Candidate Quiz

I was really surprised by the candidate quiz that I took from the Washington Post website. I always thought that I’m a solid Obama fan who hated Hilary a lot. The result of this quiz was very different than what I believed. I agreed with Sen. Clinton’s policies more than Sen. Obama and Sen. Edwards all together. Although I found out that I agree with most of Hilary’s policies, I still don’t support her candidacy because of the way she alienates people who wouldn’t support her and the way she raises a nasty negative campaign that could undermine her campaign and the Democratic Party. The real problem that I’m currently sensing from the Hilary campaign is that if she would elected as the president, I think she would be much more like George W. Bush. More than half of the country hated him because he is such a great polarizer. If Sen. Clinton would be elected, most of liberals might like her, but the rest of the country, majority of (R) supporters, would not support her presidency, and we would have another 4 to 8 years of divided country. Anyway, I really recommend taking this quiz because like my case, you might support someone but you might not support his/her policies.

My Political Thoughts

Growing up I learned a lot about different political issues in a lot of different ways. My opinions on different issues was influenced by my family and our beliefs and I grew up hoping that politicians I supported would be elected. The politicians I supported were people I thought could help the country, not a certain small group. I know that my reasons for supporting certain politicians are clearly different than other peoples. I always thought it was funny why some people supported a certain position on an issue when it would never impact them. An example is the Bush tax cuts. The tax cut only helped a very small but very wealthy group of people. Growing up in a small town in Missouri there weren’t a lot of wealthy people, and certainly not a lot of people who would benefit from the tax cut and yet people thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I know that my family would have supported and needed a tax cut that helped people who did not make a lot of money. As I reflect on the candidates we saw in New Hampshire and what they stand for I see several positions and policies I agree with and several I do not. One of the biggest ones is the tax cut, I would appreciate a tax cut that would help the those who made below at the poverty line not a continuation of the Bush tax cut. Some candidates would support a flat tax rate but would it be fair? No, the poorest would be paying more and the wealthy would be paying less, how is that fair? Another big issue is healthcare, it is no secret that many people do not have healthcare in this country and for numerous reasons. Premiums are too high, jobs don’t offer it or the health care that is available is horrible. A few candidates proposed taking the healthcare plan that Congress has and opening up to America, what’s wrong with that? If my Congressman can go see a doctor and get his medicine paid for and not worry about what to do when he is sick, why can’t I? My Congressman was elected to serve me and make my life better, not make it harder for me to go to the doctor and get medicine when I’m sick. Education is also very important to me. Growing up my mom and my grandmother always encouraged me to finish high school and go to college. My mom didn’t go to college; in fact she didn’t get past ninth grade. Yet she wanted me to go to college but it is hard when you make less than my tuition is for George Mason. Some candidates proposed programs that will pay for part of school but require volunteer work, fine by me just as long as I can get my degree at a school I want. For me it is really hard to agree that we need to cut taxes for the wealthy, that we need to leave healthcare alone or at least protect the companies who make tons of money from high premiums or leaving interest rates high on student loans. Maybe I’m a little biased, but if the government is supposed to help you then they should help you and not hold you back. I don’t see how cutting government jobs which would increase the unemployment rate helps me. I don’t see how cutting taxes for the wealthiest 5% of our country helps a college who made nearly $8,000 this year and who’s mother only made $4,000 dollars and who has a college tuition of over $25,000 a year. I don’t see how keeping premiums high and protecting insurance companies helps me when I’m sick and need medicine. I don’t see how high interest rates on student loans helps me when I have to go out-of-state for college because I want to follow my dreams and George Mason is one of the top schools in the country for my program. I don’t see how spending over $300 million dollars a day on a war that is poorly organized and we were lead into falsely helps me. So I don’t see why I should vote for someone who wants to protect the wealthy, the privileged, those who don’t have to worry about paying their bills, about not getting sick or hurt and someday graduating but then being in debt over $100,000. I don’t see why I should vote for someone who doesn’t help me, and I don’t know why the American people should vote for someone who doesn’t help them. Sure a tax cut sounds great, or a slight drop in interest rates, or a small cut in premiums or cutting a few thousand federal jobs may sound great. If you’re wealthy and have a house by the water in another country and can afford your kids college no problem and buy almost anything you really need. But if you’re a family of four and you work as a cop and your spouse is a teacher and you have a child that is sick a lot and you’re still paying student loans, do you really benefit? Is your President really helping you pay the bills and make your kids future brighter? More than likely not so why vote for the candidate who is going to do anything for you? Why not vote for a candidate that wants to make this an America for everyone not just a few. Didn’t we fight to make this a land of opportunity, a place to follow the American dream? Not a place for a few to benefit and the rest to work and struggle for their rent and car payment. I wonder almost daily how long I’ll be in debt, how long it will be until I own my own and can have a better future. I wonder when we will have a president that will make this an America for all Americans and how long it will be before we can all follow our dreams and actually be able to achieve them.

Campaigns and the Media

Doc jay and I have been chatting about how awesome it is to read your reflections on this experience.  WAY TO GO!!!  (read:  keep it up:)  Several of you have made comments about the role media play in shaping public opinion and the campaign process.  Have you noticed any similarities or differences between what you experienced in NH and the news coverage of the candidates since you returned?  Are there any surprises in the way the media are covering candidates?  Are you optimistic about or disappointed by what you are seeing?  Are there any issues that you believe ought to be covered but aren't receiving attention?  Just a few thoughts to add to the mix!  prof. gp

Well the trip is over, but the excitement has just begun! Everyone seems to be shocked at the results of the New Hampshire primary, myself included, but I have to admit I was happy. It wasn't the results, necessarily, but rather the fact that the voters made their choice: not the media, not the polls or the expert, but the people, as pointed out by the most recent issue of Time which did a whole special on the New Hampshire primary. I see the media as a double-edged sword: it certainly helps to inform people, but at the same time, I feel it has a significant role in shaping the election that it shouldn't necessarily have. My views towards the media's impact on the election certainly has solidified as a result of our trip up to New Hampshire.
This trip was the trip of a lifetime. I learned so much and had a blast doing it. It challenged me so much as well. Despite my conservative views, I made it a personal goal to go with an open mind and really hear what the candidates had to say, because, personally, I feel that when you close your mind you become part of the problem, not the solution. And, I have to say, I was certainly surprised by the outcome, particularly when it came to Hillary Clinton. I have to come clean and admit I was 100% anti-Hillary before this trip. I bought into the whole "wicked witch of the east" persona and thought that she would have nothing persuasive to say. Yet, at the end of her speech, I was pleasantly surprised. She was smiling and laughing (something I previously thought she was incapable of doing) and made some strong points about her experience and her willingness to go through any test to lead this country. Other candidates, like Obama, and McCain were like that as well.
I want to go into more detail about each candidate and my experiences with them on the trip at a later date. I just wanted to use this first post, after the New Hampshire primary, to consider the fact that maybe we put too much trust in the media and the experts and not ourselves. All the polls said that Obama had a solid lead, and the experts were predicting a significant win for him. Apparently the voters didn't agree. I think the unpredictability of the primaries is what makes it so much fun (and so nail-biting)! I look forward to continuing watching the primary/voting process happen!

What an experience here at the New Hampshire Primary!!!

I came to the New Hampshire’s presidential candidate campaign with an open mind to learn more about each candidate from both the republican and democratic political parties. I don’t belong to a particular party so I have looked at the candidates that I was able to meet through a neutral lens in order to observe their personalities and eloquence, learn about their professional and personal experience, as most importantly to understand their message and see if I could envision them as the next President who will bring about the changes that many Americans are hoping for.
Voters come from different backgrounds and levels of social class; they have different interests, views, personal and social beliefs, as well as expectations from the future President. These differences were very visible in the audience of the candidates’ rallies that our group witnessed. I must say that I was surprised to find that New Hampshire’s population isn’t at all diverse as it is back home in the DC Metropolitan area. I should travel a little more inside the country. J I would say that 99% of the population is white. Although race was the common denominator among the audiences, I found some clear differences, such as age, family structure, religious orientation, and social class to some extend. For example, I found Giuliani’s audience to be an older crowd of middle upper and high class. McCain’s audience was mainly composed of military veterans and their families, as well as a mixed age crowd of adults. I noticed that although Clinton’s audience was diverse in age and sex, the number of women dominated the crowd. Huckabee’s audience seemed to be composed of lower to middle class families of different ages, as well as religious practicing people. The most diverse in age, gender, race, and family type in my opinion was Obama’s audience; I saw the most minority groups in his rally than I have seen in the entire trip. Romney’s audience was highly composed of well-dressed families, which in their majority had more than one child. IThese differences had me reflect on the accuracy of the polls’ results that we saw in Iowa and that we are soon to see here in New Hampshire. Would these results really predict the future presidential candidate for each party? It is evident that each candidate has to be ready to target the different audiences that populate the various cities they have to campaign. I can’t wait to see the NH results tonight. My prediction is that Obama will win for the Dem party and McCain for the Rep party. Best luck to all candidates and I pray for the President who is going to get the job done.

The Huckabee Peformance

As our tour of New Hampshire comes to an end, we complete our round of rallies with a bang! Last night we joined Major Huckabee and "crew" for a night of chili, music, and of course the one and only Chuck Norris. I am unsure of how many of us really knew who Huckabee was before deciding to attend this trip, but if we were looking for answers on health care and foreign relations last night was not the place. Instead, Huckabee provided us with a minor celebration of his victory in Iowa and hopeful success in New Hampshire. His favorite band, Mama Kicks, performed a variety of rock classics while his volunteers directed the audience to have a taste of the "huckabee chili." Supporters from New Hampshire and California spoke along with Mrs. Huckabee and Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris was one of the main attractions to Huckabee's meet the candidate rallies, and we were all eagerly excited to meet the famous ranger. With all the excitement of food, music, and Mr. Norris I almost forgot why I was even around to see Major Huckabee. I felt as if I were attending a town hall celebration rather than a political rally. Don't get me wrong, the "I like Mike" audience was definitely in attendance. The major gave a 20 minute speech none of which I can recall and saluted us by playing guitar with the band. I must say he plays very well for his age. He spent a lot of time after the rally meeting and greeting his supporters which was great. Mr. Huckabee seems like a great guy to party with, but I'm not sure I want my next president feeding me chili and famous actors instead of dealing with issues of my country. What do you think?

First of all, this trip so far has been an amazing experience!! I came to New Hampshire with a very open mind. I really did not have a definate candidate in mind to vote for so I was very excited to meet each potentical president. Ill be honest, I was leading toward Rudy Giulliani when I first came but nothing was certain. Since seeing each candidate speak, I can honestly say that my vote is now up in the air. When I saw McCain speak at a townhall event, I was really impressed with his responses to his questions. I was especially impressed with the way he listen to one man who was not a supporter of him yet encouraged him to keep asking questions about his platform, views, and policies. This to me was a sign of strength. It showed that he was not afraid to speak with members of the local community who did not share his views. This to me meant that he was a strong candidate worthy of consideration.
Hillary Clintons rally was an experience in itself. She was a very powerful speaker who was not afraid to voice her opinions and elaborate on her political platform. She, like McCain, took questions from the audience. She was very quick to answer the questions (which Im not convinced were truely answered) but as a political candidate that is not too much of a suprise. Many candidates tend to avoid answering a questions with definate responses because they do not was to offend potential voters. I will say that meeting Bill Clinton, a former president, was definately an exciting experience.
Obamas Rallies were very uneventful ( I know many disagree with this view of mine). Listening to him made me feel like I was listening to a motivational speaker. He is a great public speaker and I was definately impressed with the way he spoke to the audience. It seemed that he said everything that people want to hear but never explained how he was going to accomplish his goals. Having high hopes and setting goals is a great thing but as president, it is important to elaborate and spell out how he is going to reach his goals and not just say 'change' as if it has a definate meaning. I also feel that Obama was the most impersonable candidate I have heard throughout this entire trip. Getting a picture with him was like winning the lottery...nearly impossible. He did not take any questions from the audience ( but as Lisa said, that may be due to the fact that he is the front runner). I will say that he was definately the most popular democratic candidate in New Hampshire ( considering that each of his rallies were overflowing with supporters and many were unable to enter the rallies.)
Continueing on the topic of uneventful...another name- Rudy Giulliani. I sadly was not impressed with him at all. I was definately expecting more from a man who was elected in a Democratic state as a Republican. He stated that he wanted to cut taxes yet increase the military by 10 Army brigades, 300 Naval Ships, etc. but I dont see how this is possible considering the United States in severly in debt by trillions...How can we spend more money without bringing more in?? Please dont get me wrong... I love the military and it will be very hard for anyone to find someone who supports our troops more than I do (as many of my classmates have seen, I am brought to tears when I hear stories of our soldiers and what they are doing for their country) but I am not able to put my faith into a candidate who may only push our country into even more debt.
Edwards...If I was to vote for a democratic candidate, he would have my vote. But this is only because of what I have learned about him before this trip and it is not because of what I have learned about him on this trip. We were only able to see Edwards once so far and unfortunately it was not a question and answer event. We only were able to hear a few motivational words from him. I will say tho that when he says his campaign is grassroots...it really is (Both at Hillary's and Romney's events..."home-made" signs were passed out to the audience...totally staged and fake). I was really impressed with how we were able to view first hand how grassroots his campaign really was....by having supporters at the event calling New Hampshire residents on their cell phone...overall I was really impressed with his campaign...but was not given the opportunity to fully understand his platform first hand.
Romney...wow Romney!!! I would find it truely hard to find someone who was not impressed by Romneys rally. He brought his family to the event which really made him feel like family was very important to him. I just want to throw this fact in...at the rally an 8yr old boy tugged on Romneys jacket and asked "Sir, what can I do to help your campaign" and Romney knelt down to his level responded "son, the best thing you can do for me is do well in school" *how personable is that?!?! After his rally I called my dad and said "I know who I am going to vote for..its Romney!" this is until I was waiting outside the Huckabee rally and I was speaking with a lady who was a resident of Massachusetts (and was a republican) and said that basically the only part of Romney's record that was true was the part about the Olympics....Now Im back to square one..who do I vote for!?!?!
Last night, we saw Huckabee. I know what you are thinking..."Who is Huckabee?" until last night... I didnt know either! But I will say that the name Chuck Norris is a household name so when I found out he would he at Huckabee's rally....all I could say was "IM THERE". Although I was denied early entrance into his rally to goto the bathroom (in the words of his staffer "its not my problem") all was forgiven in my book after attending the event. Of all the candidates, Huckabee was the most personable candidate I have ever met (and I have met just about all of them). Although I was the only one in my van it seemed that enjoyed the event, I stand by my opinion that his rally was the best one I went to. Even though his band 'Mama Kicks' seemed a little out of place at the event...it really made it (for me at least) a homey event. I was dancing in my seat ( ask Patrick and Homa...they were laughing at me) and I was really enjoying myself.
Overall, this trip has been such an experience for me...one that I will never forget!!