Clipmarks | Political-science Clips

Still Undecided? Then Just Don't Vote!

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:29:32 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks:

It's a basic political-science axiom that citizens are less likely to revolt if they feel they determined who gets to look down Arianna Huffington's blouse at political soirees.

So feel free not to vote. Just remember, if so many groups' main objective really were to strengthen democracy, America would have gotten rid of the electoral college by now.

Interesting opinion! ... I feel very strongly that everyone should always vote, but should we? Is not voting at all, better than voting for the lesser of two evils?

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

Don't vote. People will try to guilt you into it, but stay strong and resist. I'm talking to all of you who don't feel strongly about either presidential candidate

Voting is not an act of charity.

It's an entirely selfish act of expressing your opinion and asking for policies you want. If your mere opinion added to our nation's well-being, it would be patriotic to take telemarketing calls.

A high voter turnout doesn't make our democracy work better.

nonparticipation is a legitimate expression of feelings about our political system

You'll be saying that none of the contenders convinced you

not voting is the safest way to assure your right to complain. Because if you do vote, the odds are slightly better than even that you're going to vote for the winner, which will ruin your ability to gripe about him.

The entire ruling class wants you to vote

Casting a ballot tricks you into believing you have as equal a stake in the power structure as the rich and connected.

So feel free not to vote.

And again, McCain condescends.

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:21:15 GMT

clipped by: Sweeneybird
clipper's remarks: I cringed when McCain asked this - it's kind of nice to see how gracious the questioner is in return.

Clip Source: firstread.msnbc.msn.com

How did I feel about Sen. McCain stating “You probably never heard of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac before this.”
Well Senator, I actually did. I like to think of myself as a fairly intelligent person. I have a bachelor degree in Political Science from Tennessee State, so I try to keep myself up to date with current affairs. I have a Master degree in Legal Studies from Southern Illinois University, a few years in law school, and I am currently pursuing a Master in Public Administration from the University of Memphis. In defense of the Senator from Arizona I would say he is an older guy, and may have made an underestimation of my age. Honest mistake. However, it could be because I am a young African-American male. Whatever the case may be it was somewhat condescending regardless of my age to make an assumption regarding whether I was knowledgeable about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Tags: politics

Younger Military Families Closing Ranks Around Obama

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:20:19 GMT

clipped by: dulios
clipper's remarks:

People in all branches of the service are getting tired of repeated deployments. "I think more of them will vote for Obama than McCain," said Jennings. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, deployed troops are putting their money where their mouth is: they've given four times as much money to Obama as McCain.

"Any assumption that the military vote is overwhelmingly in favor of the Republican Party -- based on demographics alone -- is suspect, at the very least," said Donald S. Inbody, a retired Navy Captain who is on the political science faculty at Texas State University.

This could result in a 1.2 to 1 advantage for Obama in military communities, according to Inbody, especially if the campaign "isn't tone deaf" to the inroads that are possible.

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Younger Military Families Closing Ranks Around Obama

John McCain assumes he has the military vote -- but does he?

The Military Times recently released its annual survey of subscribers, which shows McCain-Palin enjoying a commanding lead over Obama-Biden (68/23 percent). But this is not a random sample, by any stretch of the imagination. Military Times subscribers are significantly older than the active military population. Nearly half of those surveyed are retirees, and minorities are under-represented.

"Everyone I talk to wants change but on base you can't say certain things. At a bar or a party, everyone tells me they're voting for Obama," said Thomas Singleton, 27, a former military telecommunications specialist

"My military friends are tired of being lied to," said Singleton. "They're told to deploy for six months, but it ends up being a year. And when they come home, they can't find a job. One of my friends is staying in the Army only because he can't find a civilian job."

Tags: military

Prospective vs. retrospective

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:55:30 GMT

clipped by: georgecf

Clip Source: www.boston.com

"To a great extent, this campaign has been about how we frame the election," said Dartmouth College political science professor Linda Fowler. "McCain has been trying to make this a prospective election, by saying that he'd be different from Bush. And the Obama people have been trying to make this a retrospective election -- that if you liked Bush, you'd love McCain.

"But the economic woes are too strong for McCain to disassociate himself from the Republican party. What he has left are personal attacks -- to say, 'Whatever you think of the Republican party, this guy [Obama] is too scary.' "

Tags: mccain, obama

Palin effect not 'long lasting'

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:16:26 GMT

clipped by: georgecf

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Palin effect not 'long lasting'

2 hours, 33 minutes ago

According to an analysis released Tuesday of the 2008 women’s vote, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s impact on the presidential campaign is “settling out” and has not enabled John McCain to shrink the traditional gender gap favoring Democrats.

“The affect of Sarah Palin is not one that has been long lasting in terms of shifting the dynamics of the gender gap,” said Susan J. Carroll, a political science professor at Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics, in a conference call for Women’s Vote Watch.

The shift back toward Obama reflects that “the gender gap is not about the gender of the candidate, it’s about the issues,” said Debbie Walsh, CAWP’s director.

Tags: palin

Why writing in a candidate for president is nothing but a waste of your vote

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:50:01 GMT

clipped by: Lexica
clipper's remarks: Something that the Ralph Nader and Ron Paul supporters need to understand.

Clip Source: nielsenhayden.com

The reality, however, is that the structure of the American political system impels voters to choose between two large political blocs, and all other votes at the national level are wasted.

That structure is created by

(1) The single-member district system for election to the House of Representatives.

(2) The one-at-a-time electoral system for election to the Senate (in effect a single-member district system)

(3) The fact that there can be only one president.

This creates a situation in which there can be only two viable political parties (a condition known to political science as Duverger's Law, after the French political scientist who first identified it back in 1951 in relation to the British political system). That is, only two parties capable of forming legislative majorities or winning the presidency.

You may want other options, but there aren't any.

Tags: politics, america, culture, voting, making-light

Obama at Columbia University

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:17:12 GMT

clipped by: chestnut501
clipper's remarks: "Can you smell that smell?"

Clip Source: www.ibdeditorials.com

According to the New York Sun, university spokesman Brian Connolly confirmed that Obama graduated from Columbia in 1983 with a major in political science but without honors. What his grades were we do not know. As the New York Times reported, "Obama declined repeated requests to talk about his New York years, release his Columbia transcript or identify even a single fellow student co-worker, roommate or friend from those years."

Seems like a job for those 30 people sent to Alaska to investigate Gov. Sarah Palin.

Couric Hides Embarrassing Palin Tape

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:05:27 GMT

clipped by: spirithiker
clipper's remarks: CBS is getting a little too cozy with Republican candidates in exchange for exclusivity.

This goes against journalistic ethics and just plain good common sense.

There have been several other signs of favoritism by Couric and CBS towards the McCain campaign which smacks of CBS becoming a media machine for the Republican party.

Palin is reported to be unable to name another Supreme Court ruling aside from Roe v Wade; and she floundered on simple American political history questions taught to middle school students.

The fact that Palin somehow graduated from University of Idaho with a minor in political science makes these flounderings and blunders unacceptable as a Vice Presidential candidate. The Republican Party should hang its head in shame.

I wonder how she would do on the TV show "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?"

Clip Source: www.bluetidalwave.com

In Monday's column from Howard Kurtz about Sarah Palin's disastrous interview with Katie Couric, he mentions more embarrassing footage of Palin was not released by CBS

"And the worst may be yet to come for Palin; sources say CBS has two more responses on tape that will likely prove embarrassing

CBS Evening News insiders say the censoring of the Palin interview was orchestrated by CBS News heads and Couric in an effort to show the McCain campaign that they should choose the struggling nightly news program for their exclusive interviews

With the McCain campaign's public crusade against NBC and MSNBC, CBS and Couric saw an opening to shore up her last place ratings among the big three nightly news programs. Speculation had swirled for months around Couric's future as a news anchor.

This summer CBS News was caught editing an interview with John McCain to correct his wrong answers to questions posed by Couric over the basic facts of the surge.

Tags: politics

eight reasons why John McCain should not be elected

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:54:10 GMT

clipped by: prin1
clipper's remarks: this excerpt came after the eight reasons were listed. pease click the link to go to the site.

Clip Source: www.unfitmccain.com

Cindy McCain is chairwoman of Hensley and controls 68 percent of the privately-held
company stock, along with her children and the senator's son from his first marriage. The
family keeps their finances separate, and John McCain claims to have no interest or role
in Hensley. According to the L.A. Times, should he become president and his wife retains
her ownership in Hensley, she would set a precedent for outside corporate activity by a

first lady.

Political analysts said they were astounded that McCain has not addressed the issue. "You
can't run a beer company out of the White House," commented Samuel Popkin, a political-
science professor at the University of California in San Diego. "McCain is leaving a live

hand grenade on the table -- a major embarrassment [for his future administration]."

Because Senator McCain and Governor Palin are clearly unfit for command, Hugh hopes
you will tell your family and friends about this Web site: UnfitMcCain.com

Bush's own conservatives on bailout plan

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 05:41:31 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: You're going to loose either way, you morons!

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

"If this (plan) was so good, they (Democrats) should pass it. They should brag about it. They should take credit for it. But the Democrats understand that this bill is dirty," said Limbaugh, the most popular of the talk show hosts.

The plan puts conservatives in a bind, and that it was proposed by a Republican president further blurs distinctions, said Alan Abramowitz, a professor of political science at Emory University in Atlanta.

Either they swallow it, violating free market principles they hold dear, or they oppose it and risk seeing confidence in the free market system evaporate.

"This is an ideological problem. If you are conservative and you believe in small government and the free market, if you fail that's your problem. That's the way the market is supposed to work," he said.

Tags: united states, economy, finance, conservatives

Economists On The Bailout

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:40:33 GMT

clipped by: Hana Alberts
clipper's remarks: I enjoyed this straightforward presentation of the arguments about the bailout.

This pro-con display in the Charlotte Observer really boils down the issues and makes them understandable and palatable to the average reader.

Clip Source: www.charlotteobserver.com

Pro – Con

Financial sector: Bail it out or let it sink?

YES: Money, credit are life of the economy

From Michael L. Walden, economics professor at N.C. State University.

Certainly there will be a cost to taxpayers – but the alternative cost would have been much higher. And there's also a silver lining. The federal government is acquiring real assets. While those assets may be heavily discounted now, it's quite possible the values will eventually rise. So we (taxpayers) may realize an eventual profit.

NO: Credit crunch will sort itself out in time

From Mike Munger, a Duke University professor of economics and political science, and the Libertarian candidate for governor.

First, we don't know what we are doing, and we are as likely to do harm as help.

All we are doing is shifting costs from one group (Wall Street bankers, and mortgage sellers who took enormous and unsupportable risks) and transferring them to another group (taxpayers, who don't know any better).

Educational level of each presidential candidate

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:00:43 GMT

clipped by: darkduskx

Clip Source: clipmarks.com

Obama:

Occidental College (Los Angeles) - 2 years studying Politics and Public Policy.

Columbia University (New York) - B.A. Political Science with a specialization in International Relations.

Harvard Law School - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude, Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Law Review.

Biden:

University of Delaware - B.A. in History and a B.A. in Political Science.

Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

McCain:

United States Naval Academy - Class rank 894 of 899.

Palin:

Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester - Business Administration.

North Idaho College - 2 semesters - General Studies.

University of Idaho - 2 semesters - Journalism.

Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester.

University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism.

Ron Paul:

B.A. from Gettysburg College (1957)

M.D. from Duke University School of Medicine (1961)

Ralph Nader:

AB Princeton University, magna cum laude, 1955

LLB Harvard University, 1958.

The Startle Reflex: Key to Your Politics

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 19:40:43 GMT

clipped by: Kelika
clipper's remarks: "Researchers shied away from using labels such as conservative and liberal in their study, but they concede that volunteers who registered a heightened sense of threat also tended to subscribe to conservative attitudes. "It's not that conservatives are 'fraidy-cats," says Kevin Smith, a political science professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and one of the study's co-authors. "It's that people who support socially protective policies — which, yes, can be interpreted as people taking a conservative position on those policies — are more sensitive to environmental threat."

Clip Source: www.time.com

Political views are often so staunchly held that one wonders whether they aren't hardwired in a person's genes. Indeed, in the past, studies of twins have suggested that DNA may play a role in determining political attitudes. Although no one has yet discovered a gene for, say, supporting the war in Iraq, a small new study by political scientists at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and other institutions reports another association between a person's biology and his politics.

Researchers examined the link between each participant's stated political views and his or her physiological response to a perceived threat in the lab. People with stronger measurable threat responses, the study found, tended to adhere to "socially protective" political policies, or those that suggest more concern for preserving the social unit — for example, supporting the Iraq war and the death penalty but opposing abortion rights and gay marriage.

New study shows parental involvement laws reduce abortions among minors

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 04:07:15 GMT

clipped by: Efrain Alvarado

Clip Source: www.catholicnewsagency.com

Washington DC, Sep 19, 2008 / 02:07 am (CNA).- The Family Research Council (FRC) on Thursday released a study on the effectiveness of different parental involvement laws in reducing abortions among minors. According to the study’s findings, when a state enacts a parental involvement law the abortion rate for minors falls by an average of about 13.6 percent.

In a press release, FRC called the study the “first comprehensive analysis” of minor abortion data from nearly all 50 states between 1985 and 1990. The study, titled “The Effect of Parental Involvement Laws on the Incidence of Abortion Among Minors,” was authored by Dr. Michael New, Ph.D, a FRC Fellow and assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama.

“This study is the first of its kind to compare different types of parental involvement laws,” New said. “The study finds that more protective parental involvement laws result in even larger declines in abortion rates.”

Tags: abortion, prolife, parenting, family

Authors Den

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:55:18 GMT

clipped by: bakancs
clipper's remarks: Where Authors & Readers come together!
Online books,works...

Clip Source: www.authorsden.com

Where Authors & Readers come together!

Authors: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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AuthorsDen

New Authors (w/photos)

New Readers