Sunday, November 13, 2011
CSPAN VIDEO 3 11/13/2011
During the Texas Patriots PAC debate, Herman Cain provides a historical anecdote concerning his experience with GodFather pizza’s healthcare plan and the history of Medicare in the United States. He also explains that long term government projections of budget costs on healthcare plans are often misleading. He expresses his support for the Ryan’s Plan and how Medicare and Medicaid and other health care institutes must be restructured.
CSPAN VIDEO 2 11/13/2011
During the Texas Patriots PAC debate, Newt Gingrich discusses his perspective on providing a premium support Medicare program. He discusses the healthcare issue and providing people with a healthcare plan that they desire rather than one that is forced upon them. He proposes his health care plan that he will implement if elected.
CSPAN VIDEO 1 11/13/2011
President Regan is asked to explain is approach to decreasing the federal deficit and implementing a balanced budget. Regan outlines his policy, which will aim to increase economic growth, influence recovery without inflation, and the reduction of governmental accumulation of gross national products. He also discusses the cutback in government spending as the key to correcting the national deficit. Mr. Mondale then explains his approach to influencing economic growth and decreasing the deficit.
Flip-Flop
The term “flip-flopper,” in the political sense, refers to individuals who shift their positions or are willing to compromise in order to secure their chair in office. Although the term has a negative connotation, many strategists agree that compromise is a necessary force in politics. Both left and right wing extremists in congress are often unwilling to cooperate and fail to adhere to “give and take.” The absence of negotiation has facilitated a 9% decrease in public approval ratings of Congress. However, voters insist that they will not support candidates who are willing to compromise on critical issues. In recent history, the 2004 Bush Campaign released an advertisement that depicted Democratic candidate John Kerry windsurfing. The ad narrator read, "In which direction would John Kerry lead? Kerry voted for the Iraq war, opposed it, supported it and now opposes it again. ... John Kerry: whichever way the wind blows" (Julian Zelizer).
Leading Republican candidate, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romey, and President Obama have concurrently been referred to as “flip-flopers.” Perhaps the most common scrutiny of the Obama administration has been his willingness to meet centrists “halfway” and his failure to stand firmly against right wing extremists.
Mitt Romney has also distinguished himself as a flip-flopper due to his willingness to shift his stance on issues in order to secure an election. His rival candidate Rick Perry exclaimed during a Republican debate, "I think Americans just don't know sometimes which Mitt Romney they're dealing with” (Julian Zelizer).
Priorities USA is a pro-President Obama political organization whose leaders have submitted a memo characterizing Romney as a pro-life candidate despite his convenient flip-flop persona. The organizations co-founder, Bill Burton, claimed, “"If Romney wins the presidency, he won't have to 'fake it' ever again. He will be free to push a radical anti-choice agenda that bans abortion, appoint Supreme Court justices who will overturn Roe vs. Wade, and fulfill his promise to support legislation that defunds Planned Parenthood” (Foxnews). Burton was also questioned on Romney’s stance concerning the Mississippi “personhood” amendment. The pro-life amendment establishes “personhood” as the moment of conception. Democrats submitted disputed claims, which suggest that Romney has expressed his support for the amendment during a FoxNews interview in October. Burton replied to these statements, “(Romney is) finally being honest about his anti-choice agenda”(Foxnews). Democrats have attempted to distinguished Romney as a candidate willing to alter his standpoints regarding pivotal issues, despite his truly pro-life conservative values.
Without specifically referring the Mississippi personhood amendment, Romney commented that he does believe that life begins at conception. However, while running for governor in Massachusetts Romney vowed to uphold abortion rights. This discrepancy illuminates Romney’s willingness to compromise and flip-flop his stance (Foxnews).
However, perhaps a “flip-floper” is precisely what America needs in order to settle the inevitable stalemate within Congress. For example, President Ronald Regan’s willingness to negotiate with the Soviet Union in 1987, despite his reluctance to do so throughout his presidency, is considered a compromise worth celebrating (Foxnews). Although Romney’s shifting standpoints and Obama’s tendency to compromise have been ridiculed as misleading attempts to further their political agenda’s, up-front cooperation and open-mindedness may influence the re-birth of America’s dwindling economy.
Works Cited: Julian Zelizer. http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/09/opinion/zelizer-flip-floppers/index.html?iref=allsearch
OOPS!
During Wednesday night's CNBC Republican debate in Rochester, Michigan; Texas Governor Rick Perry may have solidified his standing as the worst debater among the GOP candidates. He responded to a question, "I will tell you: It's three agencies of government, when I get there, that are gone: Commerce, Education and the -- what's the third one there? Let's see. ... OK. So Commerce, Education and the -- ... The third agency of government I would -- I would do away with the Education, the ... Commerce and -- let's see -- I can't. The third one, I can't. Sorry. Oops” (Todd Graham). After the debate Perry attempted to lighten the mood by commenting, "I'm sure glad I had my boots on, because I sure stepped in it out there” (Todd Graham).
Perry’s folly was truly astounding based on the irrelevancy of his answer. He was asked a question concerning his approach to “working with Democrats across the aisle.” However, in an attempt to project a confident appearance, Perry expressed his desire to cut three government agencies, but forgot the last one! His answer was a futile response to Ron Paul’s declaration that, if elected, he would disband five agencies of government. Perry’s attempt to consolidate and solidify his own policy, to disband “unnecessary” government agencies, backfired upon his nervous blunder (Todd Graham). Perry was asked to recall the forgotten third government agency several times, however he could not summon his answer.
Unfortunately for Perry, debates play an essential role in creating a “buzz” about a candidate. Although Perry later affirmed that the third agency he would abolish is The Department of Energy, his lacking debate skills and unfamiliarity with popular issues will have a detrimental effect on his campaign.
The Texas Governor’s lack of awareness and certainty in former debates may have cast a bad first impression among possible supporters. In response, his campaign expressed their confidence that Perry would redeem himself in more recent debates. However, Perry’s “oops” may have solidified his negative impression and influenced his probable impending failure.
The Perry campaign began backtracking on Thursday by presenting Perry as a human, capable of being mistaken. Perry appeared on the David Letterman show in order to supplement his forgetfulness with comic relief. Perry explained, "Hey, listen. You try concentrating with Mitt Romney smiling at you. That is one handsome dude" (Foxnews). The Perry campaign also created a page on the candidate’s website, which allows viewers to participate in a poll expressing the government agency that they would like to see abolished. Perry has also invited supporters to donate five dollars for every government agency they “would like to forget” (CNN Wire Staff). One conservative blogger named Andrew Sullivan tweeted "Perry collapses. Cannot remember a list of three federal government departments he wants to abolish past the first two. Seriously. And then he says 'oops.' He has all but disappeared inside his suit in this debate and is now basically done” (CNN Wire Staff).
The Perry Campaign submitted a list during the Letterman show of the top ten reasons for his forgetfulness,
10. "Actually there were three reasons I messed up last night. One was the nerves, two was the headache and three was, and three, uh, uh. Oops."
9. "I don't know what you're talking about. I think things went well."
8. "Hey, I was up late last night watching `Dancing With the Stars."
7. "I thought the debate was tonight."
6. "Hey, listen. You try concentrating with Mitt Romney smiling at you. That is one handsome dude."
5. "Uh, el nino?"
4. "I had a five-hour energy drink six hours before the debate."
3. "I really hoped to get on my favorite talk show, but instead I ended up here."
2. "Hey, I wanted to help take the heat off my buddy Herman Cain."
1. "I just learned Justin Bieber is my father."
Works Cited: Todd Graham. http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/10/opinion/graham-debate-perry/index.html
Sunday, November 6, 2011
CSPAN VIDEO 3 11/6/2011
Ms. Defrancis, Chief Public Affairs Officer of the American Red cross, discusses how social media is enabling the public in aiding the Red Cross’s mission to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters. Ms. Defrancis talks about the gap between the publics’ use of social media in relation to a disaster, and the ability of disaster response agencies to respond to these disasters in a timely fashion. She closes her argument by suggesting a method to close this apparent time gap.
CSPAN VIDEO 2 11/6/2011
Craig Fugate discusses FEMA’s (Federal Emergency Management Agency) short term and long-term goals for the use of social media tools in times of natural disaster. He discusses the different methods that social media can utilize in expediting communication with the public.
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