The Virgin Vote

What Should Michelle Obama Wear on Inauguration Day?

2008-12-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

Inauguration Day is right around the corner on January 20th and it's almost time for Michelle to pick what she will wear. Take a look at the some of the front runners below and tell us what you think she should wear.

poll by twiigs.com

And You Think Your School Is Expensive?

2008-12-18T15:56:00.000-08:00

Michelle Obama toured around the Capitol this week to find the perfect school for 10-year-old Malia and seven-year-old Sasha to attend. Take a look at some of the top contenders below and you will notice that there is no budget when it comes to a White House education.

Georgetown Day School

This school is housed on two seperate campuses and enrolls students from Pre-K to High School. Its mission is to "encourage our students to wonder, to inquire, and to be self-reliant, laying the foundation for a lifelong love of learning." The cost? More than $27,000 a year.

Maret School

The Maret school is located in the heart of D.C. and houses K-12 all on one campus. The school was founded in 1911 and prides itself on being "organic, fluid, not limited to clocks, schedules, and facilities." Tuition here will run about $26,000 a year.

Sidwell Friends School

Based entirely on Quaker values, Sidwell Friends School is where Chelsea Clinton attended while her father was in office. Their philosophy: "Above all, we seek to be a school that nurtures a genuine love of learning and teaches students "to let their lives speak." This is the most expensive of the three school, running about $29,000 a year.

Breaking News: Bush, Obama will meet with former presidents

2008-12-17T15:58:00.000-08:00

Caption: Red, white, and blue potato chips?

Just minutes ago, CNN got confirmation from White House Press Secretary Dana Perino that President Bush and President-Elect Barack Obama will meet again for another post-election transfer-of-power discussion. The pow wow is set for January 7. But this time, they've invited a few more guests to the party.

"President Bush will host a lunch for President-elect Obama and former Presidents Carter, Clinton, and Bush," White House Press Secretary Dana Perino told CNN.

The idea to include all the living former presidents was Obama's -- he proposed it to President Bush at their last meeting on November 10, and Mr. Bush quickly agreed.

Perino said the White House would release additional details about the meeting as the date nears. I guess we'll just have to wait to hear what kind of finger sandwiches are served at a meeting of five U.S. presidents. Do I hear red, white, and blue potato chips?

We won't need to wait for the outcome of the meeting, or even for Obama to take power and his policies to go into effect -- Time Magazine has already named him the 2008 Person of the Year.

But Obama isn't chalking one down in the victory column just yet. Here's a few of the tough questions he's going to judge his presidency on:

"Have we helped this economy recover from what is the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression? Have we instituted financial regulations and rules of the road that assure this kind of crisis doesn't occur again? Have we created jobs that pay well and allow families to support themselves? Have we made significant progress on reducing the cost of health care and expanding coverage? Have we begun what will probably be a decade-long project to shift America to a new energy economy? Have we begun what may be an even longer project of revitalizing our public-school systems?" he said in an interview with Time.

Sounds like a pretty tough checklist to me. He might want to consider an extra helping of my "Freedom Chips."

2008-12-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

Obama announced that he will be appointing Nobel Prize winner Steven Chu as Secretary of the department of energy. Obama spoke to reporters in Chicago minutes ago and CNN picked up the story shortly after that. Obama hinted at this nomination last week when he It is expected that Lisa Jackson will be nominated as the ambassador of the Environmental Protection Agency later this week. But much of this has been overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Blagojevich who returned to work today despite calls for his resignation.

Below is a video of Chu at last weeks National Energy Summit.

Obama's Cabinet is Taking Shape--See Who Made the Cut...

2008-12-11T09:42:00.000-08:00

Secretary of Education Still Unpicked

2008-12-09T20:38:00.000-08:00

As the US school system fails, reformers and teachers' unions are looking forward to whom Obama will name as Secretary of Education. Reformers like that Obama mentioned that a teacher's salary should correlate with students' achievement. However, Obama has also said salary should not just be based on test scores, which the teachers' unions support. He has artfully appeased both sides throughout his campaign, but now the real decisions must be made. Who will Obama pick as Secretary of Education?

There is the safe choice of picking a governor, the more eye-brow raising choice of picking someone who enjoys causing tension, and there is the likely choice of picking someone with whom Obama is friends.

There are many contenders for the yet-to-be-filled position in Obama's cabinet, but each come with their ups and downs. At the crux of the failing education system is the No Child Left Behind Act and making sure schools achieve certain test scores. For college students, even Teach for America, which matches graduates with a struggling school for two years, has been criticized.

Below is a list of possible choices:

1. Arne Duncan - Chief of Chicago Schools
Good: plays basketball with Obama, toured Chicago schools with Obama, fellow Harvard alumnus, signed bills for reformers and unions, friend of the teachers' unions; helps failing Chicago schools; pay teachers for performance

Controversy: not much really; appeases both sides and is bound to upset one of them

2. Joel Klein - Chancellor of New York City's Department of Education
Good: oversees nation's largest public school system, wants more teaching/ performance accountability

Controversy: known to cause tension

3. Linda Darling-Hammond - Stanford University Professor
Good: on Obama transition team - head of education

Controversy: Reformists don't like her because she criticized the No Child Left Behind act and Teach for America

4. Kathleen Sebelius - Governor of Kansas
Good: campaigned for Obama

Controversy: remove herself from being considered for the cabinet because of Kansas' budget crisis

For more read the Huffington Post article.

"Obama-nomics": College Edition

2008-12-09T00:33:00.000-08:00

So I got an e-mail the other day from FastWeb, which normally provides information about scholarships and internships but sends out the occasional newsletter. This edition was all about President-elect Barack Obama and how his presidency will affect our "Virgin Voters" (although hopefully there aren't too many of you left out there after this monumental election). Here's a summary, since you have to have a subscription to access many of the articles.

Obama has been repeatedly likened to JFK for his charisma and charm, but in revamping the Fireside Chat, he now draws allusion to another abbreviated president-- FDR. Have a look at his chat on education.

No matter what your political leanings, there's no denying that Obama is a definite favorite among the youth of America... and that's exactly to whom he is speaking!

Another huge issue for college students is financial aid. So here's a brief overview of what Obama plans to do for all us starving college students:

"American Opportunity Tax Grant

Under Obama's American Opportunity Tax Grant, all Americans will receive $4,000, fully refundable, for their college education. This amount actually covers 2/3 of a first year at a public university and one whole year in community college costs. But you don't just get $4K for going to college; there is a 100 hours community service requirement.

Simplify the FAFSA
Insert huge sigh of relief. Obama proposes to replace the complicated FAFSA from with a check box on all tax forms that authorizes the use of tax information for financial aid purposes.

Early Assessment Program Funds
Some states have developed Early Assessment Programs for juniors in college. Basically, these programs assess the individual junior and determine whether he/she is prepared for college. If not, the program provides resources to get that student up to speed. Obama hopes to encourage EAP and will provide $25 million in matching funds for states that develop the programs.

Increase in Pell Grants
During his term as president, Obama hopes to maximize the Pell Grant to the amount of $5,400.

Community College Partnership Program
Conduct more analysis on types of skills and technical education that are in high demand from students and local industries
Create new associate of arts degree programs
Reward institutions that graduate more students and also increase number of transfers to four-year institutions

Student Loans
Obama hopes to eliminate the Federal Family Education Loan Program, which has a focus in private student loans and is more expensive."

source: FastWeb Resources ("Change... In Higher Education" by Katherine Knight)

For more on Obama's plan, here's another great article from Education.com.

For more help on paying for college, head on over to FastWeb to set up your account and start taking advantage of all the amazing scholarship opportunities.

Fun Facts about President-Elect Obama

2008-12-08T20:19:00.000-08:00

He's finally president and all that surrounds Obama's name in the news are topics like cabinet members and the economy, but here are some quirky facts to raise some eyebrows and let some laughs loose.

It's in the stars...

• Born on Aug. 4, 1961, Obama is a Leo, which makes him dignified, agreeable and sensitive; however, the stars also reveal he can be pompous, headstrong, and overindulgent. Obama's chinese symbol is the ox, making him a born leader, trustworthy and unwavering.

Suiting...
• barack obama wore a custom made navy blue, worsted wool two-button suit to the DNC from chicago-based hartmax, a 121-year-old clothing manufacturer known to outfit high-profile politicos. their suits run about $1,500 off the rack.

Obama as a college student at Harvard

Mr. Big stuff...

• At Harvard Law School, Obama applied to be in a black pride pin-up calendar, but was rejected by a committee... of all women.

Historically, some vote for the taller candidate...

• Barack Obama is 6'1½," while John McCain is 5'7.''

Soul food...

• Obama is quite the chef and his favorite meal to cook is chili.

Getting lucky...

• Known as "the committee," Obama plays poker with a group of politicos and carries around a mementos like a lucky poker chip and a native american eagle statuette.

Wise words...

• In 2006, Obama won a Grammy for "Best Spoken Word Album" for the audio-book edition of "Dreams from My Father."

Homey...

• Obama's Chicago-home allegedly has antique Chinese sinks and Honduran mahogany bookshelves. Also, a Dutch bar owner is making an offer on Obama's childhood home in Indonesia.

Petting zoo...

• As a child, Barack Obama had a pet monkey, tata. he reportedly promised a dog to his two daughters in november, regardless of the presidential outcome.

Youngsters...

• Obama's daughters, Malia, who is 10, and Sasha who is 7, are the youngest children in the White House since Jimmy Carter was president from 1977-1981.

Supreme Court Passes on Challenge to Obama's Eligibility

2008-12-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

The Supreme Court has tossed a lawsuit claiming that Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen. A small but significant group of people have continued to argue that Obama is not eligible to be president because his father was Kenyan, which was a British protectorate at the time, meaning Obama would have had dual citizenship — and thus not been native-born, as required in the Constitution.

The court's refusal to hear the case means the minimum four justices did not deem it worthy of review. But despite the court's ruling, there continues to be significant concern among some bloggers about Obama's eligibility.

One supporter is Bob Schultz, who heads "We the People Foundation" and has posted numerous documents on his website that argue Obama should not be president under legal grounds. According to Politico, several conservative radio commentators have also helped pedal the rumor, including Michael Savage, Brian Sussman, Lars Larson, and Mark Davis.

Though Schultz and others insist Obama continues to hoax the American people, the issue was mostly put to rest by major media outlets in June when the Obama campaign released a digital image of Obama's birth certificate. Hawaii's director of public health later deemed the images authentic.

The Most Important Stories You May Have Missed

2008-12-08T14:21:00.000-08:00

The obvious headlines like "Obama Wins Presidency," are hard to miss, and I'm sure all you poli-sci buffs are well-versed on Obama's cabinet picks, but here are some stories you may have missed with all the hoop-la and fanfare over trivial issues like who will be the next leader of our struggling country:

What breed best suits the new first family? Forget picking a secretary of state, Barack's next big decision will be: pitbull, rottweiler or poodle. Or how about a pit-rot-oodle? Of course, everyone from foreign diplomats to Jamie Foxx have an opinion on this topic. But the real expert in this area? Yes, that's right, the Dog Whisperer (aka Cesar Millan). Dog guru and Oprah show regular, Millan has publicly delivered some of the world's best advice to our president-elect. "The dog won't know he's Barack Obama and won the presidency," he says. Gasp! You mean a dog won't know that his master is the saviour of the United States? Oh my goodness!

So what are we politically-minded, concerned citizens to do? Get out the VOTE, again! You to can be a part of presidential history and vote on the name of the first-dog-to-be by going to Bar(ac)k the Vote (my, how clever). I'm personally in favor of Hope, or maybe Change, it's just such a tough call. (image from Tripawds.com)

Michelle, Barack and the Harmony Ring: One of the foremost credible news sources in the world reported the Barack plans to purchase a $30,000 "Harmony" ring for his wife Michelle. The news source I am of course referring to is the Daily Mail. Apparently, Italian designer Giovanni Bosco will create the one-of-a-kind diamond-encrusted rhodium ring. (For those two or three of you who don't know what rhodium is, it's a metal produced in South Africa and the most expensive in the world.) The ring will reportedly be ready in time for the Mrs. to wear to the inauguration.

But then Gawker has the audacity to try to dispute this story! They say, "President-elect Obama—allegedly a 'man of the people'—is allegedly buying a fancy $30,000 ring for his fancy wife, allegedly!" The nerve! You can just hear the words, dripping with sarcasm. How dare they question the authority of the Daily Mail? Well, come inauguration day, we'll just see who's right.

Pssst! Hey Barack! I hear you can shop for "Harmony rings" at Wal-Mart, and they're only $150-300! (image from Gawker.com)

The White House is a Non-Smoking Zone: Republicans everywhere have taken up a new cause: alerting the public to the fact that Barack Obama is still a smoker. If they can't attack him politically, then dammit, they'll attack him personally. Despite the fact that he's trying to quit, he admits to giving in to temptation from time to time. That's it! I knew it! We should have elected John McCain. It's much more likely that Obama will succumb to lung cancer or heart disease that McCain would have to the stress of the job at his age.

Even though Obama "says" he won't light up in the White House. What's to stop him? We need more accountability in our government. We can cut defense spending and put security cameras in every hall way and multiple smoke detectors in every room. (image from SavagePolitics.com)

Obama's new team

2008-12-06T22:45:00.000-08:00

By now, Barack Obama has composed most of his cabinet, and has named several other high level posts. Here's a rundown of some of the major players who will be in his White House come January.

Security/Foreign Policy

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates:

Gates will stay in his current role, a move that has appeased many conservatives who are growing increasingly comfortable with the moderate direction Obama's foreign policy seems to be he

ading.

National Security Adviser General james Jones:

Jones, a former NATO commander, is another pick applauded by conservatives. He and Gates share the view that a withdrawel from Iraq should be cautious, and that many of those troops should be moved immediately to Afghanistan.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Clinton is a gutsy pick for Obama. To two have clashed during the campaign, but they share a foreign policy vision, and she will provide star power and credibility to Obama's team. Some, though, are worried that tension between the two could undermine Clinton's effect

iveness.

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano:

The current governor of Arizona, Napolitano will be charged with, among other things, enforcing the nation's immigration laws. She has received criticism for a lack of action on the issue as governor.

United Nations Ambassador Susan E. Rice:

Rice served as an assistant secretary of state under Bill Clinton. Rice shares Obama's vision for foreign policy, especially the importance he places on helping third world countries and "failed states" become democracies.

Economics

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner:

Another pick praised by conservatives, Geithner has worked closely with the Bush administration on the current economic bailout package. The current president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Geithner brings instant on the job experience.

Commerce Secretary Bill Richardson: Richardson is the governor of New Mexico and was a onetime adversary of Obama during the primaries. Richardson had been eyeing immigration or homeland security, but should still be a valuable asset in Obama's cabinet.

Justice

Attorney General Eric Holder Jr.:

A former deputy attorney general in Bill Clinton's White House, Holder is considered by most to be highly qualified. But he carries a major piece of baggage: Holder supported Bill Clinton's highly controversial pardon of fugitive financer Marc Rich, which could pose an issue during confirmation hearings.

Obama's Big Day Wardrobe

2008-12-06T22:40:00.000-08:00

Michelle Obama won't be the only one dressing in designer duds on Inauguration Day. President-elect Barack Obama will also get to have some fashion fun in a fancy designer suit. He is expected to take the oath of office on Jan 20 wearing a suit and top-coat from Hart Schaffner Marx.

A representative from the company predicts that the coat will be black cashmere. Obama is also expected to change into a Hart Schaffner Marx tux afterward for the Inauguration Ball and festivities. The tux will be 100 percent wool with a one button notch on the jacket and single pleated pants.

A version of the designer tux can be found at Nordstrom for $895.

But this wardrobe choice is no surprise for Obama who has worn the designer suits out on the campaign trail, during the presidential debates, and most notable on his acceptance day. The suits are union-made in an Illinois town outside Chicago.

In the lower right-hand corner of the brand's website is a blue box and the words: "Pick your power suit, President-elect Barack Obama found his at Hart Schaffner Marx."

http://www.hartschaffnermarx.com/mensstore/default.asp

But Obama won't just be looking fashion forward on election day. Famous designers are giving the President-elect major shout outs. Donatella Versace has dedicated her entire Spring-Summer 2009 Men's Collection to Obama. Donatella said her new men's line is for "a relaxed man who doesn't need to flex muscles to show he has power.”

Now I looked at the new line on Men.style.com, and it doesn't look very presidential to me. This suit may have been the most presidential appropriate outfit, and only if Obama was on vacation in the tropics. I'm not so sure Obama wants to wear sandals with his suit.

Or how about this Versace number for Obama. This one is president on the top, party on the bottom. Perhaps it was inspired by Obama's Hawaii vacation photo.

But it doesn't matter what the President-elect decides to wear, enough designers are ready to dress him so he looks the part and does it well too.

Will the real Barack Obama please stand up?

2008-12-03T10:12:00.001-08:00

Comedian John Morgan (right) made a name for himself by impersonating the current head of state, and actor Josh Brolin (left) may win an oscar for his role as President Bush in Oliver Stone's incredible failure, W.

Photos courtesy of wthefilm.com and georgebushdouble.com.

When can eager audiences expect a President-elect Obama version? Now!

Saturday Night Live, MADtv, and Jay Leno all have their own versions of Obama.

Actor Iman Crosson has released a number of videos on YouTube in hopes of getting recognition as the next big presidential impersonator. Crosson will compete for the title of best impersonator in MADtv's impression contest. The winner will appear on an episode of MADtv as his celebrity inspiration.

Also, talent agencies all over the United States have been scouting for Obama impersonators. Tapley Entertainment, based on Los Angeles, boasts one of the best.

Photos courtesy of talentbookingusa.com.

Fashion: What to Wear on the First Day as the First Lady

2008-12-02T23:42:00.001-08:00

Courtesy of Women's Wear Daily.

Michelle and her two daughters are three lucky gals. The White House family has the respect and honor of being patrons to some of the greatest fashion designers of the century. For a fashion geek, that's sensational. WWD collected sketches from Oscar de la Renta, Christian Lacroix, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenburg and many others on their imaginings of what Michelle should wear on her husband's grand inauguration day.

Tuleh

Oscar de la Renta

Monique Lhuillier

Christian Lacroix

See more sketches

SAXBY!

2008-12-02T17:46:00.000-08:00

There's actually an election wrapping up today in Georgia, and you wouldn't even know it. That would be the Senate run-off between Republican Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin.

The election is occurring because a quirk in the Georgia state rules require a Senate candidate to receive a majority of the votes to win. Chambliss received a plurality of the votes on November 4th, but not a majority - and thus, he is facing off against Martin one more time.

But you wouldn't even know it. Fox News is alerting viewers to the result with only a lower-third graphic that read something along the lines of, "Chambliss ahead in Georgia Senate Race." On CNN, Campbell Brown's show cut to a graphic of the election results about once every seven or eight minutes.

And what about online?

CNN.com buried the story on its politics page, and didn't even make it the main story - it's a side-story link. The CNN.com homepage? Entirely devoid of mention of the election, save for a small "Georgia Senate Runoff" link in the "Hot Topics" section.

MSNBC devoted more of its homepage to coverage, maintaining a story with a picture throughout the day.

They added the top bar declaring the race for Chambliss when they were able to determine he was the winner.

This was incredibly surprising - the lack of coverage of this runoff - given the election frenzy this country saw over the last 18 months. Seemingly every American paid attention to the election on November 4th, but it almost seemed as if nobody cared - not even the media - today. Strange.

2008-12-02T17:39:00.000-08:00

When to take the posters down?

2008-12-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

Girls unloading their belongings from a car covered entirely in Obama stickers. (courtesy of blog.epromos.com)

After 9/11, Americans were quick to show their solidarity and patriotism by proudly displaying American flags – on their cars, in their homes, along the sides of buildings, even on their clothing. Bumper stickers, mailboxes, and t-shirts proudly burst with red, white and blue. This “post-9/11 American flag bearing,” as some have called it, was a way for Americans to cope with the vast repercussions of the tragedy – condemning the terrorists who had taken so many lives while showing unrelenting support for our country and the many freedoms it provides. As an article from the Emory Report noted, “People waved the flag, wore it, and perhaps even made judgments about those who did not.”

However, the patriotic symbolism that surged in the weeks after the attacks started waning as the first anniversary of 9/11 approached, as an article in the St. Petersburg Times from September 10th, 2002 reported. Sales of American flags had decreased and blood donations had gone down; the small memorials that had been erected to commemorate those who died in the attack were removed and often ignored.

I’ve always been fascinated with this notion of “taking down the flag.” It’s true that in certain weather conditions flags displayed outside may become battered, posters boasting the stars and stripes fade and tear, bumper stickers begin to peel off with time and multiple car washes. But people also often tire of seeing the same decorative piece in their homes, automobiles, and closets day after day. Patriotism and solidarity wanes as that fateful day becomes a more distant memory.

The continual presence of Obama posters and bumper stickers reminded me of my fascination with this topic. As the election was decided a mere few weeks ago, Obama supporters are still proudly displaying banners calling for change and hope. The red and blue tinged photo of the president elect staring upward in the distance has become a popular cultural symbol, perhaps even recognizable to people all over the world.

However, it’s only a matter of time before people tire of their election stickers, posters, and t-shirts once again. When will people decide to take down their patriotic displays? Will they trickle down one by one? Or will everyone decide one day that this historic election is more of a memory than a recent experience, and the bumper stickers and blue and red face will be no more.

Though it’s inevitable, I think it’s a sad day when people take their posters down. Both the American flags of 9/11 and the campaign paraphernalia from this past election are symbols of our country’s patriotism and support for our new president. What does taking them down mean?

USC Student Reflects on Her Experience Campaigning for Obama

2008-12-02T13:28:00.001-08:00

Nicole Bozorgmir in a Las Vegas hotel room getting ready for a day to canvass for Obama.

What did you do for Barack Obama’s campaign?
In students for Barack Obama we did a lot of phone banking during the weeks. I also went to Nevada to canvass for Obama, going door to door. Nevada was a big swing state so that was our focus in students for Barack Obama. There was a ton of people and random volunteers canvassing with us. We made sure that the people we talked to were registered to vote and we tried to encourage them to vote early so there were no surprises on Election Day.

What was the response from the people you met while canvassing?
A lot of people just didn’t answer. It was sometimes a little bit awkward, and it was clear some people just didn’t want to vote for Obama. But then there were people who were just really enthusiastic. We would leave flyers for people who didn’t answer their door.

How did you get inspired to get involved in the campaign?
I have always been really interested in politics. I always had my opinions, but I kept them to myself. But this election just seemed so big and I thought it could be a turning point in this country, so I decided to go to a meeting in the beginning for the semester for Students for Barack Obama. And the leaders were just really dedicated and inspiring…

What did you do the night Obama was elected?
I was at home watching it with my friends. And we all had papers and midterms the next day! And even though I don’t know if I did that much personally for the campaign, I felt like I was still part of it so it was very emotional

What do you think was your biggest personal accomplishment for Obama’s campaign?
I was really happy that I took the time to dedicate a weekend in Nevada. I know that sounds really trivial but it was such a big thing going there for canvassing. And knocking on doors seemed so grassroots. It was nice to be apart of something where everyone had the same goal. It was nice to put in the effort.

What’s do you think about the youth impact on this election?
The youth vote tends to go toward the liberal side. But there is kind of the feeling that college students are not that involved in politics or they don’t really care, so it was good to see all the students at the meetings. And having over 30 people going to Nevada was an amazing turnout that I don’t think anyone expected.

Top 10 Hits of the Web

2008-12-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

Sarah Palin’s antics on Saturday Night Live and dumbfounded answers to Katie Couric’s sharpshooting questions did not gain her the number one spot. Fortunately enough, more people wanted to learn more about our president-elect, the self-described “skinny kid with a funny name.”

Web trends on Yahoo Buzz showed that most people wanted to dig into the policies and character of our next president, searching for details like “barack obama biography.” “Barack Obama” is the third most-searched term of the year, right after pop and gossip sensation Britney Spears and the blowing up of the World Wrestling Entertainment stage. More people searched Obama's name than any other politician.

As more young people are getting information from multiple “nontraditional” sources of news, it is no surprise that online news searches have buoyed to the top. People searched anything and everything: from biographies (“mccain bio”) to families )“bristol palin”) to the ridiculous (“obama girl” or “tina fey hot”) to fashion spotters (“michelle obama view dress”).

Among other top politician searches were Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush and Ron Paul. Rumors about Mike Huckabee’s squirrel-eating habits and Mitt Romney lashing his dog to the roof of a car spread on the Internet. With one click people discovered the truth through “factcheck.org” and “snopes.”

Ongoing events of spitfire here and there provoked a fury of searches. People typed in “john mccain letterman” as soon as David Letterman responded angrily to McCain’s talk during the late show. And when the Republican nominee called Obama “that one” in a debate, hits for that moment were boosted.

As Election Day loomed closer, people became mini-experts on the campaign. Searches such as “politico,” “fivethirtyeight,” “real clear politics,” “election map,” and “gallup poll” showed people wanted to be informed.

The whole campaign process generated the force of a rock star’s electricity, as more people aimed to be as educated as they could about the senator from Illinois.

Unconventional Voting with Cookies and Cups

2008-12-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

In November some Southern California stores ran their own election to see if customers could predict the outcome of the real election. Watch this video below to see some unconventional, but creative voting.

Obama and Governors Work Side-by-Side

2008-12-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden met with the nation's governors at the National Governor's Association meeting today to discuss a new economic plan.

Governors are asking Obama for federal assistance to pull their states out of this recession. Lucky for them, Obama is on the same page and wants the governors to help draft the nation's new economic plan.

The President-elect said the money will be well spent if we listen to the governors and the recovery process will be quicker.

"All of you are going to be extraordinarily important in keeping us on track--not allowing Joe and myself to get affected with 'Washingtonitus,'" said Obama.

And how do the governors want to spend this money? Well for $136 billion, they can get started on "ready-to-go" projects like fixing roads, building bridges and new water and sewer projects. On top of that, they are asking for another $40 billion for Medicaid programs.

Most governors agree this is the best way to recharge our nation's economy, but a few governor's are not on board. Mark Sanford of South Carolina and Rick Perry of Texas said a plan like this is going to create more debt than we know what to do with.

"The federal government is not only burying future generations under mountains of debt. It is also taking our country in a very dangerous direction -- toward a 'bailout mentality' where we look to government rather than ourselves for solutions."

Regardless of how the money will be spent, Obama and his team will push for a $500 billion stimulus package when he takes over the White House in January.

Palin campaigning in Georgia

2008-12-02T07:14:00.001-08:00

Senator Sarah Palin was in Georgia Monday campaigning for incumbent senator Saxby Chambliss. Chambliss is in the heat of a Georgia senate runoff race that will be decided Tuesday in a revote. Palin traveled through Georgia, making stops at four cities along her trip to participate in campaign rallies. The Alaskan senator told reporters that she supports Chambliss not because he agrees with her politically, but because he represents republican ideals that both the state of Georgia and the country need right now. Chambliss is up against democratic challenger Jim Martin. If Martin prevails the democrats are one step closer to securing a filabuster-proof senate majority. The votes in the Michigan senate race are also being recounted.

Obama: Ripples of a landmark election

2008-12-02T00:34:00.001-08:00

Hindsight reflections of race in the presidential election

Ange-Marie Hancock, a political science professor at the University of Southern California, is an expert in race relations and comments that talk about race and Obama, a half-black, half-white child raised by white grandparents, were unavoidable. Obama's election has certain ramifications and ripples all across the globe.

The Virgin Vote: How did race play into this election? Should it have been?

Ange-Marie Hancock: In this election, race was unavoidable. And it’s not so much about “should it have been” but that this election was historic. Race played a very interesting and unexpected role in the election. People were expecting it to be more of a problem than it was.

VV: What do you mean by that?

H: A lot of people of color didn’t have a lot of faith in the white people. But they were pleasantly surprised that Obama won in the way that he did. The second reason why it was unexpected was that there was a much more frank discussion of race in the white community than anybody expected.

VV: What does the election of Barack Obama mean, in hindsight?

H: I see it as a big signal, there’s going to be spillover effects. People in the cabinet are going to be more diverse. He is an important symbol, and people see him as a rolemodel. There is going to be some blowback, as some people are uncomfortable with change. The challenge is going to be what’s actually racially objective and what’s not.

VV: Why is America, as a nation, so fixated on race?

H: One of the reasons why we’re so fixated on race is because despite all of our attempts, it’s still really important to be 100 percent honest nationally about the meaning of race. Other people have tried, social movements and past presidents have tried to address race, but we still can’t get together as a nation and be honest with each other. It becomes the baggage we can’t get rid of.

VV: What is the perception of the international community about this election? What are the international effects of this historic moment?

H: I’ve talked to my friends in Brazil and overseas, and people seem extremely excited about the election, but I’m more afraid that they’re going to be more disappointed than America will be disappointed. They’ve placed so much emphasis on race as a proxy for Obama’s progressivism, his liberalism, but what they don’t know is that he’s likely to govern from the center.

VV: Why do you see Obama as more likely to be centrist than liberal?

H: One, he’s more of a centrist than people thought. A lot of people think of him as very liberal politically speaking, but he’s actually closer to the center than we credit him for. Two, he’s committed to bipartisanship, so he’s going to be more in the center than to the left.

Madame Secretary

2008-12-01T08:34:00.001-08:00

Let bygones be bygones. At least that seems to be the case for President-elect Barack Obama and just-nominated Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

After a grueling primary season, during which each tried to discredit the other, and a backlash against Obama for not selecting Clinton as his running mate, the two seemed to have finally made amends.

Clinton's appointment as the United States' top diplomat, will require her to soon-to-be-President Obama's policy stance across to foreign leaders. Clinton will be, as both parties have made clear, a de facto Obama, at least in foreign policy relations.

While during the 2008 Democratic Primaries, Clinton and Obama attempted to display markedly different policy stances, each opportunistically highlighting particular instances or ideas (e.g., Obama time and time again pointed out that Clinton casted a vote in the Senate to send troops to Iraq, while he did not; Clinton criticized Obama's policy to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other leaders without preconditions), they have since tried to showcase a more unified, similar stance on foreign policy.

The extensive vetting process for Clinton to become secretary of state, required her to release detailed financial records, including those of her husband, former President Bill Clinton who revealed to have collected millions of dollars from overseas for speeches, which some say could be a conflict of interest for the secretary. Going above and beyond normal government protocol for the vetting process, Clinton is sure to play an extensive role in the Obama presidency.

As the new secretary of state, Clinton brings nearly eight years of Senate experience as well as extensive experience abroad. During her time as first lady, she has established connections overseas, visiting more than 80 countries, establishing relationships with both government and community leaders. The author of two books, It Takes a Village and Living History, Clinton graduated from Wellesley and Yale Law School.

Photo from ABC News.

All About the Benjamins

2008-11-30T22:04:00.000-08:00

The Obama camp raised a record amount of money during the campaign, and soon they'll be turning on those fundraising engines again.

Obama's campaign raised $639 million during the primaries and general election, more than half from donations of $200 or less.

They'll be using a similar strategy over the next month and a half as they collect money for the inauguration. Obama's transition team has made it clear that they want to stay as far away from lobbyists' money as they can.

John Podesta, co-chair of Obama's transition team, said he wants to make this "the most open and transparent transition in history."

Refusing money from lobbyists is a bit of a new tactic. President Bush raised a record $42.8 million for his second inauguration, with more than 90 percent of the donations coming from executives or corporations, according to Public Citizen.

There is about $9.74 million of taxpayer funds available to pay for Obama's transition, but CNN experts say that's not going to cut it.

But what about all the money that's left over from the campaign? We won't know exactly how much cash is in the tank until Federal Election Commission reports come out on Dec. 4, but as of mid-October, the Obama campaign had spent about $594 million.

That leaves about $45 million, right?

Wrong. No money from the general election can go toward the transition.

So what can Obama do with that money?

He can return the money to contributors, donate it to charity, form a political action committee or contribute to other candidates, PACs or party committees (as long as he stays within federal contribution limits).

He could also hold on to it for a rainy day and use it for a future federal campaign, say . . . a re-election bid.

I'm no finance expert, but if Obama does choose to hold on to about $45 million until he runs again in four years, that's a lot of interest!

The Safety Squad

2008-11-30T20:14:00.000-08:00

Obama's expected security team: Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State; Robert Gates, Defense Secretary; Jim Jones, National Security Adviser (photoshop work mine)

President-elect Barack Obama will unveil his superhero national security team tomorrow at a press conference in Illinois. Sen. Hillary Clinton will be nominated secretary of state, CNN reports.

Obama is also expected to confirm that he is keeping Defense Secretary Robert Gates in his current post. Retired Marine Gen. Jim Jones is expected to be named Obama's national security adviser at the White House, a CNN source says.

Susan Rice and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitanoas will join the super squad as United Nations ambassador and homeland security secretary. Eric Holder will round out the team as attorney general.

Obama has taken some criticism in recent weeks over his some of his Cabinet picks. Critics are saying that his picks so far have failed to reflect the change he promised during the campaign.

"What we are going to do is combine experience with fresh thinking. But understand ... the vision for change comes first and foremost ... from me. That's my job," Obama said last week.

But even some Republicans are excited for Obama's security team. Retiring Republican Sen. John Warner, a veteran member of the Armed Services Committee, released a statement last night praising all three of Obama's nominees . . . even thought they haven't been officially announced yet.

"The triumvirate of Gates, Clinton and Jones to lead Obama's 'national security team' instills great confidence at home and abroad; and, further strengthens the growing respect for the President-elect's courage and ability to exercise sound judgment in selecting the 'best and the brightest' to implement our nation's security policies," Warner said.

The Obama Dream Team

2008-11-28T16:04:00.000-08:00

In Foreign Policy magazine's current issue, they're running a story about who would be best suited for Obama's cabinet. Here are a few suggestions I found interesting/ amusing:

"Arnold Schwarzenegger: Secretary for Energy and the Environment
The Governator has proven himself to be a get-the-job-done environmentalist who commands international respect. To address this increasingly vital area properly, the next president must view energy and the environment as two sides of the same coin." --Christoph Bertram (image from biographyonline.com)

"Sarah Palin: U.S. Ambassador to Russia
The governor’s taste for hunting, plain-spoken talk, and foxy boots—not to mention long years of staring at Russia from Alaska—ensure a special relationship with Putin." --Gideon Rachman (image from savagepolitics.com)

"Al Gore and Van Jones: Energy Security Council Co-Chairs
Because global warming is going to be catastrophic, we need to end our dependence on fossil fuels while simultaneously creating well-paid, green-collar jobs. No other nation has the power to get others to the table, and nobody can do it better than the former vice president and the founder of the advocacy group Green for All." --Katrina Vanden Huevel (image from solarnavigator.net)
see the full article here

Of course, some of the other names being tossed around (both for serious and comedic consideration) include Hilary Clinton, Warren Buffet, Michael Bloomberg, Bill Bradley, Robert Gates, Steve Forbes and Suasan Rice. You can vote for your top picks here.

Interview with the President Elect

2008-11-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

ABC aired a Barbara Walters special interview with President-elect Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. The interview covered everything from the flailing economy to the selection of a "first-puppy" for the incoming first family. Here are some highlights from the interview, which you can watch here.

On the economic crisis: Many feel that with the economy in the state that it is "the fate of the nation is riding on [Obama's] shoulders." With so much pressure on one man, he says his biggest fear is "that the economy is so weakened already." But he says that his plan involves assembling the best team possible and come out full force in January.

On people's expectations: He built his campaign on the promises of change and the hope of solutions to problems we've been accruing over the past eight years. But do people expect too much out of Obama? "I can meet the expectation of a government that is competent and honest and can make the daily lives of our citizens better," he told Walters. "If people see progress, then I will have met expectations." But, he reminds us that, "I am not a miracle worker."

On the auto makers' plan: Despite the dismal situation of US auto makers, corporate heads are still taking risks and accruing expenses. Obama suggests an "ethic of responsibility," where "the least you can do is say I'm willing to make some sacrifices as well because I recognize that there are other people worse off." As for tax hikes on the wealthy, the theme is a net tax cut for working families, whereas "people like you and me, Barbara, can afford to pay a little more."

On his cabinet choices: Though Walters badgered Obama about his possible choices to fill his cabinet, he would only say, "No one would come to my press conferences if I spill the beans on 20/20." As to the accusations that he would name those from the Clinton administration, "we need someone with experience in dealing with economic depression... the change comes from the person in the oval office."

On foreign policy: Turning the attention to foreign policy, Obama suggested a plan that would transfer more troops to Afghanistan go on the offensive instead of remaining on the defensive together with a plan for withdrawing from Iraq. Though he ceded that we have made some improvements in Iraq, he made sure to highlight that our job is to make sure we leave behind an iraq with structural integrity. He also emphasized the fact that our focus should be on getting Bin Laden and to stay focused on Al-Qaeda strongholds in Afghanistan.

On racist threats against him: "Those who voted for or against me overwhelmingly judged me on the basis of my platforms," he said in the interview. "At the margins of any society are the extremists, but they're not at the heart of what america is." He also cited his religious faith as carrying him through the day.

On his mother and grandmother: Obama said that he knew his mom would not have been surprised at his victory, but most certainly proud of how he did it. It would have been his grandmother, instead, who was surprised at the outcome.

On his previous aspirations: Before deciding on running for president, he had wanted to be an architect, basketball player and judge. "The one thing I know I didn't expect was to be president," he said.

On his wife: "Michelle grounds me. She is my reality check... a constant reminder of why do I do this."

Highlights from the rest of the interview:

Who has the last word in arguments? Michelle. "Whatever you say, honey."

[pause for a lipstick check and witty banter between the Mr., the Mrs. and Walters]
About the children: Sasha is 7 years old and Malia is 10. Malia plans to sit at the desk where Lincoln signed the Gettysburg Address to write "important papers."

Yes, the girls will make their beds and clean their rooms.

Yes, the girls will attend private school.

Yes, the girls do write letters to santa.

No, the Obama's do not spank their girls: "We don't have to."

Inauguration speech preview: a theme ofrebuilding the sense that we're all in this together
Thanksgiving at the Obama's: 60 people at the house (mostly Michelle's family), and spent the day before at a soup kitchen

Parting thoughts from Barack Obama: "I want to remind people that as tough as times are right now... that we have been through tough times before, and the extraordinary blessings of being an American... that is the greatest of gifts that we have to give thanks for."

PS: Please, stop sending pictures of your dog to the Obama's: "We're getting more advice on this than on my economic policies."

photo courtesy of ABC news

Meet the Press...Secretary

2008-11-25T17:00:00.000-08:00

Photo by New York Times

President elect Barack Obama may not be the acting president, but he sure is acting like it. In the last few weeks he has announced many of his staff and cabinet apointments. Notable staffers already include Timothy F. Geithner as Treasury Secretary, Rahm Emanuel as White House Chief of Staff, and now Obama has picked Robert Gibbs to be his press secretary. Gibbs will be the man in between Obama's administration and the world for the next for years.

President Bush has shows just how difficult the job can be after several of his press secretaries resigned. Scott McClellan even wrote a scathing memoir denouncing the Bush administration and his role in it. The Bush administration wasn't exactly a role model for good press relations, and hopefully the press can look forward to more candor and access to the president during the next (at least) four years.

Some insiders have suggested that Gibbs has an uneven temperament which could be a problem when he is a press secretary, a job which requires calm under pressure. However a spirited approach to his job has also earned Gibbs Youtube fame and support from many Democrats. In this clip from the Hannity and Colmes, Gibbs responds to accusations that Barack Obama is friendly with confessed terrorist William Ayers. He tells Hannity that "guilt by association" is a bogus notion, and goes to to ask Hannity if he is an anti-semite. Notice Colmes is silent throughout, until he steps in to defend Hannity at about 4:25 in.

Robert Gibbs has been with Obama since 2004, abandoning a post as Obama's director of communications at his Chicago headquarters to go on the road with the iconic democrat. He soon became a senior strategist, and was vital in shaping Obama's image and policies. In the last four years he has helped guide the rookie Senator through the quagmire of national politics and the trenches of presidential campaigning. According to the New York Times, Gibbs was usually the last person Obama conferred with before addressing a public audience.

Before joining Obama's team he worked with Senator John Kerry and on various other political campaigns. Gibbs comes from Auburn, Alabama and graduated from North Carolina State University.

Getting to know Barack Obama

2008-11-25T16:35:00.000-08:00

During election season, people scramble to educate themselves on the candidates' positions on a variety of issues -- healthcare, the war in Iraq, the economy, foreign policy in the Middle East, etc. In doing so, people try to get a sense of what each candidate prioritizes and values, ultimately hoping to understand the candidates' characters and ethics.

Now that the election is over, it's time to really get to know our new president. And I don't mean his latest stance on the economy or who he's chosen to be his chief of staff. I've compiled a list of little-known facts about Barack Obama in order to get to know the president elect as a person -- his interests, favorite sports, foods, etc. Enjoy!

Nickname: Called "Barry O'bomber" by his fellow high school basketball players in Honolulu
Collection: Spider Man and Conan the Barbarian comics

Favorite Drink: Black forest berry iced tea
Reads: He has read every Harry Potter book, though his favorite book is Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

Languages: Speaks Spanish
Working out: He can bench press 200lbs
Favorite movies: Casablanca and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

First Date: He took Michelle to see the Spike Lee film Do The Right Thing
Favorite games: Scrabble and poker
Favorite television shows: Mash and The Wire

Favorite artist: Pablo Picasso
Favorite food to cook: Chili
Favorite musical artists: Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Bach and The Fugees

Unusual Foods: He ate dog meat, snake meat, and roasted grasshopper while living in Indonesia
Favorite Games: Scrabble and poker

Favorite Meal: His wife Michelle's shrimp linguine
Worst Habit: constantly checking his Blackberry

For more information and interesting facts, read the whole story in The Telegraph here

Geithner's Gonna do Great

2008-11-25T11:24:00.001-08:00

While some are questioning the speed at which Obama is assembling his cabinet, others say his quick tactics show dedication and determination. The financial crisis coupled with the Iraq war may be reason enough to work at a fast pace. The lame duck Bush adminstatration currently in office can do little more than continuing to avert the economic crises from plummeting farther into recession. Obama's coice for the Secretary of the Treasury is indicative of a president approaching the job in a cautious manner. By appointing Timothy Geithner, the current New York Fed chief as Henry Paulson's successor, Obama chose someone who is extremely familiar with the crisis and the financial industry as a whole. Although an unexpected choice, Wall Street guru's have known and worked with Geithner for years so choosing someone on the inside of the industry was a smart move. Stocks rose for the first time in weeks after the announcement that Geithner take over where Paulson has left off. With so many unknowns revolving around the meltdown of Wall Street, it's comforting to know that Geithner will enter office with the experience and knowledge needed to tackle the crisis and veer it away from a recession.

The Associated Press released this video elaborating on the positive day on Wall Street:

"Wall Street is ending a volatile week with an unexpected jolt of confidence following reports that President-elect Barack Obama plans to name New York Federal Reserve President Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary. (Nov. 21) "

Election merchandise on the rise

2008-11-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

Not surprisingly, everyone and their change-we-can-believe-in touting mom went out and bought an Obama t-shirt after the election results were announced. On the night of Nov. 4, streets were littered with (drunken) revelers sporting Obama apparel. See Facebook if you were too "excited" to remember what variation of the President-elect's visage your friends were wearing.

It makes sense that people continue to buy Obama merchandise, and it also makes sense that the price of some of McCain's merchandise has decreased. The funding raised by candidate merchandise went directly to campaign efforts. But, now that the campaigns are over, where will the money go? Such should be asked for both McCain and Obama.

The prices for good deal of Obama merchandise have increased since the election results were revealed, and many special edition t-shirts have been released at steep prices of $6o. How much change do you believe in?

Fashion mogul Vera Wang's specially designed tee (above left) is one of the many designer t-shirts featured on the Obama merchandise site. Hip-hop artist and fashion designer Pharrell Williams' tee (above right) is one of the more popular name designs. Other designers include Narciso Rodriguez and Russell Simmons.

Poor McCain can no longer sell his shirts individually; in an effort to get rid of as many as possible, they're sold in packs of 48 and 108. Who needs 48 or 108 of the losing candidate's shirts? Not only do buyers get far more t-shirts than any one person needs, but they practically have to empty their pockets for them. Look at what $383.52 can get you 48 of:

Wow.

Have you bought an Obama t-shirt since the election?

poll by twiigs.com

Black and gay and hated all over? Did homophobia in the black community contribute to Prop 8's success?

2008-11-25T09:21:00.000-08:00

Many white gay voters are blaming the black community in California for the passing of Proposition 8 three weeks ago. By amending California's constitution to define marriage in heterosexual terms, Proposition 8 reversed a state supreme court hearing that decreed that not allowing same-sex marriage denied equal rights and protection to gays.

The measure was passed by a vote of 52-48, and an estimated 70 percent of black voters supported the ban. Black voters supported Proposition 8 more than any other racial group. Much criticism has befallen California's black community on account of this supposition, leading many asking: why would one vulnerable social group discriminate against another? Other races' Prop 8 sentiments were split nearly in half: 49% of whites, 53% of Latinos, and 49% of Asian Americans voted yes on Proposition 8.

Top 10 Counties in California that Supported Proposition 8

Chart courtesy of the San Francisco Gazette online.

Top 10 Counties in California that Opposed Proposition 8

Chart courtesy of the San Francisco Gazette online.

Upon examining the racial make-ups of all top 10 counties that supported and opposed Proposition 8, not a single county had an African-American population that was anywhere near as great as its white population. In fact, only one county, Lassen, had more than 10 percent compared to other races.

Not only has the black community been maligned for its contribution to the passing of Proposition 8, but a number of gay people within the black community have voiced concern over homophobia within it.

Homosexuality has long been stigmatized in the black community. Already coping with their minority statuses, many within the black community see homosexuality as yet another social hurdle. Male dominance is also valued among African-Americans, and homosexuality can been seen as a sign of weakness.

Photo courtesy of abcnews.com.

Comedienne Wanda Sykes and Connecticut State Representative Jason Bartlett are among the few African-American celebrities who have come out. Sykes did so in response to Proposition 8's success.

Bartlett has expressed hopes that the progress made by Obama's becoming the first African-American President of the United States will encourage members of the black community to become more engaged in politics and open to liberal policies such as gay rights.

The Youth Vote Recap: A Q+A

2008-11-24T20:47:00.000-08:00

Prior to Barack Obama's historic win earlier this month, many pundits predicted that this could be the year of the youth vote (actually, every election for the last 12 years has been the year of the youth vote, but this one was really going to be it). So what were the results of those predictions.

Q: After months of polls that had youth support for Barack Obama somewhere between 50 and 60 percent, did young people actually end up voting overwhelmingly for Obama?

A: Yes. Young voters favored Obama by an overwhelming 66-31 percent margin, which may have played a crucial role in Obama's victory. The president-elect didn't carry any other age demographic by nearly as big a margin.

Q: Was there a surge in the number of young people who voted?

A: Yes and no. Many more young people voted in this election than in 2004 — an estimated 3.4 million more, according to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. Twenty-three million Americans under age 30 voted, an increase in youth turnout of at least 11 percentage points. However, young voters accounted for only around 18 percent of the electorate, which did not represent a major increase over the 2004 election.

Q: So, how much credit should we give young voters for Obama's victory.

A: According to experts, plenty. John Della Volpe, the director of polling for Harvard University's Institute of Politics, told MSNBC that the youth vote turned "states that Obama would have lost or barely won into more comfortable margins." Della Volpe continued: "Consistently throughout the country in key swing states, Obama is outperforming John Kerry's performance (with young voters) from four years ago by two to three times the margin. In many states, the only significant electorate that Obama is winning is young people."

Q: Does this mean youth voters are now as engaged as older voters?

A: Not quite. Voters over age 30 still have a considerably higher turnout than voters under age 30. This has also been true historically; according to CIRCLE, 57 percent of eligible youth voters voted in 2004. That was their highest total since 1972, but it was still far less than the 75 percent of eligible voters age 30 and over that turned out.

Scorecard of Change

2008-11-23T14:03:00.001-08:00

President-Elect Barack Obama ran his entire campaign on a platform of change, and now that the people have voted him into office, they are certainly going to expect him to deliver. So the question is - what change can we expect from the beginning? Obviously, a lot of Obama's plan is contingent on long-term growth, but he has a number of goals for Day One in office. Here is a scorecard of what to expect Obama to tackle when he takes office on January 20th.

THE ECONOMY

Images like this one, cleverly put together by cnbc.com, basically express where our economy is at: Down. Make no mistake about it, President-Elect Obama has made the economy his top priority. It appears as though the original $700 billion bailout has not been working very well, and there are talks about expanding it. The Big 3 automobile companies came to Washington to beg and plead for a bailout of their own. So what is Obama going to do about it? He's going to "do what's necessary." That coming from his senior advisor, David Axelrod. His plan involves creating 2.5 million jobs by the year 2011, but only time will tell if that's possible.

IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN

Foreign affairs may have played second fiddle to the economy during the latter stages of the campaign, but make no mistake about it: Obama plans to make significant changes to Afghanistan and Iraq. He wants to withdraw American troops from Iraq and enhance our forces in Afghanistan. He wants to revamp our military strategy in both nations, bringing both campaigns to their logical conclusions - being out of Iraq, and victory over Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Obama is already putting emphasis on the country's policy in Afghanistan, promising President Hamid Karzai that he will make security there a top priority.

GUANTANAMO BAY

Simply put, Obama wants to shut the thing down. Guantanamo Bay has been nothing but a headache for America, ever since it came to light as a detention facility for expected terrorists. It is expected that Obama will issue an executive order to shut the facility down. He told CBS 60 Minutes reporter Steve Kroft, "I've said repeatedly that America doesn't torture, and I'm gonna make sure we don't torture."

EDUCATION
Obama wants to improve the American education system, and it appears that he has already made his mark. The Hempstead Free Union School District in Long Island, New York, voted unanimously to rename Ludlum Elementary School as Barack Obama Elementary School.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL?
The President-Elect believes it is time for change in another important aspect of society: football. This is what he had to say on CBS' 60 Minutes with Steve Kroft:

USG Class Assignment

2008-11-18T17:11:00.000-08:00

IRAQ

See attached photo here. User is Mike Quick aka teddybear.craft. This is a memorial in Bluefield, West Virginia's city park to remember the soldiers who have died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Below is a video by an Iraq vet advocating McCain's presidency. From: weneedmccain.

OBAMA

See attached photo here. User is spudart. A family stands on a median on Michigan Avenue in Chicago celebrating President-Elect Barack Obama's victory.

Below is a video of the celebration from sargonaudiso.

PROP 8

See attached photo here. User is stutefish. Just two days before the election, the defamation of this anti-Prop 8 vehicle predicts the violence that has erupted as a result of its outcome.

Below is video of the Prop 8 protest in Silverlake from hollywoodkids.

TWITTERS

OBAMA

We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks 11:34 AM Nov 5th from web

BRITNEY SPEARS

Britney has a secret... visit BritneySpears.com to be the first to know what it is. ; P ~team britney 3:51 PM Nov 17th from web

Bush Declares State of Disaster in OC

2008-11-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

Fires that raged through the southland over the weekend are almost extinguished.

President Bush declared Orange County a disaster zone this afternoon. On Monday Governor Schwarzenegger and other California politicians wrote to the president requesting that he declare a state of emergency, which would provide California with funds to help control the fires and support the victims. The declaration of a major disaster zone guarantees that affected victims will be eligible for federal money that would come to them through FEMA. The money will go towards temporary housing, costs of rebuilding the hundreds of homes that have fallen to the flames, and low-cost loans to cover uninsured losses. Business owners are also eligible for other benefits

California has an $11.2 billion budget deficit so far, and the black hole on the books keeps getting bigger. The fires aren't helping, this year California has spent $305 million on emergency fire fighting. Orange County officials estimate that they have spent $10 million so far trying to combat the flames. California's insurance companies, including fallen AIG's insurance company, have sufficient funds to cover all claims, and long term data will be analyzed to determine whether rates in California are going to increase.

So far over 1000 homes have been destroyed and about 65 square miles of land razed by the flames, but by now the fires in Southern California are almost extinguished. Heavy winds that spread the fires uncontrollably over the weekend have died down, so until the next big forest fire, it's time to clean up and once again, thank our fire fighters.

Residents and business owners affected by the fires can now contact FEMA by registering online at http://www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA.

Are you satisfied with official's reaction to the sudden wildfires in the southland?
Yes, the response was timely and efficient
No, more should have been done

(View Results)

Create a MySpace Poll

Treasury Secretary Contenders

2008-11-18T14:48:00.000-08:00

According to a recent CNN poll, 41% of Americans believe the Secretary of the Treasury will be the most important cabinet member in Obama's administration. The next Treasury Secretary will certainly have a lot of work cut out for him or her, given the country's current economic situation. A key role for the new secretary will be overseeing and allotting the $700 billion bailout.

Currently, New York Federal Reserve President Timothy Geithner and former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers have emerged as the leading candidates for the position. Both men have a lot of experience to bring to the position, as listed in the infographic above. However, both are facing their share of controversy as well, as Summers offended many women and African Americans during his shaky term as president of Harvard and Geithner has close ties to the current Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and many question his prominent role in this and other international bailouts. For more information on these controversies, read this New York Times article from Nov. 7.

Other possible future Treasury secretaries include Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairwoman Sheila Bair, former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, and New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, who is also a former CEO of Goldman Sachs.

poll by twiigs.com

USG exercise

2008-11-17T22:15:00.001-08:00

Proposition 8's been a big thing here in LA the last week, this fairly progressive city was damned shocked that the proposition (which restricted marriage to 1 man and 1 woman) passed, albeit by a slim margin. Folks plastered their disappointment all over various internet sites, and there've been several protests, including a couple in front of local Mormon churches, as the LDS apparently contributed large amounts to the pro-Prop. 8 campaign.
Photo taken by Lou O'Bedlam

An anonymous Obama supporter shows her thanks to our president elect.
Photo taken by happeningfish

Free Hugs were offered following the United for Peace and Justice March on Washington to End the Iraq War.
Photo taken by Joe Tresh

Princeton University's news station covered the events unfolding here in Los Angeles. The video was uploaded by DailyPrincetonian on November 20.

An Iraq war vet uses technology to send his personalized message to president elect Obama through YouTube. User WeNeedMcCain uploaded his video on August 27. A rebuttal was posted by JfKuniho a month later.

User RenaChristy vents about the perils of being a military wife in a time of war.

Barak Obama's most recent Twitter post:
Asking you to help Get Out the Vote in these last few critical hours of our campaign for change. Visit http://my.barackobama.com/f... 2:42 PM Nov 4th from web

Britney Spears most recent Twitter post:
Are you in line for the Britney:For the Record screening? Tweet @BritneySpears about it- we want to know! ~Lauren 11:47 AM Nov 20th from web
Her Twitter page just changed addresses.

Auto industry analysis, blog roundoup

2008-11-17T08:17:00.001-08:00

"What's good for the country is good for General Motors, and vice versa," Charles Wilson, the former head of GM, said more than 50 years ago. And now, GM with Detroit's other big players, Ford and Chrysler, who together make up the auto industry's Big 3, must try to convince Congress that what's good for them is indeed good for the country.

As the Big 3 auto execs ventured over to Capitol Hill, Business 24-7 features an AFP article to give the lowdown of the $25 billion bailout package and the likely problems it will face in Congress. According to the article, the CEOs of GM, Ford and Chrysler will have to plea to Congressional Republicans who are unlikely to give another federal bailout like the one approved for Wall Street to the suffering industry.

In the midst of the Big 3's preparation to present the multi-billion-dollar bailout plan to Congress, Wired blog reported on an e-mail it obtained in which Troy Clarke, the president of GM North America urged 29,000 employees to lobby to their representatives to support the bailout.

But even as the sitaution for the major auto players seems to grow more dire, CNET's Declan McCullagh said, "Detroit's problems aren't caused by a one-time slump. They can't be fixed by another infusion of cash," and does not think a bailout is the answer.

Photo from AP Graphics Bank

The Transition: Key appointments

2008-11-17T08:16:00.000-08:00

Chief of Staff
Name: Rahm Emanuel
Hometown: Chicago
Job at time of appointment: Congressman, Chicago representative
Political Party: Democratic
Age: 48

Barack Obama chose a fellow Chicago congressman to be his White House chief of staff, bringing in the No. 4 Democrat in the House of Representatives and a former senior Clinton advisor.

In the House since 2003, Rahm has served on the important House Ways and Means Committee and was elected to be the Democratic Caucus Chair in 2007, making him the fourth highest ranked member of the House Democrats.

Nicknamed Rahmbo for his tough, combative style in the Clinton administration, Rahm had a successful venture in the world of investment banking before moving into Congress.

Rahm graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a liberal arts degree, and went to Northwestern University for a masters degree in speech and communication.

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Senior Advisors
Name: David Axelrod
Hometown: Manhattan
Current City: Chicago
Job at time of Appointment: Chief strategist for 2008 Obama campaign, AXP&D consultant
Age: 52

Hailed as the mastermind of the extremely successful Obama campaign, David Axelrod is graduating from his post as chief strategist for the campaign and moving on to become one of the new president's senior advisors.

Credited for some of the Obama campaign trademarks, such as "hope" and "change," Axelrod has also served on campaigns for Sens. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Chris Dodd.

A consultant for AXP&D Message and Media, Axelrod was a top political reporter before leaving the Chicago Tribune in 1984. As a consultant, he is known for being an "advertising guy" and a "postideological approach."

Photo from USA Today

Name: Valerie Jarrett
Hometown: Shiraz, Iran
Current City: Chicago
Job at time of appointment: Strategist for the 2008 Obama Campaign, President and CEO of The Habitat Co.
Age: 52

A longtime mentor for both Barack and Michelle Obama, Valerie Jarrett was the chief of staff for former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley when she hired Michelle for a job in his office.

Prior to becoming the chief of staff for the mayor's office and then the city-planning commissioner, Jarrett was a corporate lawyer in a large Chicago firm. In 1995, she left city government to work for The Habitat Co., a for-profit-real-estate firm, rising to become President and CEO. The firm has been accused of mismanagement of some of its properties, which include range from public housing to luxury condos, according to the Boston Globe.

Her longstanding relationship with the Obamas has led to a strew of nicknames, including "First Friend," "big sister" and "the other half of Obama's brain." Jarrett has been co-chair of the Obama transition team and will be become a top White House advisor, taking her name out of contention as a Senate replacement for the president-elect.

Photo from The University of Chicago Chronicle

Name: Pete Rouse
Hometown: New Haven
Current City: Washington, D.C. and Chicago
Job at time of appointment: Barack Obama's chief of staff in the Senate
Age: 62

Having spent three decades on Capitol Hill, Peter Rouse's job as Barack Obama's Senate office chief of staff was to introduce Obama to the workings of Washington, being, as The Washington Post called him, "The Outsider's Insider."

Prior to becoming Obama's chief of staff, co-chairman of the transition team and future senior advisor, Rouse served as the chief of staff to former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle (D - SD) for 19 years, holding the same position for Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) when he was in the House and for former Lt. Gov. Terry Miller of Alaska.

Known as "The 101st Senator" during his long tenure with Daschle, Obama picked up Rouse as his chief of staff following Daschle's loss in 2004. Since then, Rouse has strategically steered Obama in the right political direction to become president, and is expected to continue to use his insider knowledge of Washington to aide the new president-elect.

Photo from The Washington Post

UGC

2008-11-11T20:09:00.000-08:00

Photos

Taken by Carembycidae
A couple is married in California prior to last week's passage of proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in the state.

A very unique view, great shot.

Taken by Kevin Dooley
Several Veterans set up a memorial for soldiers who have died in the Iraq war on the Santa Monica pier beach every Sunday morning. The memorial at sunset.

This is a very unique view of this memorial.

Celebrating Obama's victory
Taken by Spudart
Election night in Grant Park, Chicago.

From Noonprop8dotcom, via Youtube.

From JDMELLIN.

From weneedmccain.

Twitters:
Obama:
"We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks."
Britney:
"Just left the Madonna concert. It was really fun! ~Brit"

UGC activity

2008-11-11T20:07:00.002-08:00

Protesters in Hollywood call for a repeal of Prop 8.
http://flickr.com/photos/pixelflip/3017545053/

Construction workers assemble the stage for Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony.
http://flickr.com/photos/74104660@N00/3023763526/

A soldier reconnects with the Western World.
http://flickr.com/photos/70355737@N00/2851518501/in/set-72157607336273459/

Obama twitter:

We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks
11:34 AM November 05, 2008 from web

Spears twitter:

Jayden was hospitalized last night- doctors concluded he had a reaction to something he ingested. He is expected to be discharged tomorrow.
11:45 AM November 10, 2008 from web

UGC Exercise

2008-11-11T20:07:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama: White House celebration

Photo by Flickr user Kevglobal
Thousands gathered outside the White House on the night of Nov. 4 to celebrate Barack Obama's victory, staging a massive, spur-of-the-moment party.

YouTube: OBAMA!-14th & U St., Washington, DC

Iraq War

Photo by Flickr user Kevindooley
In honor of the lives lost in Iraq, a memorial is set up every Sunday at Santa Monica beach. Today we honor all those who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. military.

YouTube Video by Thingselectronic

Prop 8

Photo by Flickr user Pnoeric
Following the passage of Proposition 8 in Calif., which put a hold on gay marriage and putting thousands of unions in question, demonstrators protested at a Mormon Church in Los Angeles. The Mormon Church was one of the chief proponents for Prop 8.

YouTube video by supericky06

Twitter
Barack Obama

We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks 11:34 AM Nov 5th from web

Britney Spears

Just left the Madonna concert. It was really fun! ~Brit 11:39 PM Nov 6th from mobile web

UGC Exercise

2008-11-11T20:04:00.000-08:00

User: Bcbeatty
Photographer: Matt Anderson
Caption: A Proposition 8 supporter and protester stand together
Link

Caption: A photo of the Obama victory speech in Grant Park, Chicago on November 4

Link
User: Brenbot

President-Elect Barack Obama twitter:

We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks
11:34 AM November 05, 2008 from web

Britney Spears twitter:

Jayden was hospitalized last night- doctors concluded he had a reaction to something he ingested. He is expected to be discharged tomorrow.
11:45 AM November 10, 2008 from web

UGC activity

2008-11-11T20:03:00.000-08:00

IRAQ WAR
User: Zoriah
Date: June 2008
Photo title: zoriah_iraq_war_fallujah_suicide_bomb_elderly_man

Caption: This image will be posted in its full context on the Iraq War Photographer’s Diary on 30/06/08

click to see protected photo

Profile of Zoriah:
Zoriah is an award winning, internationally based photojournalist and war photographer with a background in disaster management and humanitarian aid to developing countries. His work appears in publications around the world such as Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, NPR, The BBC, ABC News, Elle and many others. Zoriah has worked in over fifty countries for at least as many clients, documenting crisis, conflict and disasters.

I am an independent photojournalist, funding all of my own projects. If you appreciate the work you see here and on my sites and are able to help, even with a small donation, you may do so through the donation page on my websites below.

Why this is good UGC: Zoriah is an independent journalist who freelances his work and does a lot of photography in Iraq. This is a poignant photo that reflects the immediacy and gravity of the moment.

Youtube link:

User: Supricky
Caption: American infantry and snipers from the U.S. Army's 3rd Stryker Brigade team up with Iraqi soldiers from the 6th Iraqi Army Division during a firefight on Baghdad's notorious Haifa Street, January 2007.

BARACK OBAMA
User: Yan Zhang
Photo title: Barack Obama
Date: Aug. 29, 2008 (winning the Democratic nomination)

Caption: Barack Obama wins! I was shooting as the whole family walk out, suddently, a huge flag flies up from the very front seat..at right place and right time, I think

U.S.Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., his wife, Michelle, and daughters Malia, 10, second from right, and Sasha, 7, take the stage after his acceptance speechat the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008.

click to see protected photo

Profile of Yan Zhang:
Why I just can't stop shooting in every single day, because:

BUSINESS-I am a news photographer in Wahington, DC, US, working for 1.3 billion readers, which equals to 1/4 population of this planet.

PLEASURE-I love walking around and shooting those waderlusts as my diary.

Basically I think photo is an effective way to express myself.

Why this is good UGC: This photo captures the spontaneity of the moment, right when the family walks out together. The flag barely misses the central figures of the photo, which lends credibility to the photo.

Youtube link

User: Shenron14
Caption: joshua, chris, yeison in oakland, CA filming people campaigning for their cause outside a poleing place even though it is illegal to do so

PROPOSITION 8
User: Karaface
Date: Nov. 8, 2008
Photo title: Proposition 8 Demonstration - 11.8.2008

No caption.

click for original Flickr page

Profile of Kara:
Kara is a recent graduate from the University of California, Santa Barbara now working as a photographer's assistant in Los Angeles.

She spends part of her time working freelance and on personal projects.

Her Twitter feed can be followed at www.twitter.com/karaleung

Why this is good UGC: This is a raw photo, meaning composition was not the primary photo. The amateur look of the photo and the perspective of looking at their backs gives this a very unedited appearance.

Youtube link

User: supricky06
No caption.

TWITTER
Twitter from Barack Obama:
We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks

Twitter from Britney Spears:
Jayden was hospitalized last night- doctors concluded he had a reaction to something he ingested. He is expected to be discharged tomorrow.

UGC exercise

2008-11-11T20:02:00.000-08:00

Photos -- Iraq War:
Caption: Over 16 years ago, I enlisted in the United States Army. I usually joke that I did it because I was young and needed the money. The truth is I wanted to put myself through college, and I thought I could earn the money with the help of the GI Bill. I joined shortly after the first Gulf War. Having watched the whole war on CNN, I figured this was an easy way to make some money for school. Not only was I young and poor, but I was also naive.

Twenty-six months in Iraq and another five months in Bosnia has disabused me of that naivete. I am not a war hawk by any means. I have lost friends and understand the cost of using military force. I know the world is filled with wonderful caring people; I also know the world is filled with evil. As long as the latter exists, we will always need men and women to stand up and volunteer their lives by declaring that "this we'll defend."

Especially in view of the election just held, I ask you take a moment to think about the sacrifices made by all the men and women that defend our interests on our behalf. While I am partial to the men and women in the uniformed military service, I also ask you to expand you definition of veteran to include all who work to defend us. From the Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Marines to police officers and firefighters. Think also of the countless civilians that work for NGOs around the world. Take a moment to acknowledge the work of people like the medical staffs that work for Doctors without Borders, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, the International Red Cross/Crescent, and many other such organizations. Don't forget the journalists that face grave personal injury in order to cover these stories and shed some light on the ugly side of human behavior.

This is Veterans Day, and I am a veteran. I ask you not to think of my tiny contribution, for it was tiny! I do ask that you think of those that make a great sacrifice for the rest of us.

User: Mischief 1972
Link: http://flickr.com/photos/mischief1972/3024147454/
Additional Info: Taken with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi on November 11,2008
Why: This is relevant because it is a self-portrait of a veteran on veteran day. A news organization might want to highlight individual soldiers/veterans that served in Iraq and this would work as USG.

Obama:

User: DrewMyers
Caption: Senator Obama looking very presidential at the Leesburg, VA campaign rally this evening where he drew a crowd estimated at over 35,000.
Link: http://flickr.com/photos/drewmyers/2966158738/
Additional Info: Taken "About 90 feet with my telephoto lens at 300mm. Also this is a crop including about 2/3 of the original frame."
Why: This is a good USG shot of Obama speaking at a rally in the user's hometown.

Prop 8:
User: Digital Trav (the link at the bottom of the photo is his website)
Caption: Mormons against Prop 8
Link: http://flickr.com/photos/digitaltrav/2997907697/
Why: Illustrates that some Mormons are against Prop 8, something maybe you would not expect.

Videos -- Iraq:

User: gnukev
Caption: "I recorded this song because I'm tired of hearing the Bush Administration and other conservatives trying to obscure the similarities between the failed policies of the wars in Vietnam and Iraq: In Vietnam, we prolonged a civil war.
In Iraq, we've stared one...."
Why: Shows how users use music and other creative ways in protest of the war, could be used in a piece about creative reactions to war, how population feels about war, etc.

Obama:

User: EdfromFlorida
Caption: This is why I voted for Obama
Why: This is good USG because it is a personal testimony as to why this man voted for Obama.

Prop 8:

User: supericky06
Caption: Prop 8 Protest in Hollywood
Why: Good USG reporting of the protest with good camera shots and natural sound

Twitter:

Barack Obama: We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks 11:34 AM Nov 5th from web

Britney Spears: Just left the Madonna concert. It was really fun! ~Brit 11:39 PM Nov 6th from mobile web

UGC Exercise

2008-11-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

1) Iraq War:
Barack Obama:
Prop 8:
2) Iraq War "Die In":

Barack Obama Motorcade on visit to White House:

Drew Barrymore addresses Prop 8 Protests:

3) latest Barack Obama tweet: We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks. 11:34 AM Nov 5th from web" BarackObama
latest Britney Spears tweet: "Jayden was hospitalized last night- doctors concluded he had a reaction to something he ingested. He is expected to be discharged tomorrow. 11:45 AM Nov 10th from web" therealbritney

UGC Exercise

2008-11-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

PHOTOS

U.S. soldiers play with Iraqi children in Iraq.
Reason: The photo focuses on the lighter side of the war in Iraq, the opportunity for the U.S. to lead a lasting mark on Iraqis other than violence and murder.

User: autumnfallsforfinch
People celebrate in the streets of Seattle, Wash., after Barack Obama was declared the winner of the 2008 election.
Reason: The photo captures the true joy of the moment after Obama was elected.

User: stutefish
A protester in California holds a sign during a protest against the passage of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in the state.
Reason: The image, taken by a user, is a powerful image and speaks volumes, even though it doesn't depict an angry mob or violent police repression.

YOUTUBE

Tempers flare at an Iraq War protest in San Francisco, Calif., in early 2008.

The crowd in Grant Park reacts to the news that Barack Obama has been elected the next President of the United States.

Drew Barrymore addresses protesters during a protest against Proposition 8 in Los Angeles.

Last Twitter Post from...
Barack Obama: We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks
Britney Spears: Just left the Madonna concert. It was really fun! ~Brit

USG Exercise

2008-11-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

OBAMA

-Zyrcster
Thousands of people gathered to hear Barack Obama speak at a rally in Pueblo, CO just days before the election.
Link: http://flickr.com/photos/zyrc/2994035684/
*This is a good piece of USG because it is an intruding portrait of president-elect Barack Obama and shows how accessible he is to the average person.

WAR

-Joe Tresh
Marjorie McKelvy marches in the United for Peace and Justice March on January 27 in Washington to end the Iraqi war. She is holding a sign for her husband Sean.
Link: http://flickr.com/photos/joetresh/371656307/
*This is a good piece of USG because it tells so many stories in one picture. From the sign she's holding to the march itself to the expression on her face--this photo comes alive.

PROP. 8

-Prajna
Opponents march at a "No on Prop. 8" rally just hours after election day.
Link: http://flickr.com/photos/prajna45/3022557283/
*This is a good piece of USCG because it is timely and powerful. The words on the sign are very controversial and can enhance a user's curiosity.

WAR

OBAMA

PROP. 8

OBAMA TWITTER
We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks 11:34 AM Nov 5th from web

BRITNEY SPEARS TWITTER
Just left the Madonna concert. It was really fun! ~Brit 11:39 PM Nov 6th from mobile web

In-Class

2008-11-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

PHOTOS

WAR
Source: Joe Tresh

Marjorie McKelvy displays a sign for her husband Sean, who is deployed in Iraq, while marching at the United for Peace and Justice March on Washington to End the Iraq War on Jan. 27, 2008.

* I think this is good user-generated content because the author appears to have talked the protestor, Marjorie, and found out her personal story about her husband. Joe found out why she was at the protest and the meaning behind her sign. I also like the juxtaposition of the “END THE WAR!” sign in the background.

OBAMA

Source: Chad Davis

Chad Davis took this picture at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. on June 3, 2008 during one of Barack Obama's political rallies.

* I think this is good user-generated content because it shows the accessibility of our new President-elect and is personal. It definitely does not seem like a stolen photo. Also, I like it because it differs from the posed, political shots we often see everyday of Obama.

PROTEST

Source: DownTownKellyBrown

A twitter user was immersed in the Prop 8 protest on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008 on the streets of Hollywood and marched along Sunset, Santa Monica and Hollywood boulevards.

* This photo shows the abundance of protestors, as well as the signs. It looks user generated, has good depth and is clear for being taken at night.

VIDEOS

Prop 8

President-Elect Barack Obama

WAR

Obama Tweet
We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks 11:34 AM Nov 5th from web

Spears Tweet
Just got word from the family that things are looking up for little Jayden. ~Lauren 4:35 PM Nov 10th from web

USG Excercise

2008-11-11T19:31:00.000-08:00

From the Prop 8 protest in Silver Lake 11/08/08. Source: daisylind

This is good UGC because it was taken by someone who actually attended the protest. It looks raw and unedited which leads me to believe this is something original and not re-purposed from a news organization. In this case, user generated photo works to tell the story-the viewer gets the feeling they were at the protest-it's dark, blurry, etc. resembling some the characteristics of the real protest.

Barack Obama at a rally in Pueblo Colorado. Source: Zyrcster

This is interesting UGC because the user who took this photo was so close. Being right in the middle of the huge crowd is almost a better angle than where the media may have a seat at a rally. Barack Obama looks larger than life in this image-invoking some awe inspiring feelings from the viewer.

Elderly Man Hit by a suicide bomb in Fallujah. Source: Zoriah

This is really interested UGC because it is incredibly graphic-not something that would end up on a news site. It shows a different side of war not portrayed regularly in the media. It seems like UGC is the way to go if a viewer really wants to get the real idea about what's going on in Iraq.

US Solider Iraq War Story (Ugly of War) Source: Youtube.com USER: flowee54

Barack Obama Rally in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Source: Youtube.com USER: acea1983

Proposition 8 Protest Silver Lake Gathering No to Proposition 8 No to Hate. Source: Youtube.com USER: hollywoodkids

Barack Obama Twitter Post

"We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks"

Britney Spears Twitter Post

Just left the Madonna concert. It was really fun! ~Brit 11:39 PM Nov 6th from mobile web

UGC Exercise

2008-11-11T19:02:00.000-08:00

Iraq War (Photos)

Photo of airmen and soldiers at Joint Base Balad, Iraq
Taken by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon on Sept. 11, 2008

http://flickr.com/photos/soldiersmediacenter/2864716029/

President-elect Barack Obama (photo)

President-elect Obama and family in Chicago on election night
Photo taken by David Katz of Obama for America
http://flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/3009095236/

Prop 8 Protests (Photo)

Prop 8 opponents protesting outside a Mormon Temple on Santa Monica Blvd.
Photo Taken by Evan Jacobs
http://flickr.com/photos/evanjacobs/3009019779/

President-elect (Video)

Crowd in Chicago on election night scream with enthusiasm and Victory as Barack Obama was announced as the President-elect
Video taken by YouTube user "thedeputy"

Iraq War (Video)

Iraq War Veterans protesting against the war in Hempstead, N.Y. on Oct. 15, 2008 (posted by YouTube user "nextleftnotes")http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRzbeOwLG7s

Prop 8 Protest (Video)

Prop 8 protests in Hollywood from citizen journalist (produced and posted by YouTube user "supricky06")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjLxRaAFuQM

Obama's Twitter:

"We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks" 11:34 AM Nov 5th from web http://twitter.com/BarackObama

Britney Spears' Twitter:

"Jayden was hospitalized last night- doctors concluded he had a reaction to something he ingested. He is expected to be discharged tomorrow." 11:45 AM Nov 10th from web http://twitter.com/therealbritney

Election Night '08

2008-11-11T16:41:00.001-08:00

Youth Vote Bumps Up Obama Margin

2008-11-11T11:15:00.000-08:00

The counts are in: youth voters between the ages of 18 to 29 turned out in more numbers than 2004, and more Democratic.

News sources immediately jumped on the question of just how influential the youth turnout was to Obama's victory last Tuesday. Youth turnout increased by 3.4 million since the 2004 presidential election, according to CIRCLE, a nonpartisan organization that researches the political engagement of young Americans.

Young voters favored Obama to McCain by 68 percent to 30 percent, a unprecedented age-gap. Over the past 30 years, the average gap was only 1.8 percentage points. This is the first election in which young voters significantly favored one candidate over another. Also, young voters represented 18 percent of overall voters in Tuesday’s election, according to the National Exit Polls (NEP) conducted by Edison/Mitofsky.

It seems that young people have finally done what they said they would do all along. For many, this was a first-time experience. And for many, the first time didn't hurt so bad.

USC EVENT: With voting rules, did the right candidate win?

2008-11-10T09:40:00.000-08:00

The voting rule problems are abundant and many difficulties present themselves each election year, which makes you wonder if the elected candidate is indeed the one voters hoped to elect.

Donald Saari, UCI Distinguished Professor of Mathematics and Economics, will be speaking to this issue and outlining the voting rule problems. The lecture will help students and faculty understand why there are problems and if the rule is in place for good reason.

Voting rules are standard for an array of aggregation rules like statistics to social sciences to engineering. Today, Saari will talk about the mathematical structure behind voting rules, while demonstrating how they explain all of the voting problems.

When: Monday, November 10, 2008 : 3:30pm to 4:30pm
Where: University Park CampusKaprelian HallRoom 249
Cost: Free

2008-11-06T09:54:00.000-08:00

With all of the presidential hoopla, it's easy to lose sight of what is also going to change in our own backyards. The propositions had campaigns as ruthless as some of the presidential mudslinging. Some went a little less unnoticed. And some confused voters with the often ambiguous wording that propositions tend to have.

When Prop. 8, the gay marriage ban, was first introduced it was difficult to tell whether or not it as a good thing or a bad thing. It was simply a ban on any marriage other than a man to a woman; however, commercials alluded that by allowing gay marriages the schools and children would be influenced as well. Parents are protective, the ban is now effective.

Below are some of the propositions that California voters faced:

1A: High-speed rail Yes 52.1%

This proposition allows the state to sell $9.95 billion in bonds to help fund a $45-billion bullet train that is proposed to go between Orange County and the Bay Area. The state would incur payment of $647 million annually for the next 30 years.

The electric-powered train would help road and airport traffic, as well as decrease air pollution and dependence of foreign oil.

Click here for more.

2: Farm animals Yes 63.1%

This proposition provides for better farm conditions for hens, calves and sows. In 2015, rooms will be required for these animals and cages will be outlawed so those animals can extend their limbs, move around and stand up.

The treatment of those farm animals will be more humane and will be less likely to cause disease. In result, about a penny per egg for the farmers and a few extra cents per carton for consumers will be needed for the new living arrangements.

Click here for more.

4: Abortion notification No 52.0%

This proposition would have restricted unemancipated minors from getting an abortion until 48 hours after the physician notifies the girl's parents.

Click here for more.

7: Renewable energy No 64.8%

This proposition would have required private and public utilities to use 20% renewable energy sources by 2010 and 50% by 2025. Apparently, the passing of this would have delayed research of alternative energy like solar power.

Click here for more.

8: Gay marriage ban Yes 52.5%

This proposition holds the Constitution's definition of marriage between a man and woman. In 2000, California voters voted on similar Prop 22, which defined marriage strictly between man and woman, which denied gays and lesbians the right to marry to begin with.

Click here for more.

After the Nov. 4 voting, Jaime Chambers reports from Westwood as Prop. 8 supporters continue their protests two days later against the unsatisfactory 52.5% vote to affirm marriage as a union between man and woman.

10: Alternative fuels No 59.7%

This proposition would have given rebates to owners of alternatively fueled vehicles. The rebates would total about $5 billion, which would add to the current whopping state debt.

Click here for more.

12: Loans for veterans Yes 63.5%

This proposition provides $900 million in bonds to war veterans for low-cost housing in order to honor them for serving our country. The money would come from mortgages, not taxpayers, and would stimulate the state economy.

Click here for more.

CNN Got This One Right

2008-11-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

There were a number of questions heading into Tuesday night that had nothing to do with who would win the election. They all had to do with who would cover the election.

No one will forget the fiasco from 2000, from a media standpoint, when all the networks called Florida for Al Gore, then for George Bush, then for Gore again, then for Bush, and finally, they made the call that nobody really knew. This time, however, they did it right.

On CNN, Wolf Blitzer and Co. didn't make one mistake. They waited until all the polls were closed to project the key states of California, Oregon and Washington. Upon doing so, they then went ahead and declared Obama the winner. Furthermore, CNN was the last out of all the networks to project that Obama had won Pennsylvania and Florida. But there's nothing wrong with that - accuracy should always trump the desire to be first. Sure, everyone turned out to be right in the end. But when people expected a closer race in those states, CNN waited to confirm the truth.

But where CNN really succeeded was in its coverage of the Obama rally at Grant Park. Instead of talking over all the live pictures from the massive gathering, each reporter, as well as Blitzer and Anderson Cooper in the Election Center, opted to simply show the pictures. The images spoke for themselves; there were estimates that about a quarter of a million people or more were there Tuesday night. And the pictures were incredible.

[Photos from NewYorkTimes.com]

CNN let what was being shown on television move the viewers, not what the commentators were saying. After Obama finished his victory speech, the cameras rolled as the crowd and Obama celebrated - and the reporters stayed silent. It was a banner night for the Democratic party, and a banner night for CNN's coverage.

Live blogging election night

2008-11-04T21:32:00.000-08:00

Live blogging Tuesday's historic election

3pm: As polls close in parts of Indiana and Kentucky, the first returns of the night start coming in. The networks have vowed to be extra careful in calling states, so look for a majority of precincts to report before we can line up any states in the candidates’ columns.

5:05: MSNBC beats the other networks by calling Pennsylvania for Obama. McCain blitzed the state with ads and appearances in the final weeks of the election, but many analysts worried that he poured too much capital into a state that was impossible to win.

6:25: Fox News, and next MSNBC call Ohio for Obama. Next comes CBS news, and Bob Scheiffer declares, “I think Barack Obama is going to be the next president of the United States.” Network’s can’t call the race until the last polls close at 8 p.m., but conservative pundits on MSNBC and FOX look rather dejected now that Ohio is gone. Most analysts agreed that McCain would have a nearly impossible chance of winning if he didn’t win Ohio.

7:00: Another round of poll closings in Denver and New Mexico, among other states. Florida’s polls have been closed for two hours, but the race there is still too close to call. No calls yet in other crucial states like Virginia, Indiana and North Carolina.

7:55: At the Annenberg lobby, about 200 students are gathered in front of the gigantic TVs, hanging from the stairs or leaning over balconies.

7:59: The CNN countdown clock reaches 20 seconds until the next and last polls close on the West Coast, which means the networks can call the election. At 10 seconds, the entire room starts counting down. Four ... three ... two ... one ...
At exactly 8 O’ Clock, the CNN “Breaking News” screen flashes. “CNN is calling the presidential race for Barack Obama.” Annenberg goes bonkers.

8:02: Standing with Dan Schnur, who was John McCain’s communications director in 2000, taking in the scene at Annenberg, as students continue to cheer. “I didn’t vote for him,” says Schnur. “But this is cool.” I think that pretty well sums up the night.

8:15: Pandamonium in the Daily Trojan office, as whoops and cheers continue for the Obama victory. Champagne is also involved.

8:30: That’ll wrap up tonight’s coverage. As it stands, the Democrats didn’t get the 60-vote filibuster-proof majority they wanted, but had a sweep in just about every other way. 252 seats in the house and 56 in the Senate will give them a commanding lead, and the ability to pass legislation with much more ease than their Republican counterparts.

Snapshots of a historic moment

2008-11-04T21:07:00.001-08:00

Here are the "front-page" screen shots of major news websites, all differing in their use of photos and headlines:

SLATE
NEW YORK TIMES
MSNBC
LOS ANGELES TIMES
CNN
CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Within minutes of the final votes cast, websites and blogs exploded with chatter. The immediacy of online news at its best.

Community Despite Division: USC Students Gather at Annenberg to Watch the Election

2008-11-04T20:10:00.000-08:00

Obama and McCain supporters have come together to watch the election results unfold in Annenberg's East Lobby. Groups including CalPIRG, the Students for Barack Obama and the Students for John McCain have been phone banking and coordinating election-day efforts from Annenberg's lobby since 8 a.m. Starting at 5 p.m., students, faculty and friends have come to watch a telecasts of election results. Dan Schnur, Director of the Unruh Institute of Politics, is here to provide expert analysis and opinion on the outcome.

Students crowd around Annenberg's six television screen that broadcast CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, the Daily Show and the Colbert Report's coverage of the election.

Students enjoy refreshments as they watch the Daily Show's coverage of the election. A dryboard next to the screen tallies electoral votes and the outcomes of the various California propositions.

Students compare various newscasters' coverage of the election as screen are arranged closely together.

Annenberg remains full even as the election winds down and Obama's win seems imminent.

Liveblog Election Results

2008-11-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

"Voters have chosen our first African American President"

"This is a tremendous night in the history of our country"

"This is one for the history books"

Barack Obama was just announced as the president elect of the United States, as the powerful quotes above illustrate. Obama is being announced as the new president on all major news stations and newspaper sites.

"OBAMA WINS" -- Los Angeles Times
"OBAMA: Racial Barrier Falls as Voters Embrace Call for Chnage" -- New York Times
"Obama to be Next President" -- CNN

(Map courtesy of LAtimes.com)

-----------

"We have come to the end of a long journey," announced John McCain in Arizona, as he took the podium in Arizona. When he mentioned that he called Obama to congratulate him, the audience boo'ed loudly. McCain stands steadfast in his concession speech, talking graciously and powerfully amidst cheers from the the audience. As he stated, "Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help lead us through the many challenges we face....I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger country then we inherited." I found his speech to be strong and gracious, giving hope to many of his supporters and to the country as a whole.

What about racism?

2008-11-04T19:51:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like he overcame all odds: Barack Obama is now our president elect, and will now and forever be known as the United States' first African America president.

But can we dare to say the race wars are finally over? "Is racism," as Stephen Colbert asked tonight, "dead?"

Even though we've elected our first African American president, it seems as if racism is far from over and for some, as many analysts have already said, voting for Obama probably wasn't so much a step toward progression, rather a mere effort to protect his or her pocketbook, or just a move away from the troubled Republican party.

There will be books upon books and studies upon studies to come, showing us how it was finally possible for a country who has a long and tired history of persecuting African Americans to elect one as its president. As a nation, we need to take this moment to reflect on where we are in terms of race relations, how far we've come and what we need to do because there is still much progress to be made in ensuring equal rights and opportunities for all Americans.

Tonight, though, we can all, no matter your party affiliation, celebrate Barack Obama's achievement. There was no Bradley effect (click to see TIME and CNN analysis on the Bradley effect), which has been the elephant in the room for the Obama camp in recent weeks, and no recount necessesary. Tonight, the will of the American people was clearly heard, and Barack Obama, after all that was pitted against him, is our president elect.

LIVE ELECTION UPDATE

2008-11-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

7:52 p.m. The popular vote is close, Obama at 51 percent and McCain at 48 percent. But the electoral vote is a stretch. Right now Obama has 206 electoral votes and McCain has 141 votes. Two-hundred seventy electoral votes are needed to win.

7:56 p.m. Polls in California close in less the five minutes. Some people have had to wait an hour or two today to cast their votes. The absentee ballots will be the first to be counted at 8 o'clock. California may set a new voter turnout record tonight.

7:59 p.m. 4 million registered votes in Los Angeles County and half have cast their votes.

8:02 p.m. CBS now estimates that Obama will be the next president. Voters choose the first African American President.

8:04 p.m. Obama Headquarters in Grant Park, Chicago is full of young people.

8:05 p.m. Obama has 283 electoral delegates. He wins the presidency. McCain stands at 145 electoral delegates.

8:12 p.m. Obama takes 96 percent of the Black vote. Obama wins the youth vote overwhelmingly.

8:13 p.m. Obama wins Virgina, a state that has not gone democratic since 1964.

8:15 p.m. Florida goes to Obama. Electoral vote is 323 for Obama and 145 for McCain. Seventy electoral vote still undecided.

8:20 p.m. McCain makes a speech in Arizona. "We have come to the end of a long journey...the American people have spoken." The crowd is "booing" and McCain holds out his hands to ask them to stop. He says Obama deserves his respect.

8:23 p.m. "I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort...to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity."- McCain

8:25 p.m. Crowd is cheering "John McCain."

8:27 p.m. John McCain thanks a teary eyed Sara Palin.

8:34 p.m. Obama tells McCain he wants to sit down with him and see how they can work together.

8:35 p.m. John McCain's speech was him at his best.

8:38 p.m. Delegate Update: Obama 333, McCain 155

8:44 p.m. 67 percent of precincts reporting.

8:46 p.m. Nevada for Obama.

8:48 p.m. For the first time in history there are 17 women in the US Senate.

8:59 A million people or more are expected in Grant Park.

9:02 Obama begins his acceptance speech....

Now we will witness history.

Election Night in Annenberg

2008-11-04T19:41:00.000-08:00

Over 100 students gathered in the Annenberg School for Communication lobby to watch the election results on 6 giant plasma screens.

"It's really exciting," said freshman Marielle Membreno who voted for Democrat Barack Obama. Currently Obama leads McCain 207 to 135 according to CNN. "It's really looking good [for Obama]."

But for some Republicans in the largely Democratic crowd, the event was decidedly less positive.

"These are all just students who don't have access to TVs at home and want to watch Comedy Central," said Junior Sam Foley, who voted for Republican John McCain. Two of the six TVs were showing Comedy Central's "Indecision 2008" coverage.

Foley also mentioned voting earlier in the the day had been difficult.

"I waited in line for 45 minutes at the USC Catholic Center at 8 a.m.!" Foley said, but added that she definitely thought it was worth it, despite California's Democratic-leaning tendencies.

Asked about her biggest fear about Obama becoming president, Foley said, "It's his inexperience. Right now we need a leader who can deal with international issues."

VOTE 2008: Live blog from Annenberg

2008-11-04T19:39:00.001-08:00

Students anxiously watch the election coverage from a handful of different news stations. As Obama widens his lead students like sophomore broadcast journalism major, Jacquie Levy, don't want to get their hopes up just yet.

Where are you from and what are you feelings about how the election going right now?

Jacquie Levy I'm from Nevada, which is typically a red state, but this year it's considered a swing state. I voted earlier this week with an absentee ballot and am waiting anxiously for the exit polls to come out to see if my vote helped Obama take Nevada! Arizona is another state that I've heard is up for grabs, but a lot of people are upset over these two because of the influx of immigrants who are swaying the election.

Given the numbers right now, are you confident that Obama will win?

JL I mean, just looking at the numbers, it looks like he'll be good once California comes in. But I don't want to get too excited yet because especially after Kerry won the popular vote, but then not the presidency, I just want to make sure Obama is in the clear before I celebrate. Who knows maybe we'll have more chads messing things up this year.

Are you excited about the results coming in from the House and Senate elections?

JL I'm really excited about the fact that we're so close to a philabuster-proof majority in the Senate. We've got 54 now, all we need is 60 then it will be a democratic lockdown. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm all for checks and balances, but I think having a prominent democratic majority will be good because republicans have been stifling the democrats in congress and preventing anything productive from going through on the Senate floor.

Every couple of minutes screems can be heard from the crowds as CNN, ABC News and other political coverage announce the winners of each respective state. Levy, like others is sitting on the edge of her seat in the crowded Annenberg lobby celebrating each Obama victory. California polls close at 8pm which is sure to incite cheers and tears from a good number of Republican and Democratic students alike.

Additional moblog picture

2008-11-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

Moblog Annenberg Election Watch

2008-11-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

Students and faculty are gathered in the Annenberg lobby to watch the Election '08 results. Some students are keeping tab of the electoral counts and proposition results on a large dry-erase board at the front of the lobby. Many attendees are wearing t-shirts and stickers supporting their candidate of choice -- Obama or McCain. At the moment, the count is 207 to 138 in favor of Obama.

IMG00091.jpg

2008-11-04T17:52:00.000-08:00

Paris Hilton hides from fans after casting her vote

About that liberal media...

2008-11-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

About that liberal media...

And getting liberal..er. Brack Obama had a huge advantage in daily newspaper endorsements going into election day, surpassing McCain's endorsements by 170. If you take into account the circulation numbers of those newspapers, Barack Obama had an even greater advantage, reaching 20,000 more people than his opponent. He also had more magazine endorsements.

But if you look at the number of college newspaper editorial staffs that endorsed a candidate the slant is even more revealing: 91 college papers endorsed Barack Obama, only 2 endorsed John McCain. That's according to uWire.

The disparity is so great it needs repeating: 91-2. That's such a big difference it doesn't even warrant a pie graph.

The Daily Trojan is among the college papers that came out for the self-proclaimed candidate of hope. Those are some pretty smart kids.

Huh?

2008-11-04T16:34:00.001-08:00

Red Bull employees quench voters thirst, handing out free drinks

Norwalk polling center.jpg

2008-11-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

No long lines in Norwalk

Local High Schoolers Volunteer at Norwalk

2008-11-04T15:29:00.000-08:00

The next best thing: high school students work the polls

Got the election jitterbug?

2008-11-04T12:47:00.001-08:00

Much like many Americans across the nation, I've got the jitterbug. Record numbers of people are turning out to vote. It'll be interesting to analyze the percentages of people, particularly young people, who went to the polls. People got up at 6 a.m. to stand in chilly weather and long lines to cast their decision. I sent in my absentee ballot a week ago, and I'm so relieved to know that many young people do care and are exercising their rights.

It's the showdown of the decade.

It's finally coming to an end. The mesmerizing battleground of the debates, campaigns, press appearances, and news commentaries have pointed to this monumental day. And, I'm not ashamed to say, I'm a bit teary.

Swing States

2008-11-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

Live Update as of 7:30 p.m. PST:

Breakdown - Are the swing states swinging in the direction predicted by CNN?
Listed below are the states whose polls have closed.

7:45 p.m. Midwest - swung in the right direction
Minnesota - 57% Obama 41% McCain
Wisconsin - 53% Obama 46%
Iowa - 61% Obama 38% McCain

7:33 p.m. New Hampshire - swung the other direction in favor of Obama
Polls are closed = 55% Obama 44% McCain

7:49 p.m. North Carolina - swung the other direction in favor of Obama
Polls are closed = 50% Obama 49% McCain

7:49 p.m. Virginia - swung in the other direction in favor of Obama
Polls are closed = 50% Obama 49% McCain

7:48 p.m. Florida - swung the other direction in favor of Obama
Polls are closed = 51% Obama 49% McCain

7:48 p.m. Colorado - swung the other direction in favor of Obama
Polls are closed = 56% Obama 42% McCain

7:48 p.m. New Mexico - swung the other direction in favor of Obama
Polls are closed = 55% Obama 44% McCain

Click on image for a larger view.

It's not over until it's over and the swing states could determine if Sens. McCain or Obama steps foot into the White House after the Nov. 4 presidential election.

Swing states have been known to "swing" the vote, per say, in one direction from one candidate or another because of overwhelming sentiments regarding a presidential candidates stance on an issue. Thus, these particular states do not have an overwhelming attitude towards one candidate, meaning each has a shot at getting the electoral college votes.

Conversely, "safe states" are the ones where presidential candidates have known support and he has an expected chance of winning the state.

In this election, the swing states are California; Oregon and Washington; Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota; New Hampshire; Virginia and North Carolina; and Florida.

Below is a video from CNN about the "Battleground States" :

Perk Up and Vote... And get free coffee

2008-11-03T13:08:00.000-08:00

Politicians are known for buying votes, but in this era apparently corporations are buying your business by supporting the election.

We all know that it is our civic duty to vote. It is also a matter of having pride in one's country, as well as having a say in the matters of one's country. These seem like incentives enough to get 100% of the US population to vote, not just the average 54 percent; however, businesses like Starbucks are offering free drinks if you vote.

On Wednesday, Nov. 5, if you go to any Starbucks and say, "I voted!," you will be rewarded a free tall cup of Joe. Starbucks wants to promote that giving you a cup of coffee is so insignificant in comparison to exercising your right to vote that they will give you a free cup.

Click below to see the minute-long promotion video.

Krispy Kreme is giving away a free star-shaped doughut with red, white and blue sprinkles (while supplies last) if you wear your "I Voted" sticker.

Ben & Jerry's is giving away a free scoop of ice cream, you pick the flavor, from 5 to 8 p.m. if you say you voted.

Rock the Vote is giving away free song downloads if you pledge to vote.

Although, in our failing economy, one has to take a step back. These freebies and rewards for voting are fine, but Starbucks of all businesses, whose margins have dropped significantly, may also be using the election to drive sales up. For the past couple of months, Starbucks has created an incentives program that is meant to do just that - increase profits.

Was media coverage too liberal?

2008-11-03T08:50:00.001-08:00

In a New York Times column, Douglas MacKinnon argues that the news media swung too far to the left in the coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign. MacKinnon, a self-described "independent conservative" and former press secretary to Senator Bob Dole, states that liberal ideas and issues are honored at the expense of the conservative right.

By rule, journalism is expected to be as unbiased and objective as possible while adhering to high standards of ethics and news gathering professionalism. Have we lost that integrity in an age where business leaks into the editorial environment and decisions are based on entertainment rather than serious news value? Are we slowly giving up our duty to the American public to ask the tough questions, keep the government accountable, and be a forum for the voiceless? The fact of a liberal news media seems to contradict journalistic ethics.

More importantly, are conservatives dangerously remaining silent at the expense of thoughtful debate? Today in my entrepreneurship class, we polled the class on Proposition 8 and the presidential nominees. The score was 20 for McCain and 24 for Obama. You would think that in liberal California, Obama would win by a landslide. But when liberals are crying to be heard, where are the conservative voices? Both liberal and conservative voices must join the discussion in order to uphold our deliberative democracy. One cannot dominate the other, as it appears to be doing now.

According to the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, McCain has received far more negative coverage than Obama.

Is this fair? It seems to be a byproduct of the cynicism generated by the Bush administration's failed policies? Although both candidates have received nearly the same press attention, there is an undeniable tip in Obama's favor. This kind of media coverage opens debate on the role of journalism in this society. The media aligned themselves with Bush's administration and his campaign for terror after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The overwhelming imbalance in the Pew research suggests a backlash against this former no-questions-asked alliance.

There are some conservative voices, but not many rationally defend their standpoints without seeming like bigots. Has the conservative voice been overshadowed by liberal mainstream media? Perhaps. The blame goes both ways. Liberals label conservatives as right-wing fundamentalists, and conservatives label their opponents as free-for-all hippie tree huggers. The truth is, we need both extremes and all the diverse in-betweens to improve our country. And based upon the reader responses to MacKinnon's article, people are forgetting the validity of points made by conservative pundits.

One reader wrote, "There’s an alternative reality that conservatives can slip into and pity themselves. If anything the MSM has been so far to the right that when it moves toward objectivity conservatives react as if it is on the left."

The mainstream media has always been traditionally a little to the left because of the inherent skepticism needed in keeping politicans, corporations and government accountable. But this is an interesting point. Social perceptions of mainstream media changes with the swearing in of a new president. Conservatives

Another reader wrote, "The problem isn’t so much media bias — it’s the way the media had to overcompensate for the perception of bias."

So every time an unfair call is made, the opposing side cries to be heard? With each new president, his ideology is attacked more often than the opposite ideology. Or, is there really a change in media biases? My guess is that biases seesaw up and down depending on the social and economic climate of the nation.

Cast your ballot for the next president and vice president of the United States:

poll by twiigs.com

Satisfy the state and your stomach: free food and drink voter promotions

2008-11-02T20:40:00.001-08:00

Ben and Jerry's, Groundwork Organic Coffee and Tea and Press Panini are offering free food and drinks to patrons who have voted.

Photo taken at the Ben & Jerry's at the Westfield Century City Mall.

Ben and Jerry's offers a free scoop of the ice cream of the voter's choice on a cup or cone from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. the night of the election. Voters must prove that they've voted; proof of voting includes an “I voted” sticker, a photo of you at the polling location or you doing an “I voted” dance. Kooky B&J, what's an "I voted" dance? If you're shameless enough to improvise a dance of this sort, you surely deserve the free treat.

Groundwork Organic Coffee and Tea offers a free 12-ounce cup of joe from Nov. 4 to 5 to those voters who can present their ballot stubs. To prove its non-partisan stance, Groundwork will take $1 off of any tea product if you're not pro-coffee. Groundwork owner Richard Karno hopes the promotion will inspire people to engage in the democratic process and talk about national issues. Head to one of Groundwork's six locations for some post-poll stimulation.

Come to Press Panini in Studio City for a free panini slider on the big day. All you need is an "I Voted" sticker. You can then choose from their six mini panini flavors: salami (with provolone and swiss cheeses); pastrami (swiss, kraut and pepperoncini); cuban (bacon, turkey, ham and swiss); turkey Pesto (with brie and artichoke pesto); caprese (mozzarella, tomato and basil); bacon and Egg (with swiss cheese).

So, while you're waiting in line at the polls, think about the goodies that await you.

View Larger Map

Your Guide to Election Night

2008-11-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it all comes down to this. Tuesday night it all goes down. The polls will close at night, and then the fun begins - analysts and pundits on every single television station in mankind will be projecting which candidate wins each state, talking about the scenarios for victory, and discussing the news as it happens.

But after you have voted (and you must vote - please), you have another choice to make: Who to watch when the sun goes down.

There are a lot of options on television for Tuesday night viewing, but which should you watch? Here is a guide to election night television viewing.

They refer to themselves as "the best political team on television," and that may just be the case. Just as they have all throughout the election cycle, Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper will anchor the wall-to-wall coverage. They will have at their disposal the likes of Donna Brazille, John King, Alex Castellanos, James Carville, Paul Begala - the list goes on.

CNN will likely provide the most centrist analysis of the election night results. That is, the balance of Democratic and Republican commentators balances out the analysis, and both Blitzer and Cooper will make sure the network does not appear biased in its coverage. One thing CNN has done particularly well throughout the election cycle is that is has been able to give an air of unbiasedness. If you don't want to hear any ugly partisan banter, CNN is probably your channel.

Oh, and you can rest assured: John King and his magical telestrator will be there. Everyone who is in awe every time you look at the voting results in the third largest county of southern Mississippi will get that opportunity to "ooh" and "aah" yet again.

Are you a right-leaning fellow? Then this is your station. There's no denying FOX's coverage has a little bit of slant in it, but if you don't mind, then tune in to this channel for your results viewing. Plus, FOX's web site is going to have a live-updated election map that allows you to look at each specific county in each state. So if you want to be John King and impress your friends with county-level knowledge, check out FOX's site.

Or, if you're a left-leaning kind of person, Keith Olberman and Co. is your ticket to election night fun. They will have a whole host of stars to break down the news, just as FOX will. MSNBC also has a "Decision '08" election night widget, which allows you to follow the results live on your desktop.

But if you really want to get some fun out of your election night coverage, there's only one place to turn: Comedy Central. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will host a live one-hour election night special on the network to talk about the results and the prognostications. The show kicks off at 10 pm Eastern Time/7 pm Pacific Time, and promises to be chock full of jokes, jests and funny quips.

I (already) voted ... MoBlog

2008-10-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

Early voting in California began Oct. 6, and I was just one of the thousands of people to take part in it. As California is a no excuses state, all I had to do was request an absentee ballot, to be filled out at the registrar.

Unfortunately Los Angeles only has one place to vote early, and that's in Norwalk. Though the lines weren't too bad, expect them to get worse as election day nears.

Barack Osama?

2008-10-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

After the many mishaps and revotes during the 2000 election, one can only wonder what will happen this time around. Will the infamous swing state Florida extend the election past Nov. 4?

According to MTV News, there are many presidential voting time bombs a ticking.

Photo credit: Albany Times Union Newspaper

1. 'BARACK OSAMA' printed on 300 absentee ballots

Problem: This Freudian slip has been blurted out one too many times, but this error in upstate New York was actually printed on ballots sent to voters in Rensselar County stating that Barack Obama's last name was 'Osama.' As if many aren't already second guessing Obama's alleged connections to terrorism...

Potential Nightmare: New ballots will be issued as they were to the affected voters in New York. However, the original ballot went through three proofreaders and still had the mistake.

2. Computer Errors

Problem: The systematic flaws in the electronic voting machines from the 2004 presidential election interferred with results. A study by Common Cause says the machines may still be faulty in many states.

Potential Nightmare: The voting machines are in 24 states, but eight don't have a requirement to stock emergency paper ballots if the machine fails. In 10 states, there is no guarantee that every vote will be counted.

3. Voters ineligible to vote, failed to check box

Problem: More than 6,400 Colorado voters didn't check a box on their registration forms when they registered without a state ID or driver's license, which renders them ineligible to vote. Republican Secretary of State Mike Coffman is enforcing that the box be checked to be a complete form. However, many voters are saying that they received information stating the box didn't need to be checked.

Potential Nightmare: Registration forms need to be resubmitted before Nov. 4 with the box checked this time. Also, the confusion between checked or not checked may erase votes altogether.

Read the full article at MTV News.

The Not-So-Serious Side

2008-10-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

With just two weeks left in an epic presidential race, the candidates are less than a length apart heading down the political home stretch. And that's what makes last week's Alfred E. Smith Memorial Dinner event that much more interesting. You'd expect the candidates to be tightening their ties around their necks and digging up some dirty business about their opponent around this time of year, but instead, they were loosening them.

Well, proverbially at least. Both candidates were impeccably dressed with matching white bow ties, but the mood of the event was something we haven't seen very often during this campaign cycle. . . lightheartedness with a dash of good old-fashioned fun. The candidates poked fun at each other -- and with a surprising amount of wit and genuine, laugh-out-loud quality humor.

Here's a few selected excerpts from the event. First up, McCain:

Excellent comedic timing and delivery. Throughout the campaign some have said McCain has looked cold and menacing but he was dead on and in the pocket that night.

Enter, Obama:

Breaking news: soy chai latte and shitzu puppy sales are going through the roof amongst college-aged Democrats. They've been heard shouting, "If Obama's got 'em, they're good enough for us!"

In closing, why can't the whole political process be one big Alfred E. Smith Memorial Dinner event? We've seen from the popularity of recent SNL skits that the American people crave something a little less than serious from their politicians. Well on this night, the candidates listened.

New Citizen's Cast Their Vote

2008-10-21T15:30:00.001-07:00

Wow! It's amazing what a little election fever will do encourage ALL people to go out and register to vote. The results of this election are sure to affect everyone alike. So it's no wonder that so many new citizens want to have their voices heard. The chart above detailing how many new American's have registered to vote in California in the past year and several months is quite impressive.

But it's not only in California, Hundred of thousands of new citizens around the nation are registered and excited to vote in the upcoming election. To help get citizens to the polls, community groups are organizing phone banks and multilingual informational pamphlets to guide them through the process. New citizens need help with the basic logistics like how to fill out the forms and how to locate the polling places.

Spanish language media is also helping to promote voting in their community. According to the LA Times, 1 million voting cards were inserted in newspapers over one weekend in California last month. And Univision is airing radio and television ads featuring the stories of people who recently became citizens.

But it is not just the Latino community that is reaching out. According to the LA Times, Asian American groups have published pamphlets in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. Registered voters are also getting a phone call in their native language to encourage them to vote.

Although California's voter registration deadline was Monday, new citizens going through the naturalization process this week have until next Monday to turn in their voter registration forms, according the LA County Registrar's office.

Encouraging diversity in the election could be enough for one candidate to win it. Minority voters are making up a growing share of the population. And Obama is doing better overall with Hispanic and Asian American voters than McCain. "In many ways demographic differences are the raw material for party politics," said John Green, director of the University of Akron's Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics.

The Nitty-Gritty

2008-10-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

With just about two weeks to go in this all-important election, the candidates are getting down and dirty. They're campaigning hard in key battleground states, shifting strategies, reallocating resources, speaking at packed rallies. They're trying to sway voters to their cause with strong statements about their policies (and in some cases, about the other candidates, too).

They're also having a little bit of fun.

Depsite the hard-fought nature of this election season, with Barack Obama and John McCain fighting tooth and nail to win the presidency, the candidates took some time out to poke fun at one another. Both candidates spoke at the 63rd Annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Dinner. Traditionally, in a Presidential election year, the candidates are invited to speak at the event, and this time around, both Obama and McCain stepped away from the stump and into the comedic spotlight. Both men delivered hysterical speeches, taking shots at themselves and one another.

Below are portions of each man's speech.
John McCain:

Barack Obama:

Both men were able to take time away from serious, hard-line jabs at one another to poke fun at the other candidate. Obama said it best, when he told the audience that it was a testament to democracy that both men could be at each other's throats and still find time to do something like this.

And both candidates are also trying to use the World Series to win votes. Yes, baseball.

Obama, a noted Chicago White Sox Fan, had said he was rooting for the Philadelphia Phillies because his campaign manager is a Phillies fan. But he told a rally in Florida that he was impressed with the Tampa Bay Rays' run to the World Series.

McCain, however, took that as an opportunity to lash into his opponent. He told a crowd in Pennsylvania yesterday, “I heard that Senator Obama was showing some love to the Rays down in Tampa Bay yesterday. Now, I'm not dumb enough to get mixed up in a World Series between swing states, but I think I may have detected a little pattern with Senator Obama. It's pretty simple really. When he's campaigning in Philadelphia, he roots for the Phillies, and when he's campaigning in Tampa Bay, he shows love to the Rays. It's kind of like the way he campaigns on tax cuts, but then votes for tax increases after he's elected. Or the way he says he backs the middle class and then goes and attacks Joe the Plumber after he's asked a tough question. What’s that all about?"

Not quite a light-hearted quip about baseball by the senior senator for Arizona. But with the final stretch here, it's a bit surprising to see both candidates spending time on baseball instead of the issues.

Election 2008 Proposition Resources

2008-10-21T00:37:00.000-07:00

While voters -- especially new voters -- are primarily concerned with choosing between the two candidates in the upcoming election, it is also very important to be educated about the California ballot propositions come November. California's ballot includes twelve statewide propositions, 1A through 12. Ballot measures 4 and 8 have been generating a lot of press and attention, as Prop. 4 would change the California constitution to prohibit abortions for minors without parental consent, and Prop. 8 would change the California constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. These issues are so important that there are even pro-and-con widgets devoted to them!

It is important to educate yourselves about all of the propositions on November's ballot. Here are some resources I've found that clearly outline all the issues:

California General Election Official Voter Information Guide -- This is the web version of the two official voter guides mailed to all registered voters in the state. The website provides an unbiased summary of each of the propositions in addition to a legislative analyst's estimate of the net state and local government fiscal impact of each ballot measure. As in the printed voter guide, the site also includes arguments for and against each proposition and the actual text of the proposed laws.

California Voter Foundation Online Guide -- The California Voter Foundation's guide to the propositions features bullet-pointed summaries of each of the ballot measures as well. The site also includes links to the official 'Yes' and 'No' websites for each proposition in addition to a list of the government officials who officially endorse and oppose each measure. Even more interesting, each proposition's page features a chart that outlines the campaign finances related to the measure -- namely, which people and organizations donated in support of the proposition.

Institute of Government Studies -- In the "Hot Topics 2008" portion of the website, the Institute of Government Studies at Berkeley provides detailed information about each of the propositions on the California November ballot. Their guides include descriptions of ballot measures, background materials, pro-and-con websites, newspaper articles and editorials, opinion polls, political endorsements, and financial-contribution websites.

California conservative

2008-10-20T21:56:00.001-07:00

Senior Les Stark is a registered republican in California.
"I'm more conservative than anything. A true conservative believes in limited government and giving people the right to do the things they wish to do as long as it's not hurting or imposing on other people. I wouldn't call myself a republican, I'm a conservative.

Do you side with McCain on every issue?

Les Stark: I don't agree with McCain on a lot of things, but I think that he's the least socialist of the group. My major thing is I think that people who work for their money deserve to keep it. I don't believe in the redistribution of wealth. Everyone has the right to have equal opportunity to achieve and everyone should have an equal opportunity to work hard and make money. I don't believe in equal outcome, life's just not fair.

So is the economy the issue you feel most strongly about?

LS: Well, yeah I guess, the redistribution of wealth is my biggest issue as far as the economy goes. I believe in a very restricted government. I don’t want them coming in and regulating banks or regulating social security, or regulating really anything as far as my decisions as an American go. I also feel strongly about less taxation. The economy is cyclical, there's always going to be ups and downs, but when you interfere with things you open up opportunity for corruption. It also creates incorrect distribution of money which causes bigger issues, I think it’s just better to keep your hands off it all together.

Which issues do you disagree with Obama on?

LS: Obama believe in expanded government and universal health care, basically the government getting too involved in everyday life. Our government needs to be hands off on those issue.

What issues do you disagree with McCain on?

LS: I disagree with McCain on issues like abortion and gay marriage. I don’t think that it’s the government’s right to decide those issues for you one way or the other. It’s the same way with drugs, it’s not government’s right to tell you what you can and can’t within the confines of your own home as long as you're not hurting anyone else. On a personal level I’m against abortion, I think it’s horrible and it shouldn't even be an option, but at the same time it’s not my right to say one way or another. At least not until they decide what is life and agree on the exact moment life begins. Until that argument is decided I don't think I have a say. In regards to gay marriage, I want to uphold the word marriage. I’m voting yes on prop 8 because I believe that marriage is between a male and a woman. Do I think that gays don't have the same rights as far as taxes and putting away money for retirement, absolutely not. I just don't want to call it marriage. Am I for gay marriage, yes, am I for calling marriage, no.

SNL and the 2008 Campaign

2008-10-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

NBC's Saturday Night Live has been receiving high ratings from their hilarious parodies about the 2008 Presidential Campaign. The mixture of pop culture and politics meet in satire in which both Republican and Democratic presidential and vice presidential candidates participate in. Sens. Obama and McCain along with Sen. Hillary Clinton and Gov. Palin, have all made appearances on Saturday Night Live. SNL has long been making fun of politicians and presidential races, however this year, it seems to be attracting more viewers, and maybe because the actual candidates that are being made fun of are making guest appearances on the show, as Palin did this past weekend.

Pictures provided by: nytimes.com; politicalhumor.com; whudat.com; chicagotribune.com; huffingtonpostcom; time.com; underdog.hypepad.com; media.turntolo.com

Even Giuliani and Mike Huckabee made appearances on SNL's Weekend Update where Giuliani blamed SNL for his demise as a presidential candidate for appearing in a skit dressed as a woman in an earlier show, and Huckabee was being made fun of for overstaying his welcome (Seth Myers hinting he prolonged his presidential race longer than he should have). However, the politician I have yet to see make an appearance on SNL is Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, Joe Biden. Perhaps he'll be next?

Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama

2008-10-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday he'd be casting his vote for Barack Obama come election day.

The endorsement from the secretary of state who served under George W. Bush for five years, crosses party lines and has been highly anticipated.

The Republican general, who is more moderate than many in his party, said he would wait until after the presidential debates and go into the final weeks of the campaign to make his endorsement.

"Both of [the candidates] are distinguished Americans, who are patriotic and dedicated to the welfare of this country." Powell said on Meet the Press. "Either one of them would be a good president."

Powell has spent time with both candidates, but has been particularly engaging in conversations with Obama on foreign policy and domestic issues in recent months.

Leading up to his endorsement of the Democratic senator, Powell cited concern for his own party.

"I have some concerns about the direction that the party has taken in recent years," he said. " It has moved more to the right than I would like to see it."

Beyond the dismay he feels about the Republican Party, Powell said he believes Obama is ready for the job and displays a fervor requisite of the next president who will need "to fix the reputation that we've left with the rest of the world."

"I watched Mr. Obama, during this seven week period," Powell said. "He displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge, and an approach to looking at problems like [the economic crisis] and picking a vice president that is ready to be president on day one.

Powell praised Obama for exhibiting "intellectual vigor," and giving "us a more inclusive, broader reach into the needs and aspirations of our people."

"He is crossing lines: ethnic lines, racial lines, generational lines," Powell said of the candidate, while denouncing the Republican Party's "narrow" campaign tactics.

The endorsement from Powell is a a major success for the Democratic Party as the general is the most prominent Republican to throw his support behind Obama.

McCain said the Powell's endorsement "doesn't come as a surprise," and also noting he has the support of four other former Republican secretaries of state: Kissinger, Baker, Eagleburger and Haig.

"I think he is a transformational figure, he is a new generation coming onto the world stage, onto the American stage," Powell said in closing. "And for that reason, I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama."

'Guitar Hero' becomes prime ad spot for Obama

2008-10-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

If you are a busy college student, too consumed in video games like "Guitar Hero" and "Madden 09" to watch presidential advertisements on television, Sen. Obama has found a way to get to you, the young male and often hard to reach voter.

Mr. Obama is the first presidential candidate to buy ad space in a video game, which comes as no surprise as he is just days away from breaking the spending record set by President Bush in 2004.

The ads, which remind players early voting has started and includes a plug for VoteForChange.com, appears in not one, not two, but 18 different video games.

According to Obama campaign officials, the ad will appear in only the 10 states in which early voting is allowed: Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Montana, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Nevada, New Mexico, Florida, and Colorado.

The ads began earlier this month and will run through Nov. 3, according to Holly Rockwell, a spokeswoman for Electronic Arts, Inc.

"It reaches an audience that is typically hard to reach - young males, roughly 18 to 34," said Rockwood. "That's very appealing to our advertisers."

The ads are able to be embedded in the game because the Xbox 360 console connects to the Internet for live updates of any sort, which now extends to Obama ads.

Read the full WNBC story.

In terms of overall advertising mediums, both Obama and McCain are aiming to get their messages across and do a little mudslinging along the way. However, Obama is completely eclipsing McCain when it comes to the amount of money he has to spend on ads, and therefore, the amount of ads he airs.

The reason Obama is able to spend so much on advertising is because he opted out of the federal campaign finance system, which gives candidates $84 million in public money and restricts spending any more than that from their party convention until Election Day. McCain opted in.

And since Obama raised $100 million in September alone, he is able to saturate the markets with his message and face, day and night.

The University of Wisconsin did an analysis of presidential advertisements during the period of Sept. 28 to Oct. 4. The analysis revealed that almost 100 percent of McCain's commercials included an attack on Obama, while only 34 percent of Obama's featured attacks on McCain.

The Wisconsin Advertising Project also found that since June ads have been a mix of negative and positive, either attacking each other, focusing on their own campaign, or blending both tactics. The graph below illustrates the numbers.

Obama seems to have the advertising advantage since he has enough money to play his own good cop and bad cop.

Read the full NY Times story.

'The Average Joe' Becomes Talking Point during Third Debate

2008-10-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

A Roundup

In true presidential debating fashion, and following suit of their past two presidential debates, Sens. Obama and McCain jumped at the chance to stick it to each other on Wednesday, this time referencing "the average Joe" - not the fictitious, symbolic one, but an actual one, Joe Wurzelbacher.

All news outlets released their version of the Joe story. In short, Joe, a plumber, met Obama on Sunday, Oct. 12 while the senator was campaigning in Joe's neighborhood on Shrewsbury Street in Holland, Ohio. Joe told Obama he was planning on buying the plumbing business he works for, Newell Plumbing & Heating, for around $250,000, which would mean that under Obama's reforms, Joe's taxes would be increased.

The commotion began when Joe asked Obama, "Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?" and when Obama answered he would raise taxes taxes for those earning more than $250,000 but "I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."

This unforeseen meeting became an enormous talking point on the issue of tax policies for both candidates during this past Wednesday's debate.

LA Times

In this article titled "Joe the Plumber can relate to the Britney Thing," Joe Wurzelbacher is the dominant photo resembling Britney Spears with the bald head, a la her wayward days. Joe's house even resembled a paparazzi stakeout outside of a celebrity's after the debate. Camera crews wanted to get his opinion on going from plumber to hot talking point in a presidential debate.

After being interviewed on debate night by Katie Couric, he talked to Diane Sawyer and other national media figures on Thursday.

This newfound fame is disappointing for Joe though. "I'm kind of like Britney Spears having a headache," Wurzelbacher told journalists at his house. "Everybody wants to know about it." He also "wished that they had talked more about issues that are important to Americans."

During the debate McCain looked straight into the camera, as if looking at Joe, and said "Joe, I want to tell you, I'll not only help you buy that business that you worked your whole life for. . . . I'll keep your taxes low and I'll provide available and affordable healthcare for you and your employees."

Since Joe is not the owner of the small business with the supposed potential earnings of over $250,000 just yet, he acknowledged that his taxes would be cut under Obama's policies, but he is a conservative.

NY Times

In this article titled "Plumber From Ohio Is Thrust Into Spotlight," Joe is referred to as Everyman, "a kind of proxy for all of the country’s working people."

Joe's outrage over Obama's "spread the wealth" comment is elaborated. “He said he wants to distribute wealth. And I mean, I’m not trying to make statements here, but, I mean, that’s kind of a socialist viewpoint. You know, I work for that. You know, it’s my discretion who I want to give my money to; it’s not for the government decide that I make a little too much and so I need to share it with other people. That’s not the American Dream.”

However, Joe's worries are not rooted in fact. According the the Small Business Administration, there are less than 6 million small businesses that earn enough to be affected by Obama's tax increase and so less than 700,000 taxpayers would actually have to pay higher taxes. So, Obama's comment that 98 percent of small businesses make less than $250,000, and thus, his tax policy does not affect a majority of America may be true.

CNN

Joe Wurzelbacher gives his reaction to becoming a major talking point in a presidential debate.

In the article titled, "'Joe the Plumber' happy to help candidates make the point," the reality that most plumbers make anywhere near a quarter of a million dollars is made clear.

Joe Biden said on NBC's "Today Show" that he does not know any worried plumbers in his neighborhood that make $250,000 a year.

According to a 2007 Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the mean annual wage for plumbers in the U.S. was $47,350.

The article also notes that McCain has another "Joe" he is touting to appeal to the average American - his running mate "Joe six-pack American." That is Sarah Palin's nickname when it comes to the McCain campaign.