Senate Race Post

Chris Murphy and Linda McMahon are the ones that are running for Ct senate . Chris Murphy is the Democrat and Linda McMahon is the Republican . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Connecticut,_2012  - this is the first thing that really caught my eye because it has a lot of useful information that i really didn't know about , so what i really want to know is who does everyone think is the best as senate ?

There's Another Choice This November: Me!

If you're one of my good friends, you remember me running around with a form begging for signatures to become a write-in candidate for President of the United States. Some of you might have thought it was a mere joke, but I sent the form in and the other day, the Secretary of the State's Office released the official list of write-in candidates for the Office of President of the United States. Take a look who is included:

http://www.statementofvote-sots.ct.gov/StatementOfVote/WebModules/ReportsLink/CLWPresView.aspx?Parameter=11/06/2012-General

If you don't believe that's the official list, take the steps to get there. Here's the Secretary of the State's website:

http://www.sots.ct.gov/sots/site/default.asp

Click on "Elections and Voting", then "List of Candidates", then "Presidential Electors For", then "Write In", then find "11/6/12 General" in the scroll down list and hit "View Report". Brings you to the very same list.

There's also an article out about my campaign! Have a look!

http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Keila-Torres-Ocasio-A-surprise-local-candidate-3987570.php

So if you can vote, don't forget I'm an option this November! Also don't forget to let you families know about me and my campaign! #Sizemore2012

Help With Footnotes

Hey guys, I thought it would be very helpful for me to post links of how to properly complete a footnote.

Footnotes can be done in a wide variety of programs, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs to Open Office. They all have a different way of inserting them, so feel free to Google or go to the help menu in the program to figure out how to put them in if you don't know already.

 Here's a site that should help you cite your sources in the footnote:
http://faculty.colostate-pueblo.edu/jonathan.rees/footnote.htm

Another: http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/footnote.html

I hope everyone has a nice weekend! Get prepared for Sandy!

Support for the Weekend Editorial Assignment

Help with writing an editorial (this is what we read in class):  http://www.studentpressreview.com/october-2010/editorial-writing

Example editorials on newspaper opinion pages:

• http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions
• http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/campaign2012/
• http://www.nytimes.com/pages/opinion/index.html
• http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/
• http://www.economist.com/debate/upcoming

Website designed for younger readers but still has great information:  http://indykids.net/main/2012/09/where-the-candidates-stand-in-the-2012-u-s-presidential-election/

Students will receive extra homework credit for posting comments on this blog entry.  Here are three questions to guide your comments:

1. What topic are you writing your editorial about?
2. What resources have helped your research?
3. What concerns do you still have?  

Women Going Against Obama

Desiree made a comment that interested me because it was about woman going against Obama and raising money against him and things of that sort so i found a few articles to try and understand this topic further http://www.mercurynews.com/presidentelect/ci_21853223/campaigns-court-womens-vote-poll-shows-romney-has this is the first website and it tells you a few things and has a direct quote from Obama but i still dont understand why those females feel so strongly about Obama , what do you guys think or KNOW http://www.christianpost.com/news/sarah-jessica-parker-campaign-a-vote-for-obama-is-a-vote-for-women-83922/ once again this article is for women voting for Obama it says that he has been a large supporter of woman . Thats also what i thought and when i typed that into google you dont really see anything thats like YEAAAA NOO OBAMA FOR FEMALES you see things that say how sweet he is and how hes been pro female from the start in 2008 ,

The Results are in!!!

I don't know if you guys saw my last post about how you guys could vote on Nick.com for who you believe should be the President of the United States. For those who did vote can now go on Nick.com and see the result(You could also see the results even if you didn't vote!) However if for some reason the results are not there anymore or the site doesn't work here are the results:

ACCORDING TO THE KIDS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OUR NEXT PRESIDENT SHOULD BE  BARACK OBAMA!!!!!!

As you all know that currently we are learning about Political Beliefs and Political Parties so here are a few questions for thought:

1. Do you think that the results from Kids Pick the President will effect the choice of their parents?

2. Do you think President Obama will be reelected because of what the kids believe?

3. According to David Eisenhower, youth these days don't care about our government, is this still the truth now? 

The Third Presidential Debate

Use this handy index and transcript to review and re-watch specific parts of last night's debate.  You can review the list of topics the candidates discussed and watch the ones most relevant to your presentation for class on Wednesday.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/10/23/us/politics/20121023-third-presidential-debate-obama-romney.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20121023

Here are the topics with corresponding student names.  If you signed up for more than one, please email me and indicate which you are focusing on for Wednesday's class.  If you haven't signed up yet, please email me and let me know which topic you want to present.

Afghanistan

• Raymond
• Kahyla A.
• Kayla W.
• Rusty
• Peggy

 Foreign Aid and Development

• Darron
• Brelin
• Katherine
• Desiree

China

• Jordan 
• Danny
• Shirley-Ann
• Manny
• Niorgie

Iran

• Jabriska
• Danny
• Johnna
• Mahogany

Executive Power in Foreign Policy

• Malik
• Utsavi
• Jeremy
• Mesha

Russia

• Shirley-Ann
• Mahogany
• Rusty
• Megan
• Mercy

Let our voice be heard!!!

Hey you guys! We have a great chance to let our voices be heard. Just because we are not 18 or 21 yet we can't vote. Nick (The cartoon channel) is having a Kids Pick the President poll. Please go on this website below and take only a few seconds to chose who you believe who should be the leader of this country!

http://www.nick.com/

You can also tune into the Nickelodeon Channel on October 22, 2012 to see who got the most votes!!!

Getting Ready for the final Debate

I found this article that not only gives you glimpses of what is yet to come in the last debate but also the importance of the debates and how they are analyzed (who one/lost).

The big topic for this debate is foreign policy. What does this mean for the viewers? Hopefully it means listening to solutions to issues involving foreign policy, but I doubt that will happen. If you want entertainment during the debate you can turn it into a little game and see just how many times the debate brings up things like Obama’s birth certificate, parentage and etc. I know that has nothing to do with the election but I’m curious to see if they bring it up and if it becomes a focus in the debate. Besides telling us the topic the article also mentions points the candidates will touch on. This got me wondering; during preparations for these debates is there an audience or is it just common sense that that is what they will mention? Either way it will be interesting to see just how many remarks match the points the article said they would say.  

The major points in this article is that the first debate is the debate that can make you or break you, while they found that the third debate usually doesn't have much of an impact on the election. Finally, it tells you the categories of how your performance is judged.

They are:

1.     Level of aggression

2.      Ability to connect to the audience

3.      Did you make noticeable errors?

http://www.wbur.org/2012/10/21/third-debate-payne

Who Cares About Women's Rights?!?!? Not Romney!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/us/politics/obama-and-romney-focus-on-efforts-to-woo-women.html?hp&_r=0

I chose this article because it touched bases on my favorite part of the 2nd debate. This article is based off of this one question, "In what ways do you plan to rectify inequalities in the work place for women's pay?" I was confused when Romney answered this question because it seemed as if he tried to avoid the question and turn the question into providing jobs for women. In fact, research shows that Romney feels that "equal pay are "small thing" that are no important voters.

Here an article that proves that statement:
http://cjonline.com/blog-post/lucinda/2012-10-19/gop-women%E2%80%99s-rights-and-equal-pay-are-%E2%80%9Csmall-things%E2%80%9D

This proves that Romney doesn't really care about women's rights. Honestly, while watching the debate and what Romney had to say when answering questions, I felt like he was just feeding us what we wanted to here. I might be a little BIAS, maybe a lot, but if you watched what he said during the debate and what he said previously during his campaign, you would understand what I am saying.

For example, Romney claims that he wants to lower taxes for mostly middle class and that he wants to get the middle class in better condition, (correct me if I am wrong) but, on 60 Minutes, he said that it was fair for a person who is very wealthy to pay less taxes than a bus driver, etc (Someone of a lower income). He should consider changing that statement around. That way, middle class would have to worry less about bills, etc. They can take that cut tax money and use it to put food in the house, or the phone bill. Make Sense??

Please take a look at this site! I actually this you guys would find it interesting, trust me!
http://bindersfullofwomen.com/

What do you think about women's rights and equal pay? What do you think about this new website about Mitt Romney's binders full of women?

In Case You Missed It: The Full Debate with Index and Transcript

This is a great resource, for those who missed the debate and also for those who want to review specific parts.  The debate is outlined by topic and the full transcript is below the video.  This is a great way to include evidence from their statements in your own written work.

The Second Presidential Debate:  http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/10/17/us/politics/20121017-second-presidential-debate-obama-romney.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20121017

Let the Post-Debate Analysis Begin!

http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/debates/presidential/2012-10-16?hp

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/16/politics/debate-mainbar/index.html

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/10/16/green-party-candidates-arrested-at-debate-site/

Interesting Facebook Page about Politics

LINK:  https://www.facebook.com/nytimespolitics

PBS Lead up to Tonight's Debate

Currently watching:  http://www.pbs.org/programs/race-2012/

Resources for Election Project: Campaign 2012!

Put these links to work as you make progress on your Library-Media Center Interactive Election Project:

Political Cartoons: http://www.newsday.com/opinion/cartoonists-enter-the-debates-1.4066835#1

Presidential Campaign Commericals 1952-2012: http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1980

The Electoral Map:

• http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/electoral-map
• http://www.270towin.com/

Key State Races: http://campaign2012.c-span.org/key-state-races

Issue Analysis: http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm

Student News:

• CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/studentnews/
• Channel One: http://onevote.channelone.com/

IMPORTANT NOTE:  If you have questions or concerns about the project, please post your questions below.  In addition, please post your project idea and describe the progress you are making.  Your classmates will appreciate hearing your ideas it's good practice writing for a student audience.

Something I've Been Noticing

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/03/politics/debate-main/index.html
 I came across this article and thought of our class discussions . the other connection i made was the statement about Romney being aggressive- "Republican challenger was more aggressive in the 90-minute...".  My thoughts / questions for the class are : Does Obama really need to be more aggressive ? does his aggressiveness matter only because Romney is aggressive ? can it play a major part in peoples opinion on what Obama has to say ? Do you think people may assume he doesn't know what hes talking about because he isn't "throwing" it in Romney's face so to speak ? 

Citizens Deserve Specifics And The Truth

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/opinion/krugman-romneys-sick-joke.html?src=me&ref=general&_r=0

All through the debate, Romney failed to specify any of his plans or tell the truth to the pont where even people on his side said he was lying. Although it seems a little bias, it is true. This article calls this "Romney's Sick Joke". The article says that, "What Mr. Romney did in the debate, in other words, was, at best, to play a word game with voters, pretending to offer something substantive for the uninsured while actually offering nothing." In my eyes, Romney insulted Americans by playing with his words trying to falsely make us believe he has a plan. If Romney had a plan that honestly seems promising, he would have no problem in sharing the details with the nation, which he should do anyway. He could be hiding the details just because he knows it would upset most of the voters costing him the election. Then this makes me think, is he in the presidential race to persuade the most voters or on a mission to improve America? Why else would he lie?
Then I can criticize Obama in his responses. "One could wish that Mr. Obama had made this point effectively in the debate. He had every right to jump up and say, “There you go again” There were many times where Obama could have jumped in and said "There you go again" and retaliate on the false remarks of Romney. However, out there we saw out there was our president with a soft demeanor, being controlled and dominated by a liar. 

The Choice: 2012 -- PBS Biography of the Candidates

As I was watching PBS Newshour this evening, there was a preview for this special:  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/choice-2012/

It is on tonight at 9pm on PBS.  Channel 13 on my TV, you can Google TV Guide to find out.

Building background knowledge, getting to the know the history of the candidates, and finding out about each of their path's to political power.

Is it ok to lie?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/do-candidates-have-a-constitutional-right-to-lie/2012/10/05/1bb9fa8e-0ef5-11e2-a310-2363842b7057_story.html

Lies. politics has become infamous for it's liars. After reading this articale I gained a different idea on lying . I  thought that the idea of the mechanism that could counter lying politicians was called counter speech was brilliant  In a nut shell it allows candidates who hear a another politician lie can call them out and call them a liar. The problem with this simple idea is that it all depends on the public's reaction to it. What someone may call "flinging mud", someone else might call "exposing the truth". What's your idea on this? Would allowing politicians to use this affect your view on a side or not?

Post debate- DON'T MESS WITH BIG BIRD

 I read: Don’t mess with Big Bird by Charles M. Blow.  I liked the point of the article but maybe it was a little too harsh on Romney by asking him if he could do simple math and, “Do you know anything about looking out for the less fortunate, Mr. Romney? Or do you think they’re all grouches scrounging around in trash cans?” Romney may put his foot up his mouth sometimes but that doesn't mean they should retaliate by asking him this.

As a kid I used to watch PBS  too. Mostly shows like Arthur, Clifford, Sabrina, and etc. They were all shows that would entertain you but also give good lessons by the end of the show. I never really got into   Sesame Street but my little cousin did and is. Her mom is stricter about tv so she pretty much can only watch pbs or one of the Spanish stations on tv. She is six right now and you can see how watching the shows helped her be ready for kindergarten and really made her want to learn more. It’s weird, as kids we enjoy the show without really noticing how much we are learning whether it be numbers and shapes or life lessons. We grow up knowing this stuff without really understanding where/ how we learned it first. Once we are adults, it seems like we are unable to see the value of the shows that taught us so much. We remember it was a good show when we were little but can’t remember just how it benefited us and if it was worth it.

I would like to know more about how much the gov. provides to PBS and who are their other main supporters? The plan was to cut funding to PBS and things like it, not to cut the network. The thing is that losing that funding might make the network have to be cut. Maybe there could be a middle. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.  PBS has other supporters, if the gov. gave PBS  1-2% less amount of funds, PBS can stay and the debt wouldn't be as high because of the program. PBS is worth saving but if the only options were stop funding completely or just cut back on funding, we would agree that losing some money and keeping the program is better than cut off all gov. funding and losing it completely.  

Liar, Lair Pants on FIRE!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/do-candidates-have-a-constitutional-right-to-lie/2012/10/05/1bb9fa8e-0ef5-11e2-a310-2363842b7057_story.html


     According to the article above Candidates whether it is the president, vice president, or even the senator have a CONSTITUTIONAL right to LIE! WHAT!!! This is really wrong and I am thinking that the main reason why some people don't go to vote is because they believe that there is no point of voting for a leader that is going to go in office and "relax".

     Even though this right makes the candidate feel that they are free to lie anytime we can't really tell when people are lying and when they are telling the truth. Sometimes these candidates want to get into office for "power." Thanks to checks and balances so that each branch has the power over the other branch otherwise we would be living in a tyranny. We need true leaders that can lead the our nation to a bright future. Our reason for no progression is because people want to lie so they could have a reputation but they don't know that they are ruining the lives of millions and millions of people. A leader is not someone that makes promises but it's the one that keeps is promises and has the strength to say that he is not perfect and he needs help running the country.

     Before I used to think that we should have presidents that are immigrants from different countries so that they can bring in different ideas that can help our nation succeed but that may not be the case after reading this article. If the citizens of their own country are not willing to walk on the path of truth how can we expect someone from somewhere else to tell the truth.

Question: How is our nation going to progress with liars?

Right to Lie?

I read the article about 'The Right to Lie". It was a very interesting article to read because I had never thought about this conflict before. I have been beginning to ask myself, "Is it Constitutional for a candidate, governor, mayor, or president to lie?" Listen to this, "Many voters rely on the news media and independent fact-checkers to determine when a politician is telling the truth or twisting it." Here's my other question, "Are the leaders saying the truth but the can the media be one who have been twisting words?" It's kind of hard to determine that, but I believe that the only best way to find out is through the debates on television. That's when the leaders say what they have to and want to say.

But it's true that many of us do follow the media as if they were our parents, meaning that we listen to what they have to say and believe in it. Now here's another question, "If a leader does lie to his or her people, how does that make them a better person?" You see, I believe that when you say something, or promise something and you fail to do it, you lose your people because many people counted on YOU. Everything that a leader should say should mean it. A leader says things for a purpose.

The Nose Grows Longer

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/do-candidates-have-a-constitutional-right-to-lie/2012/10/05/1bb9fa8e-0ef5-11e2-a310-2363842b7057_story.html

What is the thing politicians are most famous for? You guessed it - lying. Politicians of all kinds are known for deceiving people, for telling tall tales. And one thing that we all may wonder is why there's no law against it. A lot of us rely on fact-checkers and the media to help us determine the truth. With every story, there are a hundred and one different versions of it. Here's my opinion: There's nothing anyone can do about it. Politicians in some cases, may have to lie to have a better chance of winning an election, for example. 

Just picture yourself being asked a question that you really don't know the answer to. Keep in mind that you and your opponent are in a tough competition at the moment, and whatever you say will be analyzed by, I don't know, millions of people. Nearly the whole country. Do you tell the truth and say you don't know the answer, or will you lie? I'm not saying that lying is a good thing, but you have to understand what position the politicians are in. As law expert Richard L. Hasen has recently pointed out, candidates might actually have the right to lie under the Constitution. I couldn't believe that when I heard it, but it's very much possible. 

 Whether or not they have a right or not, it's not exactly easy to figure out when a candidate is lying or not. Yes, there are some telltale signs, like not making eye contact, looking away from who you're talking to, sounding nervous, etc. But some people seem to be able to lie so easily and often that you don't know when they're telling the truth or not. 

So I have a few questions for you. Is what candidates say they're going to do really a lie? Can you tell? Is there a surefire way to tell? Because no one can tell what the future holds, so sometimes things don't go as planned. Plans that candidates may have wanted to put into place may not be able to be put in place. That doesn't exactly make it a lie in my opinion. Also, do you think lies are needed to help candidates win elections? Is it something vital for their campaign?  

Charles Darwin is Rolling in his Grave

 http://news.yahoo.com/congressman-calls-evolution-lie-pit-hell-175514039.html


I was just browsing yahoo news when I came upon this article. I know that it doesn't relate to current events that we're studying but I just had to share it with you guys. Congressman Paul Broun has stated at a sportsman's banquet that "I've come to understand that. All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and Big Bang theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of hell.". look, I'm not trying to attack anyone's religion  here. I don't hate on anyone's religion as long as it doesn't make them hurt someone, but this honestly blew my mind. First of all, even if you are a religions person  I'm pretty sure you wouldn't call theories like evolution, and the big bang theory "lies from the pits of hell", considering that they have been more or less proven to be true by some very smart people. I honestly could have let this article go after this, but then I continued reading and found that this Congressman actually sits on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology... I feel that this needs to be repeated. The congressman that believes that evolution is a lie from hell sits on THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY. Before I suffered a severe panic attack, I spoke to my mom about the subject and she was just as surprised as I was. She is catholic and even she said "this guy doesn't sound too bright.". I apologize if I've offended anybody with what I've said but I honestly just had to speak my mind on the subject before I snapped and punched a hole in my computer screen.

Electoral College Knowledge

The homework post is below this one.  But I also wanted to use this additional post to share electoral college links that will help you apply your knowledge about the electoral college to the actual campaign.

Please watch this video and learn by laughing: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/03/opinion/electoral-college-101.html

New York Times Electoral Map:  http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/electoral-map

270 To Win:  http://www.270towin.com/

Weekend Homework: Articles for consideration and comment

Good morning AP GOV!

Here are a few links to use for inspiration. Your task is to choose one, read it and comment on it. Use evidence from the article in your commentary. What do you think? What connections can you make? What additional information does the article make you want to discover?

Romney Deflates the President:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444223104578036902059331748.html

Clash of Philosophies:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/us/politics/debate-a-clash-over-governments-role-news-analysis.html?pagewanted=all

Fact Checks and Analysis:  http://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2012/10/03/fact-checks-and-analysis/gUsQaIslLte7Znlr17V1oL/story.html

Don't Mess With Big Bird:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/06/opinion/blow-dont-mess-with-big-bird.html?_r=1

Important Issues Ignored:  http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/10/the-denver-debate-ignored-hugely-important-domestic-issues/263227/

The Right to Lie?:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/do-candidates-have-a-constitutional-right-to-lie/2012/10/05/1bb9fa8e-0ef5-11e2-a310-2363842b7057_story.html

Romney's Sick Joke:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/opinion/krugman-romneys-sick-joke.html?src=me&ref=general

Romney fact-checked by his own campaign:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/10/06/162404662/romney-health-care-debate-claim-gets-corrected-by-his-own-staff?sc=fb&cc=fp

I am also open to seeing what other articles you find when you do your 30 minutes a day of current events political reading. Feel free to post! If you go beyond the requirement of commenting, you will earn extra HW credit by creating an additional post with link, analysis and questions.

READ THIS!!

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/10/presidential-debates-teachable-moments-to-spark-student-interest-in-elections.html

Hello fellow classmates! This was not a part of the assignment but this link posted above will help you guys give a good understang about how presidential debates shape American politics. I came across this link while I was trying to find more information for Question number 1 on our PBS Newshour Extra worksheet. (The title of the worksheet is "Presidential Debates Could be Pibotal for Obama and Romney.)

Hope it helps you guys!! :)

Sorry for the Confusion: Link for HW Due 10.5

I know, I was link-happy last night.

Here is the link you need:  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/us/july-dec12/debates_10-01.html

NPR's Live Blog & Fact-Checking Sites

NPR's Live Blog:  http://apps.npr.org/2012-first-presidential-debate/

Fact-Checking Sites:  http://mashable.com/2012/10/03/debates-online-fact-check/

Update: Debate Starts Now!

Greetings,

I will be following a live blog on this NPR site:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/10/01/162100614/live-blog-obama-romneys-first-debate

There is also a PBS live blog:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/

In addition, the article for Part One of the homework is here:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/us/july-dec12/debates_10-01.html

Feel free to post comments or reactions "in real time" on our blog.  I am going to investigate if there is a widget that allows for live posting on blogger.

I also encourage you to read people's comments on other live blogs.  You will get a sense of the conflict and compromise that has to be a part of politics.

Here we go!

Links Needed for HW! Due October 5!

http://metroapgovernment.blogspot.com/2012/10/links-etc.html

Debate Day...and more links

Here is a link to Wednesday's Lesson Plan:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f9HKcJBmlGDPu8ra-0QZOqOlPR5WFAvCt6KidntrcqM/edit

Here is a link to a recent news story about Youtube and Wednesday's Debate:
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/10/02/youtube-to-stream-presidential-debate/

Here is a link to the article you need to complete the homework due on Friday:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/us/july-dec12/debates_10-01.html

Here is a link to Gwen Ifill's "debunking" of debate myths.  Find out what the this former VP debate moderator has to say about political culture and presidential debates.  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/10/gwens-take-debunking-five-myths-about-presidential-debates.html

Liar , Liar!

 Trying to figure out what i was going to write about I saw this article

http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/01/ordinary-lies-damn-lies-and-the-debates/?ref=presidentialdebates

Title: Ordinary lies, Damn lies and Debates.

Author: Adam Clymer.
While reading this article it really made me actually laugh because of everything it said! But then again it made me wonder... Are these people who this country is counting on lying to us??? Would they really lie just to get votes???

   I read on and saw all of the things they could use against each other to make the other person look bad! it really made me want to go back and check the records and all of the interviews of both candidates and what they were doing!


This connected to class because i was remembering the BOUNCE  that was given to Mr.Obama. and while looking and really getting into the article i saw how these people can use anything just to get a higher chance of winning! Even if they're lies. I thought that was so uncool , just plain unfair to the people because we are the ones voting if we are misinformed we can be making a big mistake!

I really didn't understand only one word and that word was CIRCUMSPECT.  It means - Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences. These two candidates are definitely circumspect s because they look out for their own step, they don't want to make any mistake or have something that the other candidate can shove in his/her face. They take precaution.

Deeper Questions:

#1: Will President Obama really lie to us his fellow American citizens?

#2: Is that even allowed? Can a candidate for anything be able to lie to the audience?
       

Ideological Opposites Prepare to Meet in Debate

Ideological Opposites Prepare to Meet in Debate
By.Trip Gabriel
9-9-12
 Most interesting takeaway: As Biden and Ryan are so different in their ideals, it will be interesting to see how they debate against one another.

 " liquidated."- when a companies assets and/or money are redistributed among the company itself. typically happens when a business is closing.
 "He accused him of ignoring the fact that Mr. Obama’s auto industry bailout saved a million jobs, while Mitt Romney opposed it. “G.M. wouldn't have been reorganized,” he said. “It would have been liquidated.”

 "blue-collar workers"-a member of the working class who performs manual labor. Mr. Ryan and Mr. Biden, who are scheduled to be in Wisconsin on back-to-back days this week, emphasize their personal biographies to connect to blue-collar workers in Midwestern states hit hard by the financial crisis. Mr. Ryan’s hometown, Janesville, Wis., may now be best known for an auto plant whose closing he has pinned on the president.

 "Ambivalence"- to have both negative and positive feelings towards a person or event. For Mr. Ryan, his House budget proposal for $5.3 trillion in cuts over 10 years, a majority from programs for low-income Americans, has erased any ambivalence by the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party to embrace Mr. Romney. 

Connection to our class:
In our class we've been studying and keeping up on the day to day of american politics.

 Deeper Questions:
I wonder how Romney and Obama will deal with the outcome of the debate.
Will a win for either side in this debate almost guarantee a win for Romney or Obama?

Tensions Heating up Right Before Presidential Debate

As I was scrolling through the page in the New York Times, the following article caught my eye:

Title: Playing Roles of Referee and, Increasingly, Target During Debates

Date: October 1, 2012

Author: Jeremy W. Peters

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/us/politics/debate-moderators-are-subject-to-partisan-rancor.html?ref=presidentialdebates

This article is about the struggles that the moderators of the upcoming Presidential debates are currently facing. Before reading this, I never really thought about how hard they have it. If there is one fact I will always remember about fame, is that it's not easy. If you're famous, whether being a celebrity or a CEO of a company or a politician or anything else, you're always in the spotlight. Always subject to controversy and ridicule. That's just how it is, nothing we can do about it. The same applies to upcoming moderator Jim Lehrer, who used to be the anchor of the PBS "NewsHour", who is going to moderate the very first debate this week.

The imperturbable journalist, which means very calm, unemotional, has been receiving a lot of negative feedback regarding his position in the debate tomorrow. There's this big question, which he is offended by, of whether or not he's worthy of serving in this debate. It sound to me like people are getting tired of him. His doctrine, in other words principle, of disengagement in this debate has raised a lot of eyebrows lately.

Bob Schieffer, another correspondent who will serve in the debate, has even gone so far as to not cover any of the other debates before he moderates the last one. According to him, politics is "toxic" so he doesn't want to be influenced by any of the other debates before his turn to lead one.  To prepare, he has a binder on his desk, filled with information that keeps being added to.

Candy Crowley, host of the Sunday show "State of the Union" will also be serving in one of the debates. Her desk is covered with cards containing almost everything that comes to mind. Twice a day, Crowley practices transcendental, which means supernatural or abstract, meditation to clear her mind of the many thoughts running through her head.

Martha Radditz, another correspondent, doesn't have as extensive of a preparation technique as Crowley, but she still does prepare. However, during the night, if ideas come to her mind, she writes them down. If she has her phone nearby, she'll email herself about the idea.

So as you can see, a lot has been going on lately concerning these debates. Moderators have been preparing like crazy for when they will serve. They're all subject to rancor, which means bitterness and spite, from the public. And in our class, we should watch this debate very closely. Not just the debate itself, but the events surrounding it, because a lot is going on right now. It's a very important political event this year, perhaps just as much as the Convention to some people, so that's very important for everyone in our class to know about. This homework assignment is a great idea as an introduction to the upcoming debates. Don't miss out!

I have a few questions for you. What do you think about the moderators being in the spotlight like this? Is all of this controversy unnecessary? Or is it just natural? Why?

Now pretend you're going to be the moderator. What should you do to prepare for the debate? Would you try to be as impartial, or unbiased, as possible like Bob Schieffer? Would you write down a ton of notes? Would you meditate? Why? Why not? 

New Online Resource: Youth on the Trail

Please take a few minutes to review this youth-created site focused on Election 2012.

http://www.whatkidscando.org/youth_on_the_trail_2012/index.html?utm_source=The+Party+Conventions&utm_campaign=New%40WKCDJuly26%2C2012&utm_medium=email

Share an honest review of what you see and find. I haven't checked it out fully yet, so I value your feedback.

Questions for Review

1. Is this website a good learning tool?  Why or why not?  
2. What are other examples of good learning tools?
3. Why do you think these learning tools work for you?
4. Where can you find these tools?  
5. Or can you make them yourself?

Links, etc.

Great class today Metro AP Gov! Your focus and energy was on point. Anybody watching would never have known it was first period on a Monday morning. I hope you are continuing to develop your understanding of how the Constitution is the foundation of American Government.

The more you think critically about the reasons behind the structure of the Constitution, the more you will be able to apply these concepts to the pivotal political events taking place every day. Keep reading, keep asking questions, and keep listening to each other. Here are the links we reviewed today.

NPR on the new Supreme Court term opening today:  http://www.npr.org/2012/09/30/162039211/another-big-supreme-court-term-on-the-docket

I hope you finish listening to the Rachel Martin and Nina Totenberg conversation. Remember, we left off where they moved from affirmative action to same-sex marriage. Post your comments below.  Not only will you remember more if you write about it, you can also gain hw-bonus points for thoughtful and careful responses. Craft your thoughts on Microsoft, edit and spellcheck, and then copy and paste to the blog.

Here are the NYT homework links:

Presidential Debates:  http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/p/presidential_debates/index.html

The Supreme Court:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/s/supreme_court/index.html

For this homework, use the online news story and then type or hand-write your response. Here is the Google Doc link to today's lesson plan: https://docs.google.com/document/d/137__clM179KmQbD0ya5nMkAk5NqCa2wWCGustz4hkk8/edit

We have three classes this week and it's a very significant for American politics. Bring it.

Discussion Time!

While reading the intro to chapter two, I came up with the following questions:

1. Should Bill Clinton have been impeached? Is what he did (the sex scandal) severe enough? Does it meet requirements for impeachment? Explain your thinking.

2. Is Congress effective in solving issues such as healthcare reform? Meaning, do they take forever to address issues? Or are they as speedy as they can be? Do they solve issues in an appropriate matter? Or is everything wild and crazy? Why or why not?

3. Do U.S. citizens really have freedom of speech? What does "freedom of speech" mean to you? Explain.