Fox News Coverage of Election Night

On Election Night I tuned in to Fox News to watch their coverage of the Presidential election. Knowing that Fox News sways more to the Republican side, I assumed that they would focus more on John McCain than Barack Obama. However, I must say that in my opinion, their coverage was equally distributed between the two candidates.

Fox News had various correspondents located at Obama's headquarters, as well as at John McCain's headquarters. At times during their on-going coverage the in-studio host, Brit Hume, would check in with the correspondents to get a feel for what was going on at each candidates headquarters. At times, I felt that host Brit Hume was rather unorganized. At certain times he was unsure as to where the coverage was going to next. In my opinion, he could have done a better job of controlling the program and preparing for each upcoming segment. As the outcome of the election drew nearer, the coverage focused on John McCain primarily because he would be making a speech declaring that Barack Obama would be victorious. Once McCain delivered his address, the coverage was dedicated solely to Obama and his acceptance speech.

In my opinion, the layout that Fox News used to display the incoming votes from each state was somewhat confusing. At the bottom of the screen, they had a bar that was split into three sections. On the far right was the total electoral votes for each candidate. The only issue I had with this was the size of the numbers. I felt that the numbers were not big enough, and I had a difficult time deciphering a few of the numbers. The section on the far left was dedicated to tallying the votes for each candidate by state. The middle section was used to show the number of votes for the races for seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

In regards to the coverage on their website, I felt that Fox News could have done a better job. They had a map of the United States that was used to show the incoming votes from each of the states as their respective polls closed. However, the map updated sporadically and was never in sync with what was being shown on their television broadcast. The websites count of the total electoral votes for each candidate was always behind what was being shown on television. One facet of the website that I did like was the map that broke down the candidates votes by each county of every state. I thought it was interesting to be able to see whether my county voted for McCain or Obama. It allowed me to see if the candidate I voted for garnered the most votes in my county. Although there were some aspects of the website that I did enjoy, I thought they could have done a better job of updating their website.

As a whole, I felt that Fox News and their corresponding website did a fair job in covering this year's Presidential election.

Republican Powell Endorses Obama

Last week, Americans learned that former Secretary of State Colin Powell will endorse Senator Barack Obama and his campaign. This is a very surprising decision since Powell is a friend of Senator John McCain's. Powell has even donated money to the McCain campaign. Regardless of the endorsement, McCain still "respects and admires Secretary Powell."



Powell did not hesitate on saying why he decided to endorse Senator Obama over longtime friend Senator McCain. Secretary Powell, like some Americans, does not believe that Gov. Sarah Palin is fit to serve as the vice president. Powell also said that he was not happy with McCain's ever-changing approach to the economy. Basically, Powell believes that Senator Obama will provide a 'breath of fresh air', instead of the same Republican leadership that this country has been under for the past eight years.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/20/us/politics/20campaign.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin

Rush Limbaugh also added his two cents on Secretary Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama. On his radio show, Limbaugh said he believes that Powell endorsed Obama because of his race, and to an extent, he may be right. Juan Williams of Fox News provided an interesting insight to a sort of 'passing of the torch' from Powell to Obama on Limbaugh's radio show. Williams says:

"Of course it has to do with race. It has a lot to do with this sort of senior black man, sort of the original crossover race star in American politics, Colin Powell; I think reaching out to this younger black man, and I think in so many ways it goes beyond race. But I think Rush Limbaugh's right, if he says race is a definite factor here. In terms of his legacy, I think this will stand as a real monument reaching out to the -- potentially, the -- first black president of the United States."

The United States is a country that has had many "firsts" over the years. Perhaps it is time that we add another "first" in the form of electing Barack Obama as America's first black president.

Colin Powell thinks it is a good idea.

Who is Andy Martin?

Name: Andy Martin

D.O.B.: 1945 (Exact date unknown)

Residence: Currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. Martin was born in Middletown, Connecticut.

Education: University of Illinois (B.S. 1966, Juris Doctor 1969), also attended University of Edinburgh, Scotland (1965). While in high school, attended Wesleyan University for advanced classes.

Job Experience: Most well-known for his political career. Here is a list of the numerous offices Mr. Martin has ran for over the past 30 years:

U.S. Senator from Illinois, 1978 (Democratic primary)
U.S. Senator from Illinois, 1980 (Democratic primary)
U.S. House from Connecticut, 1986 (Republican primary)
President of the United States, 1988 (Democratic primary)
Governor of Florida, 1990 (Republican primary)
U.S. House from Florida, 1992 (Republican primary)
Florida State Senate, 1996 (unsuccessful Republican nominee)
U.S. Senator from Florida, 1998 (Republican primary)
President of the United States, 2000 (Republican primary)
U.S. Senator from Florida, 2000 (unsuccessful independent candidate)
U.S. Senator from Illinois, 2004 (Republican primary, removed from ballot according to Illinois State Board of Elections)
U.S. Senator from Florida, 2004 (Republican primary)
Governor of Illinois, 2006 (Republican primary)
U.S. Senator from Illinois, 2008 (Republican primary)

Law Experience: Martin is a public interest lawyer at the state and national levels.

Broadcast Experience: When he was just twenty-three years old, the FCC allowed him to run WTAF-TV in Marion, Indiana. While working there, he presided over the operation of both the television and radio stations. Currently, Martin serves as the Independent Contrarian Columnist and chief national/foreign correspondent for Out2.com. He also serves as the Managing Director of Andy Martin Worldwide Communications.

Teaching Experience: From 1985 to 1992, Martin was an adjunct professor of law for the City University of New York, at LaGuardia Community College and other campuses. At the university he taught courses in business law, legal advocacy, family law, and business management.

International Experience: Over the years, Martin has traveled extensively. The countries he has visited include: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Hong Kong, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran. Martin was appointed Baghdad Bureau Chief for Out2.com in April of 2003. He is also the Executive Director of the Revolutionary War Research Center.

Current Endeavors: On October 17th, 2008 Martin filed a lawsuit against the state of Hawaii that demanded that Barack Obama's original birth certificate be released to the public.

If you would like to obtain more information about Andy Martin, follow this link to his personal website: http://www.andymartin.com/bio.htm

A Republican's Take on Sean Hannity's Show

Recently, FoxNews anchor Sean Hannity produced a show entitled "Obama and Friends: History of Radicalism." (A full length video of the show can be found at the end of this post.) The documentary showcases Barack Obama beginning with his college years and going up until the present times. The entire show is dedicated to showing various controversial figures that Barack Obama has ties to. Democrats probably did not take kindly to Mr. Hannity's program, but don't the American people have a right to know the truth about Mr. Obama?

The program begins with a look at Obama's college years, something he has been very tight-lipped about. He studied at Columbia University as well as Harvard Law School. Khalid al-Mansour, a known radical extremist with ties to the Saudi government, aided Barack Obama in being accepted into the prestigious law school. This is where the suspicions of Obama's companions begins.

Following his college experience, Obama worked as a community organizer for the Chicago-based Gamaliel Foundation. The organization is founded on the principles of Saul Alinsky, who many consider the "godfather of community organizing." His philosophy was basically manipulating people into following a particular course of action that he wanted them to take. If Barack Obama took anything from Alinsky's teachings, is he the man that we want to be our next president?

In the program, we also learn that Obama had a relationship with William Ayers. For those who don't know, William Ayers was the leader of the 1960's anti-American terrorist group the "Weather Underground." This group plotted terrorist attacks against the U.S. Capitol building, the Pentagon, and the NYPD headquarters just to name a few. Ayers and Obama worked together for the Woods Fund of Chicago, a non-profit group. Again we see Barack Obama working in close quarters with an extremely controversial figure. Of course, this is not the same man we see campaigning across the nation, or is it?

Hannity's program also looks at Mr. Obama's relationship with his now former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Wright was Obama's pastor for over twenty years. Wright preaches liberation theology and is shown in the program shouting "God damn America" during one of his sermons. Obama is quoted in the program saying that Wright was like family to him. Although Obama has resigned from Wright's church, how can Americans believe that he is going to disown someone who is like family to him?

The last segment Hannity's program deals with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). Obama worked closely with this group during his time as a community organizer. Some people consider this group to be the largest radical group in the nation. ACORN deals with helping low-income families and neighborhoods. ACORN uses crooked tactics and intimidation to achieve what they desire. Currently, ACORN is under investigation for voter fraud. While Obama was a community organizer, the former head of the organization asked Obama to train the ACORN staff. Mr. Obama also was the attorney for ACORN in some of their legal cases. No wonder we never hear Mr. Obama speak of his association with this group. However, the American people have Sean Hannity to thank for bringing it to their attention.

Some may see this program as an unfair attack on Barack Obama. However, if this man is going to be the next President of the United States of American, shouldn't the American people have the right to know who he really is and where has come from? Americans need to know this man's background before they vote him into the White House.

Lost Remote: Rick Sanchez's success with Twitter + TV

I was drawn to this article on Lost Remote because I recall talking about Twitter in one of our previous JRN 305 classes. At the time, I had no idea what Twitter was. I learned a little bit of background info on it through class and now I understand the function of Twitter. This article intrigued me because it talked about Rick Sanchez's afternoon show on CNN and how he integrates things such as Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace into his show. I feel like this is really showing how advanced our society and technology has become. Not only is his show a TV show, but it also showcases video clips, interviews, and Internet chats. One criticism that was voiced was that the show moves along at a very rapid pace, almost too fast for some viewers. I have never watched the show, but I can definitely see how the show could move too quickly through certain segments. However, the public must like something about the show because the article states that the time slot for Sanchez's show has increased its audience by almost 25 percent.

Where McCain and Obama Stand on the Bailout: By Tyler Chaput and Matt Pellicane

As Americans are still trying to figure out the pros and cons of the proposed “bailout”, Sen. John McCain is attempting to decide his stance on the bailout plan. With Election Day looming, McCain’s decision could play a sizeable role in the minds of voters.

On one hand, conservative Republicans are reluctant to contributing a large amount of taxpayer’s money to the crisis on Wall Street. On the other hand, the White House, along with Democrats and Republicans, believes that the bailout is needed to divert a “potential economic disaster. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/26/america/26campaign.php?page=2?pass=true


McCain needs the support of conservative Republicans. It took them awhile to come around to McCain, but the selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate made them buy into his candidacy. Otherwise, he could possibly lose their votes which would be a big blow to his chances at becoming the next president.

McCain is adamant that the bailout includes a group that observes the treasury secretary, and limits the compensations of executives of financial institutions applying for loans. https://mail.quinnipiac.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=013ee892631642749d046cefef31e443&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.msnbc.msn.com%2fid%2f26940815%2f

The other presidential candidate for the upcoming election, Sen. Barrack Obama, completely disagrees with how President Bush and his administration are going about their bailout plan. As it stands, the current plan would have taxpayers give money and have decreased benefits. These benefits would in turn go to high-paid executives that are involved in the bailout.

Obama said of the current bailout plan, “It is wholly unreasonable to expect that American taxpayers would or should hand this administration or any administration a $700 billion blank check with absolutely no oversight or conditions when a lack of oversight in Washington and on Wall Street is exactly what got us into this mess.”

In order for the bailout to work, Obama believes the plan must be outlined by four principles:

1. A ban on generous payouts for "irresponsible CEOs on Wall Street."
2. Using a bipartisan independent board to oversee the bailout’s execution instead of Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson, having sole control.
3. An investor stake for taxpayers.
4. Assisting those in danger of being foreclosed on.



According to Shailagh Murray of the Washington Post, Obama also would call for a stimulus package. However, this package would be omitted from the bailout bill.

In the current plan either the taxpayers or financial system will suffer. Obama says, “It is absolutely wrong to suggest that we cannot protect American taxpayers while still stabilizing our market and saving our financial system from collapse. We can and must do both.”

On Monday September 29, both John McCain and Barack Obama decided to carefully endorse President Bush’s projected bailout plan. This plan allows the administration to use billions of dollars that belong to taxpayers, in order buy the falling properties of the troubled financial firms.

Lost Remote: Outside.in offers blogs free story maps

This article was about a site in which bloggers can tag their submissions and have them show up on a map to locate where they are coming from. This is a pretty neat innovation for bloggers to use. Who knows, maybe it could be something that we could incorporate into our blogs so people can see where exactly the posts are coming from. I was able to find the article after I scrolled down the front page. It seems like this site doesn't really have certain sections for certain articles, which I feel would make articles easier to find.

Athletes Influence on the Election

In today's day and age, young adults are influenced by various things in life. They are influenced by family, friends, teachers, celebrities, athletes, and other various figures. This year's presidential election is another event where young adults will be influenced by various aspects in their lives in regard to which candidate to vote for.

It is interesting to evaluate an athlete's opinion on the candidates in this year's election and the impact their opinion may have on first time voters. Sports are as much a part of this country's landscape as politics are. Numerous professional athletes have already publicly endorsed either Barack Obama or John McCain. This obviously allows voters to be influenced to vote for one candidate over another because of who a particular athlete supports. If you think about it, this is a smart tactic for the candidates to employ. If a voter is undecided, the fact that a particular athlete or celebrity is backing one of the candidates may be enough of a reason for the voter to cast their vote for that candidate.

When asked if he would vote for either Barack Obama or John McCain because a certain athlete supports one of them, junior Tyler Chaput had this to say: "No, I have already formulated my opinion as to which candidate I feel is best suited for the position of President of the United States. I would not change my vote from one candidate to the other just because an athlete that I admire supports that nominee." Junior Tim Herre put a different spin on the question. "I would not necessarily say I would vote for a candidate because an athlete supported him, however, knowing an athlete endorsed the same nominee that I did would make me feel better about my selection. Sharing a common bond with an athlete, however small it may be is pretty cool.

Young voters could learn a lesson from a young athlete named Greg Oden. For those who don't know, Greg Oden is the center for the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA. Oden, like many 20-year-olds, will be taking part in his first election. In an article written by Michael Wilbon of The Washington Post, Oden delivers a quote that many young voters could draw a lot from. Oden says, "If the person I vote for wins it's gonna be because of my one little vote; at least that's what I'm gonna think. I think everyone should think that way. This will be my first presidential election to participate in as a voter and I hope that you younger voters will get involved. I think our votes can really influence the outcome so go out, register and vote for who you think is the best candidate to be the best leader for this country."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/28/AR2008022804230.html

Oden is not trying to get young voters to support Barack Obama or John McCain; he is just trying to get first time voters excited to be able to exercise their right to vote. This is an athlete who young voters should allow themselves to be influenced by because he is sending a positive message.

CT Weblogs (My Opinion)

Recently, I read an article on Dow dropping 504 points, or 4.5%. I located this article from ctweblogs.com. Upon entering the site, I first noticed how it was laid out. I liked how it had the most recent posts listed right down the middle of the page. I also liked how the goal of the website was stated in the upper right-hand corner of the page. I think it is important to know why someone would create a page such as this one. Underneath the goals of the site was a list of categories in which you could find specific articles. To me, this is an important aspect of any website, regardless of the theme. Being able to find articles on specific topics in one click is very convenient. I would say that I was pretty satisfied with the way the site was presented, and the content that it displayed was fairly interesting.

"Jock the Vote"

Gone are the days in which athletes turned a blind eye to politics. In this year's presidential race, we are seeing more athletes endorse either Barack Obama or John McCain. Athletes are also becoming more educated on the issues that surround this year's election, realizing that regardless of their celebrity status, they too will be affected by the outcome of the election.

In a recent article in the September 8th issue of Sports Illustrated, L. Jon Wertheim tackled the issue of where athletes stand in the upcoming election. http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1144917/1/index.htm

Los Angeles Clippers point guard Baron Davis is an avid Obama supporter. Last year, Davis was the host of a fundraiser in which he was able to introduce Sen. Barack Obama to the audience. However, this event was not the first time that Davis had met Obama. Davis traveled to Washington in 2006 to meet with Obama and discuss the limited educational opportunities in the inner city. This is a welcome sight; to see an athlete who is concerned with an issue that does not directly affect him. It is refreshing to see an athlete like Davis who is worried about something other than an endorsement deal or a new contract.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling is a devoted McCain supporter. Schilling, who is never at a loss for words, publicly supports McCain through his renowned blog, 38pitches.com. Schilling has also been involved in a few ads for John McCain's campaign. Like Davis, Schilling also played the role of a host for one of John McCain's meetings before the 2008 New Hampshire presidential primary. Schilling introduced McCain, much like Davis did Obama, but Schilling actually remained on stage to answer political questions along with the Republican nominee. From this we can see that Schilling is not just some jock who doesn't know anything outside of sports. Clearly, he must be an educated man if he was able to share the stage and field the same questions as the man who could possibly the next president.

Today, we can see that athletes are becoming more inclined to enter the world of politics. Athletes may be beginning to realize that they can use their celebrity status to endorse a particular candidate. By doing so, they can show their fans a side of them that they normally would never see. The fans could then take it upon themselves to ponder why a particular athlete supports a certain politician. Thus, the fan may soon become educated in politics simply because they saw their favorite player endorsing a specific candidate. When it comes to politics, athletes can assume the role of a fan (for once), and root for their favorite candidate.

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Sizing up the Vice-Presidential Candidates

Since we have found out that Sen. Joe Biden (Dem.) and Gov. Sarah Palin (Rep.) have been selected as the Vice Presidential candidates, it is time we find out where they stand on certain issues.

On the issue of Energy and Oil, both candidates believe that it is important for the U.S. to produce more oil and gas in our own country instead of depending on outside sources. However, one key sub-topic that the candidates differ in opinion on is off-shore drilling. Palin believes that it is necessary to begin off-shore drilling on places such as the Outer Continental Shelf and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Biden, on the other hand, does not support any type of off-shore drilling. He is focused on finding renewable sources of energy to limit the dependency on foreign oil. Clearly, both candidates have differing ideas on how to make the U.S. more energy efficient.

Another key issue in this election is the War in Iraq. Sen. Biden, like the majority of Democrats, believes that it is time to begin pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq. The plan that Biden has drawn up would have U.S. troops out of Iraq by 2013 if there is no political resolution. Palin supports the U.S. troops in Iraq, but she would also like to see an exit plan be put into effect. In a sense, Biden and Palin agree on removing the troops in Iraq at some point, which is a rather interesting agreement.

A third and final issue where the candidates can be compared is the issue of immigration. This issue is important to many Americans because it affects the economy. Sen. Biden has different views on certain aspects of immigration. He is opposed to giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants and supports the idea of building a fence on the border. However, he is in favor of allowing illegal immigrants to take part in Social Security. Gov. Palin, on the other hand has not shown much of an opinion on the issue of immigration at all. This could be due to the fact that in Alaska, there are not many immigrants to begin with. Although Sen. Biden may have different opinions on certain aspects of immigration, at least he has an opinion to begin with.

McCain selects Alaska's Palin as VP

On August 29 Republican Presidential nominee John McCain made a bold selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. The selection of Palin will undoubtedly excite conservatives, as well as attract female voters to the McCain campaign. An interesting article written by Ed Rollins of CNN discusses a Republican's viewpoint of why this selection was justifiable. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/29/rollins.palin/index.html

Obviously, Democrats will have a different opinion on the selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate. Palin is in her first term as governor of Alaska, therefore her experience is rather limited. Democrats will likely highlight this as a major strike against Palin. McCain will be second guessed for choosing Palin over more experienced candidates such as Joe Lieberman or Mitt Romney. Paul Begala of CNN wrote a very opinionated article on McCain's selction from a Democrat's perspective. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/29/begala.palin/index.html

Recently, it has become known that Gov. Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is pregnant. It is now likely that many people will become caught up in this personal storyline instead of focusing on political storyline surrounding Palin. In this day and age we are more inclined to take interest in notable people's personal lives instead of their professional lives. MSNBC contributor Brian Alexander wrote an opinion piece in which he discussed why politics is more important than pregnancy in the situation surrounding Gov. Palin. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26501011/

In response to the news that GOP running mate Sarah Palin's daughter is pregnant, Sen. Barack Obama has stated that he will not address the situation in his campaign. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/01/obama.palin/index.html This decision shows a great deal of class by Obama. It shows that he knows where to draw the line when it comes to campaigning, eliminating the candidates personal lives from politics.