This clip discusses how Florida votes, and the methods they use. It talks about the provisional ballot, and early voting. It also talks about the heavy Military influence in Florida. It goes on to detail about voter education, training for pollsters and a spike in young voter turnout. They also mention in future elections they will have a paper trail for the electronic voting system.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Will He or Won't He ?
The question of the hour, week, month, and year remains the same; Will Chris Christie join the race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012?
In the months leading up to the deadline to declare oneself as a nominee in the race, Christie has repeatedly, declared, denied, and broadcasted that he was not running in 2012 election and that there wasn’t even a chance of his mind being changed. He even went so far as to comment, “What do I have to do to convince you I’m not running for President, commit suicide?” He openly stated that he wasn’t ready to be president despite outsiders saying that he had a chance at beating incumbent President Obama. Christie quoted “I wouldn’t want to say I know I can win, I hope I’m ready but would rather say I know I’m ready, I hope I can win.” It was safe to say that there wasn’t anything that was going to change this governor’s mind about entering the race until… former first lady Nancy Regan made a phone call.
The coin is still in the air, but with the days winding down for a decision to be made Christie’s team looks at the logistics of him entering the race. With Florida’s primary set to be January 31st and it’s filing deadline at October 31st, Christie’s political advisers are look to determine whether they could move fast enough to set up an effective political operation in Iowa and New Hampshire. Without Christie’s final okay to start preparations, his team is at a stalemate loosing valuable days of campaigning less than 100 days until voting starts.
If he were to run, some crucial things that would have to begin immediately would be first and most importantly raising funds, but also deciding how to spend it effectively in the early primaries. He would also have to start hiring staff members, recruiting volunteers, putting together a travel schedule and devising a media campaign, at once. His team is getting a feel for what is needed said a political operative who is familiar with the Christie team. They are asking the questions:
· “What does an operation look like?
· What are the requirements in each of the states?
· What are the things that need to be done before we talk about people and résumés and office space?”
According to the nytimes Mr. Christie’s advisers said on Saturday that no formal planning for a campaign would begin unless the governor made a decision to run. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, they said current efforts are nothing more than “due diligence” should Mr. Christie decide to make a bid. One senior adviser said no campaign is under way but expressed confidence that one could be started in 24 hours if needed.
What could be the grain to tip the scale?
If the likelihood of Christie joining the campaign was shady a few weeks ago, the sun just may be peaking through the clouds.
Christie’s supporters include:
· Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch
· Former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger,
· Nancy Reagan
· Conservative columnist William Kristol
Like the four points on a compass, the pressure on Christie has come from every direction. According to nj.com Christie lashed out at President Obama’s leadership during a speech at the Reagan Presidential Library, during which everyone from audience members to Mrs. Reagan urged him to reconsider his refusal to run.
It’s not a lot of time,” the operative said. “But it’s not impossible. And there’s lots of people, financial and otherwise, who are still on the sidelines.
“Sometimes the man can’t choose the moment!”
The Hispanic Vote
This clip talks about the significance of the Hispanic vote. It discusses how the Hispanic population is on the rise, making their vote a deciding factor in the election. It discusses how Latino voters were not enthusiastic in the2008 election but shows a jump in this election. It talks about how Latinos can the swing vote, in states where the vote is close.
Voter Turnout
This clip talks about voter turnout for the 2010 midterm elections. It discusses how Allentown's Morning Call reports a higher turnnout because of surprise poll workers. It discusses the Chicago Tribune's report on higher turnout despite a morning of mishaps of machine breakdowns to incorrect ballots. It discusses how absentee voters tend to be seniors and how Democrats push for early voters. It concludes with Michael O Brien sharing some insight on what to look for in this election.
Husband and Wife: Tag Teaming the Nation
Are you ready? Are you fired up? These two questions are quickly becoming First Lady Michelle Obama’s catch slogan. She finishes each speech to democratic leaders, donors, and congregates by asking them, ‘has the match been lit, have they prepped themselves,’ because the race is on, and we need them to catch on like a wild fire, spreading the news, showing their support, and encouraging others to get on board. Are you ready? Are you fired up?
In recent polls, it has shown that the public’s opinion of First Lady Michelle Obama has remained consistently high, despite a drop in the public’s view of her husband. It appears that First Lady Obama is still favored in many groups, where their like for the President has dropped, and may prove to be the key, in getting them back in favor of the Democratic Party for the 2012 election. According to MSNBC, “Although she is popular with both sexes, women express a more favorable view of First Lady Obama with 47 percent of women and 31 percent of men saying they have a “very favorable" opinion of her.
A Change in Campaign Strategy
In the 2008 election, President Obama was able to devote most of his time to fundraising and campaigning, but now however as the acting President who must lead, help, address, and solve our nation’s current issues he is limited in how much time he has to devote to next year’s election, when today’s problems are demanding all of his energy. That being said, First Lady Obama was active in the 2008 election, participating in 30 midterm events, but has already a year out declared herself to be a major component in helping her husband, our President, remain our President for the next 4 years. She states that there are different dynamics this time, and we the people, the press, his supporters must use both our voice and resources to tell the world, not just the US, who we want to lead us in the next term.
President Obama campaigned his way into the Whitehouse to do the work of the people, and now it is the peoples turn to campaign, support vocally and financially, and when the time comes reelect him as man voted in by the people, to help the people, a man who is not above the people, but is of the people. First Lady imparts into voter after voter, supporter, after supporter, person after person that, “He needs you to work like you’ve never worked before” she goes on to add “and that’s exactly what I plan on doing.” Ultimately she wants you to see that their hearts are pumping the beats of our needs and it is the oxygen that we supply them, with our efforts of encouragement, that enable them to fight the hard and most difficult fight for our freedom to live freely, financially, spiritually, and verbally.
The Presidential Campaign Benefits of having a First Lady
- · Travel to smaller cities.
o On July 26, First Lady Obama attended a $1,000-and-up breakfast in Park City, Utah, and a $1,000-and-up luncheon in Aspen.
- · Show a different side of the President
o She humanizes her husband by sharing stories of their quiet moments, after their daughters are asleep, when Obama hunches over letters from struggling Americans. "I see the sadness and the worry creasing his face," she tells her listeners.
- · Make the campaign personal.
o First Lady Obama hauls in millions of campaign cash by sketching a portrait of her husband, drawn with an intimacy that no one else could duplicate.
- · Come at the campaign from a different angle.
o First lady has headlined more than a dozen fundraisers for her husband and the Democratic Party and has sent out a number of mass emails trying to recapture the energy that has waned since her husband's 2008 campaign.
Campaign manager Jim Messina says Mrs. Obama is a unique ambassador for her husband because of her front-row seat during his first term and her knowledge of his character. "She was an enormous asset to the president traveling the country in 2008, and we expect that she'll play just as critical a role in 2012," he said.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Opensecrets.org
This clip compares past years campaign cost. It also shows an ad that talks about campaign finances and tells us about a website that tracks campaign cost.
President Obama: Campaign Finance Bill
In this clip President Obama talks about a bill that allows people to spend without limit and without disclosing who they are. He encourages us to question ourselves when we see theses anonymous ads on who is paying for the add, whats the motive, and why can't they identify themselves.
Public Financing in the Presidential Campaign
This clip discusses and compares the past financing strategies used for the presidential campaign, and the present ones used. It also talks about how President Obama opted to use his own strategy that proved to be successful.
Ricky Perry "I Don't Think You Have a Heart"
Ricky Perry's Stance on Paying Illegal Immigrants State Tuition
According to the Huffington Post Perry stated, "If you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no reason than they've been brought there, by no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart," he said. "I still support it greatly."
The American poet William Williams once stated, “It is not what you say that matters but the manner in which you say it; there lies the secret of the ages.” In this case, it a different set of words, or a better follow up response would have made a world of a difference. But to alienate your voters in the defense of those who at this point can’t win you the nomination is a move only a dare devil would make. To add salt to the wound he infers that you should agree with me because I am right and if you don’t not only are you wrong, but you are heartless. Within the context of one statement Perry managed to distance himself from his once allies by fighting opposite to them on an issue that will stir the waters, testing their faith in him, and then label them heartless if they don’t swim to the shores of his defense.
According to CNN their response was immediate:
To be the hare in the race, the favorite to win, so far ahead of your opponents, that you trip over your feet at the finish line and lose to the turtle. Many republicans would view Governor Ricky Perry as the hare and his comments on allowing immigrants to pay in-state college tuition his tripping over his feet.
In 2001, Perry signed a bill that made Texas the first state to grant in-state tuition to children of non-documented immigrants, of whom must have resided in the state for a minimum of three years and are trying to obtain permanent residency.
Orlando was filled with conservative campaigners all lined up to participate in the three day weekend calendar of events centered around Presidency 5, when Perry’s comments floated through the air like the national anthem streaming through the speakers at a stadium game, quickly ensuring itself as the main topic of everyone’s conversation.
According to the Huffington Post Perry stated, "If you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no reason than they've been brought there, by no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart," he said. "I still support it greatly."
The American poet William Williams once stated, “It is not what you say that matters but the manner in which you say it; there lies the secret of the ages.” In this case, it a different set of words, or a better follow up response would have made a world of a difference. But to alienate your voters in the defense of those who at this point can’t win you the nomination is a move only a dare devil would make. To add salt to the wound he infers that you should agree with me because I am right and if you don’t not only are you wrong, but you are heartless. Within the context of one statement Perry managed to distance himself from his once allies by fighting opposite to them on an issue that will stir the waters, testing their faith in him, and then label them heartless if they don’t swim to the shores of his defense.
According to CNN their response was immediate:
Vero Beach activist Dorothy Frances, one of the more than 3,000 diehard Republicans who attended the convention, came into the weekend supporting Perry. That changed when Perry answered a question about the roughly 16,000 young illegal immigrants who took advantage of the Texas tuition law last year.
- · "He was my man until then," Frances told CNN. "He defended it so strongly, about giving illegals breaks and things like that. He defended it so vehemently, so strongly. It disturbs me."
- · Naples resident Randy Freeman said Perry "stumbled greatly" on the immigration issue and may have seriously damaged his reputation with the Republican base.
- · "I don't think a lot of conservatives knew as much as they did now," Freeman said. "That's pretty much the vetting process. But I am not sure how he recovers from this."
- · Then there was Newberry retiree Ann Stone, who entered the debate a Perry supporter but left looking for someone else. "It's absolutely an issue," she said. "He lost me. $100,000 for an illegal immigrant? You bet he lost me."
Saturday’s rising sun shed light on just how much damage Perry’s comments in the debate hurt his campaign when in Florida’s straw poll, what was supposed to be a landslide for him, he was defeated by political underdog Herman Cain. What was supposed to be his cakes icing in showing a early dominance in campaign turned out to be a tremendous let down for both him in the polls and all the Republicans that turned their resignation into the governor and are now looking elsewhere for a candidate.
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