Sad Days

Out of respect for the families of the victims and the survivors I have not yet commented on the attack on the Connecticut Elementary School. It deeply saddens me to see how the actions of 1 individual can be so devastating. All this week we have heard this attack compared to Columbine and others like it yet due to the nature and youth of the victims this tragedy is the worst. Our nation morns the loss of the 20 children and 6 adults that had their lives cut short last Friday. This tragedy has shocked our nation and will no doubt bring new issues to light but now is not just the time to discuss them. Our Representatives and others will discuss these issues in the coming months but now is time to heal.  I pray for the families of the the victims and for all those effected by this tragedy.

Concealed Carry!!

A court ruled yesterday that Illinois must catch up with the times and implement some form of concealed carry. Currently Illinois is the only state in the union to completely ban concealed carry of a firearm. The court gave law makers until June to implement a new law otherwise the court would step in and do it for them. The Pantagraph gave a good explanation of the issues and lawmakers positions on the topic. I am personally shocked of the precedent  that this decision sets, courts can instruct state on what to do even if they have already repeatedly voted against said legislating.

How does this make you feel?

Do you think that concealed carry is a good thing for this nation even with more gun violence in the news recently?

Dec. 7th Remmebered

It was today 71 years ago that Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Empire of Japan.


"Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory." - President Franklin D. Roosevelt

He was correct we are a hearty people and we band together and overcome what ever the world throws our way.  This is exactly why I never lose face that our great nation will overcome the current economic mess that we find ourselves in. 

Our leaders will work out a compromise by the dead line and we will begin the long road towards economic recovery in the new year.

Which Plan To Use?

Last week President Barack Obama released his plan for averting the Fiscal Cliff. Needless to say it was not what the Republicans had in mind when they had the summit at the White House.

The Obama Administration  updated an info-graphic online to outline their plan  and set up a website that citizens can have direct contact with the administration. You can tweet at President Obama and ask questions that he will be answering over the coming days.

Today, Speaker Boehner released today a letter addressed to President Obama outlining the Republican's position on the Fiscal Cliff. They wish to implement the Bowles Plan. Calling for much needed spending cuts coupled with in depth tax reform to close corporate loop holes and encourage job growth here at home.

What do you think of this battle over preventing the Fiscal Cliff?

Which plan do you want to see implemented?

The Presidential Lunch Date

Do you think that Romney and Obama had a productive meeting over lunch?

What is your opinion on these meetings?

Does Romney have new ideas and plans that will be beneficial to solve the issues facing the country?

Let me know your opinion on my questions or anything else you have to say about their meeting.

Illinois legislature goes "Lame Duck"

Well now that the election season is over and the dust has settled the Democrats have developed a veto proof majority in both chambers of the Illinois legislature. Leaders have stated tho that the new make up will not lead to rubber stamping for Governor Quinn's initiatives. If anything the legislature will now be able to do what it wishes such as sweep away a Quinn veto on issues such as gambling.

Thought before the newly elected state representatives and state senators get to Springfield the General Assembly enters its veto session, aka lame duck session. These next few weeks will be spent attempting to work out deals on the huge controversial issues of the year like pension reform, with legislators who will be out of a job in 1 months time. I believe that they will shoulder the blame of causing the needed cuts to occur.

Other issues that are most definitively to come up are:

E-15 Tax Credit - The shift of current tax credits to encourage E-15 as a new blend of gas and ethanol. E-15 has been approved by the US EPA for all automobiles makes 2001 or newer.This new tax credit shift would save the state a substantial amount of money along with helping boost the need for more corn based ethanol made right here in the state.

Medical Marijuana - There is a resolution in the legislature that would relax the ban on marijuana in the state of Illinois to allow for it to be used for medical purposes only. The measure barely lost an up or down vote earlier in the last legislative session and will be debated in Veto Session.



What do you expect to come of this veto session? Do you think anything will get done?

Turmoil in the Middle East!

With Israel and Gaza constantly trading rockets and mortars, the global community sits and watches hoping for no further escalation.

President Obama sent Sec. of State Hilary Clinton to the region to discuss the issues and push for a move to "deescalation and a broader calm". Secretary Clinton just met with the Prime Minister of Israel and will go on to Egypt and Palestine in the morning to meet with more leaders.

These actions in the middle east will effects the U.S. almost directly. Israel is our major ally in the area and if they go to war we will no doubt come to their aid. The last thing we want to see are Israel forces marching on Gaza and a full fledged war breaking out.

I think that the President needs to step up his involvement in the situation may need to take place if Israel doesn't back down and agree for a cease fire. Diplomacy needs to be used to develop a long term solution that will provide for more stability in the region.

I encourage you all to follow the news coverage on the situation in Gaza because it directly effects the stability in the region and the United States national security.

If you lost there is still recourse..secession!

I can say that I completely floored by the idea that so many people are talking about seceding from the Union. I guess it is not that hard to petition the white house to allow your state to leave the USA. At We The People , the official White House  petition website, citizens can create and share online petitions.

Currently the top petition is the plight of Texans who wish to secede form the Union and they have received over 100 thousands signatures. There is now officially a secession petition from all 50 states.

The White House and Obama's Administration will comment on petitions once they reach the signature threshold of 25 thousand. Currently there has been nor official response form the White House on the secession movements but I expect to hear one soon.

Explore this website and see what other petitions have been filed as well as the official responses of the White House. It is interesting to hear the White House's plans to remedy the situations.

What do you think about all these secession movements?

Would you leave the USA just because of a lost election?

What's new?

I have been following post election coverage and looking for other blogs that are discussing the aftermath. I found this blog about how the republicans mourning with the loss.

I would love to hear and see what other things are being said out there!

Where are the people trying to secede from the Union?

If you know any site or blogs please post the links in the comments.

2016?

Well if you watched TV today all you probably heard about was who will be running in 2016!

I can't count the amount of times I have heard about 2016 today already. With the President Obama beginning his final term in office there are those in the media already spreading rumors about who will be replacing him.

We still have 4 years to go and so many issues that need to be dealt with before the next presidential election. I honestly do not care right now who is possibly going to be running for President in 2016, I want these individuals doing their current jobs and not looking to move up. When politicians focus only on advancement they tend to get less done because they are worried about how their actions will effect their chances for the White House.

Where are the stories on the Farm Bill, the Budget, Military Sequestration, and the multitude of other issues that our country is dealing with. My message to CNN and FOXNews is to focus on the huge issues our country still has to deal with between now and 2016 and not who will run for President 4 years from now!

What do you think about these stories about 2016? What issues should be getting more coverage in the media over these rumors?

Election Update: “Whats Next?” “Continued Gridlock?”

             This election cycle did not disappoint, it was full of ups and down and the occasional surprise. I, like probably most of America, was up late last night frantically following the vote totals waiting to see who would be the next President. It was a close hard fought campaign and I feel that both men gave it their all, unfortunately there had to be a winner and a loser like always. President Obama will take the victory and highlighted his goals for the next 4 years in his speech last night.

Though the presidential race was the most televised and it was not the only race yesterday as you know. A big story was the battle over which party would control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as you know the Republicans held a majority in House while the Democrats had a slim majority in the Senate. Both parties waged massive and expensive campaigns in attempted to gain more seats in this election. Here in Illinois there were 6 highlighted congressional races that Democrats’ set their sights on picking up, in hopes of gaining a majority in the House. They fell short on Tuesday and were only able to swing 4 of the 6, yet there was no change in the balance of power in Washington D.C.

So, just over 4 billion dollars later nothing has changed in government except maybe the sentiment. The Democrats retain the Presidency and majority in the Senate while the Republicans keep control of the House. The questions I find myself asking now following the election is “What is going to happen now?” and “How will the next congress work together to fix the issues facing the nation?”

When I woke up today and turned on the news all I have been hearing about in the election aftermath and the looming “Fiscal Cliff”. The Fiscal Cliff is the compilation of Bush Era Tax Cuts that are set to expire at the same time as $100 billion Spending Cuts go into effect January 1st. Many economic experts fear that these both will cause the US to fall into another recession. Legislators are on record calling for the needed action to prevent the Fiscal Cliff as soon as possible, yet nothing has been done. Now it’s up to the lame-duck Congress to sort out that along with other crucial legislation such as the Farm Bill, Budget Reform as well as issues with the Debt Ceiling.

Although these issues have been sitting on the back burner for so long I am optimistic that they will be addressed soon. Yesterday, both the Majority Leader of the Senate, Sen. Harry Reid (D), and the Speaker of the House, Rep. John Boehner (R), made public statements on the election outcomes and the future path that this nation. Both addressed the major issues that are facing our country and talked about the importance of working together to break the gridlock. This is a step in the right direction, but, there are still more questions to be asked and more debates to be had as we work to fix the issues that have plagued us for so long.

Through all of this I am optimistic that a change for the better is on the horizon. I believe that today is a new day in Washington D.C. and truly hope that our elected officials begin to work with each other again to put our country back on the path to success and prosperity. 

FINALLY HERE! ELECTION DAY!

Well today is the day we have all been waiting for. All the ads have been played all of the calls have been made and all of the speeches have been given.

Polls are just about out to close across the US and soon we will know who will be the next President!

Don't forget about all of the House and Senate seats that were up for election as well.

With exit polls and just being released and the first results are being published it is set to be a very interesting night!

"I Voted" Will You?

I was able to take advantage of early voting here in Illinois this week. I got to avoid the long lines and waits on election day!

Will you be voting? Do you know where your polling places are? 

If not, check your county's website or your county clerk's website! All the information you need will be available for you to ensure you know your polling place and the hours that they will be open. 

It is always best to vote early rather than waiting. Every year people wait til the last minute and are forced to wait in long lines and it is a hassle you can save yourself from.

DON'T FORGET A PHOTO ID!! Many states and counties require you to show identification before you can vote!

This is my sticker will you get yours?

Worst Ads of this election cycle!

Ads what are they good for?

I have been watching TV a lot recently to see all the attack advertisements that the campaigns have been rolling out in the last week. With Election Day on Tuesday this week has been an ad blitz by the campaigns in the battle ground states.

I have never believed that political advertisements are persuasive or actually effect the vote totals yet millions of dollars have been spent on advertising this year. The negative ads are always the worst and believed to be the most persuasive by campaigns.

I found this article from the Flackcheck.org that effectively highlights some of the worst and most controversial ads of this election cycle.

The LA Times has a good list of other ads from this year as well.

What do you think of the political ads? Do they change your mind?

Here is a picture of the spending amounts for this presidential election compared to 2008.

Final Week and Hurricane Sally

This is it, the final full week of the campaign!

With the Polls closer than ever campaigns are on edge hoping the election will fall their way. There are multiple roomers out there and you will no doubt be hearing more about the battle ground states and the quest for 270, electoral votes. On top of the regular issues such as the economy, jobs, and healthcare there is also Hurricane Sally that is the October surprise this year.

With the hurricane crashing into the East coast today this will no doubt effect the election. In the event that the Obama Administration doesn't manage the disaster well the President could suffer in the polls. Not to mention the storm could affect turnout in the east coast and put more states in play. 

My recommendation  for Obama is, be presidential and don't make the disaster political its no doubt going to help him if he shows his leadership but do not go out of your way to do so. No ones like it when you gloat or politicize disasters..

For Romney, If I were his campaign I would stay as far away from the storm as possible. Do not get in the way of the disaster relief, aid where needed.

I pray for those effected by the storm and hope that they receive all the help needed to come back from this natural disaster.

11 Days!

What's next!

With 11 full days left, so begins the foot race to the finish line. We are just beginning to hear the last minute appeals by the candidates for our support and in some cases 11th hour announcements on policy issues. Are you prepared to make your choice?

 It will come down to the pivotal battle ground states and will most likely be one of the tightest elections since 2000.  Colorado is currently tied 50/50, Ohio and Florida are both too close to call.

How do you think the Battle Ground States are going to go? What do you see as the results of the Election?

Also the battle for control of the House of Representatives and Senate will be decided on November 6th as well. What party will win control of Congress? What are the issues that will control the outcomes?

Either way these decisions will be made on November 6th in the voting booths across America!

WILL YOU SHOW UP?

Miss-steps again!

This time it is with the Indiana Senate Race! Following the debate this pas week the GOP candidate made some statements on abortion and rape that can be taken as very offensive.

Richard Mourdock's response to the abortion question was tough to follow. He meant to say that a pregnancy is life and thus is a gift from God even if the pregnancy is the result of rape.

I just do not understand why more politicians and candidates make issues out of abortion and rape after all of the issues that have already come up. Honestly Stephen Colbert said it best, the GOP needs truly avoid talking about rape it is not an governmental issue, its a horrific act that should be punished to the full extent of the law.

These issues do not just effect the candidates that are uttering the nonsense it is affecting he entire election cycle. According to the New York Times these miss steps are going to affect the overall battle for control of congress.

What do you think of all these issues? Is there really a war on Women? What is the logic with continuing to make social issues front and center if so many have been crucified for their statements?

Social Media and Politics!

What role does Facebook play in politics?

Odds are that you have heard all about the ideas that social media is a means of political engagement. Well the Pew Research Center has been "studying on the social impact of the internet." They conducted research on the impact of Facebook on the spread of political information. Understanding how the public uses Facebook for political speech can help understand what the future of civic engagement will be. 


"Here are the key findings in a recent nationally representative survey: 

38% of those who use social networking sites (SNS) or Twitter use those social media to “like” or promote material related to politics or social issues that others have posted. Liberal Democrats who use social media are particularly likely to use the ‘like’ button—52% of them have done so and 42% of conservative Republicans have also done so.
35% of social media users have used the tools to encourage people to vote. Democrats who are social media users are more likely to have used social media to encourage voting—42% have done that compared with 36% of Republican social-media users and 31% of independents.
34% of social media users have used the tools to post their own thoughts or comments on political and social issues. Liberal Democrats who use social media (42%) and conservative Republicans (41%) are especially likely to use social media this way."

To see the entire survey and its findings follow this link.

Upon learning this i would like to know what your reactions are to the finding? 

Do you feel that Facebook and Twitter are the future of civic engagement? 

Do you pay attention to the political posts and groups?

New Numbers!

Recent Polling 

The election is drawing closer and so are the polls. Fresh off the last debate the major news organizations have released their new polling numbers. CNN's poll, pictured here, surprised me the most because of Governor Romney appears to have taken a slight lead over President Obama among likely voters in Florida.

What do you think of the continued polls? Are you surprised that Florida is so close?

For more information on this poll take a look at this article.

Debate Season

Presidential Debates

Last night was the second presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney. It was a pretty good slug fest between the President and Romney. I would say that President Obama won hands down. I can understand some of the arguments from the republicans against the moderator but to me she the candidates to the time limit as best as possible and ensured that both men got chances to address each issue. 

Today both men are headed to Ohio to campaign and then of to different states. The election is drawing closer and closer as the days go on and polls keep labeling it as too close to call. It it definitely going to come down to the battle ground states. Ohio and Virginia are taking center stage for the Republican efforts.

Congressional Debates

Tonight at Illinois State University there is a debate between Rodney Davis and David Gill for the Illinois  13th Congressional District.  The new 13th district was drawn with the hopes of the Democratic Party taking back the House of Representatives. From polling data that i have seen the races is leaning slightly in Republican Nominee Rodney Davis' favor. He has a slight lead but the race is not over yet. If you live in the 13th district and are close to Illinois State University's campus I recommend coming out to the debate. It is at 6:00 PM in the Brown Ball Room in the Bone Students Center. Here is the Facebook page for the event. 

The next few weeks there are debates going on in Illinois District 12 and 11 as well. These are great chances for you to learn more about your new districts and the candidates looking to represent you in Washington D.C. for the next two years.

VP Debate Recap...What's Next?

Last night was an a very interesting debate.

For one they were sitting down. I find that set up very odd and hard to think of as a debate. When I think of a debate I see both candidates standing at podiums some distant apart and arguing back and forth. It was odd that they were so close to each other. 

Second Biden was let out of the cage and was on full out attack the entire night. He interrupted and directly called Paul Ryan out on not being very specific with his economic plans while using facts as much as possible. 

Third Paul Ryan was a strong defender of what he and Romney would bring to the oval office. He even had strong points to attack the current administration.

And Finally the Moderator was very strong on the time limits and pushed both gentlemen to stay on topic. With all the issues of the first debate this moderator held her ground and forced the debate to address all topic areas. 

Overall I deem the debate a TIE! That's right there was no specific winner or loser. Biden struck back while Ryan held his ground. Both men did what they needed to do last night and both campaigns can now prepare for the next debate next Tuesday. 

What does this mean for the Election? 

This debate really wont have much effect over all. The Vice President is not who people vote for the go for the top of the ticket. So this debate is only a chance for campaigns to really lose ground rather than surge off of.

While looking for more understanding of the election I found another blog that you can check to see what states are truly battle grounds and see polling data.

Absent Issues!

The first debate was on domestic policy. What do you think of when you think of domestic policy?

I think of issues such as gas prices and energy issues, transportation and infrastructure, healthcare and medicare, as well as taxes and the economy. Yet all the first debate cover was the economy and healthcare. I feel that the issues with jobs and taxes have squeezed out many other issues that are plaguing Americans everyday.

What do you think?

Even with all this talk of jobs and the economy there is little focus on issues that are pressing and immediate concerns to many Americans living in rural communities. I have been researching the issues that congress left on the docket for after the election and found that many of the issues have received very little press. Issues that have been brought on by the summer drought such as corn yields coming in at a 6 year low as well waterway and infrastructure issues.

After a quick Google search of locks and dam issues i found hundreds of sites and articles that go in to detail on how far our water way infrastructure has fallen. Here in Illinois almost all of the locks and dams haven't been upgraded since the 1980's.  One sight in particular showed some interesting statistics about the importance of locks and dams that i have never heard about. Check it out here!

I bet that many of you haven't even heard about the Farm Bill struggles that have been going on in Washington D.C. all summer. Even if you had heard about it it has surprisingly disappeared from the major media sources. This along with the dilapidated conditions of our locks and damns are two major issues that i would have expected to be apart of the debate last Wednesday.

For more information on the rural economy and the effects of the Farm Bill expiration check out this NPR article.


Are there more issues you believe that should be focused on more in the last 30 days???

And the Winner is....

No Surprise, I along with my followers and a majority of the people who saw the debate on Wednesday would say that Romney won hands down. He was a little more combative than i would really care for and walked over the moderator at many points. It doesn't matter how you win just that in the end you win. He has been the talk of the media all weekend and this week.

Romney saw a bump in the polls and the shrinkage of President Obama's lead in many of the swing states as the debate effects take hold. The Election is obviously becoming much more competitive in these final 30 days. Romney is riding a new head of steam now following the win in last Wednesday's debate that will no doubt carry into the VP Debate. Romney has seen his critics on the right pull an about face and they are now some of the strongest voices defending him in the past few days.

The strong comeback kid theme seems to be building around Romney and his campaign. They have effectively shaken off the 47% comments and begin to challenge Obama on foreign policy in a convincing manner. It seems that he campaign is beginning to shape the conversation to prepare for the next debate. With these new statements on foreign policy Romney is posturing to offer his view on what can be done to protect Israel and create a more stable middle east.

The entire next debate is completely on foreign policy and thus thus will be what we hear about in the news next week, after the VP Debate that is.

It will be interesting to see what the Obama team comes up with in the next few days to combat the failure in the debate and prep for the next one. I have heard of many excuses that were given to try to explain the failure and by far the oddest was Al Gore's state that the President was effected by the altitude in Denver. Yea I have heard of this being an issue but its not like Obama has never visited the city for a day.

All excuses aside Obama just fell flat and will need to work to prepare better and come out guns a blazing in the next debate to hold on to his lead. In the mean time lets all get geared up for the Vice Presidential debate on Thursday.

It's Finally Time to Debate!

Tonight is the first Presidential Debate in this election cycle. Depending on which news program you have been watching the past few days you have heard of the importance of this debate on the race. 

Many see this as Romney's chance to re-present himself to the American public and prove that he has what it takes to stand toe to toe with President Obama. Romney's campaign has had multiple gaffes the past few weeks with his 47% comments and this debate is the chance for Romney to quell those saying he has no chance in this race. He had relatively good showings in the primary debates but President Obama is a very skilled speaker so I expect a hard fought debate tonight.

President Obama's campaign has been spreading the idea that the president is not as practiced as he was back in '08. His campaign is trying to lower expectations so that if the President does do really well it will make him look even better. 

Following the debate tonight I will have a poll set up here on my blog for all of you to comment on what you thought about the debate and who in your opinion performed better. 
Make sure to watch it tonight or the reruns that play for the next 3 days. It starts tonight 9pm Eastern / 8pm Central.

Here is the full debate schedule so you can mark your calendars. They are all at 9pm Eastern / 8pm Central


Wednesday, October 3 - Presidential debate on domestic policy
Thursday, October 11 - Vice-presidential debate on foreign and domestic policy
Tuesday, October 16 - Presidential town meeting on foreign and domestic policy
Monday, October 22 - Presidential debate on foreign policy

Money and its Effect on Party Affiliation

I just found a set of interesting graphs that show party affiliation and how it corresponds to income levels.

Do you feel that a persons income effects which party they belong to? Are you surprised by the breakdown?

Check out the story at NPR

Congress Leaves Unfinished Business!

Generally it is this time of year where we hear Congressmen and women coming back to their district touting the work they have completed in the past session. This year all I hear about is the list of unfinished business left back in Washington. It is the longest I have ever seen.

No Solution to the Fiscal Cliff 

No Farm Bill

No Real Budget Reform

No Solution to the Debt Ceiling

No Defense Re-authorization

All these issues must now be dealt with in an abbreviated lame-duck session following the election. With leaving these issues to the election they are poised to be huge election topics. It is sad that policies that could help so many Americans are held up for no reason. In the past session we have seen healthcare repeal acts, that have gone no where, passed 33 times while other crucial issues such as the approaching Fiscal Cliff and the new Farm Bill have not received the attention that they deserve.

The Fiscal Cliff is the compilation of Bush Era Tax Cuts that are set to expire at the same time as $100 billion Spending Cuts go into effect. Many economic experts fear that these both will cause the US to fall into another recession. Legislators are on record calling for the needed action to prevent the Fiscal Cliff  as soon as possible, yet nothing has been done. Now its up to a lame-duck Congress to sort out following November 6th.

Neither side is more at fault than the other for these issues not being completed in the previous session. The partisan bickering on both the Left and the Right have held up needed reforms for the bast 2 years. It is no wonder why Congress's approval rating is at 13%.

We truly need our elected officials to come back after the election and work together otherwise I fear even less will get done in the next session of Congress.

Are You Registered???

Every person over the age of 18 should exercise their civic duty and vote for our leaders. Are you Registered?

No. Then you should find out where and how to register. Hurry up the deadline for registration is quickly approaching. Here in Illinois the dead line is October 9th.

Check out this website and cause for increasing the youth vote. http://www.ourtime.org/

47% of Americans

 

So this is the break down of those 47% of Americans who do not pay taxes. Most of the people who do not  pay any taxes are the elderly. Is that wrong? 

Many of them do not have an income they are living off of their retirement plans and social security. The argument can be made that they actually do pay taxes such as property tax which has been on a steady increase over the years while their incomes are fixed. I believe that the elderly are still paying their weight if not more because their property taxes and sales taxes go towards programs that many of them do not use any more. A majority of the property taxes go to support local school districts and many of the elderly have not had children in schools in a long time. 

The issue of taxation is always the scapegoat to point out the unfair nature of american system. It is important to know that it cant always be fair but the system can be examined to make it work better.

How does learning this information make you feel?

Were you surprised to learn this information?

Beware the Romney Ad Machine!

It is not surprising seeing all of the coverage of Mitt Romney in the past week cause a slight dip in the polls because of the missteps this past week. The election is far from over though. I have seen new ads from the Romney campaign that may possible bring more voters to his side. The topic of these new ads, that will be run in the battle ground states, is the United States coal industry and the effects that the Obama administration policies have had so far and threaten to do in the future. Romney is truly showing that he can fight back and will be using his energy policy to show how Americans are not better off than they were 4 years ago.

The debate here is over the effect of the Clean Air Act on the United States coal industry. With higher regulations on emissions and the financial burdens that these regulations have on power plants have basically made building new coal fired power plants too expensive of a venture. Not to mention the continued regulations and inspections that would come with operating the plant. It is the Romney campaigns position that these regulations restrict business growth.  The noose of governed regulation should be loosened to allow for small business growth and the creation of new jobs. This message is very apparent in the new advertising and will no doubt bolster support for Romney in blue collar and rural america.

Watch these ads. Listen to the message that is being portrayed and you will see that they are powerful.  The Election is no where near over just because of a couple missteps. I can already see Romney trying to use his mistakes to change the message back to the economy and tax policy. Both issues that the GOP brand that continues to resonate with the American public.

What Party?

For those of you who have never thought about what party you fall under or are confused on the issues I have just what you need.

In my search for a good party identifying tool I found the Pew Research Centers Political Party Quiz. "The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. The center conducts public opinion polling, demographic studies, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. It does not take positions on policy issues."

I have used the center multiple times in the past for research on college projects and just to stay up to date on the facts that are circulating in the media. I took this quiz and was surprised to find where I fall in the political spectrum and I know it will help my readers.

Take the quiz and let me know what your response to the results. Are you a member of the party you thought you were? Were you surprised about the results? Why do you think you received the party you did? What effect if any will this have on your political views in the future?

Link to Political Party Quiz

The Effects of a Movie

Some of you may have not hear yet today of the news that occurred late last night. The United States' Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens was killed along with 3 other Americans during a rocket attack on the US Embassy shortly after midnight last night. This coming as a response to the controversial movie made that  depicts the Prophet Mohammad and the religion of Islam in an unfavorable light. The film was created by Sam Bacile, an Israeli-American real-estate developer, according to the Wall Street Journal.

This response should not come as a surprise to everyone following the previous instances where the image of the Prophet Mohammad was shown in a British Cartoon. There were protests then and multiple threats made against the cartoonist and the west.

I have seen parts of this movie and it is very offesnsive and attempts to discredit Islam as a false religion based on lies. I do not understand what possessed this Sam Bacile to create this video and publish it on the internet but for sure Americans have already paid the price. I wish people would attempt to understand others cultures and respect their customs.

This story is ever changing and developing. There is no doubt in my mind that it will have an effect on the presidential race and foreign relations in the coming months. President Obama and Mitt Romney are set to  speak on this topic later today and I encourage you to watch their remarks.

Let me know what you think of this attack and the movie in general.

The Next 4 Years

So with the final convention just getting into full swing, I wanted to ask over all what is the most crucial hot button issue for you in the coming election? What will make the next 4 years better than the last?

Will Mitt Romney bring new policies to Washington that will grow the economy? He has good experience running multiple businesses and a state so it is quite possible that he could right the ship. 

President Obama claims that his policies are just starting to work and the country is turning around. Do you feel that America should listen and not change leaders at this point?

Honestly this election is going to be close and you the American public is going to have to step up to the ballot booth and pick what you want for the next 4 years. Each side has good arguments for each of their plat forms and you all should look into them as the campaign continues.

 The first step to choosing though is to be registered to vote. It's a quite painless process actually. You have to go to your County Clerks office and just sign a couple papers. You will need proof of residency such as a bill or a letter with your address on it as well as a form of Identification like a State ID or drivers licence. 

Many states might have other requirements and also other places that you can go to register such as the DMV like here in Illinois. 

When i go to vote i always remember a saying i heard a long time ago that pushed me to be active in our great country and i hope it helps you. 

"Decisions are made by those who show up." 

WILL YOU SHOW UP ON ELECTION DAY?!

Fact Check

As you all may remember from the news programs there are people out there who dissect political speeches the second that politicians finish talking. Most recent victim was the Vice-Presidential Candidate Paul Ryan and his speech to the GOP Convention. I watch to the speech and thought that it was a great speech that was geared to make Ryan out to be the Vice-President attack dog that many said he should be.

The question is why would you put some false information in a speech like that? How hard would it have been to find more credible attacks on President Obama's record? There are a multitude of different arguments that can be made to boost the GOP but Ryan and his speech writes chose to risk it has been the focus of a lot of media.

I feel that the media jumped on him a too hard because of some of the stuff he said in his speech. He did not  lie at any point he told his side of the story and some of it may have been a little stretched.

I want to hear your opinion on this speech and the over all message that the GOP took to their convention and how effective you think it might have been. Will the coverage of the Democrats be as hard as it was on the GOP? 

To better check the facts that are spread in this campaign I recommend Politifact.com.

Fail Friday

Last night was the final night of the Republican Convention filled with stories about how Mitt Romney and his past. This has been the part of the convention where they begin to tell his story to the american public. He is looking to reintroduce himself and show what he can do for the country. They brought in a surprise guest to draw more attention to the night as well. Clint Eastwood was the surprise and he brought with him a skit of comedy and dry wit. Some say that he truly fell flat on his face and was not what was needed on the final night. From what I saw he used comedy and his dry wit to energize the base and make fun of the President.

 If you missed it watch it on Youtube. Let me know how you think it went and if Clint should have actually been a speaker at the convention.

 Hope you find it entertaining.I welcome comments.

Beware the Political Wingnuts

I agree with every one that the current Hurricane that just made landfall in Louisiana and the gulf coast last night is a natural disaster. Those people need to be helped in their time of need. Although if you take time to think about the the news cycle that we live in you would see that it is ever changing and extremely volatile and sometimes full of issues that should obviously not news worth.

It seems that throughout the course of  week news topics rise and fall in importance by the second. Especially now with the current presidential campaign and the party conventions now upon us. With this a high stress time for the GOP the pundits and political wingnuts are coming out of the wood work to spout extremest ideas in hopes of driving home to the base that the other side is to blame for just about everything.

Rush Limbaugh has just come out accusing President Obama of playing up Hurricane Issac in order to cause the republicans to cancel a day of their convention. I respect these people for their views but I worry that Americans will believe this hog wash. I don't mean to only point out my issues with the conservative wingnuts I know that the highly liberal wingnuts will be out in a week attacking Romney and the republicans for other issues that they will truncate or miss inform their listeners on.

Take time to listen to these extremists over the next 2 weeks and try to see the holes in their stories. Look at the issues for yourself and let me know if there are other ranting extremists out there babbling nonsense in our media and claiming it to be news.

Electoral Math

Some of you may remember that day in your High School Government class when you learned how presidential elections are decided in this country. That little thing called the electoral college and the 538 electors who actually choose the next president. Our founders set this system up from beginning as a prevention of mob rule which brought down past republics such as Rome. I would venture to guess that our founders feared the public would be too easily swayed by politicians that they wrote this law directly into the Constitution.

The current system has been changed only a few times just to modernize the voting and add in a procedure in the case of no clear majority winner for President and Vice President. Every 4 years i feel like the news media completely re-educates the public on how the system works as if it has just changed. It has been relatively  the same since almost 1800, except for the addition of th District of Columbia's 3 electoral votes which were added in 1961.

I bring up the electoral college because in my recent stint of watching the news media, people can now act as pundits and mess with the votes to see what each candidate needs to win the election. I wanted to pass on to you a link to the "Magic Wall" as CNN refers to it. This is your chance to examine the board and see for your self the possible break down of battle ground states that could sway the election.

It is surprising to see how much of an up hill battle it appears that the Romney Ryan ticket has to get to the magic 270 votes (a majority of the 538 electors).

This is where i see the election:

I think it will come down the Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida. If you look at the math Romney will need 2 of those three to win if he doesn't get Florida. Florida is the big prize and the major battle ground but it will be very interesting to see how the campaigns deal with the ever volatile electoral math.

Play around with the "Magic Wall" and let me know what you think will be the final break down of the election.

This Election Could Be the Start of the Next "Civil War"

I love my country and believe in individual freedoms as much as the next person but some people just take it too far with the rhetoric they use. So I can't say that I am completely surprised to hear that according to a County Judge in Texas that this coming election in November could bring about the next "Civil War" in which "UN Forces" will be used to keep the American people under the control of the government. 

The Justice in question is the Honorable Justice Tom Head of Texas, He spoke out about the dangers of a President Obama re-election. On Monday August 20th he discussed the possibility of a "Civil War" type of revolt by general Americans because President Obama is giving up U.S. Sovereignty to the United Nations. He speaks of the importance of Militias will be in the event of a war. 

This extreme rhetoric is just one example of what this race has developed into in the past months. I believe that it is actions like that of Judge Head that cause Americans to misunderstand the views of candidates running for political office. 

What do you think this country really needs in a leader? What is this rhetoric of fear doing to us as citizens? Do you think there will be a "Civil War"?

Please if you have an opinion share it with me and my readers