Tonight, both presidential candidates were seen by millions of voters on television. One paid about three million dollars for the airtime and the other got it for free. Barack Obama’s special aired on seven networks and cable television stations at eight o’clock. At nine, John McCain was interviewed on Larry King Live. Although our decision has already been made, we watched both events. I noticed some striking contrasts between the candidates messages. Granted, the format was totally different. One was a professionally produced piece and the other was an interview, although not very hard hitting. Obama’s special was a mix … Continue reading →

The candidates’ tax plans have gotten attention during the debates, in stump speeches and in campaign ads. Trying to understand the plans from commercials and sound bites is difficult. What is true and what is rhetoric? The best way to learn what each has to offer is to read the full plan on their websites, as well as independent analysis of the plans. For example, Barack Obama has promised a tax cut to 95 percent of all American tax payers. Part of his proposal calls for a 3 percent increase in taxes for the top tax bracket. McCain and Palin … Continue reading →

In the closing days of the election, we will attempt to cover as many issues as possible and the candidates’ plans regarding pressing issues. One issue that is pressing for many American families is health care. Increasing costs and decreasing benefits puts the squeeze on the budgets of families across the country. Economic difficulties, including layoffs, bring this issue into the forefront as well. Each candidate has a distinctly different approach to the future of health care in the United States. Barack Obama’s plan lies in between health care run by the government and the current system, which many agree … Continue reading →

“Joe”, the 2008 equivalent of John Q. Public, has dominated some of the rhetoric in the current presidential campaign. The idea is that “Joe” is the every man, or the common guy. Where did this come from and is it an effective strategy? The first Joe we heard about was Joe Six Pack. This fictional caricature was made famous by Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Joe Six Pack has been referred to at most of her rallies, becoming fodder for Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live. The idea with Joe Six Pack is that the candidate, in this case … Continue reading →

Stories of ACORN in the media and McCain making accusations of voter fraud have made me feel a little dizzy in the past few days. Horrible memories of fraud, voter suppression and purging of voters in Florida in 2000 came flooding back. Surely we won’t have to deal with a similar mess this year? I decided to do a little reading about ACORN. The organization is The Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now. ACORN was founded in 1970. Here is the mission statement published on their site: “The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) aims to organize … Continue reading →

In recent weeks, the rhetoric of the presidential campaign has gotten more heated. McCain and Palin continue to recycle old news stories about Bill Ayers and Obama, in turn, has brought up McCain’s involvement in the Keating Five back in the late 1980s. Do these non-issues affect how people vote on Election Day? Well, that depends. Unfortunately, in past elections, this strategy has worked. Bush used negative campaigning effectively in both 2000 and 2004. Perhaps the most notorious example was in the attacks on John Kerry, a decorated war veteran. Coming from a candidate who had avoided Vietnam at all … Continue reading →