HW# 3(ish)

Here's a political satire

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/364882/november-08-2010/president-obama-s-expensive-trip-to-india

MP 2 HW# 2

The videos I watched explained the Electoral College. It happens to be the way we elect presidents. It works by simplifying the voting process by making electors who are the people who really vote for the president. The amount of electors for each state is determined by the amount of Congressmen a state has. When we vote we actually vote for electors who we want to support our candidate. They in turn vote for the President. This process is the only one we can come up with to give equal power to each state but there are certain rules that make this seem unfair. For example if a candidate wins the electoral college he doesn't exactly need to win the popular vote which is the one we participate in. Although that might seem unfair on the other end of the spectrum there is another rule that counters it, in some states if a candidate wins the popular vote all electors must vote for that candidate. Even though this system might have its quirks to the point in which you could play certain factors to win it still is the only system we have to ensure equality.

MP 2 HW # 3

In the news story "Story of the Midterms, Told Through 5 races" there isn't exactly a specific viewpoint the reporter is trying to make. The point and main attempt of the story was to convey the fact that Democrats are in danger in the coming election. You see in it it states that the Republicans who are made out to be encroaching predators which are going to swallow up seats this coming election. And, the Democrats are made out to be in an Alamo of sorts holding out against the Republican onslaught. Certain candidates that the story revolves around are Mr.Scott, Raul Grijalva, Ryan Frazier, John Murtha, Mr. Critz, Mr. Shuler, Mr. Obey, Barney Frank, Ike Skelton, John Spratt, Julie Lassa these mostly Democrats who are fighting for or trying to protect their political status. In short its trying to act as a wake up call for Democrats outlining Republicans as shakers who will upset the current equilibrium.

MP 2 HW # 1

So the video stated the way a law can become a bill. This law was formed in the minds of the people then sent to a congressional representative. In this case he created a Bill that stated that buses should stop at railroad crossings. He then sent it to Congress where a select group of individuals form a committee to review the bill and then vote on it. Here it can be killed but if it is passed it goes into a near never ending cycle.
This process starts in the House of Representatives where they argue over it and vote on it. If they vote no it dies if they vote yes it moves on to the Senate where the same process is repeated. Finally the bill gets on line for the president to sign. There he can say yes and it becomes a Law or he can veto it where it goes through committee and congress all over again with the possibility of editing or death.

Current Events 5

In “What’s so bad about elites?” Clanrence Page discusses some would-be politicians’ use of the word “elite” as a way to put down their opponents. Anyone who is their opponent is labeled as elite or else they say they are the better elite.

Chrisine O’Donnell has called her opponent Chris Coons an elitist because he graduated from Yale and she didn’t. She is hoping to gather support from those who con’t consider themselves elite. Whereas Carly Fiona, who was a CEO of Hewlett Packard, says she’s a better candidate than others because it apparently takes one to get rid of the bad elites currently in power. Clarence Page concludes that this kind of electioneering wil dummy down the candidates.

I agree that if the politicians continue to rail against elites, meaning the well educated, then we will soon not have candidates that can do the job. But I don’t agree that all the candidates using the elitist argument are not intelligent. Mr. Page wondered what the impact on our children will be. Would they lose heart in striving for excellence if the candidates least qualified get elected? I certainly hope that the more qualified win and if not the next crop of candidates will rectify the situation. Not only that but we have to consider that what they might be saying isn't true as well it's hard to say if someone went to Yale but that they dropped out means that they are unqualified. I believe that we have to look at the stats concerning their actual work before we jump to conclusions.

In “Deficits and Depression” by Victor Davis Hanson the author explains four resons why voters are enraged and depressed by the deficit. The deficit has grown during 8 years before Obama from $3.3 trillion to $6.3 trillion, but under Obama in just one year it has grown $2.5 trillion! This enrages the voters because money is being given out without thought to whose it was originally. They feel that increases in taxes won’t cover the debt (as it did under Clinton when he balanced the budget), that explanations don’t help pay their bills, and they fear something worse it to come.

I, too, am angry over the huge deficit because the “stimulus’ spending has potentially ruined my future. But I don’t’ necessarily blame Obama just as much as if I would blame a kid for not knowing what Schroedinger's cat is.

If the U.S. needs to borrow more money to pay its debt it may do so from China, a country that has a lot of cash on hand from trade surplus with the U.S. What would it mean to the world if China, a Communist country, if funding a democracy? It would raise the status of China and its policies.

Current Events 3

In “Obama’s Arrogance Starting to Get Noticed” Jonah Goldberg wrote about the way President Obama is portrayed by the media: liberal and conservative. He gave several examples of quotes from Obama, Mark Halperin, Keith Obermann, Marion Berry and Rahm Emmanuel. These quotes depicted the recent history of how the media and the politicians have portrayed Obama. At first they gave glowing reports or refrained from saying anything negative, but now almost all are starting to see that he thinks too highly of himself compared to his actual job performance.

I agree with Jonah Goldberg. Obama had campaigned as almost a messiah and instead has not lived up to it. He was even begging black voters to not “’make me look bad’ by staying home from the polls.”. I believe that he really needs to pull a Washington and step back and let the more experienced help him lead because his lack of humility really hinders his ability to function in an office that should put the needs of the people before his own.

Goldberg quoted Mark Halperin from Times: “With the exception of core Obama administration loyalists, most politically engaged elites have reached the same conclusion: the White House is in over its head, isolated, insular, arrogant and clueless about how to get along with or persuade members of Congress, the media, the business community or working-class voters.” This means that or President is all talk.