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Make Your Mark
Apr
17
Grey areas
Filed Under Barack Obama, Democrat Debate, Democrats, Politics, Primaries, get informed! | Leave a Comment
It’s hard to know what’s true. Yesterday, I posted this email I received from Obama’s campaign…touting the largest grassroots movement in US history, and today, I read this story on Yahoo! about Obama’s contributors working for lobby firms.
So..what’s the truth here? Obama says he doesn’t take money from lobbyists. I take this to mean that he doesn’t have any PACs - fundraising, mud-slinging organizations. And that he’s not going to give any one favor for their fundraising efforts, except maybe Oprah 
I think it means that high-powered attorneys that happen to work or run law firms that also house lobbyists have taken a shine to what Barack has to say.
It’s all grey areas. (Notice the absense of a black and white joke here.)
Jan
10
OnTheIssues.org
Filed Under get informed!, ontheissues.org | Leave a Comment
This site is chocked full of info. I especially like the voting record info. Excellent source of info for finding out what candidates really stand for, combining all kinds of sources including media, speeches, past statements, voting records, government experience, etc.
Jan
10
the decider…
Filed Under Barack Obama, Democrats, Dennis Kucinich, John Edwards, Presidential Debates, Primaries, bill maher, get informed!, hillary clinton, presidential candidates, republicans, selectsmart.org | Leave a Comment
So, it’s coming down to the wire around here. My primary is coming up next month, and I’m still on the fence. I’m having trouble finding the nuances of difference between Clinton, Obama and Edwards, and I have to say, the debates are really helping.
I posted a quiz site a while back, and I just took the quiz again. My results were the same. If my theoretical candidate gets 100%, Barack is #2 at 78%. With Kucinich coming in 3rd, Hillary coming in 7th and Edwards coming in 9th. So there you go.
But then I’ve been watching the AMC series Mad Men and I can’t help but be grateful to Hillary and women like her for women’s lib and I think I’d love to see a woman president. Can I vote for her because of that? Do I really prefer what Obama stands for more? I’m not sure…I liked his book a lot. Especially what he had to say about ending the generational poverty in poor areas. But I also agree with Edwards “no special interest” rantings.
What I’d really like to do is squish them into one person.
As for the republicans, I just like to squish them.
Anyway, take the quiz. It’s fun. And informative. After you’re done, you can post your candidate preferences on a forum. I clicked around a few and a everyone I looked at was the polar opposite of mine. It just goes to show you that what Bill Maher says is true, we are like two separate countries voting for two separate presidents. (If you don’t have HBO, like me, you can download Real Time with Bill Maher on iTunes for free!)
I wonder if anyone will really be able to bridge that gap - or cross the aisle.
Nov
2
Get informed…but how?
Filed Under Politics, Primaries, get informed!, voter research | Leave a Comment
Primaries are looming. Candidates are stumping. Sound bites play in endless loops on media outlets. Congress is flailing, and choices are coming down to the wire. In some states, primaries are in two months! Do you have a front runner in mind? Do you think Stephen Colbert has a chance?
I’d like to know where you’re getting your info. What’s your #1 source for voter research and candidate info?
And how about those early primaries? I would think that the few states holding out until June will have more sway than the early states. I mean, let’s say Rudy is winning the GOP nomination in February, but Romney voters really rally in March and June? I kind of wish my state was having a later primary, so I’d feel more like my vote was going to make a difference - like a close game in football, where the last few minutes make all the difference.
Any opinions on what’s better? Early or late primaries?
Oh, and one more thing about primaries. How about the states that are holding the Democratic primary on one day and the Republican primary on a totally different day. I guess there will be no way for people to keep their parties secret - if anyone cares about that these days. I hope that no one will succumb to peer pressure and vote with their friends because they don’t want any one to know they’re secretly liberal or conservative.
So, to sum it up, I’m looking for:
- Your #1 source of voter info
- Your opinions on the timing of the primaries.
Leave a comment already - don’t just get informed, get involved!
Oct
16
2008 Primary Schedule
Filed Under Democrats, New York Times, Politics, Primaries, get informed!, media, republicans, voter research | Leave a Comment
Not sure when your Primary will be? The NY Times has a very clear schedule - not only of when Dems and Reps will vote, but what the candidates will need to ensure victory. Check it out - and stay informed!
May
24
Polarizing issues
Filed Under Barack Obama, Chris Dodd, Democrats, Iraq, Politics, Presidential Debates, get informed!, john mccain, life, live green, presidential candidates, recycle, republicans, soldiers, taxes, war | Leave a Comment
Pro Choice or Pro Life? Gay Marriage? New taxes? Welfare reform?
I recently had a very long conversation with my friend regarding abortion. She has long voted for Republicans simply because she’s pro life, and in line with the leaders of her church, she votes for extreme conservatives. She also took advantage of programs available to her when she had her children such as no cost health care for her delivery (provided by the government) as well as WIC and food stamps. Her husband owned a small business and they had a few very lean years. The fact that the people she was voting for were basically against those programs intended for low income families never really dawned on her or mattered to her.
So here’s my real question? Do the real, daily-life issues matter to voters? Or only the big, sensational issues?
For example, the cost of health care really effects my family. We have high deductibles for our PPO, and end up spending a lot out of pocket. We pay into Social Security every month weeks, and yet, there’s about 100% possibility that we’ll never see that money again. Same with Medicare. We have a young son, and we’d like for there to be quality public education for him and some natural resources available for his grandchildren. Likewise, we pay a lot in taxes and we’d like to see that used more wisely - if not, then give it back. We could use it to save for our retirement, since we won’t have Social Security.
What I’m saying is that I’m glad to know where the candidates stand on issues like abortion. It helps me to understand what kinds of Supreme Court Justices they would appoint, the kind of legislation they might pass/veto. However, I wish less time was spent during the debates on these polarizing topics. I want to know what these people are going to do about issues that effect our everyday lives.
One last topic…Bring the troops home or stay the course? Some candidates (Obama, Dodd) say that they’re going to bring the troops home immediately, while some are sticking to the “stay the course” doctrine (McCain)…do you think this will be a deciding factor in the election? Personally, I want the troops home yesterday - three years ago, even. But what I’d rather hear them talk about is how they’re going to repair the US’s reputation and standing in the world. How we exit Iraq will be a part of that, but I’d like to hear more specific plans for diplomacy.
May
24
The New York Times - excellent resource
Filed Under Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd, Democrats, Dennis Kucinich, Duncan Hunter, Jim Gilmore, John Edwards, Mike Gravel, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, New York Times, Politics, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, get informed!, hillary clinton, john mccain, media, presidential candidates, republicans | Leave a Comment
The New York Times online has an excellent page with all of the candidates listed - including the officially announced candidates and the widely speculated ones. Each candidate has an info page, a link to their official site, and many have their most recent multimedia (YouTube video, etc.).
Here’s the link:
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