the Election's outcome

I believe that this is indeed a historic win for the democratic party. Obviously, part of the reason is that Obama is the first african american president. Also, though, I think this election shows the apex of public dissatisfaction with the republican party. The public view of the party has weekend drastically from Bush's win in 2000. Also, Obama's win over McCain was of a much greater margin than Clinton's (the last democratic win) win over Bush senior.

Why did Obama win? First of all, everything about him, physically and mentally, embodies a fresh new start. McCain, however, is similar to Bush and most republicans in his views and appearance. Additionally, Obama captured the youth vote, not just because of his young age, but because McCain is the oldest man ever to seek presidency. In the end, I think it came down to simple public disatisfaction with the previous regime.

-Charles Judkins

WorkingClass 4 Obama

After reviewing the working families party website , reading about there issues, it clear to see why they chose Barack Obama as their candidate for the 2008 election. The working families parties ideals on the economy are just an extention of the democratic policy. The party was for lowering taxes for workers, and creating green jobs, which would help the world and world economy. Barack Obama proposed economic relief for all Americans but had an emphasis on those who were working hard hours with low pay , and the people who were receiving high taxes that they couldn't afford to pay. Another similarity between the parties policies and Obamas was, health care for all. Both parties found a necessity to give every American an opportunity to receive cheap health care for them and their families. The workingfamilies parties really focuses on the middle class of America, and those who really need economic relief, and Barack Ovbama focused on their issues, and although he may only be able to enforce a milder form of policies, at least he is looking out for a neglected and suffering population of Americans.
Aber Kawas C band

Young Voters and Making History

This election year is very historic. Not only the outcome but the reason the election turned that way. The percent of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 who regesistered and went out to vote reached record levels Tuesday. Before, few voted because they haven’t been following the campaigns hence know nothing about the candidates. This year however the topics in each campaign directly affected the lives of young voters. Most have graduated high school and are trying to pay for their college tuition, and the expenses of living on their own. Since the shape as the country as a whole is in serious need of help scholarships, loans and jobs are hard to come by. These young voters noted that Obama has a plan to help with the economic crisis and get the country on its feet. They noted that the current government wasn't doing the job the United States needs them to do and decided it needed to change hands. Seven out of ten young voters felt that Obama can and will get the job done. When the presidential issues begin to affect the younger generation the more they are interested and the more they follow each campaign. The more they follow each campaign the greater the chance that they will vote. McCain and Obama were talking about issues that young Americans cared about. The increase in the percentage of young votes is one of the top reasons for Obama's landslide victory over an established war vetern like John McCain. Obama reached out to these voters, influenceing "Yes we can, Yes we did” chants that gave hope in the hearts d of all Americans.-Sinead


No matter who won or who you wanted to win, this election year definatly effected every person in the country. Its been a long time since I've seen people in this country be so patriotic and invested in democracy. It honestly felt like we had all gone back in time and participated in historic moments such as watergate or the million man march and had been part of a movement for progression. Now the new generation of Americans have a moment of their own, WE were literally witnessing an unforgettable event in American history. Many people called this last election a silent revolution , I agree. Following the principles of John Locke that our country was based on, the citizens of the country united to overthrow a corrupt government under Kind George and elect a leader that would bring change for us all. However this time we didn't need any sons of liberty or black panthers, we all made a difference by walking a few blocks to vote for our new president. The best part is that it was the youth who turned the election, and worked hard to raise awareness whether it be in schools, or through popular sites like face book, or by creating music or fashion pertaining o the candidates .Nationlly youth have been more invested in this election than ever before, even I personally being only sixteen and unable to vote, feel that I was part of something that changed my nation. I believe that this election has changed the course of how the youth view America, finally we feel that we have the control, and it has been a revitalization of the notions for liberty. It took an African American leader named Barack Hussein Obama to instill a feeling of civic pride that we had all lost during these past few years.

Aber Kawas C band

Presidential Debate

In response to the presidential debate....

I believe that Obama won. His points were clear and understandable. It felt like he had a clear logical plan for his duties as president. In contrast, McCain seemed to focus more on attacking Obama, while presenting only fragments of his illogical plan.

Also, Obama simply came off more personable. He make eye contact and spoke clearly. McCain stared at his feet, and looked angry and stressed throughout the entire debate.

-Charles Judkins

Debates and Effects-Aber Kawas

Just as with the Kennedy Nixon debate, it seems that the persona of the candidates is affecting their results from the debate. It seems that in every debate Obama has come out on top , presenting himself as cool and collected, as well as a good decision maker. His rebuttals always seemed to stay on topic an address every accusation, opposed to McCain's which would go off topic y, as he really didn't deliver any effective answers. Although I am for Obama as president, i also feel that the debates especially are hurting John McCain, making him come off less personable and aggressive. Not only do the presidential debates effect the votes and likability of the presidents, the vice presidential debates also were very important to the elections. In the vice presidential debate Sarah Palin came as an ignorant leader with one sided arguments, and aggressive tactics that did not deliver the truth or make sense to the audience. However the fact that it was a male vs. female debate was definitely a factor, because it is just peoples natural tendency to agree with the man, and see him as a more powerful force .Also the combination of Bidens seniority and sarah Palins youth made her seem like the candidate less prepared to run the country. I recently heard on night line that the choice of Palin for vice president has actually lowered MCCains votes opposed to Biden who has raised Obamas.

To Green or Not To Green???

The new hot topic on everyone's mind these days is the condition of our environment. With recent movies made by celebrities such as Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio , warning of the dangers of global warming, the question on everyone's mind is , does global warming really exist or is it a one sided propaganda story to gain money for an environmental industry? Scientists across the board all have distinct opinions on the matter, yet never to the extremes of declaring or opposing global warming. The most general consensus is that the earths natural cycle allows it to get warmer, and these natural phenomena are not caused by human pollution, which is only a slight factor in the cause of disruptions in the earth.Also many argue that the main dangers don't come from the rising sea levels or temperature but actually from the emission of methane gas " the green house effect", however many scientists claim that the effects of the omissions are inevitable and at this point irreversible. So although environmental issues are not dire, I believe that it is practical and cheaper to be aware of what is happening, and practice recycling and conservation, to generally have a cleaner environment. John McCain representing the republican party is currently trying to redeem the backlash from Bush's constant disregard to the subject of the environment. To boost Americas domestic economy he plans to invest money in the search of a natural domestic oil that will reduce dependence on foreign oil. he also proposes to incorporate methods of solar power into the American lifestyle, reducing the need for oil and electricity. The federal government will be investing and rewarding money to scientist who will find a way to make energy saving batteries, and also is endorsing environmentally friendly products such as hybrid cars. However unless McCain can truly find a way to expand jobs and make domestically made oil a marketable product, in the long run the changes in society may economically weaken the country especially with a volatile economy at present. this weakness will allow other countries such as China to have economic superiority. So what will be more important to the presidential nominee the conservation in the country or American economic world dominance, I wonder.
-Aber kawas C band

To Green or not to Green

Barack Obama plans to initiate one of the most ambitious "green" projects in history upon his election. In his own words, "$15 billion a year in renewable sources of energy. To create 5 million new green jobs. . . . I'll put 2 million more Americans to work rebuilding roads and bridges, setting up a new electricity grid so renewable energy can get to people. If we can spend $10 billion a month rebuilding Iraq we can spend some money rebuilding America."


This excess of money (no longer such a huge ammount compared to the recent bailout), would be a godsend. The plan would benefit not only mother earth, but the american lower classes with the jobs it would create.

-Charles Judkins

To Green or not to Green

The definition of "going green" is the act of analyzing your input in pollution and setting out to reduce your emissions. Going green includes doing things to reduce or even reverse the harm caused by living on the Earth. Obama wants to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. He wants to improve the efficiency of cars. By 2525 Barack Obama wants to covert at least 25% of our energy to be from renewable sources. (Democratics.org) To help with the high prices of oil Obama will increase the funding for low-income assistance. Obama's plan includes an additional 5 million "green" jobs.

-Aber kawas C Band

Financial Crisis and solutions

The hottest topic on the campaign trail has been the economic policies of both candidates, based on the recent stock market woes. Its been clear that the plans of both candidates were in need of being compromised to help alleviate the faltering American economy, however both candidates refuse to withdraw on their promises, and are proposing programs that would put the nation into greater debt when put into effect. However of the two candidates I am more partial to Obamas plan, that I feel will benefit most Americans during this financial crisis instead of some. His first orders of business is to examine government sponsored programs, and give money to the one that work to allow them to flourish, and to exterminate the ones that are having no effect. With this money he will fund educational programs and health care. Taxes also are an even bigger issue now. Instead of McCain’s plan to keep taxes the same which will hurt people after feeling the effects of the faltering economy, Obama instead proposes to lower taxes for people making less than 25,000 and to increase tax rates on the wealthy and on corporations. Both candidates propose to keep Bush's recovery plan, and to make sure that companies aren't taking advantage of the money given to them, Obama is on a crusade to " stop the corruption in Washington," as well as in the stock market. His pleads for the American public to prepare for and act responsibly in the impending recessions are more realistic than McCain’s proposed optimistic policies, that don't even sound realistic. With the new economic crisis, all other factors such as foreign and domestic policy get thrown into the mix, and all of the president’s plans will depend on the turnouts of the changing economy.

Economic Crisis

Which will be better for the US/worldwide economy?
Obama wants to make tax reforms. First he will put a stop to the corporate tax cuts and give it to the struggling working class. Obama is completely behind the foreclosure prevention plan set by Congress and plans to make sure it is put into action as soon as possible. To prevent this from happening again he is proposing a Homebuyers Bill Of Rights, which will create lending standards and inform the homebuyer on mortgage options. McCain is calling for the National Commission on Workplace Flexibility and Choice. This commission would examine issues and provide their opinions to the president. The issues the commission reviews range from labor laws to retirement plans and job training assistance. McCain believes that the entrepreneur is the secret to our prosperity and would keep the tax rate low for them. Obama would be better for the economy since he is concerned more for the average person than the top corporations.
-Sinead Sewell

Mcaine foreighn policy

The foreign policy issues most affecting the election are the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as interactions with countries building nuclear arms such as North Korea and Iran. The interesting issue in this election is that both candidates have prominently different views on the handlings of the controversies. The most popular criteria are the problems with American dormancy in the war in Iraq. Opposed to Obamas rapid withdrawal plan, McCain proposes to continue interference in Iraqi politics and to follow through with President Bush's plan to slowly recover soldiers back to the nation. The reason fir this being that he feels that the country will probably revert to its prolific ways, and be seized by terrorist groups if left in its fragile state. Although many people oppose this, its interesting to see that the very occurrence happened in Afghanistan after Americans withdrew, post cold war. The country was over taken by the Taliban and extremists who fought against the Russians, and is a determining factor of the rise of Osama bin laden and his terrorist groups. The very same thing is very likely to occur in Iraq unless the Americans remain committed to restoring the political and economic disaster created by the war. Although I am opposed to the war, I believe that rapidly leaving will indeed lead to history repeating itself and Iraq may potentially be an even bigger threat than before. However I disagree with his plans of communication with Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. McCain's militaristic background makes him more likely to call for war , than negotiation . However in these delicate situations I think Obamas plan of communication is better than leaving the countries to reside in their anger toward the country, and the interactions may help both of the countries come into agreement. For example with Iran, McCain says that he would " bomb, bomb , bomb" quoting the words of a famous Beach Boys song, however this may actually cause a nuclear war to fire, and with dangerous countries it is better to negotiate than ignore. As for the issues of Darfur, and the Israel Palestine conflict, McCain said that they were, "not top priority", and is most likely to focus on headline issues rather than address these. I also don't agree with this however because I believe that genocides, and violent conflicts should be addressed and this will help America increase its reputation as being a humanitarian state-abby kawas

McCain health Plan- Abby

John McCain has created a health care plan for his domestic policies that may not be agreeable to all, however the plan seems like a more realistic approach to creating more health care opportunities for Americas. The biggest issue in health care is the issue of affordability, as in 2005 the number one reason for bankruptcy was medical; bills, so it was important for both candidates to create a plan to make health insurance more affordable. John McCain’s said during the second presidential debate that’s he would decrease premium prices, and give people more money back in their tax returns so that they may use it for health coverage. He says his plan is “To giving every American a $5,000 refundable tax credit and go out and get the health insurance you want”. The money that one receives with their tax credit will be sent automatically to the health insurance companies. Also with this system people will receive health insurance based on their income , so those who have less income will have cheaper insurance, vice versa. The best part of his system is the Guaranteed Access Plan, in which someone with a serious health condition no matter what their status in society, will receive immediate help that is covered by their insurance. Although I think that John McCain’s plan is more sensible and attainable than Barack Obamas , I also believe that it will not be as successful in reducing the burden of a pricey health insurance. For example , say someone needs an operation that costs about twenty thousand dollars, ( an average price for a medical surgery), for a low income worker their insurance would cover maybe half of the price. However if McCain plans to give an individual about $2,500.oo , back for tax refunds, this still won’t be enough to relieve the financial burden. So the plan may be affective and very well thought out, however for many low income Americans, I don’t believe it will be as well received as Barack Obamas plan. -abby kawas

Middle East 10/14/08

McCain believes that American troops should remain in Iraq until they are capable of governing themselves. If we leave before Iraq is back on its feet we would have failed and Iraq would become the center for terrorist, completely controlled by Iran. "The best way to secure long-term peace and security is to establish a stable, prosperous, and democratic state in Iraq that poses no threat to its neighbors and contributes to the defeat of terrorists. When Iraqi forces can safeguard their own country, American troops can return home."Iraq is not well enough to be left alone, they don't even have the things we take for granted everyday, clean water, garbage collection, abundant electricity and security. McCain thinks Iraq needs protection from Syria and Iran and his plan doesn't include leaving until we are sure Iraq is protected. -Sinead Sewell

Obama on Iraq

Barack Obama's policy on the Iraq war is a slow, steady withdrawal of troops. Over the course of 16 months, Obama plans to remove almost all of the American troops stationed in Iraq. He plans to leave some to secure the boarder around the country, preventing interference from neighboring countries or Al Qaeda. Obama's belief is that the war in Iraq is a pointless distraction from the U.S.'s involvement in Afghanistan. 

- Charles Judkins

Obama- Health care

Obama and Biden believe that the current options for health insurance are unacceptable. Either we give complete control over to the insurance companies or we elect free coverage for all and deal with the high tax. In their plan the Obama-Biden team will create affordable insurance by building on our current system. "Under the plan, if you like your current health care, nothing changes, except your cost would go down by as much as $2,500 per year. If you don't have insurance, you will have a choice of new affordable health insurance options."Obama seems to have created a program that incorporates the best of two worlds and I think this is just what the country needs. I agree with Obama and Biden neither of our two current options is satisfactory. -Sinead Sewell

Government

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