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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

Money Power In Democracy – Social Networking Helps Level The Playing Field

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Democracy is one of the worst forms of governance except for all the forms that having tried till date. Democracy is not a perfect solution but it certainly is better than all other options that mankind has seen till date. In such a scenario, it is important to maintain democracy in a pure form. The biggest enemy of democracy is money power.

People have been selling their votes since time immemorial. Some sell it for cash while others have sold it for better business opportunities. Trading of votes is not necessarily a bad thing because it compels the individual to compare different parties before taking a decision. However, the playing field should not be so unbalanced that a person with lots of money can simply demolish all opposition.

This is the reason why governments have limits on campaign spending in elections. Of course, there are ample loopholes that enable the rich to spend more than what is legally allowed without getting into trouble later. However, the fact that such limits exist means that a person who violates these rules can end up in trouble.

This is where technology can do its bit to protect democracy. An individual who collects small donations from hundreds and thousands of individuals on the internet can generate the same amount of funds as an individual seeking money from a few millionaires. The biggest advantage with the former option is that there is no scope for corruption or other such complications. Finding another contributor who is ready to pay $10 will not be very difficult. This approach will take democracy to the grassroots and keep it free of unwanted influences.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Democracy, Politics, United States

Things to Keep in Mind When Writing to a Congressperson

If there is a political issue or local issue that you have a problem with one of the ways that you can get action on it is to contact your representative in Congress. Every section of the United States is covered by a specific representative in Congress. If you are considering writing or communicating with your local representative in Congress here are a few things you should keep in mind.

High Volume of Letters. All communications with your local Congressman/woman will go through their district office. There are thousands of letters that come into the office daily. Try to keep this in mind and remain patient when contacting a Congressman/woman.

Short and Sweet. Due to the large amount of letters and emails that a Congressperson gets you will want to make your letter short and sweet. Try to say everything that you want to say in as little words as possible. Your Congressperson does not have all day to read a ten page letter. You are more likely to get results if you say what you want to say and leave it at that.

Edit and Proofread. While you might feel like writing a letter in the heat of the moment make sure that you properly edit and proofread your letters. This will allow you to make sure that you are saying what you want to say and that you come off intellectually. It might be a good idea to have someone else read it over so that you can make sure your ideas are presented and elaborated on properly.

Filed Under: Candidates Tagged With: Member of Congress, United States, United States Congress

The Rocky Relationship Between the Auto Industry And Politicians

Red Jaguar Mark 1: Parked in front of the garage

Image by Chris Devers via Flickr

The auto industry and the political world have always had a very complicated relationship. Even though the auto industry is responsible for creating thousands of jobs over the years in the United States it is the first place that politicians and the political world looked to place blame when the economy and unemployment start to decline. However, many political experts find it hard to place blame on the auto industry when there is so much going on they can benefit the economy and the country.

Political experts will often cite the fact that the auto industry is single-handedly responsible for creating thousands of jobs all over the United States. The auto industry is responsible for employing people on the assembly line, manufacturing jobs, sales and even the dozens of financing companies that are responsible for helping get potential car owners a car loan. It is believed that without the auto industry there would be thousands of people without a job ranging from the assembly line to financing.

While the auto industry is responsible for creating jobs it is also responsible for stimulating the economy by encouraging people to purchase cars. Auto loans have made it possible for many people to purchase a car when they would normally not be able to afford to. By allowing the loans to become available to people it has allowed the economy to not fall into a stagnant holding pattern. As long as people are purchasing cars there is a section of the population which can keep the economy going. In fact, is the ability to get a car refinance or take advantage of some of the all-time low interest rates that are available that have helped people get cars and keep the auto industry running as it should.

Even though the auto industry is responsible for creating jobs and helping to keep the economy afloat there will always be a rocky relationship between the auto industry and politicians.

Filed Under: Diversity Tagged With: Automotive, Automotive industry, United States

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

George Wallace Remembered

: Cover of John F. Kennedy

The Presidential campaign for former Alabama Governor and segregation champion George Wallace seemed to be off to an even better start in 1972 than his historic 1968 third party attempt. The one time firebrand appealed to reactionary voters who wanted to reinstate Jim Crow Laws. While Wallace still won the adoration of many for his previously staunch defense of segregation, this was a different version. Wallace turned his back on previous stances and attempted to make him more marketable to middle of the pack voters. The change seemed to be working, but not every voter liked this newer version of Wallace.

Political assassination marred the 1960s as John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert were killed by gunman. Wallace who has been portrayed as an evil protector of racism feel victim to the ugliness of political violence. An assassination attempt ended his campaign and left him paralyzed. American politics continued to be marred by violence and a third party candidate for President fell.

The story of George Wallace is not widely discussed in the modern media. His earlier stance for segregation is replayed often, but his later martyrdom as the victim of political violence is often forgotten. Wallace is a tragic figure in American history for many reasons. Within his lifetime he renounced his earlier stance on segregation, a stance that millions of other white Americans held, and his decision to go against his earlier statements were enough to make Wallace face great criticism in the South.

Wallace was never a major political force after the assassination attempt. Concerns for his health plagued his political pursuits. Where the press had protected Franklin Roosevelt a generation earlier, the discussion surrounding Wallace proved that American voters were not ready to accept a paralyzed President. The American Independent Party died with Wallace’s political career.

Wallace later apologized to black leaders for his stance on segregation, but few things could trump the footage of his “segregation forever” speech.

Filed Under: Green Party Of Tennessee Tagged With: American Independent Party, Assassination, George Wallace, Jim Crow Laws, John F. Kennedy, List of Governors of Alabama, Racial segregation, United States

Investing in New York City

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Are you ready to put your money into an investment that will actually give you a return instead of a loss? If you are tired of losing money in the stock market, then it’s time to invest in real estate. Even in today’s tough economic climate, real estate is still a very safe investment. One of the best places to invest in real estate is New York City. Take a look at some of the advantages of investing in the Big Apple.

1. Job opportunities. There are always plenty of job opportunities in New York City. From theater to banking jobs, there are many opportunities for people to use their talents to support their families. It’s the American Dream to come to New York City. It’s always been that way and it continues to be the place where people come to live their dreams.

2. Beautiful luxury condos. New York City has some of the most gorgeous condos, homes, and apartments in the world. You can invest in New York luxury condos for a future investment or for a second home. You’ll love the style and the beauty that you find in a luxury condo.

3. Proximity to fun events. When you are in New York City, there’s never a lack of things to do. People flock to the city to go to a Broadway play, to see the Statue of Liberty, to shop on 5th Avenue, and relax in Central Park. No matter where you are at in the Big Apple, you’re never far from something fun to do.

If you are ready to take a leap into real estate investing, then you definitely need to consider New York City. Here you’ll find ample opportunities and plenty of people interesting in your fine real estate deal.

Filed Under: Social Justice Tagged With: Central Park, Condominium, Fifth Avenue, New York City, NewYork, Real estate, Statue of Liberty, United States

Political Disputes in Perspective

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Pundits will often use hyperbole when describing present political conditions. Even though recent political partisanship has caused a record amount of instances of filibusters on the floor of the U.S. Congress, the use of procedure marks an upgrade in discourse compared to some previous forms of self-expression. Observers who fret that the political system is more divided than ever are easily disproved by reviewing American history.

Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton are the faces behind the first great political parties dispute in American history. Hamilton, the former Secretary of the Treasury, was a staunch Federalist, which put him at odds with the Democratic-Republican Party member Burr. Burr had been Vice President during Thomas Jefferson’s first term. In part due to outspoken critiques from Hamilton, Jefferson decided to drop Burr from his re-election ticket. Burr attempted to run for Governor of New York. Hamilton again vigorously campaigned against Burr, which helped to keep Burr out of office and caused further bad blood between the two men.

Burr and Hamilton were not satisfied with letting the voters decide their dispute. The pair ignored the laws of the nation that they helped to build and agreed to a duel. Burr fired and mortally wounded Hamilton. While Burr might have maintained his “honor” the duel ended his political career. He avoided prosecution for the murder of Hamilton, but he was later implicated in a plot to create a separate nation. Burr was acquitted by the Supreme Court trail that was overseen by Chief Justice John Marshall. Despite pressure from contemporaries including Jefferson, Marshall did not convict Burr on charges of treason.

The duel between Burr and Hamilton was not the last instance of violence emerging as the result of political debate or a personal rivalry that developed due to political differences. Even during the most heated political debates in modern times, the hyperbole that politics has never been worst is offensive to the honor of Aaron Burr.

Filed Under: Diversity Tagged With: Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, Democratic-Republican Party, Federalist Party, John Marshall, Thomas Jefferson, United States, United States Secretary of the Treasury