facts that the video (Part I) gives:
-91% of congressional offices track blogs which only 12% dont think that the blogs dont matter
-75% of the tracking time is spent on local blogs
-the median age of a blogger is 25-45
-50% of these people have left a comment on a blog
These numbers are staggering. When i first enrolled in "Blogs, Politics, and Media" at UCI i thought to myself "why the hell do they even offer this class and what is the significance of it?" Little did I know the overwhelming power that blogs have and continue to have. It is no wonder why print media slowly dying. My generation (I am 25) and the ones that have followed are taking all of there social networking to the internet. It is a quick, easy, informative, and innovative way of spreading, creating, and sharing the news. It is obvious the importance that the internet and blogs has. I am now realizing that i better jump on the boat before i get left behind as the technological world is moving faster than ever.
PART I- What Powers A Blog?

PART II- What Powers A Blog?

Hugh Hewitt

Tonight, in one of my classes at UCI, we were blessed with the presence of right wing blogger Hugh Hewitt. Initially, i was caught off guard by his extreme right wing views and was not interested in what he had to say. His views were the exact opposite of my own and many other left wingers in the class- his opinions were clearly skewed on subjects such as religion, the war in Iraq, and the upcoming presidential race. However, in the end, i was quite suprised (and impressed) by the presentation that was given. It was clear that a lot of the students were getting offended. Especially one guy in particular who could not stop arguing and mocking Mr. Hewitt. But Hugh took it in stride and made the guy look like a fool. It was some very, very entertaining stuff. When i walked out i was actually convinced that i was going to completely flip sides and vote for Old Man McCain. Man, the things a powerful and persuasive speech can do to you....Barack Obama, anyone? anyone? So, after listening to a right winger make some good points I am now going to further my research on the two (less Hillary) candidates. Its obvious that there are extremists on both sides of the political spectrum and that each of them have there selling points. But, there is only one question that really needs to be answered: Who is the most capable of running our country?

-Hugh came off as a know it all. and a smart ass. check out this youtube video that humbles him- if only for a a minute. Its good stuff.

-Also, if your interested in reading interesting and insightful extreme right wing political opinions check out hughhewitt.com

Is it the end for Hillary?

After a tough couple of days for Hillary Clinton it is hard to believe that she will continue in the race for the presidency. A day after losses in Indiana and North Carolina, it looks as if Hillary will step away- much to the delight of the super delegates and backers of the democratic party. Many believe that the longer the democratic nomination race continues the worse it is for the democratic party. It is doubtful that either Obama or Clinton will receive the necessary 2,025 delegates needed for the presidential nomination. However, with the help of the super delegates a candidate might be ablt to achieve the minimum. This seems to be scenario that most democrats want and are leaning towards. On Wednesday, former North Dakota Sen. George McGovern, a Clinton supporter called on her to drop out of the race. He said that, mathematically, Barack has all but won the nomination and that "it is time to unite." It is obvious that the pressure facing the super delegates (and Hillary for that matter) is mounting. They must chose who they are backing and in some instances may have to change there original allegiances. The next few days are going to be crucial for the democratic party and many questions continue to linger. The most important one being: What is Hillary going to do?
The following is a breakdown of Clintons numbers:

Also: Clinton says she'll stay in race

What is a 'delegate'?

I'll admit it- up until i changed my major to political science about 5 months ago, I was NEVER interested in politics. However, partly because of the classes I am taking and partly because of the monumental upcoming election, I have become very interested in Campaign '08. To full understand the ins and outs of the election, I have had to learn a lot about the basics of the election process. That brings me to today, were I have had a crash course on 'delegates.'

Before this year I didnt even know what a delegate was and what they did. Little did I know that they are actually the ones who pick the nominee for their respective party. Yes, they are a big deal. This has led me to do some research on who the delegates are and when their vote comes into play.

The democratic party and the republican party have different numbers of delegates. The democrats have 4,049 and the republicans have 2,380. To win the democratic nomination for the presidency one needs a total of 2,025 delegates while the republican nominee 1,191. I would get into the specifics such as how to become a delegate, different types of delegates, and how to win delegates but, I do not have the ability or the patience to explain such a complex issue. Therefore, I recommend you checking out Why Delegates Matter In The Presidential Race compliments of CNN. It gives a quick rundown of all the topics that I have just mentioned. You will come out of it much more politically intelligent and you will be able to talk about delegates with your friends and coworkers without sounding foolish. Enjoy!
-Another youtube video...this one on What is A Super Delegate?

Tomorrow: North Carolina/Indiana

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will do battle once again in yet another primary on tuesday. This time the two battlefields are north carolina and indiana. Early polls show that Indiana is all but won for Hillary and that she is closing the gap in North Carolina. These two states are must wins for Hillary as the end of her presidential bid is near. In a suprising change from the past few weeks, the two democratic candidates showed support for eachother. They must have felt that their prior technique of criticizing eachother is just not working.
However,as was expected, they could not both hold speeches in which everything was agreed upon. They continued discussing their opposing views on the proposed "gas tax holiday." Hillary continues to stress its importance while Barack continues to say that it is an unrealistic proposal that lies to Americans. Personally, i would have to agree with Obama. The idea of cutting gas prices during the summer months in hopes of saving Americans money and stimulating the economy seems unrealistic. The gas problem is what it is. Having a "gas tax holiday" is not going to last long and, at most, will be a short lived event that will put very little money in our pockets. It sounds like politicians throwing out some crazy idea in hopes of gaining last minute votes. Let's just throw that idea out the window and move on with the more important issues (i.e. economy, iraq, my 401k).
So, here we are. One Republican nominee has been decided and a battle between two Democratic nominees continue. And two more primary's tomorrow. If Barack is able to win just one, which seems likely, the end is near for Hillary. It would be great for all democrats if she just quit now....
The following is a link to a broadcast from NPR in regards to the tomorrows primary's- listen and enjoy.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90157298

Yesterday: Guam

Yesterday, Barack Obama won the cuacauses in Guam by defeating Hillary Clinton by a mere 7 votes. A very small margin considering that 4,500 votes were cast. What i found interesting is the fact that Guam will send delegates to the convention but that the U.S. citizens in Guam cannot vote in the November election- something that Hillary Clinton stressed needed to be changed while campaining via telephone interviews. I tried to research the issue and nobody seemed to have an answer to why Guamanians ( i would assume thats what you call them) cannot vote. Strange. However, they will send 8 delegates, each with 1/2 vote, and 2 super delgates to the democratic national convention. From what ive read candidates typically spend little, if any, time campaigning to get guam's votes. But Obama and Clinton did what they could by investing in local advertising and holding long distance telephone interviews. Obviously, the two democratic candidates are doing whatever they can to win votes and either increase or decrease the small margin that separates them. For you viewing pleasure...locals from Guam and their interest in the election:

Lets take a gas tax holiday

The current craze that is all the talk amongst the politicians is the proposed "gas tax holiday." Interestingly enough, it is one of the few main issues that Obama and Clinton have strongly disagreed on (compliments of carpetbagger). The issue was actually brought up by Old Man McCain about a week ago. The proposed gas tax holiday would cost 11 billion big ones a year and would take place during the summer months. It would shave approximately 18 cents off current gas prices. A minimal amount taken off of the already skyrocketing price of gas. Nonetheless, it would help everyone and is a heavy issue that most Americans can relate to and are concerned about. Hillary Clinton agrees with the Old Man while Barack Obama strongly opposes the proposition. Mccain and Clinton, both supporters of the tax, have different views on how to go about enforcing it. McCain would relieve the cost (11 billion) with the Highway Trust Fund. Clinton proposes enforcing a tax on the oil companies to cover the costs. Although Hillary's plan sounds awfully appealing it also sounds fairly unrealistic. And this is exactly what Barack Obama is saying. The article linked to the above "carpetbagger" is a great piece that goes over the problems such a tax would create. I encourage you to read it. Meanwhile, check out this short clip that explains why Obama has the correct view in regards to the gas tax:

John McCain, my friend and fellow blogger

Thanks to Johnmccain.com I am an official "friend" of the Republican nominee. And because i am his friend I recieve the pleasure of getting his emails day after day. And because of these continous emails (day after day) I was able to notice that BLOGGING has become so popular that our top POLITICAL LEADERS and there campaign associates are doing it. Daily i have been getting emails that are trying to get me to read his blog. Whether the subject is healthcare, mccain on tour, or mccain on WWE, his political associates are blogging about it. If politicians and future presidents are doing it than i would say that blogging is here to stay. People have began to see the power of blogging and its definitely moved past the realm of just a "craze." Blogging is here to stay. Here are some other Mccain endorsed blogs if you are interested in reading up on the Old Man and his opinions:
Blogs for McCain
Michelle Malkin
Right Wing News

The Polls

What is not polled these days? As we watch the political races we Americans are overwhelmed with every poll that you can think of. Polls for cities, states, confidence levels, approval ratings etc. What do these numbers mean to us? Id say...a whole lot of nothing. At most they give us a statistical measurement of how the candidates are doing. But most of the time they are based on such a small sample set that its hard to believe they have any relevance whatsoever. Instead, i think that they take all these polls for the benefit of the candidates and their campaign teams. They are interesting to hear about but after awhile one wants to stop hearing about statistics and get on with the race. For now, we are stuck with poll after poll. An interesting video and some websites regarding the democratic race and how close it is in the polls are below.....






Links

http://www.gallup.com/video/106942/SixDay-Statistical-Tie.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/poll/106945/Gallup-Daily-Clinton-49-Obama-45.aspx

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/us/politics/01poll.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss