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Candidacy: Make Informed Choice

A map of the counties won by each candidate in...

There’s no doubt about it. Next year is a presidential election and politicians are getting in gear for the race. The race is on and someone has to win, power is at stake.

To make an informed choice about who to vote for often takes research and truly researching each candidate. Sites dedicated to election news can be helpful. Commercials on television are generally not. Rumors, slander, and vitriol are pretty much all commercials on television are good for. What is sad is that all candidates pretty much take part and utilize any money that they gain from their campaign to look the other candidate look bad. Is this truly what politics has come to? Bashing of opponents?

In choosing a candidate, it is wise to truly seek out information on those seeking election. What is their campaign? What do these individuals stand for? What affiliations do they hold? Why do they stand for certain topics and what in their lives have proved their passion for these topics?

Watch the debates on television, follow the candidate’s campaigns closely to make an informed decision about which individual would best represent the United States. Politics in a nutshell is often dwindled down to a popularity contest. This is what society is used to with shows on television that actually support popularity. However, politics are serious. Power over the United States and representation should be more valuable. Help make it so by becoming an informed participant in this next election.

Filed Under: Candidates Tagged With: Candidate, Republican, United States

Understanding the Political Symbols of the Main Political Parties

Every political party in the United States has a unique logo or symbol. These logos and symbols represent the political party and what they stand for. Every character, color and piece on that logo represents an ideal or part of the political party. Here is a closer look at the various factors that go into some of the political party symbols or logos.

Colors. There are millions of different colors that can be used. However, when it comes to political symbols chances are there are only three colors being used. These colors include red, white and blue. Political symbols that use the color red are usually those that for the Republican Party, while blue is for liberal or Democratic Party symbols and white is for the third party candidate or an independent party.

Direction. The direction of the symbol can also help you understand what party it is. If the symbol is facing to the left it stands for liberalism and Democratic, while if it faces right it is for conservatism or the Republican party. If a symbol faces the center it stands for a combination of central ideals and liberalism.

Animals. Many political parties use an animal as part of their political symbol. The main political symbol for the Democratic Party is that of a donkey. The donkey is usually blue with a red head and faces the left side. The political symbol for the Republic Party is an elephant which is red and blue and races the right. There is also three white stars in the blue area. The Independent Party usually has a bald eagle that holds a bunch of arrows, there is an American flag behind the eagle and it faces straight forward.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Democratic, Republic Party, Republican

Political News: Mitt Romney Has Pending Announcement

Mitt Romney is famous for his attempt at trying to run for president of the United States in 2008. He was running for the Republican party and was beat out by John McCain. However, as the 2012 presidential elections loom on the horizon many people wonder whether or not Mitt Romney might consider running again for President of the United States of America.

The question was addressed to Mitt Romney this past week as he finished promoting his new book. Mitt Romney was conducting a phone conference with 300 supporters. In it he talked about his paperback book “No Apology”. However, as all things do the conversation quickly turned to whether or not Mitt Romney will run for President of the United States.

While the conference call was not about whether or not Mitt Romney would run for President in 2012 he did answer the question when asked. Mitt Romney announced that he would be giving an official announcement sometime down the road regarding his stance on the issue.

This is a bit of a different take from his stance two weeks ago. When Mitt Romney was asked whether or not he would be throwing his name in the ring for the presidential elections in 2012 he answered very vaguely. He talked about the fact that there were a lot of factors that needed to be considered. He stressed that he was leaving the option open but was unsure whether or not he would run again.

Even though Mitt Romney might not have given a 100% yes to running for president, many people are already encouraging him and offering their support for the 2012 elections. Only time will tell what Mitt Romney decides to do for the 2012 elections.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republican

How to Get Involved With the Tea Party Movement

In the United States there used to be two major political parties. There was the Democrats and Republicans. However, in the past year or two a political movement known as the Tea Party movement has started to develop across the nation.

The main objective of the Tea Party movement is to try to directly communicate with Washington the complaints that it has against how the government and those in office are spending the tax payer’s money. The Tea Party movement gained massive momentum right after President Obama was elected and many people believe that it was in response to his massive stimulus spending bill or the bank/automotive industry bailouts.

If you are considering joining the Tea Party movement there are a few things that you can do to join up with this quickly forming third political party.

Visit The Tea Party Website. It is a good idea to go over the Tea Party’s statements and core values. All of these are available on the Tea Party’s website, teapartypatriots.org. Before you join up with this political movement you will want to make sure that the majority of their core values and beliefs are similar to yours.

Attend Tea Party Events. There are dozens of Tea Party events on the local and national scale. Tea Party events can range from having a one on one meeting with the political candidates, a political fundraisers or even a political rally. Most Tea Party events are listed on the Tea Party’s website and are available for anyone who wishes to attend the public events.

Vote for Tea Party Candidates. At the moment most candidates are still running under the Republican title but they are really Tea Party candidates. You will want o make sure that you are voting for candidates that have the same philosophy and views as the Tea Party.

Filed Under: Grassroots Movements Tagged With: Democratic, Politics, Republican, Tea Party movement

A Quick Rant about Politicking

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I don’t normally get too involved in politics. Most of the time I can see the merits of both sides. I guess I’m not too liberal or too conservative. I fit somewhere right in the middle. Watching the recent lame duck Congress tread water, however, really has me steamed. Here we sit in a recession and they have the gall to create gridlock.

One of the most infuriating subjects is the Bush tax cuts. I think it’s great that the Democrats want to extend them for people earning under $250,000 a year. That means that people like you and me can save a little bit of money during a time when we need it most. Even if the tax cuts weren’t extended, though, I would still see them for what they were: expired tax cuts. And yet, Republicans continue to tell us that the President wants to raise taxes. It’s not really a tax hike. It’s an expiration of tax cuts. There’s a big difference, and those people know it.

See, this is one of the reasons that I have to keep my mouth shut when it comes to politics. As far as I can tell, the current system consistently prevents itself from making real headway that would fix our economy and turn the country around. The people that we vote into office, though, don’t think about those things. They think about how they can get re-elected. While people like us keep looking to find tax tips in order to save some money on our earnings, savings and investments. I wish that these Tea Party Republicans would try to fix things, but that’s unlikely seeing as how none of them believe that a federal government even can work.

There is little that the individual can do except try to make a good life for her family. At least I have the knowledge that I’m leading a good life instead of spreading lies and causing more problems.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Democratic, Lame duck (politics), President of the United States, Republican, Tax, Tax cut, United States, United States Congress

Dollar Obstacles for Third Parties

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Third parties in American politics have rarely enjoyed much more than marginal success before being relegated to the pages of history. Part of the reason is the winner takes all voting system that the United States uses. Compared to the parliamentary system used by most European democracies, the United States places a heavy burden on third parties to not only compete with established parties but to win elections. To put this into a historical perspective the National Socialist Party in Germany won only a little more than a third of the vote in elections. This was enough to put the Nazis into power. In the United States, it is difficult to imagine a third party ever gaining power.

The example of the Nazis shows that an entrenched two-party system can help to prevent radicals from gaining power. The counter to that argument is that a system that forces so much compromise that there are only two camps puts a limitation of fresh ideas. In modern American politics, the Democrats and the Republicans are both supported by the same business interests. Campaign donations flood into to both parties often from the same donors.

Even President Barack Obama, who ran on a format of “change” accepted a record amount of money from Wall street interests prior to his election in 2008. Obama took in a record amount of donations from small donors on the Internet, but he did even this amount could not stop him from accepting huge donations from established business interests.

The example of Obama shows part of the difficulty for a third party in getting established in the present American system. Even if a party such as the Green Party were to raise a huge amount of campaign funds from grass roots donations, the established parties have access to almost unlimited campaign funding from businesses.

In elections were the victors are often determined by dollars spent on advertising, third parties face steep odds.

Filed Under: Candidates Tagged With: Barack Obama, Democratic, Democrats, Germany, President, Republican, United States, White House

Third Parties Strive for the White House

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Breaking the strangle hold of the two party system has proven to be difficult for American political parties. The Democrats and the Republican have dominated the American political system since the end of the Civil War in 1865. While many political parties have made attempts to challenge the power structure, few have been able to make a dent.

One feature of successful third parties has been a dominate personality that achieved success or fame prior to joining with a third party. Former President Theodore Roosevelt challenged his chosen successor sitting-President William Taft. Taft and Roosevelt broke over progressive versus conservative practices in the Republican Party. When Roosevelt was unable to gain the Republican nomination in 1912, he founded his own party, the “Bull Moose Party” and bested Taft in the general election. While Roosevelt might have earned more votes than his Republican rival the action opened the door for Democrat Woodrow Wilson to gain the White House.

The election remains significant because it was one of the few times that the Democrats were able to gain the White House in that era. It is also important because it was the last time that a third party candidate finished as high as second in a Presidential election. That it took a previously popular President get that close shows the difficulty that third parties face when trying to break through to a major political victory.

There have been other attempts by third party candidates to break stranglehold of the Democrats and the Republicans. One of the most prominent was the campaign of former Alabama Governor George Wallace in 1968. Wallace had been made famous by his resistance to segregation in the South. His campaign capitalized on the resentment many Americans had to changing times. Wallace was able to make a significant showing in the South, but his campaign wilted once he ventured the general election. Like Roosevelt, Wallace’s party was little more than one dynamic politician.

Filed Under: Green Party Of Tennessee Tagged With: Democratic, George Wallace, Progressive Party (United States 1912), Republican, Theodore Roosevelt, United States, White House, William Howard Taft

Democrats offer Small Change from Republicans

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There is an old clichéd adage to never bring up politics or religion at dinner parties. The ensuing discussions often become heated and result in hurt feelings that ruin the party. While religion remains difficult waters to enter, politics hopefully has evolved into something that could be discussed reasonably amongst friends.

Even though health political discussion is ideal, the rhetoric has become ugly since Barrack Obama’s election. The FBI even issued a warning for domestic terrorism as right wing militias have risen in prominence with the election of a Democratic president. It is not surprising that groups of people have reacted violently when listening to right wing announcers on radio.

Personalities like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh earn millions of dollars by pounding on war drums against the supposed left-wing conspiracy to turn the nation socialist. Despite their venom, Obama has walked the line as a centrist. Tax rates remain nearly the same as they were prior to his election, and banking laws have not radically changed.

The gridlocked American political process makes it difficult for major changes in legislation to pass. Filibusters are regularly used to combat even the slightest change in policy. Even Obama’s supposedly radical healthcare plan resembled what Republican Governor Mitt Romney passed in Massachusetts.

If Obama did not hold the label of Democrat or run under the political slogan of “hope and change” then his actions would hardly merit the public outcry and calls for revolution. Going over the tops sells and spewing venom earned Limbaugh and Beck healthy paychecks.

Rather than screaming that Obama lied or that the Democrats are too radical, Beck and Limbaugh should investigate former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. During his administration the upper tier tax rate was more than 90 percent. Using those figures makes the debate between Republican and Democrat seem almost pointless. The parties might push different policies, but the difference appears minute at best.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, Beck, Democratic, Glenn Beck, Mitt Romney, Republican, Rush Limbaugh, United States

Class Warfare Defined

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Of all the hyperbole used by politicians in election ads the statement the raising taxes on the rich is “class warfare’ might be the most absurd. While taxes are always a touchy issue, it is insulting to those who died in actual “class warfare” to claim that a slight increase in the income tax rate of the richest Americans amounts to an act of violence.

The income tax rates on the richest Americans are considerably lower than during an era the many conservatives lift up as the “Golden Age”. In the post World War II years, the United States entered into an era of great economic growth despite tax raters on the highest income earners that was more than double that it is today.

A slight increase it tax on the rich might actually reduce the amount of strife between the classes. Eras in American history were the income distribution got out of control has resulted in the potential for a complete collapse of the capitalist system. In post World War I Europe, radical governments were able to rise to power due to political instability and a ruined financial system.

Post World War I Germany showed what class warfare might look like. Political assassinations were regular occurrences and political parties would often battle in the streets like armed gangs. Under the terror of this system a civilized and industrialized society turned their trust to a criminal political party. While this scenario is repeated ad nausea, the fact that it occurred and cost the lives of millions of people shows the vulgarity of using the term class warfare to describe a minor tax hike.

Class warfare occurred in Russian society, when communists murdered Czar Nicholas and his family. It occurred in France when King Louis XXVI lost his head to the guillotine. If it occurs in the United States the results will be uglier than a tax hike.

Filed Under: Issues Tagged With: France, Germany, History, Republican, Tax, United States, World War I, World War II

Political Truth

: Cover of Jimmy Carter

Part of the difficulty in the political process is that what people say they want does not equal votes at the polls. When polled potential voters will often complain that politicians do not tell the truth. Yet, when politicians tell the truth voters often respond with anger. When President Jimmy Carter made a speech that said the American public needs to cut back on oil consumption and begin to live within its financial means it helped to get him thrown out of office in record fashion.

President Ronald Reagan served up a different speech than Carter. His campaign pushed the notion that America was the greatest nation on the planet and that Americans had no reason to be ashamed of their lifestyles. Polling also reveals that Americans have a negative view of elected officials. Recent polls in particular have shown that Congress has all time low approval ratings. Even though Americans disapprove of the performance of their senators and representatives, incumbents win reelections at astonishingly high rates. Polls show that most voters do not trust elected officials, but when asked about their own elected officials voters report high levels of trust.

The contradiction is well known to marketers. Focus groups will often say that they love products and would buy them. When it comes time to actually buy the product members of the focus group will balk when the bill arrives. Politics influences society far more than marketing studies, and falling to create positive policies can cause a society to rot or even collapse. Politicians that give voters the truth and tell them about the need to work and improve damage their own careers.

Societies have collapsed due to over indulgence of resources. Yet telling people to sacrifice might lead to voter alienation. In an ironic twist, perhaps the best way to serve the public is to paint a picture of optimism as a candidate and take a pragmatic route in office.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, Democratic, Jimmy Carter, Official, Republican, Ronald Reagan, United States, Voting