Thursday, October 2, 2008
The Tragedy of Campus Voting
On Tuesday I was doing voter registration in the student union. An elderly man walked up to me and started talking about how he supports McCain. As our conversation progressed, he talked of a policeman who killed an IU football player many years ago. The policeman was later promoted by a democratic official. While the student body was furious that the police officer shot the student, they later willingly elected the official by voting a straight democrat ticket.
His comment made me think. The IU student body is about 40,000. That kind of voting force can create immense difference. Most students don't stick around in the college towns after their four-year servitude. However, those that live in the city are stuck with whatever choices those students make.
Most also don't know that you don't have to vote for every race on a ticket for your ballot to me valid. So they pull a straight ticket, having no knowledge of those races other than the major ones. Minor offices are decided by uninformed college students who just want to vote for president, leaving the citizens of the town with a government they may not have wanted.
Such is the case with this police officer. Most college students are indoctrinated with liberal ideals and the need to vote a straight ticket. They put a corrupt official in office and left without a goodbye. The man I talked to said that the person made many bad choices for the city.
After hearing from him, I agreed with his point: college students should not be allowed to vote at their school. They should either go home to vote, or vote absentee. They only live at school for half of the year, and are gone within four years. Why should their huge numbers be able to decide the future of a town?
Although, the low turnout of the youth vote may make this a mute point. So please, if you are a college student and plan to vote, don't pull a straight ticket for either party. Vote just for the races you care about. Let the citizens choose the rest.
His comment made me think. The IU student body is about 40,000. That kind of voting force can create immense difference. Most students don't stick around in the college towns after their four-year servitude. However, those that live in the city are stuck with whatever choices those students make.
Most also don't know that you don't have to vote for every race on a ticket for your ballot to me valid. So they pull a straight ticket, having no knowledge of those races other than the major ones. Minor offices are decided by uninformed college students who just want to vote for president, leaving the citizens of the town with a government they may not have wanted.
Such is the case with this police officer. Most college students are indoctrinated with liberal ideals and the need to vote a straight ticket. They put a corrupt official in office and left without a goodbye. The man I talked to said that the person made many bad choices for the city.
After hearing from him, I agreed with his point: college students should not be allowed to vote at their school. They should either go home to vote, or vote absentee. They only live at school for half of the year, and are gone within four years. Why should their huge numbers be able to decide the future of a town?
Although, the low turnout of the youth vote may make this a mute point. So please, if you are a college student and plan to vote, don't pull a straight ticket for either party. Vote just for the races you care about. Let the citizens choose the rest.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Change? I Think Not.
As a member of both the Students for McCain and the College Republicans, I recieve many a dirty look as I walk around campus in my McCain Palin hat and College Republican shirts. And, of course, snide comments when I am forced to share the lit Desk in the student union with teh College Democrats and "Campaign for Change" doing voter registration.
As I have experienced these things, a thought has occured to me: the "Campaign for Change" is a pretty huge misnomer. "Change"? It seems that their campaign is pretty much the same as the campaigns of old: low and dirty methods and a "do whatever it takes" mentality that causes one to abandon all morals and ethics, as long as the assigned goal is met.
Example one: I have been told that the Campaign for Change has campaigned in the residence halls of Indiana University. Partisan groups are not allowed to solicit in the residence halls. Upon being told this, Higher ups in the campaign told their field ops to go back in, despite the reprimand.
Example two: Rules don't seem to apply to them either. While using the lit desk in the union for voter registration, a group is not allowed more than 2 people to be there at any one time. Apparently, 2 people is the same as 5, as that is usually how many people they have there. Also, they apparently NEED almost the entire desk in order to monopolize it and spread out their "Free Obama posters!" while other student organizations are squeezed to the edges of the desk.
Example four: In adition to rule breaking and ignoring warnings, the Campaign for Change will do anything it can to meet its goals. I have also been told that when using the lit desk with others doing voter registration, they have stolen completed forms in order to meet their own quota. They were told yesterday that anything less than 400 new voter/address change forms would be "unacceptable." With such pressure, it makes sense that they would do whatever it took to reach their goals.
Does this sound like "change" to you? Even if these orders are not coming from Obama or those close to him, they are still coming from someone in the campaign, and official order or not, still reflect upon him and his organization. These are the tactics of old-school politics. Of a politics involving party heads and Tammany Hall. A politics lacking ethics and morals. And a politics of dangerous consequences.
Change? I don't think so.
As I have experienced these things, a thought has occured to me: the "Campaign for Change" is a pretty huge misnomer. "Change"? It seems that their campaign is pretty much the same as the campaigns of old: low and dirty methods and a "do whatever it takes" mentality that causes one to abandon all morals and ethics, as long as the assigned goal is met.
Example one: I have been told that the Campaign for Change has campaigned in the residence halls of Indiana University. Partisan groups are not allowed to solicit in the residence halls. Upon being told this, Higher ups in the campaign told their field ops to go back in, despite the reprimand.
Example two: Rules don't seem to apply to them either. While using the lit desk in the union for voter registration, a group is not allowed more than 2 people to be there at any one time. Apparently, 2 people is the same as 5, as that is usually how many people they have there. Also, they apparently NEED almost the entire desk in order to monopolize it and spread out their "Free Obama posters!" while other student organizations are squeezed to the edges of the desk.
Example four: In adition to rule breaking and ignoring warnings, the Campaign for Change will do anything it can to meet its goals. I have also been told that when using the lit desk with others doing voter registration, they have stolen completed forms in order to meet their own quota. They were told yesterday that anything less than 400 new voter/address change forms would be "unacceptable." With such pressure, it makes sense that they would do whatever it took to reach their goals.
Does this sound like "change" to you? Even if these orders are not coming from Obama or those close to him, they are still coming from someone in the campaign, and official order or not, still reflect upon him and his organization. These are the tactics of old-school politics. Of a politics involving party heads and Tammany Hall. A politics lacking ethics and morals. And a politics of dangerous consequences.
Change? I don't think so.
Monday, September 29, 2008
American Stupidity
Excuse me while I temporarily abandon my usually mild-mannered demeanor and civil discourse.
So, the bail-out was voted down. All looked good when mysteriously, 20 yea's became nay's and the bill collapsed. The result? The market went into a free fall, with the Dow closing down around 770 points.
And what does the Congressional leadership have to say about this? Just that it is the Republicans' fault. Really? Seeing as how they are the minority of Congress, it doesn't seem like you really need them to pass it Pelosi. Seems more like it's YOUR fault that this didn't get passed, especially because of your wonderful pre-vote speech. And she ranted against those Republicans who didn't show up to talks, but told McCain he wasn't needed.
And you, the current majority of Americans, want to continue this free-for-all by electing the leader of this party? A party that failed to accomplish any of its "100 hour" plans for their entrance into Congress? A party that cannot put its partisan bickering aside to help you, the regular American?
And a man who is so egotistical, that he wouldn't even stop campaigning to help the country out of this crisis.
Is that a man who is looking out for you? Why should you look out for him, when he won't even do the job he is currently paid to do?
I really hope Americans wise up, because I don't want to have to move to Canada. it's cold, and I don't speak french.
So, the bail-out was voted down. All looked good when mysteriously, 20 yea's became nay's and the bill collapsed. The result? The market went into a free fall, with the Dow closing down around 770 points.
And what does the Congressional leadership have to say about this? Just that it is the Republicans' fault. Really? Seeing as how they are the minority of Congress, it doesn't seem like you really need them to pass it Pelosi. Seems more like it's YOUR fault that this didn't get passed, especially because of your wonderful pre-vote speech. And she ranted against those Republicans who didn't show up to talks, but told McCain he wasn't needed.
And you, the current majority of Americans, want to continue this free-for-all by electing the leader of this party? A party that failed to accomplish any of its "100 hour" plans for their entrance into Congress? A party that cannot put its partisan bickering aside to help you, the regular American?
And a man who is so egotistical, that he wouldn't even stop campaigning to help the country out of this crisis.
Is that a man who is looking out for you? Why should you look out for him, when he won't even do the job he is currently paid to do?
I really hope Americans wise up, because I don't want to have to move to Canada. it's cold, and I don't speak french.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Bail Out?
I seem to be in a minority here...I am one of the few who support a "bail out", as it is called.
That doesn't mean that I support the bill in it's current form. I won't lie, I have no idea what is going on in it. Legislative language is pretty confusing, and even I have trouble walking through it. I don't know who is getting what, when, or how.
I do know, though, that something has to be done. We cannot just watch as our economy crumbles around us, sending a butterfly effect across the globe. Just tonight it was announced that a major mortgage lender in the UK is being nationalized and sold. Did that just happen coincidentally? I think not.
I think that John McCain made the right decision on Thursday by suspending his campaign. He is still a US Senator, no matter what other office he is running for. if Senator Obama wanted to shirk his duties while running for higher office, he should have appointed someone to take his post in the Senate and do the work he was elected to do. His argument that the President needs to "multitask" was completely futile. How was Obama multitasking? He was out doing what he has been doing for months. He had just enough time to show up at the White House for a photo op, then jet back out onto the campaign trail.
So, who really wants to fix our nation? The man who potentially sacrifices his presidential campaign to go back to DC to do the job he was elected to do and to get the job done, or the guy who stays on the trail, mocking the decision of his opponent, and offering no viable solutions for the problem at hand?
That doesn't mean that I support the bill in it's current form. I won't lie, I have no idea what is going on in it. Legislative language is pretty confusing, and even I have trouble walking through it. I don't know who is getting what, when, or how.
I do know, though, that something has to be done. We cannot just watch as our economy crumbles around us, sending a butterfly effect across the globe. Just tonight it was announced that a major mortgage lender in the UK is being nationalized and sold. Did that just happen coincidentally? I think not.
I think that John McCain made the right decision on Thursday by suspending his campaign. He is still a US Senator, no matter what other office he is running for. if Senator Obama wanted to shirk his duties while running for higher office, he should have appointed someone to take his post in the Senate and do the work he was elected to do. His argument that the President needs to "multitask" was completely futile. How was Obama multitasking? He was out doing what he has been doing for months. He had just enough time to show up at the White House for a photo op, then jet back out onto the campaign trail.
So, who really wants to fix our nation? The man who potentially sacrifices his presidential campaign to go back to DC to do the job he was elected to do and to get the job done, or the guy who stays on the trail, mocking the decision of his opponent, and offering no viable solutions for the problem at hand?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
An Annual Necessity
Tomorrow is September 11.
It has been seven years since America was attacked by members of al Queda and over 3,000 Americans innocently lost their lives.
It has been seven years since America had its false blanket of security ripped off of it, and the nation became exposed to the threats it faced all over the world.
And yet, as happens every year, it seems more and more people feel less and less on this day. People go about their lives and only realize what day it is if they are told so by someone.
This is exactly what needs not to happen. It is the reason most people are against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. We have done something we vowed never to do.
We have forgotten.
We have forgotten the horror we felt after learning of the attacks. We have forgotten the resolve we felt about letting the terrorists know our anger. We have forgotten the unity we felt because we all shared the same pain.
Most of all, we have forgotten that we are ALL americans. No matter what political affiliation, no matter what skin color, no matter what economic class.
All of us are Americans.
This year, please remember. Remember everything you felt on that day. Remember that we are all Americans. And most of all, remember your promise to never forget.
It has been seven years since America was attacked by members of al Queda and over 3,000 Americans innocently lost their lives.
It has been seven years since America had its false blanket of security ripped off of it, and the nation became exposed to the threats it faced all over the world.
And yet, as happens every year, it seems more and more people feel less and less on this day. People go about their lives and only realize what day it is if they are told so by someone.
This is exactly what needs not to happen. It is the reason most people are against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. We have done something we vowed never to do.
We have forgotten.
We have forgotten the horror we felt after learning of the attacks. We have forgotten the resolve we felt about letting the terrorists know our anger. We have forgotten the unity we felt because we all shared the same pain.
Most of all, we have forgotten that we are ALL americans. No matter what political affiliation, no matter what skin color, no matter what economic class.
All of us are Americans.
This year, please remember. Remember everything you felt on that day. Remember that we are all Americans. And most of all, remember your promise to never forget.
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