Election Night

Well the 2012 Presidential Election is finally over.  Obama has been reelected for President of the United States of America.  Hopefully we will see more change for the good, a better economy, and the different political parties trying hard to work together under his second term as president.  I think it is important that they try to work together to get things done for our country.

I want to share some pictures from Election night in this blog post.  I think they really speak as to how torn our country is.  When I was looking for images from Election night, I only found polar opposites.  The photographs taken of Republicans and the Romney supporters shows them deeply upset and shocked, while the pictures of Democrats and Obama supporters are elated and joyous.  It is sad to me that even though one side lost and the other side lost, we are so split in half as a country that we cannot even be happy that people turned out and voted, that we are a country who allows people to vote no matter their gender or ethnicity.  There is so much negativity surrounding elections and hatred towards the other side that when it is over, people are either really upset or really happy.  In my opinion, there is no real middle ground.  I was even on one extreme of the emotional scale as I was watching the election results and hoping that my candidate would win.  Elections are so heated that people take the loss or win personally.  It becomes less about an election and more about one side winning or losing.

These first three pictures are from the Romney election day camp in Boston.  It is clear that they are watching the results live and that it does not look good for Romney.  If you were to see these pictures and not know the context of when it was taken, you would probably assume that they were watching something really sad and horrible taking place.  It amazes me how almost every single person in this image has a similar look on their face.  I feel bad for them because you know the time and effort they have put in to supporting this campaign and they are watching their candidate lose before their eyes.  They are all of voting age and made the choice to vote for Romney and it would be very upsetting to be in that room, a room that was so filled with hope and happiness hours before, and that is now slowly watching their candidate lose.

What really sticks out to me in this photograph is the little boy.  He is not old enough to vote or understand what each side stands for and yet he is brought to tears over Romney's loss in the election.  Is he even old enough to understand what is going on?  Or is he upset because he has heard his parents talk about the election, heard it in school, and he knows his parents are upset about Romney's loss?  I remember being in elementary school when Clinton was reelected president.  I was raised in a super Republican home and my parents undoubtedly did not vote for Clinton, but I vividly remember taking part in my schools mock election and I voted for Clinton.  I am assuming it was because he was the President at the time and I knew his name and face from television ads and such, but it still strikes me that I "voted" for him in my school.  My parents did not support him, but I still voted for him because I didn't understand what was going on, I just knew his name so that was who I picked.  It just goes to show how impressionable children are at such a young age.  They may not understand what each side stands for and they may not even support the side that they were raised with when the are of age to vote, but the election still effects them.  To me, the child in this photograph is not being taught about elections or the importance of democracy and voting, but about the importance of winning versus losing a campaign.  He doesn't want to be on the losing team.

 This pictures is of Romney on election night when he gave his concession speech.  I think his speech was really well written and he spoke from the heart and was honorable in his loss.  He looks so tired in this picture, especially in contrast to the images of him from earlier in the day, when he was sure he was going to win.  He looks as if he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, which I am sure he does, especially as he looks out at the disappointed faces of the people who supported him and wanted him to win.  I always find concession speeches interesting because these men are supposed to be just that, they are supposed to be men.  They are not supposed to be weak and show emotion.  They are supposed to strong and honorable, but can you even imagine what they must be feeling at that point?! Standing up there, having to give a concession speech after just having lost the election for the position of President of the United States of America?!  It must be heart breaking.  I can't even imagine what a loss like that would feel like.

In contrast to the pictures above, you have ones like this that are of people who are excited about Obamas reelection.  This picture has been everywhere and I think it has become a picture that represents Obama supporters for many reasons.  The first is that it shows a black woman and a white woman with their arms around each other.  The color of their skin does not matter to them, they are united by their joy for Obama's reelection.  This picture symbolizes the hope for a race blind nation that we hope to continue to become under Obama's second term as president, the first black president.  A second reason why this picture is so representative of the Obama campaign is that it shows women.  Women, especially young women, were a huge demographic who voted for Obama in this election.  It speaks to all of the women who came before us, who fought for us to have the right to vote and the women all over the world who are still fighting for the right to vote.  It reaffirms Obama's original campaign slogans of Hope and Change.

This picture is also of Obama supporters from election night as the listened to Obama's speech in Chicago.  You can see the joy in their eyes as they listen to him talk about the hope and the direction that he wants our country to continue on.  This picture shows people of all different ethnicities and age groups, showing the hope that many people, no matter the color of their skin, their age, or their background, find in Obama and his campaign.  They are watching history be made right before their eyes and are so proud that they took part in it and that their candidate won.

This final picture is of Obama on stage in Chicago on election night.  I just have to point out his tie, which is blue, the color typically associated with Democrats.  I swear that I always notice the ties first when I am watching anything that has to do with campaigns.  You can just tell by the look on his face that he is so proud, honored, and happy to have been reelected.  He seems younger in this photo than he has in many. Hopefully his reelection will be good things to our nation.



 

Happy Election Day!

Happy Election Day y'all!  Who are you voting for?  I have already submitted my absentee ballot to Virginia.  Sadly, I didn't get one of the "I Voted" stickers.  They should stick those in the envelopes of the absentee ballots! Who do you think is going to win?  I think Obama is going to win, but if we listen to the "Redskins Rule" then Romney will win.  The Redskins Rule says that if the Redskins win in the team's final home game before Election Day, the incumbent party in power gets re-elected.  If however, the Redskins lose their final home game before Election Day, the other party claims the White House.  Since 1940, the rule has predicted the winner 17 out of 18 times.  So by the Redskins Rule, Romney could win!  We will see my friends!  I hope both sides nearly billion dollar campaign ad budgets weren't for nothing!  I wonder if Obama and Romney were able to sleep last night?!

Halloween Political Cartoons

I know that Halloween was a couple of days ago, but I found some great political cartoons that have to do with Halloween that I wanted to share.  No matter who or what the cartoonist may be criticizing or poking fun at, I always find political cartoons witty and funny.  It is amazing how humor can help diffuse a situation, especially in politics.
This first one is obviously drawn as if from a Republican's point of view.  The children have just left the White House and are talking about how their candy was taken away and given to another kid, who wasn't even trying to trick-or-treat.  This obviously refers to the idea of redistribution of wealth and taxing the upper class and people who have high income salaries, in order to help the less fortunate.  I find it interesting that the artist of this political cartoon has this child wearing the clothes of a hobo.  The child in the ghost costume is obviously referring to the election and the possibility of Obama not getting re-elected.  It is a great commentary on Obama's political beliefs and ideas while in office.

This political cartoon is an obvious statement on our economy and the job market.  Instead of Halloween candy, the children have been given resumes, job applications, and will work for food signs.  Perhaps this cartoon is also serving as a commentary on how the collapse of the job market is effecting the children in the United States.

 This third cartoon is obviously commenting and making fun of the fact that a lot of people say that President Obama is a communist.  It shows him dressed up as Karl Marx, author of The Communist Manifesto, for Halloween.  Michelle Obama is suggesting that he should dress up as Robin Hood, who could possibly be looked at as a communist, because the Robin Hood costume would serve Obama better because people tend to like the idea of Robin Hood better than Marx.

  I really like this political cartoon!  I think it is really funny.  It shows the many members of the Republican party, including former presidential candidate John McCain and the current candidate Mitt Romney, all dressed up as Ronald Reagan for Halloween.  This political cartoon could be taken in two ways.  The first is that these men, by wearing a Reagan mask as a costume, are trying to pretend that they are a politician similar to Reagan, which they aren't really.  I think that it could also be saying that we need a Republican candidate who is more like Reagan was as President.  It is definitely a comment on the Republican party and perhaps the lack of a good candidate for President.

Don't forget to vote on Tuesday!

The Campaign

Lexington is blessed with a dollar movie theater.  I personally LOVE the dollar theater because I am a poor graduate student and can't afford to see a $10 movie anymore.  Don't y'all miss the days when a ticket to a movie was $5.25?!  My friends and I went to see the movie "The Campaign" staring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis this week.  It is a hilarious movie, with lots of underhanded jabs at politics and the U.S. Government.  I think most people would understand the film and the things that they are making fun of, but there are definitely terms and ideas, such as a super pac and an incumbent, that the average viewer might not know.  If you are politically aware, the movie takes on a whole new level of mocking politics.  If you haven't seen it, I suggest going.  Because the class is about visual culture and movies are a huge part of American culture, I decided to blog about the movie.

The movie is about two men, one a Democrat and the other a Republican, running for Congress for the town of Hammond, North Carolina.  The writers of the movie wrote two really interesting parts for each party's candidate.  The characters are over exaggerated and play up certain stereotypes.  Will Ferrell plays the candidate for the Democrat party, who is running for his 5th consecutive term.  Even his name, Cam Brady, screams all American man.  He doesn't know what he is doing and comes across as a southern "good 'ole boy" who lost all of his brain cells when he was drinking on a hunting trip with his buddies.  He uses the same line over and over again when trying to attract voters. "Because ____ is this nation's backbone" gets used to describe potential candidates that are farmers, school teachers, even Filipino tilt-a-whirl operators.  His campaign slogan is "Yes We Cam" which is a total nod to President Obama.  Brady gets caught up in a cheating scandal and at one point tweets a picture of his genitals, which is an obvious mock of all of the cheating and nude pictures from different senators and congressmen.  Ferrell's character is also good friends with the media, an attribute often given to Democratic candidates.  His wife is a hard ass, who is only with him to further her political career (Hillary Clinton anyone?!) and as soon as Ferrell's character starts doing poorly in the campaign, she leaves him.  His go to reply for anything is support/God bless the troops and his go to symbol is the eagle.  At one point he says that he never does anything in D.C. related to Congress, except play on his I-Phone.... definitely a comment on today's government officials.  You can watch his campaign video from the movie below.

Zach Galifianakis' character, the Republican nominee named Marty Huggins, is the director of the local tourism center.  He is flamboyant, overweight, and although somewhat stupid and silly, he is a good person.  He was encouraged to run by two CEO's from Washington D.C., the Motch brothers, which sounds a lot like Marx if you ask me.  The Motch brothers back candidates all over the country, creating super pacs in order to get the candidate of their choosing in office.  Huggins' knows nothing about politics and is very naive, which is why he was chosen because he can be made into the perfect candidate.  The Motch brothers hire a campaign advisor who completely makes over Huggins' home and family, giving his wife a "Katie Couric" haircut, placing a painting of an eagle over the fireplace, and replacing his two dogs with a chocolate lab and a golden retriever, which are described in the movie as the highest polling dogs.  While Huggins is very passionate and wants the best for his small town, he does not really have what it takes to be a political candidate.  He is perhaps a little too small town and naive to really make it in D.C.  It is interesting to note that Huggins comes from a very rich family who has been involved in politics and he wants to run for office to get his father's approval and fit in with his family, perhaps mocking other republicans like former president George W. Bush.  His political ad from the movie is here:  

    

There are a couple great scenes in the movie that deal with the interactions of the two candidates at the political debates.  In the first one, the two candidates have a moment where they are trash talking to each other, but Mary Huggins can't really get it right.  It makes you wonder what sort of things Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama say to each other before and after the debates.  I wonder if there is any smack talking or if they are too esteemed and grown up for that.  They are men though, and men do have a tendency to build themselves up by knocking the other one down.  Perhaps the only smack talking that goes on is in the back rooms before they get on stage.  It always amazes me that the second the debates end, they suddenly have smiles on their faces and are talking to each other like they are old friends.  How is this even possible after having such a heated and impassioned discussion?  They are always laughing and joking with each other, but what are they really thinking?  I thought it was also interesting that Brady's wife was wearing a blue dress and Huggin's wife was wearing a red dress, the colors that are typically associated with the parties their husband's are representing.  Brady is unable to make any coherent responses or sound ideas in the debate, speaking only from a place of emotion instead of fact, which I think is representative of how democrats can sometimes be in debates.  Huggins', on the other hand, takes low blows at Brady, like republicans often do.  He says that Brady is a communist, using an example of a book Brady wrote in elementary school about rainbow land and everything being shared.  Huggins' also says that Brady isn't really a Christian and Brady is unable to recite the Lord's Prayer.  Both of these, in my opinion, are comments on the parties and their stereotypes.  The second debate is a town hall style debate and ends with the two candidates physically fighting.  The debates are often compared to boxing matches and I think it is funny that they have the debate end in a physical brawl in the movie.  Here is the hilarious clip from the movie of their trash talking before the debate.    

The movie is definitely a satire of American politics and campaigns.  It speaks very true to many political representatives in our nation and we have seen many candidates do the exact same thing that these two characters do in this movie.  I think that everyone who worked on this film, from the writers to the actors and make-up artists did a great job at mocking the way American political campaigns work in a funny, but accurate way.

Political Ads

We are getting so close to the election!  I finally received my absentee ballot in the mail and voted.  It is pretty exciting!  As we get closer to the election I have been noticing an increase in campaign ads, for the obvious reason.  There is a great website called The Living Room Candidate and it has political campaign ads from 1952 through 2012.  It is an awesome website and you should check it out!
The Living Room Candidate

Our assignment this week is to write on an political ad.  I chose the ad from JFK's election in 1960.  The ad that I chose is a jingle for the candidate.  It is a super catchy tune, reminiscent of a television show theme song, that gets stuck in your head all day long.  After watching it a couple of times already, I feel like I know it by heart.  The imagery in this video is what I find really interesting.  It is essentially the same pictures and images repeated over and over again.  Pictures of "Kennedy's people", the people that will be voting for him.  There are shots of people of all races and all ages, painting Kennedy as an every man, a president who connects with every demographic.  The use of handmade signs is repeated throughout the ad, giving the idea that people are passionate about him and made these signs themselves in support of JFK.  There are also certain words that are repeated over and over again like "president", "vote democratic", "a time for greatness", and "leader for the 60s".  All of these words that flash across the screen with his face stick in your head, really getting a message across.  There is an emphasis that he is young, but still experienced and is a presidential candidate that cares about every citizen in every state.  The emphasis is on age is definitely a little stab at the other presidential candidate, Richard Nixon.  Nixon's team tried to say that Kennedy's young age equated inexperience, but Kennedy's team used his young age in a positive message.   It is short and sweet and to the point.  The ad has a real magazine/newspaper ad feel to it, making me think that this ad was made by a company who created ads for magazines and newspapers, especially in comparison to political ads today that are more advanced.     

Another important part to the JFK jingle ad is that you don't have to actually watch it in order to get the message.  Most of the time during commercial breaks people get up and go away from the tv.  If you were a housewife in 1960 who had the TV on during the day or a family watching it at night and you walked away while the commercial was on, but still heard it, you would still get the message.  The repetition of Kennedy's name is pounded into your head.  There is not questions about who the ad is for.  Without seeing the images, you get the message and it is catchy enough that you don't tune out.  You hear the message... that Kennedy is the right president and you should vote for him!  The use of the words "me" and "you" are also significant.  The ad is drilling into your head that I should vote for Kennedy, that he s the right candidate for ME.  The repetition of the word "me" makes the viewer feel like they are important to the campaign, that their vote counts and should be for Kennedy.  He is the people's president, the president for each individual.

It is interesting to me how these jingle ads function.  While they are catchy and upbeat, they still manage to get a few jabs.  Most political ads have a more direct assault on the competition, but jingles make this attack in a more underhanded way.  The jabs can sometimes be lost on the viewer, but if you watch them over and over again, you pick up on the underhanded comments at the opposing candidate.

A parody of the JFK ad was used for Barack Obama this campaign season.  I am pretty sure that it was not an official campaign video, but it is an interesting comparison.  There have been a lot of comparisons between JFK and Obama over the years, comparing their age, inexperience, presence and speaking ability, as well as their political beliefs.  Kennedy was a very loved president by the people of the United States and by creating this ad, it is exemplifying the comparison.

Political Fashion

I think that it is safe to say that as a people, we judge based on looks, especially by how a person is dressed.  It is in my opinion that fashion plays a huge role in politics, especially during an election.  The candidate is trying to physically portray themselves as a certain type of person in order to secure votes.  There is a great scene in the movie "The Adjustment Bureau" in which Matt Damon's character is giving a speech on authenticity after just having lost the senatorial race (link below).  He talks about how his ties are selected by a team of people who have tested and gathered data about tie colors and the colors that he wears are chosen for a specific reason.  Damon's character says that he is told to either wear a blue or red tie, not yellow because it makes it look like he is taking his situation too lightly and that a silver tie would make it appear that he has forgotten his roots.  He also discusses his shoes, saying that he has to have the right amount of scuff on his shoes, so that he doesn't alienate any social class.

For me, this scene is totally true and reflective of how politicians dress.  Their outfits are carefully selected, from the tie to the shoes that they wear, in order to reflect something in particular.  We associate certain traits with people by the close that they wear.  When I see a person wearing scrubs, I automatically assume that they are a doctor and therefore intelligent and hardworking.  The same goes for when I see someone in a business suit.  On the other hand, when you see a person who is poorly dressed, you automatically assume negative things about them.  All of these things are taken into account and carefully calculated on a campaign trail and I think Mitt Romney is the perfect example.  

When Romney first started on the campaign trail, his hair was a littler stiffer, his suits crisper.  He looked like a millionaire business man.  This was probably the perfect look for him during those first weeks, when he was competing for the official presidential nominee for the republicans.  He wanted to appeal to the rich republican, corporate types who would be donating money to his campaign.  Romney wanted support, at that time, from those people who could afford to help his campaign.  After he was officially selected as the republican nominee for president, Romney's style completely changed.  He started dressing more in clothes that would appeal to the average American.  Typically dressed in a button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, sometimes in blue jeans but typically in khaki pants, Romney was presenting himself as an average American man.  What is that common expression?  Something about rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty?  His sleeves were always rolled at just the right amount of length to convey a certain image, the picture of a man who has rolled his sleeves up himself and is prepared to work hard.  Any farther and it would look to contrived.   Even the color of his ties give off a certain air.  In the first presidential debate, Romney wore a red tie.  Red is a color that is typically associated with fire, anger, strength, passion, etc.  He was a reflection of all of those adjectives in the first debate.  In the second debate he wore a blue tie, which is a color that is typically associated with being cool, calm, and composed which was a reflection of his behavior during that debate.  Obama wore the red tie in second debate and he was red that night because he was the one who came out fighting.  The colors red and blue even brings thoughts of certain parties to mind, red for republicans and blue for democrats.

It is interesting to also watch the style of their wives.  They also want to appeal to every woman in America, dressed smart, but not wearing too expensive clothes that they alienate the masses.  Typically women in politics wear suits that are mainly composed of either a skirt and top/jacket or a dress and jacket.  I feel like I rarely see them wear pants, probably in an effort to appear more feminine and subservient to their powerful political husbands.  They must look sophisticated, elegant, classy, but also matronly.  They are representing the mothers of America and must dress accordingly.  Rarely do you see the wife of a politician with a skirt too short or a top too low.  Michelle Obama is constantly discussed in the fashion world because she dresses so well.  She does a great job of combining expensive and inexpensive pieces for a great put together look.  Michelle has a wonderful fashion sense (or at least her stylist does) and she is a great role model for young women.  It is all part of the role that she plays as the wife of the President.

I thought it was interesting how both Michelle Obama and Ann Romney were wearing hot pink outfits to the second debate.  October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I wonder if their camps talked to each other.  I am also curious about if the stylists for Barack and Mitt speak with each other before each debate to let the other know what tie they are wearing.  One wore a red striped tie and the other wore a blue polka-dot tie.  At the second debate, they switched with one in a blue striped and the other in a red polka-dot.  I am sure it is not a coincidence that they did this.  I wonder what sort of interpretations or messages are given off to people by stripes vs. polka-dots.      
      


http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/the-adjustment-bureau/authentic-speech

Damned if you do.

Our discussions in class have recently been based on trauma and memorials that are created in honor and remembrance of a traumatic event.  We discussed the symptoms of trauma and the effects that a traumatic experience have on a person, like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  I could not help but think of my own experience with a traumatic event and the role that politics played in that event.

On April 27th, 2011 I was living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and finishing up my senior year of college.  I was stressing about finals and getting excited for graduation.  We had been having bad weather the days leading up to the 27th and the weather was weird on the 27th, but strangely it was sunny out.  For 4 years of undergrad I had gotten used to the tornado sirens going off regularly, either because it was the monthly testing or as a warning of a real tornado, but no tornado had actually hit Tuscaloosa, so we never really took it seriously.  I had been hanging out with friends all day long, coming and going from my apartment and the weather channel had been all day long warning us of the tornado that was coming, but again we didn't take it seriously because we had been warned about these storms for years and one had never actually come close to touching the ground.  As it got later in the day, the weather reporters started getting really serious about the storm and were warning us that this storm was going to be really bad and to be prepared.  My friends and I threw a bunch of pillows and blankets in the bathroom and got a pizza, ready for a night of no power and bad rain.  We could no longer watch the weather channel because of the storm and I remember the wind started getting really bad and it was hailing, so we rain into the bathroom, laughing and joking around, having know idea the beast that was ripping apart my town already.  We had only been in there for maybe a minute, when I decided to go look out the windows and see what was going on outside.  I remember standing on my porch and calling to my friends that the sky was green and it was eerily still, no hail, no wind, nothing.  It was strange.  The people across the street from me, who could see over the apartment complex behind me (the direction the tornado was coming from), started screaming at us to go inside and take cover.  We ran inside and went into the bathroom, and within seconds the power was out and the pressure began to change, our ears started popping.  I started to hear this sound coming through the air-vent that sounded like a freight train and I remember repeatedly asking my friends what that sound was.  

When it quieted back down, we went outside and everything that I saw after that completely changed my life.  The town that I had lived in for 4 years, my home, was destroyed.  It had been ripped up by a tornado so fierce and strong, destroying everything in its wake.  It was so surreal, like being on a movie set or in a city destroyed by a war.  I remember calling my dad and crying, telling him over the phone that everything was gone, everything was destroyed, and he scoffed it off as me being dramatic, but when he and my brothers started watching the footage of the tornado and could see my apartment complex in the video, they realized how bad it was.  I am normally never at a loss for words, but I am still when it comes to describing what I saw that night and the weeks after the tornado.  My friends houses were gone, as if they never existed.  The places that I visited regularly were destroyed, never to be visited again.  The streets that I drove on everyday were covered in debris, with no way to travel on them except by foot.  My town was completely destroyed.  People were injured and killed, people that I knew.  It was the most traumatic event that I have ever been through, one a completely different scale than the death of my own mother.  For weeks after the event, I had flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety attacks, all of the symptoms of PTSD.  I still freak out every time it storms and things like the smell of freshly cut trees or the sound of a train passing by remind me of the tornado, making it all very real again.  I still get sick to my stomach every time I watch the video of the tornado that I am sharing on here.  You can see the roof of my apartment complex behind the shopping strip across the street from where he is filming in this video.

I honestly don't think that I can convey what the tornado did to me in this blog.  It was so traumatic and  I have times when I can talk about it without getting upset and other times I will be in tears instantly.  Right now I am able to distance myself from the event to explain it, but I don't think that it can really convey my emotions about the event.  I am including in this blog pictures that I took in the days following the tornado, so perhaps you can see what I saw.  It is really hard to explain what it is like to somebody who wasn't there.  Just try and imagine walking outside your front door and suddenly everything is leveled and you can see clear across town, see things that would normally be obstructed from view by buildings and houses, which are now gone.

But how does this all relate to politics?  The reason that I am sharing this story is because of something that happened 2 days after the tornado.  In the middle of the search and rescue for people still buried under debris, the city of Tuscaloosa had to be shut down because somebody special was coming to visit, President

Obama.  He and his wife came to Tuscaloosa to show their support and to witness the damage.  Obama said that he had "never seen devastation like this before" and that he was doing "everything we can to help these communities".  Well Mr. President, I don't think you were really helping people when you came to Tuscaloosa.  The entire city had to be SHUT DOWN so that he could have his photo op.  I understand that it is a damned if you do, damned if you don't type of situation and that after President Bush's major screw up after Hurricane Katrina, Obama probably thought it was necessary and important for him to be there.  I know that he was trying to show his support and show Americans that he cared about the natural disaster that occurred and
 the people who had been through this traumatic event.  But honestly, in my opinion,  all his visit did was shut our city down and put the search and rescue missions on hold so that he could walk around Tuscaloosa.  There could have been people saved that could still be alive today if everything had not been shut down for him.  I understand that his visit probably brought a lot of people hope, but couldn't he have waited a couple of days?  I know that there isn't really a right or wrong thing to do in this situation and he was probably doing the best thing he thought he should, which was to visit, but I just think he needed to stay out of it those first couple of days.  The people in Tuscaloosa lost EVERYTHING.  It was destroyed.  There were people buried alive under rubble, needing to be saved.  But it had to be stopped because Obama and his wife needed a photo opportunity and wanted to come shake some hands, maybe secure a couple votes with nice words for the next election.  I don't know.  It is a difficult situation and I think that he needed to come visit, but he should've given more than just 2 days for the rescue mission to happen before he caused it all to be shut down.  But that is politics.       

Obama's Debate Notes

I was sent these images in an email about the debate.  I am not sure where they came from and who made them, but I am probably right in assuming that these are not the actual debate notes from Barack Obama.  There have been many discussions of Obama and his behavior and lack of energy at the first debate in Denver.  I feel like Obama wasn't really present at the debate, that he seemed tired, distracted, and not mentally or emotionally prepared.  These two images were created by somebody in response to his behavior that we witnessed at the debates.  They are reminiscent of notes that are taken in a high school or middle school class.  "Obama's notes" start out as being present with topics to discuss, and like Obama was in real life, there is a slow decline with his attention to the debate topics.  There are doodles, little jokes, responses to things that Romney said.... they reflect somebody who is bored and just writing train of thought.  These drawings are similar to political cartoons, in that you it is really up to the viewer to interpret them how they want and they are poking fun at the political candidates.  I think that these really do make fun of not just Obama, but also the moderator Jim Lehrer, as well as Romney.  I think they are really funny!  I would be curious to see both Obama and Romney's notes from the actual debate.  I wonder if they look anything like these do!

Roll Tide. I mean...

Well it would appear Wednesday night when America thought they were watching the first 2012 Presidential  debate, that they were actually just watching a repeat of the Alabama vs. LSU BCS National Championship game.  You know the one, right?  The game in which Alabama STOMPED LSU.  The game that everybody was talking about for weeks and that evolved into a bipartisan debate among the nation.  The game in which LSU didn't even really show up to play, resulting in a final score of Alabama, 21 and LSU, 0.  I am sure y'all know which game I am talking about about because it was a huge event on tv and they replayed in on Wednesday night instead of the Presidential debate.  ROLL TIDE ROLL!  I am a huge Alabama fan, y'all.  

Just to clarify, in case anyone didn't note my sarcasm in the paragraph above, they didn't actually show the Alabama vs. LSU BCS National Championship game on Wednesday night.  All of the major networks were actually, in fact, showing the first Presidential debate between Mitt Romney and President Obama.  But I could not help but feel like I was watching the BCS-NC game with Romney as Alabama and Obama as LSU because let's be honest, Obama didn't really show up to play.  

Did anybody else think that Obama was completely off of his game?  Say what you want you silly democrats and republicans, blame it on the altitude and that Obama wasn't able to think clearly with the lack of oxygen, or that this is just how he is without being able to read a speech off of a teleprompter.  Whatever the reason and no matter what your party, we all have to admit that Obama didn't really show up for the debate last night.  Perhaps it is because he is the President of the United States and wasn't able to lock himself up in a mansion for weeks to prepare (coughRomneycough), but either way everyone is saying that Romney "won" the debate.  This idea of Romney having won the debate is exemplified in the picture to the right of a poll done by CBS News.  They asked uncommitted voters to rate which candidate cares more about their individual needs and problems.  Both candidates made a positive jump, with a 33% increase in people saying that they thought Romney cared more about their needs after watching the debate and a 16% increase saying the same for Obama.  

I think that Romney did well in the debate.  He used a lot of statistics and facts, although they may not all be 100% true, and had many specific examples of people that he has met along the campaign trail.  These examples of specific conversations he had made him seem like a charismatic candidate, one that really does care about your personal needs because he remembers the small people along the way.  Romney was well spoken and carried himself like a man who is prepared to be president.  He was attentive to Obama when Obama was speaking and persistently made eye contact with the president.  He responded to Obama's remarks and questions with specific examples of what he is going to do and how he plans on doing those things if he is elected.  Again, not all of the statements that he made were 100% correct or perhaps truthful, but to the uncommitted voters watching the debate, Romney knew what he was talking about.  How else could you explain a 33% jump in the poll above?

Obama on the other hand was again, off his game.  He just gave a poor performance.  I personally feel like he responded to Romney's questions and remarks with emotion instead of facts.  He had a tendency to harp on certain statements instead of addressing the topic at hand, which made him come across as unknowledgeable and unprepared.  Obama's story about the school teacher he met in Las Vegas seemed like a meager attempt to try and say to Romney, "Well hey, I have met people along the campaign trail too, so maybe I should mention them like you...".  Obama rarely made eye contact with Romney and had a tendency to look everywhere but at his opponent when Romney was speaking.  He just came across as somebody who was worn down and not completely prepared for the battle.  No matter the circumstances behind his poor performance, I know that his advisors will be hounding him and thoroughly preparing him for the next debate.  I can bet that Obama will come out swinging in the second presidential debate.  

     

No matter who won or lost, both candidates lied and twisted statistics and facts, made faces at comments made by the other, and repeatedly talked over the moderator.  They were both trying to one up each other and get the last word in and while this was not the dirtiest of the presidential debates, they certainly got some snide comments and jabs at each other in there.  Both Obama and Romney tried to present themselves as the best candidate while simultaneously putting the other one down.  But does it really matter?  The people who liked Obama before the debate certainly liked him after and the people who liked Romney before, definitely liked him after.  It has taken me a couple of days to really process what each candidate said and the performances of both.  I wanted to be able to write this blog without having my political affiliations sway my argument in this blog.  I think it is naive for a person to vote on a president based on what they hear in the debates because both candidates lied and facts were incorrect.  I think that it is important for people to research what the candidates are for and against, what they stand on and how voting for one candidate over the other will personally affect you.  No matter which way your state swings, it is still your right to vote and it is important to do so.  So vote.  Register, apply for an absentee ballot, whatever it is you have to do to make sure you can vote in this election.  VOTE.   

After the battle on stage Wednesday night, didn't y'all just love the gathering of the families on stage?  They just have to remind America that they are family men and that no matter what personal politics are, democrats and republicans really can be friends!

       

There are a lot of boxers out there...

The video link below was sent to me in an email today and I wanted to just share it quickly.  It is from what appears to be a Danish tv/internet broadcast that comments on social issues and the issue in this video is President Obama.  The clip shows Obama meeting with several leaders from countries all over the world and constantly using the descriptor for these countries as boxers who punch above their weight in international fairs.  It also shows him doing the same thing but saying that the countries are strong and close allies.  I am not sure if it is a coincidence that he is using the same terms repeatedly, just bad speech writing by his staff, or just really good film editing, but either way it is embarrassing.  Perhaps it is time for some new speech writers, Mr. President?

Saturday Night Live Political Skits

Political spoofs have been a part of media culture for ages and nobody does it better than the cast members of Saturday Night Live.  Every Saturday, without fail, they have a skit that is devoted to mocking the politicians of the United States, as well as other countries.  Even in SNL’s first season, the cast was performing political skits.  The premiere season in 1976 had Chevy Chase acting scenes as a clumsy presidential candidate Gerald Ford.  Chase later said in interviews that he wanted Jimmy Carter to beat Ford in the presidential election, which is part of the reason why he mocked Ford on the show.  Ford may have been one of the first, but he is certainly not the last politician to be mocked on SNL.  Nobody is off limits and everybody from President Obama to Hosni Mubarak is fair game for the political skits. 

The question that I want to know is how do these political skits affect voters?  Are uneducated or undecided voters swayed by the way the cast members portray these politicians?  If that is the case, perhaps the Democrats have an unfair advantage.  SNL is known for having a strongly Democrat cast, if not entirely made up of Democrats and they have a tendency to poke fun at Republicans in their skits.  Tina Fey’s impression of Sarah Palin on SNL has become immortalized and people are still talking about this impression, years after Fey retired from SNL.  Her impression of Palin was mentioned as recently as last Sunday night at the 2012 Emmy Awards.  

But that does not mean that the writers of SNL only make fun of Republicans.  During the 2011 SNL season when Obama’s ratings were really low, there were repeated skits mocking our president.  Fred Armisen portrayed Obama in scenes and mocked the way he spoke and his mannerisms, portraying Obama as almost an idiot who didn’t really know what he was doing in office.  The portrayals and skits about Obama are not the harshest and most straightforward criticisms of the President, but one can tell there is some underlying frustration with the President in such skits.

Just this Saturday, Seth Meyers did a segment on the weekly skit “Weekend Update” called “What Are You Doing” that was directed at Obama.  In the skit, Meyers pointedly asked Obama what he was doing in his political campaign after the president made the comment “You can’t change Washington from the inside, you can only change it from the outside.”  Meyers was asking Obama why he was putting his foot in his mouth, especially when Romney had made Obama look better by making himself look stupid that same week.  Meyers described Obama as “the criminal who gets away with murder and then starts sending the cops puzzles to figure it out”.  The skit was also critical of Romney, but it is an example of how the cast members and writers of SNL will poke fun at members of all parties.  A link to the video is below.      

These examples bring me back to my previous question of how these skits affect the voters and public opinions of the politicians they make fun of.  I believe that there are many people that draw conclusions about politicians and can even be swayed as to whom to vote for from information they receive from popular culture.  The majority of the views expressed are biased and Hollywood is known for being mainly composed of democrats, perhaps leading the younger generation, who are strongly influenced by these people, to vote democrat.  SNL cast member Kate McKinnon references this idea of the cool and popular Hollywood stars supporting Obama this past week when she portrays Ann Romney and says that as a republican, the only famous people she gets to meet are Jon Voigt, while the Obamas, as democrats, get to hang out with Jay-Z and Beyonce (video link below).  Celebrities, like Chelsea Handler on her late night television show, use their fame as a platform for expressing their opinions and promoting certain political candidates.  When she calls her viewers who vote or support Romney idiots and helping to ruin our country, she is influencing the minds of those who have not decided on who to vote for yet.  When a popular actor like Ryan Gosling is pictured wearing an Obama t-shirt, his political opinions are expressed and influence those who admire him.  If you watched Chelsea Handler's show or loved Ryan Gosling and you see who they are voting for, want to be cool like them, and you are undecided, you would probably vote for Obama after remarks like that. 

Because Americans are so engrossed with celebrities and popular culture, the politicians that are supported by the rich and the famous have a huge advantage.  They have a huge influence on voters.  Young voters may think that it is “cool” to vote for one candidate over another simply because a certain celebrity that they admire promotes that candidate.  Obviously celebrities have every right to express their views as to which politician they support, but sometimes they take it a little too far.  They should understand that they are in the public eye and that their biased views are going to be heard by a lot of people and to remember that when they express their opinions.  When they make harsh comments about one politician over another, they are making a strong statement that is going to be heard and read by millions of people and that statement is going to have consequences.  I am not saying that I don’t think celebrities should be allowed to express their opinion or that people like the cast members of SNL should not do political skits.  No matter if it is a democrat or a republican that is being promoted or being mocked, it is in my opinion that Hollywood needs to be a little less biased and perhaps promote voting in general, not matter who it is for.  Remind everyone to vote because it is a right that not all people have and that many people fought just for us to have this right.  They should spend more time stressing the importance of voting, than promoting their political opinions    

SNL Weekend Update- Ann Romney

SNL Weekend Update- Obama