...The goal of this paper is to find evidence of the use and impact of social media in the 2012 presidential election. This is because it was reported that President Obama won the elections because of the ground operation presented by volunteers of his elections' campaigns (CNN Wire 1). I chose this topic since reports in state media indicated that the Republican Party was leading in the pre-election polls, but in the end the Democratic Party won due to the use of technological innovation (Edsall 1). An in depth analysis reveals that the presidential contest favored President Obama for using social media. Social media is increasingly an easy, fast, and effective way for people to have personal contact through technology. The intention is to prove...
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...Elections are a time of joy to obtain a new powerful leader to represent a nation the best way possible. Acquiring votes from the people can be done in many forms of advertisements from friendly or denote behaviors. Propaganda captivates people in the spread of information for a certain cause. Capturing the attention of voters should motivate the people into electing the right candidate. This can be done in a variety of ways from informative, effective and favoritism. Stacking the deck, glittering generalities and negative or attack ads are examples of propaganda. Each type of propaganda attract a vote from people in different ways. Walter Mondale held propaganda advertising himself and Geraldine Ferraro for President and Vice President nominees. Mondale used stacking the deck propaganda referring to being biased in a certain situation. “Retirees support Mondale-Ferraro, Asian Americans for Mondale-Ferraro” (Document A). Mondale presented favoritism from certain groups of people. As a presidential nominee, Mondale, attracted specific voters to help him win presidency....
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...Interim Report ICT use in Getting out the Vote in recent US Presidential Elections: A Tale of Two Solutions. Xxxxxxxxxxxxx (for module ISM106) December 13, 2012 Contents. 1.0 Background and Objectives………………………………………………..3 2.0 Literature Search and Methodology………………………………………4 3.0 GOTV - The Problem Domain…………………………………………….5 4.0 Timetable……………………………………………………………………7 5.0 References…………………………………………………………………..8 “Good judgment comes from experience, but a lot of that comes from bad judgment”. Will Rogers, American Humorist (1879-1935). 1.0 Background and Objectives. Getting out the vote (GOTV) is a very important activity in an election campaign. Within a typical polling precinct, campaign fieldworkers identify and confirm voters who pledge to vote for their candidate. A list of these voters is carefully compiled for each precinct, with up-to-date contact information and whether assistance is needed in getting voters to the polling station being crucial. On Election Day, campaign workers at the polling stations monitor the voters on the list and record which have voted and which have not. Great effort is then expended on contacting the “laggards” and getting them out to vote. Periodically during the day, voter turnout data is sent, through aggregation points, to campaign HQ where it updates the big picture and allows the co-ordination and refocusing of further GOTV efforts. The purpose of...
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...University of Phoenix Detecting Media Bia HUM/114 The reported story of President Obama abandoning his campaign in Florida to deal with the state officials along the Atlantic Coast in wake of Hurricane Sandy was not clear but seems to be accurate. The information that was given from MSN.com did not seem to have enough depth. The story was short, but it seemed to lack what steps other than generators, food and water will be provided if needed. The areas that are currently being affected are areas that have public transportation. The families that relies on the city or state transportation system, what are they to do if they can’t evacuate? What safe havens are to be provided if any? The concerns of the President to worry about the people of his country, compared to just trying to win a consecutive term in office is very important. President Obama wanted everyone in the area to be safe and evacuate. The story did not address if the President was going to try and campaign after the storm, or if the concern of election weighed on him during this time. The news article did not express and further views from the world. No other perspectives were given in the story. The President assumed that this will be a long process to have these states up and running once the hurricane hits land. It has also been assumed “close coordination” amongst the government leaders that safety and security measures are in place after the storm passes over. The questionable assumptions that...
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...2012 Town Hall Debate: President Obama vs. Governor Romney The issue of whether President Obama is suitable to be the President of America has been widely debated in the 2012 American Electoral Debate. Polls show Governor Romney taking the lead in many states. The debate is an important issue because it concerns the well being of America, the tremendous debt they are in and the poor economy resulting in high unemployment rates. This paper will consider the arguments and points of both President Barrack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney in the 2012 Town Hall Debate. It will then put forward reasons why both candidates deserve the title of the President of the United States. Town hall meetings are an indication of early American democracy that today modern candidates are very familiar with. It is the democratic process in which fellow Americans ask the candidates serious questions about issues they are concerned with. Neither candidate goes into this debate knowing the questions being asked, only the mediator is notified and in this case it was Candy Crawford. During the debate a few right hooks and upper cuts were thrown back and forth between the candidates, but it seem the last one standing holding the victory was in fact the mediator, Candy Crawford. The town hall debate covered both domestic and foreign policy. The audience touched upon some very important topics from immigration, women’s equity, costs of gas, the military, they Libyan attack and gun rights and comparing...
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...There is a lot of concern in the media and political circles about the effects of poll results on voters. For example, in September 2012 when Obama was dominating the polls, Republicans latched onto the idea that the polling industry was skewing polls in Obama’s favor to give him the air of inevitability. When Gallup’s likely voter model later gave Romney a 7 point lead in mid-October, everyone started wondering not only what this meant about the election, but if could affect the election. Finally, in a quiet period during the morning after the final presidential debate, the price of the contract for Mitt Romney to win the election escalated rapidly on Intrade, only to retreat back down almost as quickly. Had someone tried to manipulate the contract to make it appear that Romney won the debate or that the election was suddenly tied? Would that be a rational use of money? To answer the burning question, researchers have long observed that people often conform to majority opinion (i.e. during every election, some people jump on the bandwagon and shift their preference to the leading candidate or the most popular policy). During elections, and major public policy events, much of the media coverage focuses on the “horse race,” or fluctuations in support for a candidate or policy. Reporting on public opinion not only affects support, but levels of engagement: donations, volunteering and turnout. These bandwagon effects can make polls self-fulfilling prophecies; the predictions of...
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...“Obamacare” Barack Hussein Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Barack is the44th and current president of the United States of America. There is no question that Obama’s childhood was anything but normal. At the age of two Obama’s mother and father separated and then eventually divorced. After the divorce Barack’s father went on to continue his own education at Harvard University. Eventually obtaining his Ph.D., he then headed back to his home land of Kenya, Africa. Barack had only seen his father on one more occasion for a short visit in 1971 as he later died in an auto accident in 1982. In 1966 Obama’s mother remarried another East-Western student from Indonesia. The Family later packed up and moved to Jakarta Indonesia, where Barack’s half-sister Maya Soetoro Ng was born. At the age of 10, Barack was sent back to Hawaii to live with his maternal grandparents after a string of incidents in Indonesia left his mother fearing for Obama’s safety. While in Hawaii, Barack enrolled in the well-known Punahou Academy where in 1979, he graduated with academic honors. Living in that era also had its challenges of another sort. Barack quickly realized the life of living among racism. Being only one of three black students at his school, he often found himself looking in the mirror and questioning why he was different and why people treated him and others like him differently. After high school Obama went on to study at the Occidental College in Los...
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... Barack Obama Barack Obama Biography U.S. Representative, U.S. President, Lawyer (1961–) Early Life Barack Hussein Obama was born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in Wichita, Kansas, where her father worked on oil rigs during the Great Depression. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dunham's father, Stanley, enlisted in the service and marched across Europe in Patton's army. Dunham's mother, Madelyn, went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, the couple studied on the G.I. Bill, bought a house through the Federal Housing Program and, after several moves, landed in Hawaii. Barack Obama's father, Barack Obama Sr., was born of Luo ethnicity in Nyanza Province, Kenya. Obama Sr. grew up herding goats in Africa, eventually earning a scholarship that allowed him to leave Kenya and pursue his dreams of college in Hawaii. While studying at the University of Hawaii in Manoa, Obama Sr. met fellow student Ann Dunham, and they married on February 2, 1961. Barack was born six months later. Obama did not have a relationship with his father as a child. When his son was still an infant, Obama Sr. relocated to Massachusetts to attend Harvard University, pursuing a Ph.D. Barack's parents officially separated several months later and ultimately divorced in March 1964, when their son was 2. In 1965, Obama Sr. returned to Kenya. In 1965, Dunham married Lolo Soetoro...
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...conservative are more likely to hold negative perceptions of African-Americans and other minorities. Furthermore, racial antipathy affects the way individuals perceive Barack Obama. In light of recent trends, this study tested whether individuals who identify themselves as Republicans are substantially more likely to maintain negative racial attitudes. The study also investigated whether white Americans are more likely than other racial groups to harbor racial prejudices and disapprove of Barack Obama. Results from this study indicated that racial resentment plays a significant role in contemporary politics. Data from between-subjects ANOVA and correlational analysis suggested that the Democratic Party and Republican Party are polarized in regards to racial issues. Moreover, conservative whites are the most likely racial group to hold racial prejudices against African-Americans. Finally, disapproval of President Obama is highly associated with high levels of negative racial stereotypes. Keywords: race, antipathy, conservatism, prejudices, Obama Is Racial Antipathy Increasing? The Polarizing Effect of Obama’s Presidency In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African-American to become President of the United States. His election marked a pivotal turning point in American politics. To millions, Obama’s election signaled the start of a post-racial America. The country was infused with euphoria as citizens from diverse backgrounds celebrated his historical victory. For a brief...
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...It is around 8:15 pm November 6, 2012, about forty-five minutes before the presidential election polls close and the next president of the United States is announced. The parking lot of the old Holiday Inn on Vista Ave is packed with cars and it is very difficult to find an open space. After 10 minutes of circling the perimeter of the hotel, a parking spot opens up. A secure resting spot for my car is obtained. The car is locked and I approach the entrance to the hotel. Many of the cars antennas act as poles for Obama/ Biden flags that seem to be collecting the excitement of the evening with each gust of wind. Entering into the front doors, there are three bag pipers dressed as fireman from the waist up and Scottish kilts from the waist down. They are excitedly playing their bag pipes through the entrance and into the hotel hallways. Other people are entering into the hallways, dually occupied with looking at their electronic devices and locating their prospective destinations. The hotel space reserved for the Democratic Party candidate’s rally is large and unique. The swimming pool is situated in the center of a large space with hotel rooms glass sliding doors looking out onto the gated water hole. Many of these rooms are occupied by political signs, groups of people, and an array of food and beverages. The political signs have names of Democratic candidates and champagne slogans such as Steve Berch, Glida for Idaho, Phylis King, Richard Kellar, Elliot Werk, Les Bock...
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...LONDON — Europeans are watching the final stages of the U.S. election campaign closely, concerned about how the outcome might affect global issues. Europeans can't vote in the U.S. election, but, like people everywhere, they have a stake in its outcome. From economic issues to Iran and the war in Afghanistan, the future of Europe is very much linked to the United States. And the two men who are vying to lead it for the next four years would seem to have very different views of the continent. "I think the president wants to turn us into a European-style welfare state, an entitlement nation. That model has not worked anywhere in the world," Romney said on the campaign trail. Barack Obama usually strikes a different tenor when he talks about the continent. "Each step points to the fact that Europe is moving towards further integration rather than breakup and that these problems can be resolved, and points to the underlying strength in Europe's economies," said Obama at the G20 summit last June. Senior fellow Xenia Dormandy of London's Chatham House says that difference in tone has been noticed on this side of the Atlantic. "Romney talks about a strong, exceptional America, a leading America. And he talks about increasing defense spending. All of those things are things that make Europeans a little bit nervous," noted Dormandy. "Contrarily, Obama, I call him a European leader. He's very consensus-driven. He's wanting to work in multilateral institutions, wanting...
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...If the country is governed by the people, why is our very presidential election in contradiction to popular sovereignty? This question has been asked frequently since our frequent since our recent election when Donald Trump won over Hillary Clinton, even though Clinton won the popular vote. Although some may believe that the electoral college is undemocratic and outdated, in actuality, the electoral college is still necessary to prevent the more populated states from controlling the presidential election. The electoral college was put into place more than 200 years ago by our founding fathers. The founding fathers were striving to find the fairest way to selecting a new ruler and best avoid having a power hungry dictator. Their solution was...
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...FT SPECIAL REPORT World Economy Friday October 12 2012 www.ft.com/reports | twitter.com/ftreports Hopes turn to fear and uncertainty Answers to the big issues facing the global economy depend mainly on events in the US and eurozone, writes Chris Giles Meeting of minds: logo for the IMFWorld bank events beginning in Tokyo today Bloomberg Inside » Growth glitches FT specialists report from the eurozone, China, the US and the UK Pages 2, 3 If Obama wins . . . or Romney Some differences seem more symbolic than real Page 4 Cash conundrum The IMF and World Bank have plenty of money but face new challenges Page 5 A threat of double-dip recession is stalking the world economy. Advanced economies are struggling to raise insipid growth rates, while the fast-growing emerging economies cannot maintain their previous momentum. If anything goes wrong – and there are known potential shocks in the coming months – the risk is rising of a dangerous economic slide. The Brookings Institution-Financial Times Tracking Indices for the Global Economic Recovery shows a steep drop in 2012 so far, leading professor Eswar Prasad of Brookings to describe the global economy as “on the ropes”. In the International Monetary Fund’s twice-yearly World Economic Outlook, published this week, Olivier Blanchard, the fund’s chief economist, said the world economy was hamstrung by uncertainty, which was pre- venting companies from investing and households from spending. “Worries about...
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...Omar Sharif Should the Electoral College be abolished? The invention and approval of the electoral college by the Constitutional Committee in 1787 resulted in an electoral system whereby the election of the president, every 4 years, is determined by members of the electoral college and not the popular vote. Each state receives a number of electoral college votes (number of state congress members) and this is amended every 10 years to reflect changes in state populations. However, there is a growing movement to abolish and replace the current Presidential electoral system with a more democratic system that more accurately reflects the popular vote. Firstly, to understand why the electoral college became the chosen system, it is important to understand the issues faced by the Constitutional committee. James Madison wrote at the time "There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. The right of suffrage was much more diffusive in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of Negroes. The substitution of electors obviated this difficulty and seemed on the whole to be liable to the fewest objections." Therefore, whilst many members acknowledged that a nationwide popular vote would be ideal, state conflict over the rights of slaves, which divided the nation, was the ultimate deciding factor in the choice of electoral system. However, there were other highly influential...
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...AFFORDABLE CARE ACT “Obamacare” The Affordable Care Act, or otherwise known as “Obamacare,” was signed into law on March 23, 2010 by President Barack Obama. The thing that immediately comes to mind when I think of Obamacare is healthcare for every citizen in the United States. This sounds great to me, and without research with in-depth investigation, I would say it has been homerun for Obama with acquiring votes in the past, as well as giving every citizen healthcare. I am interested in the topic of Obamacare because of the simple fact that many people of this generation believe it is a great thing; my intuition tells me that same thing. I know that the main goals of Obamacare are to provide affordable health insurance to all Americans and to ultimately reduce health care costs. This means extending coverage to about 32 million Americans who lack insurance and protecting consumers from discriminatory and unfair practices established by insurance companies. This system must work great because, after all, Canada uses this exact same socialized health care system and I hear all of the time from news media such as MSNBC and CNN about how well the healthcare system in Canada works. In fact, I have heard Michael Moore, a very well-known member of the Democratic Party, say that citizens in Canada on average live 3 years longer than American citizens because of this great healthcare system. I am very impressed by that statistic! I have heard that because Canada has a single-payer...
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