Prop 8

Big news in California was the passing of Prop 8, the proposition amending the state constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. The creator of the video I posted above, which is anti-Prop 8, uses several techniques we've talked about in class to prove his point--that Prop 8 is a bad thing. He makes legitimate comparisons between the civil rights era and the present-day gay rights movement, suggesting that they are essentially the same thing. The creator effectively shows, through this comparison and several quotes from historical figures such as JFK and Martin Luther King, that all men are created equal and to deny gay people the right to be married is un-American and unconstitutional. I thought this video was interesting because it shows that, while the American people may have become more liberal in the sense that we elected a minority President, we have taken a step to the right as far as gay rights are concerned.

Letter from 2012 in Obama's America

I am sure all of you have heard my piece on this election. I feel as if I have beaten this horse into the ground. That being said, I hate to further expound upon the election, but I came across something particularly...intriguing?
Political banter is inevitable before, during, and after the elections. I have come to understand that we all have our own reasons for selecting a candidate, and it is nearly impossible to engage yourself in politics without getting offended. I do, however, feel that there is a way to express opinions tactfully.
There is still a line that can be, and frequently is, crossed.
Focus on the Family, a conservative group headed by talk radio personality James Dobson, voiced their warning to Americans about Obama in the form of a letter...from 2012. Focus on the Family used their crystal ball to peer into the future, dooming Obama's presidency before it has even begun. Granted, this piece was released before the ill-fated election, but regardless, the tactics used to scare voters seems like borderline libel. "Letter from 2012 in Obama's America," depicts nothing short of a warzone. All of the conservative criticisms of Obama have come to fruition, as the country is rampant with same-sex marriage laws, socialist healthcare, and a failing economy (due to the taxes, of course!). In a piece that is SUPPOSED to be based on "What if...?" questions, the manipulation and exaggeration of President Elect Obama's policies and past voting records has to be one of the most frustrating things I have ever read. I realize the point of the letter was to scare the voters into voting for McCain, but from an organization whose doctrine calls to love all people, this makes me extremely uncomfortable.
I can only hope that this letter was written as a last resort to pull voters in, and not thoughtfully planned. If the letter is an accurate depiction of the author's view of the future, I fear very much for the polarization in this country for the next 4 - 8 years.
http://focusfamaction.edgeboss.net/download/focusfamaction/pdfs/10-22-08_2012letter.pdf

The Obama Nation

The type of unabashed, wild enthusiasm Obama has received is the kind usually reserved for rock stars and championship sports teams, not politicians. This may prove to be both a bane and/blessing for the president elect. With his seeming unlimited public adoration , Obama can almost do no wrong. For the first part of his term, at least, any action he makes or legislation he signs, will be seen as the right thing to do for the country. This will cause more Congressmen to vote with him, as they would not want to fall out of favor will their electorate back home. At the same time, however, Obama's blank check of public opinion could be his downfall. President Bush had, as many presidents do, a similar wave of public opinion. He used this to push the U.S. into Iraq, one of the greatest mistakes of the last half-century, as well as several other questionable actions. Obama needs to make sure that he does not let his level of support inflate his ego and cloud his judgment, something he has done a good job so far. Should he continue his campaign of humility and respect, Barack Obama could be the greatest president this country has seen since John F. Kennedy.

Howard Stern on Harlem Voters

This may come accross as slightly offensive, but I think its pretty important. There are definitely many Obama voters that are well-informed and intelligent, however with the many stabs at "ignorant, racist republicans" (which are a minority of extremist people who tend to be over-reported on) there should also be a counter to this image: the ignorant democrat voter. There was concern that many black voters were voting for Obama merely because he, too, was black. The reporter in this video presented Mccain policies as Obama policies to voters in Harlem (who were voting for Obama). The majority ended up stating that they were indeed for these policies, even though they were actually those of McCain. I beleive the population of people that fit this scenario is a very small minority, however it is important to be aware of the many types of voters. If we are going to constantly spin footage of "racist republican voters" (the video after this paragraph is an example of such) perhaps we should look at "ignorant democratic voters". Hopefully this will make people realize that there are always extremist but they do not make up most of the population and we must stop acting like they do. Balance is key to weaning out extreme views that tend to artifically scare Amerians in to believing one way or another, and cause further distance between the left wing and right.

An example of a "racist republican" video seen repeated recently:

Change Has Come

These political cartoons depict Barack Obama as the solution to all of America's problems. In the first cartoon, the eagle is shown battered and damaged, similar to the state that America is in. In the second cartoon, Obama is seen glueing the Constitution back together. He appears to be focused and determined to get the Constitution back into working order. In the third cartoon, Abraham Lincoln, whom Obama has been likened to several times, appears to be celebrating Obama's win. And in the last cartoon, perhaps the most daunting of all, is a picture of Bush handing a failing America over to Obama. These cartoons all depict change coming to America, however difficult a task that may be.