Archive - Jan 2008

I have decided to start creating a weekly video segment dedicated to my favorite or the best political cartoons of the week. These can be anything from the election to social commentary over a movie or fad. I just want to make it easier for people to view political cartoons that they would otherwise not be exposed to. If you happen to find a cartoon or anything else that is worth sharing then let me know. I am more than happy to include it in the weekly segment. On another note, I am currently studying for the LSAT. I take it in one week so my posting for videos or this blog will decrease dramatically. In fact I need to ship my MacBook Pro in for repair and this would be the best time since I need to be getting ready for the test. Let me know what you think of the political cartoons. I have included my favorite to the <--- left, if you click on the image it will expand. You can find the video on my YouTube channel or under the Featured Video on the right --> side.

Upon hearing that Heath Ledger expired earlier this week I was saddened to see such a good actor depart so early in life. No matter what caused his demise whether it be natural or due to substance abuse it does not take away from the fact that he was a great actor. I still remember seeing him for the first time back in 1999 in 10 Things I Hate About You and most recenly for his superb acting in Brokeback Mountain.

I was shocked to find out the next day that some right wing conservative people were applauding his death because of his role in Brokeback Mountain. To put the icing on the cake though, FOX News' John Gibson mocked the death in bigot fashion by playing clips from the movie and somehow relating them to the death. I have uploaded a YouTube video of the audio as well as MSNBC Dan Abrams reaction-- I think I have found a new progressive, free thinking, open minded journalist.

Typically, when an administration has been successful in being elected to office for two consecutive terms, they pass the torch to the Vice President. Ronald Reagan passed it to George Bush, Sr. and Bill Clinton passed the torch to Al Gore. What about George W. Bush though? Wasn't Dick Cheney suppose to continue the tradition?

No! The nation as a whole has been united by Bush who claimed that he was "a uniter" but united under one cause . . . to not support his administration no more. Thus, the GOP has had to start from scratch and play catchup in this 2008 election. I would argue that George W. Bush has caused the death of the GOP of this generation and it may take another five years before a coalition will restructure, rebrand and hope that everyone else has forgotten about Bush.

If one looks at the current candidates on the GOP side it is evident of its demise. You have a two Governors, one from Arkansas and the other from Massachusetts. You have a Senator from Arizona, Congressman from Texas and an actor from Tennessee vying for the top spot. This is not including a Mayor from New York who's main strategy seems to be to campaign about three or four primary elections in advance. Other than for McCain, all potential GOP candidates are new to a Presidential race, are considered outsiders and lack foreign policy experience. Is this what we want from our next leader. Must I remind you that our current president was an outsider who was a one term elected Governor of Texas. If we didn't learn through his presidency are we doomed to repeat the same mistake again?

I speculate that the GOP should sacrifice this election in order to give the voters a couple a year about forgetting about Bush, so they can send out a new team of fresh candidates that can offer a different approach. The death of the GOP is a good thing for Republicans because it ends a tarnished era in history that could use some spinning on their side. Did you not remember learning this lesson after Reagan twenty years ago?

Yesterday, I reported that NBC retracted their invitation made out to Kucinich to participate in tomorrows debate. Today a Nevada judge has ordered NBC to allow Kucinich to participate or face repurcussions. Senior Clark County District Court Judge Charles Thompson claimed, "it a matter of fairness and said Nevada voters will benefit by hearing from more than just top contenders." This is refreshing since this exactly what I have been advocating the whole time. NBC has filed an appeal with the Nevada Supreme Court. There is no reason to deny an elligible candidate to participate in our democratic process. We, the people decide who should win, not the media.

Although Bush's approval rating is at all time lows, the White House claims that it will sky rocket to a 45% by the time he leaves office. I do not doubt their claims since these are the same people that managed to get Bush appointed president when more people voted for the other guy (Gore) back in 2000. This is the same administration that sold the American public on a War in Iraq because it somehow fell under the auspices of the War on Terror and 9/11. Do not underestimate the power of their spinning. They were able to make a Vietnam Purple Heart Decorated Veteran (Kerry) as a liar and uncapable of running this country any better than him in 2004. Perhaps they meant to say that 45% of the public was approving of his term as president concluding at the end of the year. Bring out the tops and let the spinning begin!

I wanted to share the PEW Research Center's conclusion about "Where the Public Learns about Political Campaigns" posted by Erick Schonfeld over at TechCruch. As one would surmise, the influence of the internet as a legitimate medium for a marketplace of ideas is growing. Since 2000 Local Television News has dropped from 48% to 40% as a source where individuals regularly learn about Presidential Campaigns. The Internet jumped from 9% to 24%, the largest increase by any group. Another interesting point is that the older one is the more likely that person will rely on traditional media sources such as Local TV or Newspaper. The 18-29 year-old demographic uses the internet (42%) much more than older users (15%). Traditional News Agencies dominate as the source on the internet with MSNBC.com receiving about 26%.

What are the implications? Well, I believe as the internet becomes more mainstream with individuals becoming more web based research savvy, it will be the most dominant medium for obtaining information. Websites and YouTube Videos will help to remind voters and expose Political Candidate's lies more efficiently. As more people began to rely less on traditional forms of media for news one will see a more intelligent voter base. The web is helping to connect people much faster to issues and is a vast library of recorded video for one to review upon desire. No longer must you wait to see the six o'clock news to see what Candidate X said about Candidate Y, you will be able to view the clip instantaneously. The impact of the internet in just the last four years is quite evident when one observes the role websites such as MoveOn.org or political blogs play. In a previous post about a YouTube Video titled "Vote Different," I speculated on the impact that the internet would have on voters, based on ads created by supporters but not affiliated nor approved by political campaigns. I expect the internet to become a form of Check and Balance to Political Elections. You are no longer immune from deception when everyone can review your comments for your years to come.

It seems like déjà vu all over again! Kucinich has once again been denied the opportunity to participate in a debate but instead of ABC, this time, it is NBC. What I found interesting about this occasion as opposed to the previous one was that Kucinich had been cordially invited to attend. A mere 44 hours later NBC notified Kucinich that they were, "excluding Kucinich from the debate" that is to take place on January 15.

NBC originally claimed that Kucinich met the criteria to participate in the Nevada Presidential Debate. After negating his invitation they claimed that they decided to change the criteria and wanted to focus on a three candidate debate. If you have not read my previous post about how I felt when ABC excluded him then read about it. I won't rant once again but I must acknowledge that I am disappointed with our media's behavior in this election process. They have been to anxious to be trendy that they have relied on polls to popularize one individual over the other. In Iowa they could not get enough of Obama and Huckabee. In New Hampshire it became Clinton and Romney, only after incorrectly raving all about Obama and Huckabee the week leading to the election. If the media did not learn the first time, then I shall repeat it once again. Stop telling us who we should vote for, do not speculate and give us poll numbers. Let us decided on election day and debate nights. Let us see all the available candidates. You have been able to run Richardson, Gravel and Dodd off but there is still Kucinich fighting it out. Let the people decide if they want to support him or not but do not deny him or any politician the opportunity to debate.