A history of rights in post-election 2012

Since it was announced that Obama was reelected on Tuesday, a lot has been going on in the world of social media.  Some people are overjoyed.  Others... not so much.

This Tumblr, "White People Mourning Romney," has been making the rounds.  I thought I'd take a peek, see what all the fuss was about.  But instead of giggling at silly reactions of children falling on the floor or people caught on camera in unflattering ways, I was somewhat disturbed by some of the comments posted.

Many people posted about our country having no morals.  One post discussed the opening of a new "anti-gay" Chick-Fil-A restaurant as a sort of coping mechanism for sad Romney supporters.  Still other posts talked about how our country has been flushed down the toilet and how the United States is now going to be socialist.

From what is posted on this site, many people quote the founding fathers and the foundation that our country was built upon.  I encourage you to look at the site on your own.

 I started to think.... and this is what I've come up with...

Why I love election night

I graduated from undergrad with two degrees - journalism and political science - and while everyone else is tearing their hair out and can't wait until this election is decided... I kind of wish it was always election season.

There's something exhilerating about a newsroom full of people milling about, no-nonsense, getting things done.  Sure, it can be stressful, but the payoff is huge.

So here is the shortest post I'll ever write.  I'm running a mile a minute, getting in scripts, updating social media and cramming our faces with delicious food.  But I just want to take a minute to enjoy this.  In the midst of the negative ads, crazy facebook and twitter posts, angry people and everything else... how wonderful it is to live in a country where we have this right to vote.  No matter who wins, I voted and I hope you did, too.

The damage... after our newsroom was let loose on our dinner goodies!  It was so delicious :) Plus, of course, election coverage!

What Hurricane Sandy means for election 2012

There has been a lot of speculation about the hurricane that hit the east coast Monday and what it means for the upcoming presidential election.  While I certainly don’t have the answer, I’m going to throw my hat into the ring of speculation.  I hope you do the same.

I want to start by offering my sincerest condolences to those struggling with the loss of power, property and, worst of all, life from Hurricane Sandy.  We must remember that an election, while important, is not as important as people.  There are a lot of things you can do to help with disaster relief – things as small as giving blood locally and as big as going out to help with clean up.   For information on how to help or to donate, visit the Red Cross hurricane page here.

Now when it comes to the election, many began to wonder if the election date would be moved.  This seems incredibly unlikely, although certain counties could change polling locations if your local site was destroyed.  Even some of the hardest hit places in New Jersey don’t seem to be phased.  The election has been placed on the back burner while officials are concerned with flooding and clean up, but in a recent CNN article, New Jersey’s Governor Chris Christie (R) said “the election will take care of itself.”

In my opinion, there are two factors which could actually impact the election, and they’re things that BOTH parties should be worried about.

Politics... it's war.

They say "all's fair in love and war," but I think what they meant was politics.

This election has focused less on the economy than on warfare. But I don't mean the war overseas.  Rather, any issue where two sides disagree has been dubbed "warfare" during this election cycle.

Why I Caved.

Yesterday a friend of mine asked if I was planning to vote in the recall election today.  I said no.  I am a Maryland resident and want to keep my Maryland residency for when I move back after graduating.  Why go through the hassle of becoming a Wisconsin resident to vote once (actually twice, with the presidential election in November. I planned to vote absentee.)?  My friend didn't ask any more questions, but smiled at me and said ok.

I voted today (clearly my friend knows me too well).  Here's why...

Got my mind on my money and my money on my mind

Lindsay has loans.  A lot of loans.  So does her husband.  Between the two of them, these loans total about as much as a house. 


Where did they go wrong?

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