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Sami Perez

Ohio Unions Face Tough Battle With 'Super PACs' - NYTimes.com - 4 views

  • Conservative “super PACs,” financed with unlimited donations from corporations and wealthy individuals, have saturated Ohio and other battleground states with ads against President Obama.
    • Sami Perez
       
      Relates to reading "What You Should Know About Politics...But Don't." PACs affecting swing states, potentially determining results of election...
  • Republican super PACs are going to outspend Obama massively
  • labor’s true importance will be highlighted
    • Sami Perez
       
      Can the work of the people hold more influence over voters than the money and power of large corporations? 
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  • Some conservatives raise an eyebrow over unions’ claims that they are outgunned in the money game.
  • no Republican in modern times has been able to capture the White House without winning the state
  • — was due in no small part to labor’s get-out-the-vote push.
  • President Obama’s victory in 2008 here in Ohio
    • Sami Perez
       
      Evidence that the election depends on Ohio's stance, and Ohio's stance depends on the ability of the party to persuade voters through media and advertisement
  • anti-Mitt Romney script
  • which asserted that he had played a role in factories that closed, wages that dropped, workers who were fired
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    I'm wondering how effective knocking on people's doors in the hopes of persuading them towards a particular candidate can be. This strategy seems ineffective from how I imagine the conversation going, if a person even gets a door opened. Also, how I'm curious how many people in Ohio participate in the election?
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    Battling for voters' attention is extremely difficult, especially when the two candidates seem to be saying exactly opposite things. And, in a case like this, money can talk, and the Republicans are funded by a lot of wealthy groups. It seems so frustrating to me that money plays such a huge factor in how people vote, but it some cases, money can demonstrate popular opinion. The more donations a campaign receives, the more money people are willing to invest in that candidate.
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    I think I need to learn more about unions and how exactly they work to gain a better understanding of this article. It's interesting how important a state's votes can be in an election. Talking about the importance of winning over Ohio really stood out to me and how big of a deal that is. It's good that Obama's campaign is able to recognize that they will not raise as much money at Romney and are working to catch up on votes with other means.
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    I'd like to point out here that, while Restore Our Future--the conservative super PAC supporting Romney--has an expenditure quadrupling that of Priorities USA--the super PAC supporting Obama--the influence of corporations and wealthy independent donors has played a major role on both sides in this election [http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/superpacs.php].
Sami Perez

Ohio Unions Face Tough Battle With 'Super PACs' - NYTimes.com - 5 views

  • The ruling in the Citizens United case and subsequent court rulings opened the door to unlimited corporate and union contributions to political committees and made it possible to pool that money with unlimited contributions from wealthy individuals.
    • Sami Perez
       
      Working around the McCain-Feingold Act
  • unions boast that they will reach a far larger universe of voters than ever in 2012.
  • volunteer
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  • wider audience
  • Many union members are frustrated with Mr. Obama’s performance, having hoped he would do more to reduce unemployment, push for stimulus and infrastructure spending and stand up to Congressional Republicans.
    • Sami Perez
       
      Speaks to the issue of whether or not we are better off now than four years ago. Also proves that this labor is motivated by reason/logic rather than pure partisanship
  • large majority among white working-class workers
    • Sami Perez
       
      political target
  • In July and August alone, forces on both sides of the presidential race spent $43 million on commercials in Ohio, according to Kantar Media/CMAG, with supporters of the Republicans outspending Democrats by $3 million.
    • Sami Perez
       
      What does this mean in terms of how the large corporation donations will affect decisions made by the political leaders they sponsored? 
  • high-tech update
  • social media.
  • In the end, she said, she thought she had swayed perhaps two voters.
    • Sami Perez
       
      How affective can you be without the money/power of a large corporation?
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    It's so frustrating to me that campaigns seem to be all about money. Shouldn't they be about the candidates ideas?
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    I agree that it is frustrating how much a campaign is dependent on money but when I think about it, money is what gives candidates the ability to share their ideas with the most people. Whether or not something just as a TV commercial is more about a candidates ideas or solely bashing another candidiate, the advertisement is reaching a population who may not ordinarily have much interest in the election. Money is what enables candidates to travel around the nation to give speeches ect. So although it is extremely frustrating, money does play a crucial role in even just spreading the candidates ideas.
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    It frustrates me too. It seems that all of the money spent campaigning could go to something much more useful in our government. But I agree with you Abby that for many people, commercials and any media are some of the only exposure that people have to the current election, which is why they are so crucial.
Abby Schantz

The Most Common Body Language from the Candidates - 1 views

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    This article shows in videos as well as analyzes the most common body language (hand and head signals) that each of the candidates use. It shows there example videos for each of the movements as well as analyzes them as to what the candidate may be trying to get across when using them. It also shows how often and where/when they used that particular motion in their convention acceptance speech. I found it really interesting because I can recognize every movement the article talks about and it reading this will force me to notice these particular movements in the future as I watch the candidates speak.
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    This article is very interesting because it shows you something you don't normally see and now that it has been revealed to you, you'll see it every time Romney or Obama give a speech. Now that I will look for these in speeches, I will hopefully be able to associate each different hand motion with a certain topic or idea given. This article will help me and those who read it to understand both candidate's speeches.
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    I loved this article Abby! I agree with James in that I will now be paying attention to these gestures. I found it interesting that Romney is thought to have a harder time seeming "personable" and "relatable" yet from what I saw, his gestures seem warmer than those of Obama. The article also mentioned this when they suggested Romney's gestures were "free-flowing". I wonder if Obama or Romney have any idea that they repeatedly make these motions, or if it's totally subconscious.
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    Wow this was super interesting, I as well noticed their gestures while the candidates debated. The gestures that stood out to me the most was the pointer because both of the candidates used this motion. Although they both use this gesture it means different for each. Obama's was more control and firm. To me it made him seem strong and confidant because it made him seem as if he was in control. Romney's movement was more relaxed which made me comfortable as well because he seemed calm and relaxed.
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    I loved this article. I think that gestures can really help viewers because even though you're not thinking about them, the gestures a candidate makes can make you trust or distrust them. I think it would be great if the candidates actually had some kind of gesture training, where experts told them what motions to make and how to connect them with what they're saying.
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    I would bet that they have had coaching on their body language. I also find that Romney's Head Tilt is very assuring. It is interesting to think that we are being bombarded with so many subliminal messages just by watching these two speak.
Sabrina Rosenfield

Mitt Romney on Same-Sex Marriage | Mitt Romney Central - 2 views

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    This isn't an article but Mitt Romney's views, as put forth by his campaign, on same-sex marriage. The quote at the top seems a bit contradictory to me-he says "I've also opposed unjust discrimination against anyone…for sexual preference", but then goes on to oppose same-sex marriage very strongly. Additionally, in the "Consequences" section, he doesn't seem to list any consequences. It also seems odd that one of his points is that "every child deserves a father and mother" when many children don't even have two parents. What do you guys think?
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    Romney is a prime example of his religion shooting his logic in the face. He needs to start getting more libertarian or just accept that he needs to leave religion out of politics. If every child deserves a mother and a father, why do we allow single parents to adopt or single mothers to raise their children? I'm sure that you know more same-sex families up in Haight-Ashbury than I do down here in a conservative Atlanta neighborhood, and gay rights just seems so unquestionable, but it sickens me that I have friends that question gay rights, because 'it is against the bible'. For instance, I hosted a summer camp for young girls this summer and some parents were turned off by the fact that I invited a girl with two moms, even though the girl was super sweet and well-behaved. We even had a girl leave our school after coming out in 8th grade because of bullying and depression because of how intrinsically tied religion has become in this issue. I think that this is absolutely ridiculous and that gay marriage rights are completely constitutional. While it may be against the bible and Joseph Smith, it isn't against the constitution and people need to recognize that. In 40 years, they are going to look like white supremacists standing outside of voting booths and I hate that. This is one thing that I absolutely can't stand about the republican party.
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    To the republican party I wonder if Romney's religion is an issue or not? To me most republicans tend to be christian and Romney is not. I know that much of conservatives values are based on the christian religion. I mean I am not expert on christian or morman religion, but I assume that there are definitely differences. I also agree that Romney's opening quote on the site contradicts himself. HE NEEDS TO BE MORE CLEAR!
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    The quote on the top does seem contradictory and confuses me on what Romney actually believes. I'm with you Sabrina that his "every child deserves a father and mother" does not indicate if a child's home will be healthy and this isn't often realistic with divorce and what not. Sort of a side-note but I heard that the Common App used to have "mother" and "father" rather than "parent 1" and "parent 2" for the information section but it has changed in the past 5 years I think. For me, I don't understand why marriage can be controlled by the government in general.
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    I agree with Danielle. I don't understand why marriage is controlled by the government or even involved in the government either. People are generally married by a religious figure, A preist, rabbi ect. If this is the case, shouldn't it be the choice of that preist or rabbit who is marrying the couple to deem if they are willing to marry them? That being said, with it being involved in politics as it is, I think it is a really hard question to consider. In my opinion, it is much more based on morals than anything else and like any other set of morals, one you determine your own, it is extremely hard to be influenced by others, fact, or reason in enough of a way to actually change them.
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    Well, not all republicans are Christian, and I would certainly classify Mormonism as a branch of Christianity, albiet an extreme one. The best analogy that I can think of is that it has the same relation to Christianity as Christianity does to Judaism, it is Christianity plus an additional book. Only the republican's social values are based on Christianity, not fiscal. It really is one of the stranger religions out there, it believes that native americans are descendants of hebrews. And I'm not saying that I agree with the GOP on this one, but I thought that you might like to know why it is such a big deal. If you've ever formed out an I-9 or W-4 tax form, marriage is a huge deal for the tax breaks. Also, marriage allows visiting rights in the hospital and the ability of one spouse to control what treatments the other can have in a life or death situation, something that a partner/girlfriend does not have. Spouses have control over insurance issues and that sort of thing. My solution? Start forcing churches to pay land tax and allowing gay marriage.
Sami Perez

Why Obama Is Leading in the Polls - Ronald Brownstein - The Atlantic - 2 views

  • President Obama's lead rests on a surprisingly strong performance among blue-collar white women who usually tilt toward the GOP.
  • Obama is running considerably better than he is nationally among white women without a college education
  • young people, minorities, and college-educated women, these advances among blue-collar women have been enough to propel Obama to the lead over Republican Mitt Romney
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  • blue-collar women have been the principal, and most receptive, target for their extended ad barrage portraying Romney as a plutocrat who is blind, if not indifferent, to the struggles of average families.
    • Sami Perez
       
      how advertisements are affective: showing people the faults of the opposing candidate
    • Sami Perez
       
      how do the specific group of "blue-collar white women" affect the election/the population?
  • "The sheer weight of their advertising, and the shows they targeted that advertising on, it is [aimed at] lower-income, white, working women," said the GOP strategist. "They are being pounded with this stuff."
  • The Obama campaign has heavily targeted its ads on daytime shows that attract a large audience of downscale women
  • minority voters, and then whites divided into four groups: men and women, with and without a college education.
    • Sami Perez
       
      why focus on the white women without education?
  • In most respects, the state results track national patterns, suggesting that demography usually trumps geography in shaping voter preferences. The exception is the blue-collar white women.
    • Sami Perez
       
      because blue-collar white women don't have a trend based on geography or demographic
  • he runs better with these women voters than any other group of whites.
    • Sami Perez
       
      what does Obama's appeal to women say about women's rights/issues?
  • portrayal of Romney as obtuse to the problems of working families
  • he has been hurt among blue-collar women by the skirmishes over defunding Planned Parenthood and access to contraception in health insurance.
  • Many of these women view such women's health matters not as moral issues but as practical pocketbook concerns.
  • while about three-fifths of non-college women agreed that Obama "cares about the needs and problems of people like you" roughly an equal number of them said Romney did not.
  • the non-college, white women are the moving piece of the electorate
  • President Obama, they are dissatisfied with the performance, but they do relate to him on a personal level," she said. "For Mitt Romney, the professional resume is there ... but he's not as personable, or relatable, to them.
    • Sami Perez
       
      the importance of policy vs. the importance of relatability
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    "The president's ad barrage seems to have succeeded in bringing blue-collar women into his coalition -- and boosting his chance at reelection"
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    This article is about how Obama's target audience in his advertising is mainly blue-collar women (middle aged white women without education). It brought up two major questions for me: 1. how important is advertising? It seems to be most affective when criticizing the opposing candidate. 2. how important are women (specifically blue-collar women) in this election? How do women's rights tie into the swing votes/why are many GOP-leaning blue-collar women now leaning towards Obama?
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    I found this very interesting, I normally don't really think of what the midwest's demographic is, but to see that it is blue-collar white women is super interesting. I also think the connection between advertising and the women is really powerful. The ads they are showing are definitely working since much of Obama's supports are their targeted audience.
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    It's funny that they focus on such a specific group. This quote stood out to me: "Democrats say blue-collar women have been the principal, and most receptive, target for their extended ad barrage portraying Romney as a plutocrat who is blind, if not indifferent, to the struggles of average families." The ads all seem to be focused on saying how bad Romney will be for these women, rather than Obama helping them. How can they know that Obama is really right for them if all they know is that they don't like Romney?
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    I liked this quote: "Beyond the opposition's portrayal of Romney as obtuse to the problems of working families, both sides agree that he has been hurt among blue-collar women by the skirmishes over defunding Planned Parenthood and access to contraception in health insurance." It makes sense why these women would want a president who would benefit their health/reproductive needs. Sabrina, I think this is probably one of the main points why they know Obama is right for them and why they don't like Romney.
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    It is really interesting to me how much thought goes into the advertisements. Not only are they thinking about a specific group "the blue-collar women", but also increased numbers in certain states (swing states) ect. I also think it is interesting how much advertising there is. Because we live in San Francisco, we don't see many of the presidential campaign advertisements because we are not a place they should waste money on since it is almost certain they will win our votes. This has made me feel like my vote here does not count and I found this realization with seeing all of the advertisements lately to vote yes or no on a particular proposition for California (the education ones are the two main ads I have been seeing lately) What this tells me is where my vote actually has a sway, or could potentially swing the results, I will be seeing a lot of ads and a lot of money will go into me. Where I don't, I have to go looking to find my information or to be reached.
Will Rothman

Obama Tied With Romney in New Polls of Presidential Voters - SFGate - 2 views

  • President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney are tied among likely voters in a national poll released eight days before Election Day.
  • each supported by 47 percent
  • Oct. 4-7 Pew poll that showed Romney ahead, 49 percent to 45 percent.
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  • A survey released today of Hispanic Christian voters showed Obama with a 63 percent to 26 percent lead over Romney.
  • In the Pew poll, Obama led, 50 percent to 44 percent, among likely women voters, while Romney led, 51 percent to 44 percent, among men.
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    Obama Tied With Romney
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    I agree that this race will be very close, but, like the article we read, polls aren't always reliable.
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    yeah I am starting to find polls less and less useful especially in a close race where there is no way for them to be super reliable
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    Yeah especially after reading that article about polls, I think we just have to wait this election out.
Savannah L

For Young Volunteers, Realism Is Trumping Idealism of '08 - NYTimes.com - 1 views

    • Savannah L
       
      If he goes to BYU then he is probably your typical young conservative....
  • Mr. Romney’s experience as a businessman
    • Savannah L
       
      I still think that Romney's business experience speaks loads about his financial abilities
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  • ‘I didn’t want this guy to win but maybe he can do it. Maybe he can do what he promised. Maybe he can be this change.’
    • Savannah L
       
      thats how i felt as well! anyone else?
  • “If you take the Republican Party, and take out all the religious language in there, there are good ideas,” she said. “But the Democratic Party is much more suited for the future
  • Brigham Young University
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    Something that I find interesting in this article is that it seems that Cunningham, who has been less-than-successful in the past four years, attributes his failings in life to the Obama administration. I don't know if this is true or not, but it seems that this is the way a lot of people look at the election: if you have been happy in the past four years, reelect Obama. If you have been unhappy, elect Romney.
Danielle Polevoi

Obama the Front-Runner Plays it Safe with His D.N.C. Speech : The New Yorker - 3 views

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              I wanted to share this article as sort of a follow up to my previous one which discussed Obama before his DNC speech. This article discusses Obama played his DNC speech safe. His speech did not have many new ideas and proposals. Instead he tried to appeal to an audience beyond the Democratic one by stressing that he is willing to work across party lines.          One thing that particularly drew my attention to this article was that is recognized Obama's lack of discussion on health care. For a president that spent much of his first term on a new health-care refe, he barely discussed it. 
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    I feel like at this point, no matter what Obama or Romney do, their own parties will support them and the other will criticize. In relation to this article, if Obama says that his plan is working, Democrats will say that he is confident while Republicans will call him an arrogant liar. If he's aware of his own failings, as he was at his DNC speech, Democrats will say that he's humble and relatable, while Republicans will say that he doesn't even have faith in himself.
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    I agree with Sabrina that their own party will support them no matter what direction they take their speech. I think that what Obama did though, "playing it safe" was a smart move towards independent voters. By not taking a super strong direction in the negative or the positive, it kept him appearing calm while still confident and allowed independent voters to see him in that respect.
Sabrina Rosenfield

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

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    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.
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    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.
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    I also found this article super interesting because it shed light on the pettiness of campaigning.
Savannah L

Obama up 8 Points Nationally in new Latest Poll - 0 views

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    This isn't just your average 'look who is on top article', it has this really cool chart at the bottom that shows public opinion over time. You can see how the RNC didn't have as big of an effect on Romney as the DNC did for Obama. This article also remarks on Romney's recent fallback (though does not include on graph) but doesn't say anything about his recent "47%" blunder, which actually suprises me because the Huffington Post tends to be more liberal.
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    That is super interesting. I wonder if (actually, I hope!) the reason that the 47% thing isn't mentioned is because the Huffington Post is willing to accept that for what it is-a mistake that doesn't need to be brought up again and again. Another option is that it really didn't have a significant impact on voters.
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    Yep, the good thing is that both politicians have lied substantially and their lies seem to be forgotton by others.
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