Obama versus...? A look into the Republican race for the presidency

The race for the Republican presidential nomination has been highly contentious, with constant flipping between the “front runners.” In fact, Slate released an animation of the GOP “horse race” which is a great visual aid to see how the race has evolved over time (found here: http://goo.gl/7Xd95)

With the debate that took place in Las Vegas tonight, I feel as though only more questions have been raised among the candidates. Republicans need to ask not only who they like, but who can beat Obama in the 2012 election.  How can this decision be made? Whether or not you have been following the race so far, below I highlight some of the key points that I think should be considered for the Republican bid, as well as some personal insight into the debate. Some are political, some are not. I welcome any feedback.

Political Journalism: A critique

In a slightly different vein than my last two posts, this post is in response to a class assignment in which I have chosen an article in my beat (politics) and will analyze some of the good and bad aspects of the story.

The article I will discuss is entitled "In New Hampshire, search continues for Romney alternative" in the Political Wires section of the Miami Herald. The article, written by David Lightman, can be accessed here:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/16/2457028/in-new-hampshire-search-continues.html

Knox on wood

Seattle is known for a lot of things. Salmon being tossed at Pike Place Market. Starbucks. The Space Needle. And now, 24-year-old Amanda Knox. The Seattle native who traveled to Perugia, Italy in 2007 to study abroad and wound up with a 26 year sentence for murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher, was released on appeal this past Monday. After four years in Italian jail, she has finally come home to the United States.

Books have been written, the media has gone crazy with articles and videos, even 48 Hours had an exclusive entitled "Amanda Knox: The Untold Story" which aired last night (http://goo.gl/c32sk to watch). But how could such a harsh conviction be so quickly overturned during appeal? Why did Knox spend four years in jail when it took a jury only a few hours to turn her conviction around, declaring her innocent of the murder (though guilty of defamation and given time served).

Occupy...

For weeks now, hundreds of thousands of people have been camped out in New York City in the "Occupy Wall Street" protest. While it has received little media attention, this protest began a huge campaign centered around the slogan "We are the 99%," demanding that high paid CEOs and politicians put aside their "corporate greed" and help Middle America.

The "Occupy Wall Street" protest has now turned into a movement, with similar protests starting up all across the United States. Angry middle class Americans who are fed up with high taxes and high unemployment are finally ready to take a stand.

But is the Occupy Together movement fair? Billionaire Warren Buffett, who allegedly has a lower tax rate than his secretary, is standing beside President Obama for his new jobs act. The complicated "Buffett Rule" would ensure that those with higher incomes pay more in taxes. Despite what seems like support for the working man, Buffett is still one of the "wealthy" being attacked by these protests.