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Yadira Rodriguez

Romney's 'big bird' comment ruffles feathers | WTNH.com Connecticut - 2 views

www.wtnh.com/...-bird-comment-ruffles-feathers

Romney Big Bird Comment controversy

shared by Yadira Rodriguez on 05 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • Romney ruffled some feathers in one Connecticut community
  • 'Big Bird.'
  • Big Bird is somewhat of a local hero because it is Big Bird's hometown.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • iconic character
  • the subject of almost as much social media as the debate itself
  • may have lost some votes in Woodstock.
  • n Woodstock,
  • defenders a
  • leave Big Bird alone
  • horrible
  • She was able to contact Spinney who said he did not watch the debate and has "no comment."
  • Yadira Rodriguez on 05 Oct 12
     
    Article talks about Romney's BIg Bird comment. It brought a lot of controversy in Woodstock , Connecticut the home town of Big Birds creator.  It just further more proves how the debates are more of a chance to observe the candidates.  
  • ...3 more comments...
  • Sabrina Rosenfield on 06 Oct 12
     
    This is getting totally blown out of proportion. Romney was just using Big Bird as an example of something that he would like to cut-and whether you approve of those cuts is another matter-but it wasn't like he was attacking Big Bird or its creators. I think this is an example of people latching on to the most colorful thing said in the debate and making it seem like the biggest issue of the election.
  • Danielle Polevoi on 07 Oct 12
     
    I think everyone needs to take a deep breath. The quote "Big Bird is an important part of every child's education" also seems a bit ridiculous although I do love Sesame Street. I do think debates are a great time to observe the candidates (like Yadira said) but it doesn't seem like this is an effective use of the discussion afterwards.
  • Abby Schantz on 08 Oct 12
     
    Agreeing with what has been said, it was one small comment that got totally blown out of proportion. After the debate I was watching some commentary on it and heard a lot being mentioned about that comment. Apparently, throughout the debate after it was said, twitter was cluttered with people discussing that singular comment. According to one of the news reporters I was watching discuss the debate (who I do not remember the name of), she said that in this debate it particular, and partially because Obama not going for making so many jokes (as Danielle's article talks about), this was one of the few things viewers were able to blow out and discuss which is why it has gotten so much attention.
  • Will Rothman on 15 Oct 12
     
    I think that it was more inappropriate that he directly told Jim Lehrer that he was going to cut his job. Yes Big Bird is an icon, but he is fictional. Jim Lehrer is a real person who was specifically told that he is going to get fired if Romney wins.
  • Sami Perez on 15 Oct 12
     
    Will brings up a good point. Romney's campaign is all about making jobs, but should we think about those who work for federally run businesses? Jim Lehrer would just be one of many to actually lose their job if government spending was decreased...
Abby Schantz

Ryan is confident he and Romney will win the election - 1 views

www.foxnews.com/...an-were-going-to-win-this-race

specific ryan paul obama romney debate win confidence

shared by Abby Schantz on 01 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • Abby Schantz on 01 Oct 12
     
    This article quotes Paul Ryan being extremely confident that he and Romney will win the election. He accepts that they have made mistakes but also adress that they will make it clear in the upcoming debates that the American people are choosing between a brighter future and failed policies of the past four years. I particularly noticed this quote: "Ryan said Romney has been specific, but declined to say which loopholes, saying, "It would take me too long to go through all of the math."" I think this is interesting because as he is saying they are specific, he is avoiding being specific. The article continues to talk about Obama commenting on to Republican Campaign not being specific as well.
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Yadira Rodriguez on 05 Oct 12
     
    Romney's inconsistency with being specific and clear is a big problem because it makes him seem unprepared. Watching the debate this week shed some light to what Romney proposes to do, but he still was unclear on some issues. As a voter I would be frustrated because I would want to be inform with what Romney plans to do. I mean without a plan what he will do as president. Will we just have to wait till he is president to claim what he will actually do? I think it's important that Romney feels confident about winning the election because he is representing himself as a strong leader. A strong leader gives the people a sense of relief because they can feel like they can trust him.
  • Sabrina Rosenfield on 06 Oct 12
     
    Yadira touched on this, but they HAVE to be confident: if you say "I don't think I'm going to win" you're definitely not going to win. The article says "Paul Ryan acknowledged Sunday the campaign has made some missteps"; I'd be interested in knowing exactly what he considers those missteps to be.
  • Danielle Polevoi on 07 Oct 12
     
    Yeah I agree Sabrina. Putting on the confident face definitely makes you a more attractive candidate. But I think he has not been very specific with his campaign which makes me trust him less. His confident persona matched with his flakey statements leave me confused!
Eli Chanoff

An All-Out Media Onslaught to Dispirit You - The Rush Limbaugh Show - 3 views

www.rushlimbaugh.com/...edia_onslaught_to_dispirit_you

Rush Limbaugh Obama Campain media liberal

shared by Eli Chanoff on 11 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Eli Chanoff on 11 Sep 12
     
    This is something to read bits and pieces of--not every single word. I think of Rush Limbaugh as a conservative version of John Stewart. He's a source of entertainment as well as a political commentator so he has no responsibility to consider anything objectively.
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Sabrina Rosenfield on 16 Sep 12
     
    Well, unsurprisingly, I disagree with Rush Limbaugh. I certainly think that the campaign isn't over by a long shot. It could go either way, and that's exactly why Obama needs to keep campaigning. (And, side note: I don't think that Rush Limbaugh and Jon Stewart are exactly comparable. Jon Stewart sometimes criticizes Democrats as well, and Rush Limbaugh is so much angrier. But I agree that both of their programs are not objective.)
  • Abby Schantz on 16 Sep 12
     
    I thought the part where he talked about how the poles right now are just to shape your vote was really strong. Seeing the poles two months before the election can change but, if you see Obama is ahead, it can shape your vote to believe Romney has already lost or the other way around.
  • Danielle Polevoi on 16 Sep 12
     
    I thought the part where he talked about people who are being supported by the government are too scared to not vote for Obama was really interesting. I don't think it's fair to say "The fact that he's destroyed the economy will actually benefit him...The fact that he's destroyed the economy is gonna benefit Obama because all those people who are now on some sort of welfare-like assistance are gonna be scared to death to get rid of Obama because then what will become of their meager existence?"
Sabrina Rosenfield

The Democratic convention: Private effort, common good | The Economist - 2 views

www.economist.com/21562258

obama romney attacks

shared by Sabrina Rosenfield on 16 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Sabrina Rosenfield on 16 Sep 12
     
    What's interesting about this article is that it seems to criticize the campaigning tactics on both sides as being too negative and relying too much on garbled quotes from the other side.
  • Abby Schantz on 16 Sep 12
     
    This article was interesting as it really showed how the election is a back and forth of a negative comment from one party to the other party coming back with a defense to the claim and a new negative comment about the opposite party. This article definitely focused more on the negativity of the Obama campaign.
  • Danielle Polevoi on 16 Sep 12
     
    I also found this article super interesting because it shed light on the pettiness of campaigning.
Savannah L

Campaigns Use Social Media to Lure Younger Voters - NYTimes.com - 3 views

www.nytimes.com/...ia-to-lure-younger-voters.html

younger social media

shared by Savannah L on 08 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • Savannah L on 08 Oct 12
     
    This article isn't really about politics, but it made me think about the election's trail through the internet. True, I didn't spend as much time on the internet in 2008 as I do now, but I never really thought about this much until this article. I have to say that my experiences on the internet have caused me to see that it has a clear sway in its beliefs and is always liberal. This makes sense because young people are on the internet more than old people, say, and young people are more commonly liberal than older people. 
  • ...4 more comments...
  • James Foster on 10 Oct 12
     
    I agree with you Savannah on the clear liberal sway seen on the internet today, I believe this shows an interesting trend for the future of our politics. I also look forward to changing technology and seeing how politics will adapt to the new things that will come into our lives in the future.
  • Danielle Polevoi on 13 Oct 12
     
    I think you're spot on Savannah with your comment that the internet sways liberal because of the younger people. We had a speaker come into Urban this past week to talk about some campaigning strategies. In his company, they used targeted mailing to campaign but we got to a discussion about media. He made a good point that the people who are following Obama or Romney on twitter, fb etc. are likely affiliated with that party already. I have so much to do online and it's already distracting. So I know for me, I don't really seek out political "tweets" and what not so it doesn't really lure me in.
  • Yadira Rodriguez on 14 Oct 12
     
    I as well am not really lured by political advertising on the internet, I may notice, but not to the extent where I would change my vote or consider a different candidate. I do agree though that the media had more of an impact in the 2008 election, but because it was such a different election from what America was use to.
  • Sami Perez on 14 Oct 12
     
    This is an interesting point. When thinking of what Danielle brought up, that the internet is more a place where already-passionate liberals and conservatives express themselves (rather than a place where parties try to advertise their beliefs), I see that the question changes from "can the internet persuade an individual to like a certain party" to "what is the power of the internet in terms of political advantage". By this I mean that, if the internet does sway to the left, does this affect society? Who benefits from having a similar political view to that of the internet? Is the older generation who might be more conservative being left out in any way?
  • Sabrina Rosenfield on 15 Oct 12
     
    I think that the internet is a great way to attract young people who might not otherwise be engaged in the election. I think that often, young people vote much more on the personalities of the candidates than on their policies (I'm sure most 18 year olds couldn't give you their beliefs on what tax policies would be best) and the internet conveys personalities quite well. Additionally, this might contribute at least partially to why the internet is more liberal: most people would agree that Obama is a more charismatic candidate than Romney.
  • Will Rothman on 15 Oct 12
     
    I have not seen many ads for either party, either that or I may just have ignored them. I know, however, that places like Reddit tend to be hyper-liberal and are often the sources for many of the liberal propaganda that circulates throughout the internet. I cannot think of any conservative sites that compare in size to any of the predominantly liberal websites that make up a large portion of the internet.
Savannah L

Supreme Court Faces Crucial Cases in New Session - NYTimes.com - 2 views

www.nytimes.com/...cial-cases-in-new-session.html

shared by Savannah L on 01 Oct 12 - No Cached
    • Savannah L
      Savannah L on 01 Oct 12
       
      completely unconsitutional
    • Savannah L
      Savannah L on 01 Oct 12
       
      anyone else think that affirmitive action is going waaayyyyyyy to far? i've been waiting for this for ages
  • Yadira Rodriguez on 05 Oct 12
     
    Savannah, what do you mean by going to far?
  • ...3 more comments...
  • Sabrina Rosenfield on 06 Oct 12
     
    Yadira, I think Savannah's referring to this quote: "On Oct. 10, the court will hear Fisher v. University of Texas, No. 11-345, a major challenge to affirmative action in higher education. The case was brought by Abigail Fisher, a white woman who says she was denied admission to the University of Texas based on her race. The university selects part of its class by taking race into account, as one factor among many, in an effort to ensure educational diversity." Admittedly, I know very, very little about affirmative action, but from what I gather it seems like a noble idea that ends up not working very well in practice. I think pretty much everyone could agree that race shouldn't be a factor in deciding who gets accepted to college. But many people would also agree that diversity is very important in education. I think the question here is which is more important, fairness or diversity? In this case, I'd go with diversity.
  • Danielle Polevoi on 07 Oct 12
     
    I have a hard time grappling with affirmative action as well Sabrina. It came up in my South Asia class this year briefly and the conversation just left me more confused. I think affirmative action is important and should help those who are deserving to get into colleges. But I think with these types of programs there are probably flaws and nothing can really be totally fair.
  • Sabrina Rosenfield on 15 Oct 12
     
    Woah, in my previous comment, the last word should be "fairness" not "diversity". Oops.
  • Will Rothman on 15 Oct 12
     
    I believe that Affermative Action is a necessity, and we cannot say that it is outdated until all African Americans are completely integrated into America. In the US at the moment, we see that the amount of African Americans going to college is far less than the amount of Caucasians who attend college. Education is the first step towards equality, and therefore, I believe that we should allow more African Americans to progress to higher education so that they may eliminate, or reduce, the prejudice that their race faces. I do, however, believe that other factors, such as economic class, should be factored in as well in order for people in unfavorable situations to help their families by gaining a good education. Until the average African American makes the same salary and the average caucasian, I believe that Affirmative Action is necessary.
  • Will Rothman on 15 Oct 12
     
    Also, we (white Americans) enslaved and abused their people, the least we can do is help them get an education.
Abby Schantz

Are You Better Off Than You Were 4 Years Ago? - 3 views

thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/...-off-than-you-were-4-years-ago

better off economy Obama Paul Ryan

shared by Abby Schantz on 03 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Abby Schantz on 03 Sep 12
     
    Obama's campaign is fighting to say that the country is better off than it was 4 years ago in response to Republicans saying otherwise.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Danielle Polevoi on 06 Sep 12
     
    I'm looking forward to Obama's speech tomorrow night because I'm really curious the tone he will take. I liked the comment a lot in this article that said if he's too optimistic the Republicans will "pounce" and people will think he isn't taking the economic situation gravely.
  • Sabrina Rosenfield on 08 Sep 12
     
    One thing that stand out to me in this article is the idea that both candidates claim to be a champion for the middle class, and say that the other would crush the middle class. It's interesting that while they disagree in many areas, giving power back to the middle class is one that they agree on. I think the biggest mistake in this article is the lack of preparation on the part of the Democrats. "Are you better off?" is a fairly simply question…and one that you shouldn't say no to if you're hoping to reelect the president.
  • Yadira Rodriguez on 10 Sep 12
     
    This question of whether America is better of now than it was four years ago is really hard to measure. What does better of mean? Obama has been able to accomplish things like kill Osama bin Laden, create obamacare, and stop the war in Iraq. These things that Obama has done make me believe that we are better of.
  • Savannah L on 10 Sep 12
     
    This article really highlights their wars over the middle class and shows different definitions on what is considered to make the country better off. I'm not surprised that both the GOP and the democrats are trying their hardest to make themselves better in the eyes of the middle class, which is the 'swing state' of the financial world. I agree with the republicans completely on this, I feel like 50,000 dollars per citizen in debt, a doubling of our long term unemployment rates, the 40% of every dollar being spent that is borrowed, and that our national debt under him is growing at a rate fast enough to equal our gdp in a couple of months are all overshadowing anything else from obama's presidency. ACA is only going to increase our national debt at the steep price of those it is trying to help, not to mention the wars on terrorism are far from over even though Osama is dead.
Yadira Rodriguez

Romney And Abortion: Another Shift In The Works? : Shots - Health Blog : NPR - 4 views

www.npr.org/...ion-another-shift-in-the-works

abortion shift Mitt Romney women's rights

shared by Yadira Rodriguez on 04 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • proclaimed himself in favor of abortion rights when he ran for office in Massachusetts, then reversed himself before launching his presidential bid.
  • strong supporter of abortion rights both in 1994,
  • I will preserve and protect a woman's right to choose," he said in a 2002
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • conversion
  • the life of the mother is threatened,"
  • health and life of the mother."
  • The Romney campaign won't say the candidate misspoke
  • health exception,
  • he tries to go back and forth. "They pay attention. They learn about the issues," she said. "And every time that Mitt Romney tries to reinvent himself, they say, 'But wait a minute, I remember you said ...' They do their homework; they understand the responsibility that comes with voting for the highest office in the land." Last week, Romney's oldest sister Jane told reporters at the convention that her brother wasn't going to ban abortion if he becomes president. "It's not his focus," she told a National Journal reporter. But comments like that, clearly aimed at closing the candidate's sizable gender gap, could come as a rude surprise to social conservatives Romney's worked hard to woo for the past seven years.
  • Yadira Rodriguez on 04 Sep 12
     
    This article looks at Mitt Romney's constant shift on his position on abortion. The unclearness of whether or not he supports it might affect/ not go in line with what the republican's party view on abortion is. 
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Danielle Polevoi on 06 Sep 12
     
    I think it's ridiculous that Romney has "changed" his standpoint on abortion. To me it seems that changing your "pro-life/pro-choice" standpoint publicly is to win certain votes. I remember during Romney's RNC speech he brought up protecting the sanctity of life right after a huge applause and I'm sure everyone did not hear him. His wobbly shifts on his position on abortion is something that bothers me.
  • Sabrina Rosenfield on 08 Sep 12
     
    I'm sure we all have our own beliefs about abortion, but I can't see what's so bad about changing your standpoint on an issue to get more votes. As I look at it, it could seem like just panhandling for votes, but it could also be seen as changing your views to line up with a larger amount of the American people who could elect you. I think what Romney is guilty of in this situation is not changing his mind, but lying about it.
  • Abby Schantz on 09 Sep 12
     
    What stands out to me is that to news reports that have different audiences, he changed in viewpoint. I understanding settling on a policy that works with the rest of your campaign (works with the vp too) but what is not okay him being unclear about his position. If he wants to line his position up with that of the most popular vote, fine, but he needs to be clear about his final decision and stick with it so people know exactly what they are voting for.
Savannah L

Attacks Fuel Escalation in Presidential Race - NYTimes.com - 2 views

www.nytimes.com/...tion-in-presidential-race.html

libya attacks Romney

shared by Savannah L on 14 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • “Make no mistake, we will work with the Libyan government to bring to justice the killers who attacked our people,”
  • “It is exactly the wrong time to throw political punches.”
  • said Mr. Romney might have done better to pull his punches.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • I always think that discretion is the better way to go,”
    • Savannah L
      Savannah L on 14 Sep 12
       
      I side with them completely, Romney was being insensitive and would have helped his popularity if he was pro-america rather than just anti-obama. This would have been an easy cause to rally people under, but he shot himself in the foot by being overly critical of Obama in a sensitive time about a sensitive issue. 
  • Fox News.
    • Savannah L
      Savannah L on 14 Sep 12
       
      Being anti-Romney on fox news really says something
  • accusations that you’re trying to exploit thin
  • Libyan government, noting that Libyan security officers fought back against the mob, helped protect American diplomats and took Mr. Stevens’s body to the hospital.
  • Savannah L on 14 Sep 12
     
    Romney criticizes Obama for not speaking out against the attacks on the US Ambassador in Libya. The article uses this to make Romney seem hasty, because Obama did condem the attack eventually. This just seems like another attempt of Romney's to gain the upper hand by nitpicking everything about the Obama administration. Numerous senators are also quoted in the article saying that this isn't a time for political division and Romney needs to be more careful before he says something stupid and insensitive. 
  • Sabrina Rosenfield on 16 Sep 12
     
    The first thing that stands out to me in this article is that the attack is described as a test of crisis skills rather than an actual thing that happened. I think that Obama is right in saying that "Governor Romney seems to have a tendency to shoot first and aim later", especially with his comments. He's trying so hard to appeal to people that he doesn't always think about the effects of what he says. I don't think that Romney understands that sometimes apology is the best way to handle things.
  • Danielle Polevoi on 16 Sep 12
     
    I think this is a time where criticizing the other party is not effective and should not be the main concern. I agree with you Sabrina, that sometimes an apology, or even acknowledgment, is the best way to handle things. But Obama has been criticized for less harsh action on foreign affairs so I'm surprised he didn't condem the attacks first. I guess he won't waver on how he feels he should approach these acts of terror.
Danielle Polevoi

Lexington: Deeds, not words | The Economist - 1 views

www.economist.com/21562924

Foreign-Policy

shared by Danielle Polevoi on 17 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Many voters do want the president to speak more forcefully to foreigners, especially Arabs: Mr Romney is applauded each time he accuses Mr Obama of conducting a global “apology tour”.
  • It also failed, leaving Mr Obama authorising more drone strikes on Islamic militants than George Bush, and nursing abidingly awful relations with Israel’s government.
  • Mr Romney is “Reaganesque”.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • he Republican decries Mr Obama for failing to halt Iran’s nuclear programme, mocking him for talking while the centrifuges spin
  • Danielle Polevoi on 17 Sep 12
     
    This article talks about Obama's and Romney's responses to the recent violence in Libya. Obama is criticized with not speaking forcefully and being too apologetic in regards to the recent situation as well as some of the recent stuff going on in the Middle East. The article then goes on to say that despite the foreign affairs news, the economy is still the pressing issue of the election (not sure if I agree with that fully).
  • ...1 more comment...
  • James Foster on 18 Sep 12
     
    I agree with you that the most pressing issue of this election has been shifted, at the moment, away from the status and future of the economy to the pressing foreign affairs occurring within Libya and Egypt. These riots represent the beginning of an Anti-American movement sweeping through the Middle East and without proper care, the feelings toward the U.S could push the economy to drop even more. This is why I think the most pressing issue of the election has shifted from the economy to foreign policy.
  • Savannah L on 18 Sep 12
     
    If things continue to escalate in the middle east, as they have been lately, than foreign policy will continue to be a major issue in the election. Danielle, I feel like you are right and that most americans will focus on the economy, but the two issues are intertwined, and bad news for one is bad news for the other if things continue to escalate. How much money are we willing to spend dealing with other countries? We already have out of control spending, but if things get worse then we will have to decide what is more important to our country: security, or money.
  • Sabrina Rosenfield on 24 Sep 12
     
    What seems frustrating to me about this whole situation is that both sides seem to be using Libya as an excuse to say "look at me, look at how good I am at foreign policy!" I wish that they would work together to actually solve problems instead of trying to prove what good problem solvers they are.
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