2008 Presidential Election

Respond to who posted to you - Due 1/5

2008-12-08T14:36:00.001-06:00

Look at what was posted by 12/16. Respond to the posts that directly refer to your post. Defend your original post or explain why they were able to persuade you. Be sure to be specific in your response.

Response post - Due 12/16

2008-12-08T14:35:00.001-06:00

Respond to someone's post on their thoughts about Obama's choices for key positions. Be sure to respond to someone who hasn't been responded to. You can respond to their argument, critique their sources, and/or respond to what they didn't cover. Please cite your information.

Post Due 12/09

2008-12-03T20:50:00.003-06:00

Instead of having you respond to someone from post 6 we're going to do something different. You'll answer this post, respond to someone's post, and then you'll respond to a post that someone wrote to you. We'll keep doing one a week so it's not an increase of posts just a change in our format. Thanks for being flexible.

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Barack Obama has been announcing his picks for his top posts for his administration. What do his picks mean for his administration? What action/direction do you predict his team will take? What do his picks demonstrate about his commitments to his campaign promises? Do you agree or disagree with his choices? Are there key people or constituencies that you feel have been overlooked? Be sure to discuss at least one of his picks more in depthly. As usual cite your sources and do some research!

Post #6

2008-11-20T17:23:00.002-06:00

On election day voters didn't just decide who their leaders would be; they also decided what types of rights they wanted citizens to have and what type of role they wanted their government to play.

In Colorado and Nebraska voters decided whether their state would or would not use affirmative action in hiring, contracting and college admissions. Nebraska passed a ban on affirmative action and it failed in Colorado. However, in both states the electorate was fairly divided on the issue.

For background on this electoral question read the AP's story "Colorado voters reject affirmative action ban" and the New York Times's story "Vote Results Are Mixed on a Ban on Preference" from November 7th. (These articles shouldn't stop you though from doing your own research though.)

In your blog post please address the following questions:
1. What do these election results on affirmative action mean? How does the American electorate feel on affirmative action?
2. Does the U.S. need affirmative action in order to diversify its colleges and workplaces? Can or will we achieve diversity without having affirmative action? If we don't use affirmative action what would work better?

Your post will be greatly strengthened with research and data to back up your claims.

Response to post 5 - due 11/21

2008-11-17T09:32:00.002-06:00

Please pick someone to respond to from Post 5. Some suggestions I have are:
1. respond to someone who did not write about the same question you did,
2. respond to someone with whom you disagree with or partially disagree with.

Too many of you last quarter wrote responses to each other that were vague and didn't offer any direct engagement with the other person's post or argument. I think it might be easier for you to have direct response to someone else's post if you disagreed with them. So please try that and see if that makes it easier for you to interact with each other's arguments.

I look forward to reading what you have to say.

Please post on 11/21 by 2nd period that day or your post will be late.

Post 5 - Term 2

2008-11-10T10:28:00.003-06:00

Answer one of the questions below on the 2008 elections results. Be sure to use news articles to back up your opinions.

-What does an Obama victory mean for the US? Why do you think he won?
-What suggestions do you have for the McCain campaign? What could his campaign have done better?
-What does it mean that MN voted for Obama and Coleman (who knows now), Paulsen, and Bachman (who are all Republicans)?
-What advice do you have for Republican representatives and senators in a Democratic Congress?
-What advice do you have for Obama (who is inheriting a financial crisis and 2 wars)? What do you think he should focus on in his first 6 months and for the 1st year?
-What is the significance of gaining our first African American president while in the same election 4 states added barriers to gay rights to their state constitutions?

Last post for the term!

2008-10-26T17:35:00.002-05:00

Respond to a new person and explain why you agree or disagree with their assessment of the issues that have been discussed or not discussed in this election. Please do not respond to anyone that you have already responded to this term.

Remember on Friday you'll get to discuss this election in person and soon we'll get to know the result (ie. who will win!)

Post #4

2008-10-18T14:19:00.001-05:00

Which issue do you feel did not receive enough attention (either from candidates or the media) during the campaign? Which issue do you feel received too much attention from the media &/or candidates?

You can answer one or both of the questions.

New Polling Data

2008-10-16T10:09:00.003-05:00

The Gallup Report put together very comprehensive data on how voters feel about the election. I think you'd find this article interesting. It very much connects with our chapter on public opinion.

Recent Gallup Report

Suggestions for your final post before the election?

2008-10-09T10:22:00.002-05:00

Post 4 will be your last post before the election. I have some ideas as to what you could write about. However, I also wanted to give you a chance to weigh in. Post here any suggestions you have for me. Please post them by October 17. I want to post your next question over the weekend. Thanks.

PS. This is optional. This is NOT an assignment. :)

Response to post 3 - due 10/14

2008-10-09T10:21:00.000-05:00

Get your post in before you have a relaxing (hopefully) 5 day break. Pick someone to respond to. Try to pick someone you HAVE NOT already responded to in the past. Thanks.

Post #3 - Due Oct 7th

2008-10-03T12:19:00.001-05:00

Vice presidential candidates are chosen to add to the ticket or balance it. Since this summer both Obama and McCain have chosen vice-presidential candidates. Assess to what degree either VP candidate or both do to add to the ticket? What factor, if any, will Palin and Biden have in the election? Do you agree or disagree with their choices and why?

Be sure to site your sources. There are lots of quality articles out there on this topic. You can refer to the VP debate from 10/2 if you watched it.

Reponse to post #2

2008-09-25T17:26:00.003-05:00

I enjoyed watching the ads and reading what you thought of them! I hope you'll look at the ads that each other watched. I look forward to reading your response posts. Please post them here so that we can separate them out. Please try to respond to a person that you didn't respond to last time so you can interact with a new student! When you refer to information you have read or to commercials you watched please cite your work. Thanks.

Post #2

2008-09-21T13:10:00.001-05:00

McCain and Obama are neck and neck in the polls. Their campaigns have less than two months left to persuade potential voters. This is the point in the campaign where money is key. Whoever has the most money can make and air the most TV commercials. However, this is not just the situation for the presidential campaigns. Interest groups and the parties also want their chosen candidate to win and use money and commercials to try to tip the scales in their favor.

Campaign finance laws have created a loophole where 527 groups can make independent expenditure ads. If you’re interested in seeing some examples of their ads you can check out National Public Radio’s coverage. They have links to some of their ads:
* Independent Political Groups Return With 527 Ads

* Liberal 527 Groups Target McCain With Ads

Find out how the candidates are doing fundraising. Watch some of the campaign advertisements. You can watch the candidates’ ads &/or the 527 ads. To find the candidates’ ads go to their websites &/or search on google for McCain/Obama ads. There are plenty on YouTube. And then answer the following questions:

What role do you think advertisements have in political campaigns?
What types of political advertisements do you find persuasive and why?
Are there ads that are being run that you think are unethical and if so why?
Do you think that the parties’ and the 527 ads are helping or hurting the ability for the American people to make an informed decision in November?

Be sure to cite where your information is from in your post. I look forward to reading what you’ll write.

My thoughts on post 1

2008-09-16T11:02:00.002-05:00

Overall I think y'all did a great job on the first post. You used research (some of you found your own) to make intelligent arguments about the election which was our number one objective.

The main theme I saw was that many of you were informed writers but didn't credit where your information was from. Please refer to where that information is from so that your classmates and I can tell what is influencing your perspective. For examples of people's writing who did a great job of doing this (there were many) I would like to highlight a couple writers - ASampson, Katie B, and Lauren the wise.

Other themes I saw to a lesser extent included discussing the election but not addressing both questions, and not enough proofreading. Please address those issues if I wrote you a note about them in your next post.

Thanks and I look forward to reading your responses to each other. M. Aby

Response to post 1 - Due Wed, Sept 17th

2008-09-11T08:46:00.003-05:00

Great job getting your first post up and starting our online discussion. Now read through your classmates' responses. Pick one classmate to respond to. Explain why you agree or disagree with their assessment of McCain or Obama's campaign. When you refer to information you have read please cite your work.

Please post your response here so we can keep the original posts and the response posts separate and more manageable.

Take care and good luck! M. Aby

Post 1- 2008

2008-09-03T12:58:00.002-05:00

Examine the poll reports on the candidates in the articles I gave you. You can also check out pollingreport.com.

What sectors in society are Obama & McCain doing well & poorly with? What suggestions do you have to the campaigns for how they could increase their popularity this fall for the general election? (You can discuss one or both for this section.) Be sure to site where your information is from & to back up your projections & advice.

Good luck and enjoy the blog!

Last post - Due January 9th

2008-01-01T17:54:00.000-06:00

The very anticipated official beginning of the presidential campaign is upon us. January 3rd Iowans will caucus for their presidential hopefulls and January 8th New Hampshirites will vote for their choices in their primary.

What will be the impact of the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary? How will they help or hurt the candidates running for president? Will other states (like Florida, North Carolina, and Super Tuesday) play a greater role?

It will be hard but also fun to predict the impact of these two important - yet early - events. Places that might be particularly helpful to you are the Des Moines Register and the Boston Globe. They have very indepth reporting and analysis on these early events which you might find helpful in your research.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage
ttp://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/

Thank you for your insightful posts this semester. You are the first group of students I have ever done this type of project with and I really enjoyed it. Thanks for being such great guinea pigs!

Discussion on 1/4

2007-12-24T16:33:00.000-06:00

On 1/4 we'll be discussing the candidates' foreign policy statements from Foreign Affairs. Below is my first draft at the questions we'll be discussing. Please post or email (mereaby@gmail.com) to me any additional questions or comments on the questions so we can have a high quality discussion! Thanks. M

Foreign policy and the 2008 election
AP US Government

1. What do you think should be the foreign policy priorities for the next president? What tenor or tone do you think the next president should have with other countries and international organizations? Which candidate best meets your foreign policy vision? To what degree do you believe that the candidates can fully articulate their foreign policy vision on the campaign trail?

2. What are the candidates’ positions on Africa and Latin America? Do you support their positions? Do you think these continents are receiving enough attention from the candidates in their statements? What do you think should be the foreign policy priorities for the president in Latin America and Africa for the next presidential administration?

3. What are the candidates’ positions on how the U.S. should proceed in Iraq? If they think we should leave, what specifics do they give for how we should do that? If they think we should stay, what specifics do they give for how we can “win” the war on Iraq? What is your opinion on their positions and why? Do you think the candidates spent too much time or too little focusing on Iraq in their statements?

4. What are the candidates’ positions on how the U.S. should relate to Iran? To what degree do they see Iran as an enemy? Do you believe that Iran is a serious enemy of the U.S.? Do you think the next president should use “carrots” or “sticks” when dealing with Iran and why?

5. How do the candidates’ describe the Bush administration’s foreign policy? What are their criticisms or compliments for how Bush has conducted our foreign policy? To what degree do the candidates think we should be more multilateral? What type of tone or communication do they want the president to have with the American and international community on foreign policy?

6. What do you think should be the foreign policy priorities for the next president? What tenor or tone do you think the next president should have with other countries and international organizations? Which candidate best meets your foreign policy vision?

1/2/2008

2007-12-14T23:27:00.000-06:00

Start your year off with a new post! :)

Read through your classmates' posts. Pick someone to respond to that you have not responded to either term 1 or 2. Try not respond to someone's post if they already have more than 1 response. Please attack the ideas/argument of the person & not the person her/himself. Also, please respond in a manner which fosters rather than shuts down dialogue. Lastly, it is important to respond to people's posts in a way that fosters dialogue & is respectful. Good luck. And happy new year!

Post by 12/20

2007-12-14T23:19:00.000-06:00

I had this on the schedule as being due on 12/18, but if you need until the 20th it won't be counted late.

The environmental debate used to be a fringe issue that only minor parties like the Green Party took seriously. However, in this presidential election it will be an issue that both major parties have to take seriously.

What environmental issue do you think is most important for the 2008 presidential election? Why? What policy position do you support on this issue? Is there a candidate or candidates that support your position? If so, what’s their stance? If no one supports your position, why do you think they don’t share your position?

Use news articles and research to build your case. I would particularly recommend going to interest group and think tank websites for research for this assignment. I would also recommend looking at the second half of Edwards’ ch 19 for background and terminology for this discussion.

If you are having trouble finding research please see me for help. Good luck!

Response post

2007-12-09T17:11:00.000-06:00

My apologies for not creating the area for a response post on time. If you haven't already posted your healthcare response, please do it here. Thanks!

The importance of posting on time...

2007-11-28T10:11:00.000-06:00

I cannot stress enough the importance of posting on time. If you post late, it becomes less likely that anyone will respond to you. If you post late, less people will read what you write. It will be a less enjoyable activity for you if you don't have an audience because you're posting after folks are done reading the blog. Lastly, if you post late I will not give you full credit for this activity. I want to remind you that the blog activity & your courts paper = 10% of your grade in this class. It is worth your time to do this activity well. Additionally, your classmates want to read what you write and I want to read responses to your work.

Except in dire situations, I expect you to post on time or early. Please plan ahead.

Thank you. M. Aby

12/3 post 6 is due

2007-11-21T08:30:00.000-06:00

Post 6: Healthcare:
The number 2 polling issue in the election is healthcare. In order to better understand the debate concerning healthcare we’re going to explore this area of national policy and the issue of federalism.

**To what degree is it the national or state government’s responsibility to make sure that their citizens/residents have healthcare? Who is better suited to deal with our healthcare crisis: private industry, state governments, or the national government? Why? What solution do you favor?

Use news articles and research to build your case. I would particularly recommend going to interest group and think tank websites for research for this assignment. I would also recommend looking at the first half of Edwards’ ch 19 for background and terminology for this discussion.

If you are having trouble finding research please see me for help. Good luck!

11/27 response to post 5 is due

2007-11-09T12:08:00.000-06:00

Read through your classmates' posts. Pick a post to respond to that you do not agree with. Read their candidates' statement. Write a post that critiques both the candidate & your classmate's post. Please quote from the candidate & your classmate directly so we can know what you are referring to.

Remember the goal is for everyone to get a response. Please do not respond to someone's post if they already have more than 1 response. Please attack the ideas/argument of the person & not the person her/himself. Also, please respond in a manner which fosters rather than shuts down dialogue. Lastly, it is important to respond to people's posts in a way that fosters dialogue & is respectful. Good luck.

11/15 post 5 is due

2007-11-09T11:52:00.000-06:00

Foreign policy for the next president
Foreign Affairs magazine has asked the candidates to write personal statements of what they believe should be the US' priorities for foreign policy & what their administration would do concerning these areas. The links to their statements are on this page in the lower right hand corner on the sidebar.

Pick one of the candidate's statements to read. It could be one you support, one you don't support, or one you have questions about. It's your decision.

Write a post that critiques the candidate's position. Explain why you support or don't support the candidate's viewpoints. Cover at least three of their foreign policy positions.

11/2 - Last step in our project

2007-10-24T18:35:00.000-05:00

By Friday 11/2 please print off for me what you perceive to be your best post and best response in our blog activity this quarter. Use the rubric I gave you at the beginning of the quarter to help you choose which posts to pick. Please label your assignment with your name, period, and which post your writing is for (Post 1 or Response to Post 2 for example). Thanks.

Last response post - due 10/30

2007-10-24T18:33:00.000-05:00

Please respond to a peer by 10/30. This will be your last post of the quarter. Thanks for doing such an amazing job. I am really enjoying reading your posts. - M. Aby

Post 4 - Due 10/23

2007-10-15T15:12:00.000-05:00

Chapters 6 & 10 in Edwards address the views of different groups within the electorate. Both major political parties are examining who voted for their party in 2004, and who did not vote for their party in 2004. With that information they are strategizing how to convince groups who did not vote for them to switch sides and how they can they keep groups who did vote for them in 2004.

Both parties in this election are particularly looking at the role of Latino voters.
*Do you think that the majority of Latino voters will vote Democrat or Republican in the 2008 election? Why?
*What do you think the Democrat party should do to attract Latino voters?
*What do you think the Republican party should do to attract Latino voters?

There are a lot of quality news articles on this very debate. I will help you find them if you need my help. Otherwise, I’m going to set you loose on your own.

Reponse to Post 3 - Due 10/16

2007-10-08T21:17:00.000-05:00

You can respond to post 3 on the post 3 strand or here. Either is fine. Your response post is due 10/16. Remember the goal is for everyone to get a response. Please do not respond to someone's post if they already have more than 1 response. Please attack the ideas/argument of the person & not the person her/himself. Also, please respond in a manner which fosters rather than shuts down dialogue. Thanks. Good luck. M. Aby

Great commentaries!

2007-10-08T20:56:00.000-05:00

I really see our conversation about the election becoming more complicated & richer in post 3! I really enjoy how you are building on your previous posts. I also am enjoying how folks are incorporating quotes from other scholars as supporting evidence. If you want to see examples of how folks do this well look at John & Chelsey's posts this week. In addition, you are improving greatly in your ability to form arguments and to analyze the evidence you use in your posts. For an example of this type of writing you can look at Molly's post. (Note, I do not pick out some people's posts to highlight some and ignore others, but to try to convey where I believe yours should be headed.)

Last Thursday I had great conversations with your parents at conferences about your blog postings. Just to let you know y'all are developing quite a following! Parents in our community really enjoy reading what you have to say. And I can see why. You are a talented group of commentators. Keep it up! M. Aby

Post 3 - Due 10/9

2007-09-30T13:50:00.000-05:00

This year’s presidential race is unusual. We have a white woman & an African American man in the lead for the Democratic nomination. We have a Mormon & several non-Evangelicals competing for the Republican nomination. This will be an election that is analyzed for years to come.

One issue several of you brought up in your last post is the question, “Is Senator Obama the most attractive candidate for the African American community?” The Democratic party & the African American community are very closely tied together. Many political analysts predict that the candidate that picks up the “black vote” will get the nomination for the Democratic party.

Below are some recent articles that summarize the role of previous African American candidates for the Democratic nomination (Jesse Jackson & Rev. Al Sharpton), the popularity of both Clinton & Obama with the African American community, & the potential barriers to winning over the “black vote”. You are not limited to these articles. I am merely referring you to them because I think they might be helpful for this week’s post.

* “Barack Obama caught between lines in race battle”, The Times, 9/23/07
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2511582.ece
* “Out of Reach?”, 9/27/08, Time Magazine
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1666262,00.html
* “Obama Vies for Black Vote While Waging `Deracialized Campaign'”, 9/28/07. Bloomberg.com
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aZeD5OiaQqdU&refer=home
* “Clinton Edges Obama in Black Caucus”, 9/28/07, Associated Press
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hOj-hz5ahyzXOAIRsfaUOyr1Ns8gD8RUNE780
* “Obama: Jena case shows law's 'inequities'”, 9/29/07, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-obamaweb29,1,5304044.story

Your question is:
To what degree does a candidate need to represent their community (as a woman, a member of their racial group, a member of their religion, etc.)? What are the strengths & weaknesses to being seen as a representative of a community? Is it better to be seen as an “individual”? Considering our country’s history, is it possible to be seen as merely an individual if someone is going to be the first woman, African-American, Mormon, etc. ever elected to the office of president of the United States? How do you think the campaign(s) should address this dynamic in the race to help their candidate? (Consider the current political realities addressed in the articles & facing our country today.)

(P.S. to the Republicans in the class, the next post will focus more on your party’s issues for the election. I promise.)

Who you support based on post 2

2007-09-28T13:09:00.000-05:00

1st place: Barack Obama
2nd place: Hillary Clinton/ John Edwards
3rd place: Dennis Kucinich
4th place: Ron Paul
5th place: Rudy Giuliani
6th place: Mitt Romney
7th place: Mike Huckabee/John McCain/ Joe Biden

Most disliked: Mike Huckabee, then Sam Brownback

Thanks to Amy Anderson for totaling these for me. :)

Notes on grammar/ writing style

2007-09-28T12:16:00.000-05:00

Don't capitalize the office, just the person. For example:
the president, President Bush

Do capitalize specific places because they're proper nouns. For example: Congress, Supreme Court, White House

Do capitalize specifice political parties (the Republican party, the Green party, etc.)even though you wouldn't normally capitalize the words if they aren't in reference to a party (ie. The man in the green shirt expressed republican values.) :)

Lastly, it is considered un-academic & unprofessional to call a public figure by her/his first name. You should refer to a public figure by their last name.

Response to post 2 - due October 2nd

2007-09-28T12:09:00.000-05:00

You can post to either post 2 on the post 2 strand or here. Either is fine. Your response post is due 10/2. Remember the goal is for everyone to get a response. Please do not respond to someone's post if they already have more than 1 response. Please attack the ideas/argument of the person & not the person her/himself. Also, please respond in a manner which fosters rather than shuts down dialogue. Thanks. Good luck. M. Aby

Post 2 - Due 9/26

2007-09-17T19:04:00.000-05:00

Who do you support for president? Why? Give concrete reasons and refer to news articles &/or their website to substantiate your posts. Include the link to the references you cite in your post so that others can retrace your steps.

If you don't support anyone for president, then answer:
Which of the candidates would you most oppose as the next president? Why? Give concrete reasons and refer to news articles &/or their website to substantiate your posts. Include the link to the references you cite in your post so that others can retrace your steps.

My observation from post 1

2007-09-17T18:45:00.000-05:00

First off, I think things are going well. I'm impressed with the quality of your posts and with your discussion with each other. Comments I have on your posts:

* Research: Most of you did a good job doing research on the issue you choose to focus on. Most of you included links to the articles you read in your posts. However, few of you integrated this information into your posts to substantiate your argument. I don't want you just tack on the article links at the end.

For examples as to how to integrate your evidence into your post you could look at Silas and Michelle R.'s posts as examples of how you could integrate your evidence into your argument.

*Your response posts: You are doing a good job of responding to other people's arguments. Some of you are using research to substantiate your arguments, but most of you are not. I want to encourage you to try to use research to do so.

* Your viewpoints: I wasn't surprised that most of you thought that the war is the #1 issue. Most Americans feel the same way as you. Nationally healthcare polls as #2 & issues like immigation poll that high in certain states. Global warming is climbing the list - due in part to recent scientific information & efforts by Al Gore. In every election there will be single issue voters, and I'm glad that one of the top issues of single issue voters (abortion) was represented in our discussion as well. I am glad that some of you played devils advocate to diversify the discussion. :)

I look forward to your second post. Thanks.

2007-09-17T16:08:00.000-05:00

Response to post 1 - due 9/18

2007-09-12T11:22:00.000-05:00

You can post to either post 1 on the post 1 strand or here. Either is fine. Your response post is due 9/18. Remember the goal is for everyone to get a response. Please do not respond to someone's post if they already have more than 1 response. Please attack the ideas/argument of the person & not the person her/himself. Also, please respond in a manner which fosters rather than shuts down dialogue. Thanks. Good luck. M. Aby

PS. I will post soon a response to your post 1.

Post 1 - Due 9/12

2007-09-05T07:22:00.000-05:00

What is the most important issue in the 2008 election? Why is this issue the most important issue (ie. the one that should be driving the campaign)? What position on this issue would you support & why?

Instructions for posting

2007-08-10T12:06:00.000-05:00

The instructor will post a general question relating to the election every 2 weeks. Students need to post once every 2 weeks and need to respond to another student's post once every two weeks. (Therefore 4 original posts in our 9 week term and 4 response posts.) Posts need to be intelligent and in depth. They should be spell checked and proof read. Students should consider this as publishing their opinions. Students need to stand behind what they say and will be held responsible for what they post. Posts should not attack individual posters and should not use language that would not be appropriate in a classroom discussion. Student who do not post responsibly will have their posting rights taken away by the moderator (the teacher).

getting your news

2007-08-07T10:42:00.000-05:00

Just an FYI, on itunes you can download for free podcasts from the candidates. I found podcasts from Clinton, Obama & Paul. Also there are a lot of election focused shows that you can download on CNN, NPR, etc. So if you aren't someone who likes to read or if you're a student who is glued to your ipod... you can keep up with this election! Enjoy!