Friday, October 7, 2011
Caucusing is EASY......
This is really a well done Clinton campaign video that was posted in 2008 before the Jan. 3 Iowa Caucus. It is a must see.
I do agree with the Clinton campaign that caucusing is not as hard as exercising. But more importantly, it is a great party builder, a grass roots organizing tool AND a way to meet your democratic neighbors! People meet "caucus" buddies, both Clinton and Obama supporters in 2008. In 2008, WV grad and former Youth & Government president Sarah Sampson was part of the ground game for the Obama campaign, offering baby sitting services for parents who went to caucus.
Remember.
Exercising is hard.
Singing is hard.
Dancing is hard.
Caucusing is easy!
(Just a take-off of the 'Governing is HARD, Politics is EASY...Caucusing in retail politics and all politics is local pulled together in a festive atmosphere that can build campaigning momentum.)
Our Caucus is Tuesday:
For Tuesday,
1) produce a slick-looking campaign book;
2) produce or download a television ad;
3) try to get our class to vote for your group as the best campaign staff after your 8-minute presentation
Book It (what needs to be in the book):
Slick-looking cover – Though if you pick Michelle Bachmann, be careful of a crazy-eyed Newsweek portrait. Cover should have at least one of the candidates’ mottos.
Platform/finance tracker – brief descriptions of main issues of the campaign and list tracking campaign donors. Who is enjoying the most “Mother’s Milk of Politics” can be found @ (http://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/summary.php)
Script of a campaign ad – either that you produce or that the candidate’s campaign produces. You need to bring the ad to show.
Position paper – 3-page policy piece highlighting your candidate’s “Reagan Rule of 4” – the four top positions you and your candidate.
Copy of a speech. A member of your staff will give the speech on caucus day.
Propaganda – not necessarily in the book, but brought into the caucus. Can be posters, buttons or food stuffs.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Another example of political efficacy
This is another example of political efficacy without giving money or voting for politicians. Sent to me from my guy, Bono.
Dear Chris,
I've been known to drop the occasional expletive, but the most offensive F word to me is not the one that goes f***. It's F***** - the famine happening in the Horn of Africa, mainly Somalia.
I hope you'll take a few minutes to watch ONE's new video "The F Word: Famine is the Real Obscenity" and in doing so sign the petition:
http://act.one.org/go/136?akid=2622.297800.MtVv1y&t=3
Dear Members of Congress,
The famine in Somalia has killed 30,000 children in 3 months. In 2011 we have the opportunity to make famine a thing of the past. Lives are in your hands. Please fully fund Feed the Future and help break the cycle of famine for good.
The reasons for the famine in the Horn of Africa are complex and solutions are difficult, especially in Somalia, but we can’t lose sight of some simple facts:
1. 30,000 children have died in just 3 months. Thirty thousand. With over 12 million people at risk.
2. Famine is not a natural catastrophe – drought doesn't have to lead to famine. It can be prevented, as we have seen in much of Kenya and Ethiopia.
In the 21st century, it's an obscenity that people are dying because they can't get enough food to eat. Every one of those 30,000 children is part of a family – a son, a daughter, sister or brother. We can't imagine what it must be like to starve to death, but most of us know what it's like to lose someone we love.
Please watch the film and make use of the voice you have -- sign the petition. It will make a difference in putting pressure on world leaders to do more to help those in need right now, and live up to promises already made to invest in the things proven to work – early warning systems...irrigation...drought resistant seeds… and of course, peace and security.
Thanks for reading.
Bono
Three Stooges 2012?
Are you ready for some football? Hank Williams Jr. isn't.
Questions.....Should Hank Williams, Jr. be taken off of MNF for what he said? Is there bias in the way CNN reported what was originally broadcast on Fox News, or bias in Fox News giving Hank Williams, his Soap Box? Or, is it all just Dirty Laundry ' Infotainment.?'
Again, is this why, "We Hate the Media?"
For the record, Fox News clebrates its 15th birthday on Friday and MSNBC is also 15 this year. James Fallows wrote his article 15 years ago, when the cable news stations and their viewers (Fox, 102 million, MSNBC 78 million) had far less influence. By the way, CNN (100 million homes, almost 1 million domestic hotels and availability in 212 countries and territories) was the first 24-7 news station. It was founded in 1980.
On the campaign trail, can money buy you love?
Money -- "The Mother's Milk of Politics." Later this week we will talk in class about campaign financing. With McCain-Feingold (BCFA, 2002) we now are seeing changes in donation levels for individuals every campaign cycle. Now an individual can give $2500 (unless there is a primary and then it is $5K) and a PAC can give $5000. Here is the FEC page with all the other donation rules.
_______________
Love (or Hate) and why/why not -- a site from Gallup Poll which shows "the state of the states" and includes changes in political affiliation, the economy and even health from 2008, 2009 and 2010. You can use this data in part to decide what states to target with what type of plans (hint, focus on Iowa and Illinois for our caucus). If nothing else, this is a great example of the data professional polling organizations offer to candidates and campaign handlers.
Monday, October 3, 2011
How to read a poll
In its traditional media role of scorekeeper, we will see more and more polls reported between now and the beginning of caucuses and primaries in Jan. These days, it seems there's a poll for everything. In this episode of Congress.org's D.C. Decoder, host Craig Crawford shows you how to tell if a poll's results are legitimate.
www.rollcall.com/cqpolitics/dc_decoder/48423-1.html
Roberts Rules
("The 2 Teachers" preview the 2011-12 Supreme Court Season and invite you to Supreme Court Fantasy, From CitizenU)
On Monday October 3 the high priests of our sacred temple of justice arrive to render their services. October 3, 2011 marks the day when “the Nine” Supreme Court Justices return to work in order to provide judgments in the most pressing issues of our time. In our political arena, hardly any issue passes without some sort of judicial decision.
Though we boast, “justice is blind,” Court decisions today all too often appear politically predictable. Greater access to information combined with more and more scrutiny have made our Supreme Court Justices look more like political actors then Platonic guardians of timeless principles.
When John Roberts became Chief Justice, back in 2005, he hoped for a less partisan Court. Unanimous Court decisions continue to be our Court’s most popular. During Roberts’ tenure the Court’s unanimous decisions make up just over 40% of their decisions. Yet today the conservative and liberal blocs continue to be clearly defined. Over 20% of all Court decisions end in a 5 – 4 decision.
Under Roberts' rule the conservatives often find themselves in the majority. According to the SCOTUS blog Stat Pack the conservative Justices clearly vote with the majority more than the others. Justice Kennedy, often the swing vote, sided with the majority 94% of the time last term. The other conservatives; Roberts, Thomas, Scalia and Alito, sided with the majority close to 88% of the time.
The leading liberal on the Court, Justice Ginsberg, agreed with Justice Alito only 62% of the time. Contrast that with Chief Justice Roberts who sided with Alito 96% of the time.
This widely perceived Court partisanship might play a role in the upcoming presidential election. Both conservatives and liberals alike have called upon the Supreme Court to address once and for all the constitutionality of Obama Care. There will be other cases of note but none bigger then if the Court rules on the controversial individual health care mandate provision of Obama Care.
Both President Obama and Chief Justice Roberts pledged to rule in a post partisan fashion. As we welcome back the Court on Monday Roberts’ rule has been anything but post partisan. Political circumstances have put Roberts’ rule on a “collision course” with the Obama Administration.
To “the Nine” we say, “Welcome back.” We look forward to your rulings. The conservative to watch this year may not be running for President. The conservative to watch may be Chief Justice John Roberts. 2012 looks to be Obama’s rule versus Roberts’ rule.
________________________________________________
For our Court enthusiasts we invite you to join our Supreme Court Fantasy League. Follow the guidelines below.
United States Supreme Court
2011 Fantasy League
Rules
1. Research both the Court case and the views of each Supreme Court judge. Predict the Court’s decision by checking which judges will side with the majority.
2. Score 10 points if you are able to predict the Court’s final decision. Give yourself 5 points if you predict the Court’s vote total.
3. Give yourself 2 additional points for each judge you predicted would be in the majority and 1 point for each judge you predicted would be in the minority.
4. Draft one judge (Draft selection will be determined by lottery. Trading will be allowed). Every time that judge is in the majority give yourself 5 points.
5. Person with the most points at the end of the term wins.
6. Keep track by printing out the scorecards linked here.
Better or Worse? Old vs. New Media
Browse the pieces of the PBS Frontline Website on an episode they did on, "Why America Hates the Press." Make sure you read the Fallows article (linked) for discussion and a possible quiz.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/press/
The Atlantic blog commented on how things have stayed the same, or have gotten worse since the article was first printed.
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/06/from-the-archives-why-we-hate-the-media/240854/
Also, after two weeks some mainstream media is covering the Occupy Wall St. protesters in New York City. Is this a story that should be covered or "gatekept" away from the mainstream public? Thanks to Danielle L. for sending along sever pictures from Flickr another new social media part of the Youdia.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/10/03/national/main20114601.shtml
Danielle's favorite pic
As our social media correspondent, she reports:
"They're also fairly organized, and it's interesting that they have communal kitchens and even "libraries". "
Occupy Wall St. pic 2
Also check out the interesting video and information on the organizing group's website:
http://occupywallst.org/
The video where the kid asks people -- potesters and police -- to state why they are there in one word is interesting.
Compare this to Tea Con 2011, held in Chicago over the weekend.
How would you define Occupy Wall St. and Tea Con, are they grassroots movements, astro-turf movements or something entirely different? This are also examples of citizens practicing political efficacy.
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