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Sunday, October 7, 2012

QOD's- Livingston- Thu Oct 11

QOD's- Livingston- Thu Oct 11

Who is Jennifer Livingston?

Why was she in the news?

Why was her statement used in some schools?

Student's Response...

QOD's- Debate- Fri Oct 12

QOD's- Debate- Fri, Oct 12

What were the results of the debate?

Any effective statements?

Any gaffs?

What impact will it have?

Student's Response...

OOD's- Ryan & Biden- Wed Oct 10

OOD's- Ryan & Biden- Wed Oct 10

What specifically has been Paul Ryan's job history- what political offices & for how long?

What district does he represent?

What would be he considered his most significant achievements or stances in politics?

What specifically has been Joe Biden's job history- what political offices & how long?

What state has he represented?

What would be he considered his most significant achievements or stances in politics?

Student's Response...

QOD- Carville & Matalin- Tue Oct 9

QOD- Carville & Matalin- Tue Oct 9

Who is James Carville?

What famous saying did he come up with in 1992 election?

Who is Mary Matalin?

What is unusual about these two??

Student's Response....

NY Times Budget Exercise

In class we did the computer simulation from the NY Times on trying to balance the budget. It was produced in 2010 so there are some different plans, but it creates a sense of how the deficit might be attacked. If you want to try it, go to this site....

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html

Friday, October 5, 2012

Badger Basketball

If you are President of the United States, in the middle of tough campaign, and just had an even tougher debate-- what do you do to try to bounce back. Of course you try to associate yourself with things all of America love. So where did Obama go on Thursday- Madison, Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin. And while there, he met with the Badger basketball team. As many of you are aware-- the Wisconsin Badgers are America's team. It will be interesting to see how big of a bump this creates in the polls.

On a more serious note, this is a neat story about how two players on the team worked to make this happen. One player a Republican from Iowa, and the other a Democrat from Chicago.

Badgers basketball team scores private audience with president

Thursday, October 4, 2012

CNN Analysis

The following is a CNN analysis of the first debate....

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/04/politics/debate-5-things-learned/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

The First Debate

Thoughts from students....

In my opinion, a plus for Romney in the debate is that voters expected Romney to come out with a boom in the first debate and prove himself to America that he is the best choice of candidate. With this on his conscience, I'm sure he prepared adequately and well enough to be ready for the debate, which I think he was by his confident poise he held throughout the entire debate.

A plus for Obama is that this was not his first Presidential debate. With the experience, he was able to execute the questions asked.

I don't think Obama or Romney made any critical mistakes.

“And congratulations to you, Mr. President, on your anniversary. I’m sure this was the most romantic place you could imagine — here with me!” I thought this was pretty humorous and my favorite line of the night.
I think Romney came out ahead. I started watching the debate 28 minutes in and I couldn't help but notice Obama's stressed, long face while Romney seemed alive and comfortable. A political science professor, Paul Sracic, at Youngstown State University said "Romney won. The real surprise is that he won so clearly." I think Romney had a crisp performance while Obama seemed to stray away from a direct fight.
- Allison

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Issue?

Students were asked to pick out 3 topics, and examine whether they felt these election topics were legitimate issues or not issues. These are the topics the students chose to address.

As the reader examines the students notes on these topics, please note some of the descriptions are not as detailed as I had hoped they would be.

Issue? Bain Capital


Bain Capital is the company Mitt Romney started. Bain Capital is a very profitable company and Mitt made a lot of money with this investment company.  The issue is Bain Capital has been accused of outsourcing jobs to other countries. This would go against Romney’s policies of being against outsourcing, especially to China. Also, Obama likes to show that Romney was able to become successful because he borrowed money from his dad to start Bain Capital.

I think that if Romney has been outsourcing jobs, he would be somewhat of a hypocrite. However, it does show that Romney knows how to run a successful business and could make to tough decisions to be profitable.
- Paul, Jordan

Issue? Birth


1.        The Romney campaign has brought up this criticism.

2.        To be the president of the United States, one of the requirements is that one must be natural-born citizen of the United States.  Being born on US soil is one way to achieve natural-born citizenship.  Obama was born in Hawaii, which some people have yet to figure out is our fiftieth state.  It was a state at the time of his birth (1961) and is still a state a today, making it US soil both in the past and present. He has produced his Birth Certificate and it has already been approved.

3.        In my opinion, this is a weak effort by the Republicans to distract voters from the real issues of the election.  Obama has already served for one term as president; he has obviously passed the basic requirements to hold office.  When this issue first came around it was a major issue for the first week or so, but now four years later it is little more than a nuisance to the voters.
- Sergio

Issue? Redistribution


This is a tactic that Romney can use against Obama. There is a clip of Obama that was recorded in 1998 at Loyola University, according to Romney's campaign and fellow Republicans who are trying to promote it. It features the president discussing what he calls a "propaganda campaign" against government funded entities, and suggesting better ways to make government more effective. Obama says: "I think the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources and hence facilitate some redistribution – because I actually believe in some redistribution, at least at a certain level to make sure that everybody's got a shot." The words; "I actually believe in some redistribution" – that Republicans are using against Obama, characterizing them as an endorsement of redistributing wealth, rather than making sure government agencies were well supported. Many conservatives argue redistributing wealth is the same as socialism.

My opinion on this is that while Obama does believe in everyone having the same opportunities, the conservatives are blowing this way out of proportion. I think while socialism kind of resembles Obamas image, overall his dream is a democracy.
- Troy, Katie

Issue? No Afghanistan


                In Romney’s speech, he did not address the war in Afghanistan. He left out all the talk about war and everything related to the subject. Well, critics didn’t like that too much. In Obama’s speech, he addressed all of the issues pertaining to the wars in the east, as critics blew up in Romney’s newsfeed about not addressing the issue. "In an almost 45-minute speech, Mitt Romney didn't find a moment to mention Afghanistan," Obama’s campaign manager, Jim Messina said in a statement sent to reporters just after midnight. "With no new plans and evasion about his real plans, Mitt Romney leaves this convention no stronger than he came."
                I think that Romney should have addressed the issue upon the wars. It’s a big topic among the people and critics and I think that they would have liked the speech more. Lots of families have one or more member in some war in the east. I think more people paid more attention to Obama because of him making a deal out of the war.
- Lexi, Karisa


Issue? Mormonism

     Mormanism is just 182 years old and is considered a racist, sexist and homophobe religion, but that's just by stereotype. Lawrence O'Donnell, a democrat, attack Mormanism saying that is was a recist faith and was directing it straight at Romney. Many people are considering this not to be an issue because a person's faith shouldn't effect how others see him. As long as Romney does not use his religion to get him votes, no one should use it against him. Romney doesn't go around advertising his faith claiming it makes him different, so people are going to label him as different. Most democrats believed that Obama would use Romeny's religion as a ways to attack Romney, but to supprise he decided not to. But on the other hand, it is believed that if it wasn't for Romney's faith the democrats would not have put faith and religions into a part of their campaign.
    In my opinion this issue is outragous. This shouldn't even be considered as an issue. Just because Romney believes in certian things does not mean that he is going to make everyone else belive the same things. So what if he attends a different church, it doesn't mean he is the devil, GET OVER IT! His religion has never done anything to harm the United States, so why act like it could be the end of the world if we have a Morman for president.
 - Tori  

Issue? Removing Work Component




The Republicans are accusing the Obama administration of gutting welfare reform after Human Services and the Department of Health notified the states saying that they might seek a waiver for the programs strict work requirements. A Republican called the move a "blatant violation of the law." Mitt Romney said “the linkage of work and welfare is essential to prevent welfare from becoming a way of life.”
I think that welfare is significant as well because so many average Americans are and also rely on it, which they shouldn’t.
- Anye

Issue? You Didn't Build It Yourself


            In a speech Obama made, he was talking about small businesses. He stated that if you had made s successful business, that you didn't do it alone. This is important, not because it shows What Obama thinks of the entrepreneurs that make this country but because of the way it was taken way out of context and misconstrued in a way that makes Obama look like he thinks that small business owners didn't build anything. What he meant was that smart hardworking people made enterprises not all by themselves but with the help of say a teacher in a public school or roads that the government provided  or even help from someone else. He wasn't saying that they didn't build it, he was saying that we all work together to make these things and that the government along with the helping hand of other people made it possible.  
- Stephan, Lindsay, Logan

Issue? Cancer Ad


The pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA ran an ad which states that Bain Capital closed down a plant which led to the death of one steel worker's wife. When the plant closed the steel worker lost his insurance which was paying for his wife's cancer treatments. They even interviewed that steel worker in the ad.

I don't think this important because that information is not accurate. After the plant closed, the wife had her own insurance for 5 years and then died.
- Savannah

Issue? 47%


The Obama campaign claims Romney said 47% of the population will not vote for him because they don't pay taxes and they expect the government to pay their food, shelter, and health care. And are dependent on the government so he doesn't care about them.

I feel this is an issue because some people in the 47% can't pay taxes because: some are too poor, some have disabilities, or are social security recipients. I think Romney shouldn't say he doesn't care about a group of people just because they don't vote for him.
- Savannah

Issue? Tax Returns


Obama surrogates uses this as an issue because Romney has not released his tax returns from any year before 2 years ago. Also, when Romney did release his tax returns he only paid 14%, which is less than the average middle class worker. His father released 10 years of tax returns and set a political standard. Romney has millions in his IRA which should not be possible.
I feel this an important issue because my mom pays more taxes than 14% with deductions. So why does Romney who is rich, pay less taxes? Also, since Romney's father released 10 years of tax returns Romney should do the same.
- Savannah