How Negative Campaigning Can Go Wrong

After reading an article that I will post at the bottom of this blog entry, I began to wonder if negative campaigning is losing effectiveness or has it become a fundamental component of the GOP.  This article suggested that the GOP has become fixated with the art of smear campaigns.  So much so that they have failed to tell us what they are for, only what they are against.  Is this just a part of the political fear tactic?  In order for a vote to be achieved, the constituency must "need" you.  I order for them to need you, fear must be cast onto the general public.  That fear is theoretically sparked by these smear campaigns the GOP has become so accustomed to running. Studies have been done that say negative ads while more memorable, do not tend to change voting outcomes.  Then why run them?

To me, this just doesn't seem very democratic.  What happened to representing the people?  But, you can represent them without their vote.  I pray there is a day when we can return to voting for people for who they are and what they've done, instead of who they're not.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-watts/gop-negative-campaigning_b_4979956.html

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-negative-political-ads-work/

Social Media: The Impact on Social Issues

We as Americans have always been a society that valued the art of Protest.  It's ingrained in our society and this goes back to the colonists.  This is how many of our most significant social transgressions have been changed (i.e. Civil Rights, Suffrage, Marriage Rights, etc.).  Where social media may have started as an efficient method of keeping people connected no matter the distance, a new mechanism of the sites are being employed.  Social Media has become a magnifying glass for social movements.  It gives the movements a more efficient method for gaining attention for their cause.  This range varies from bad coaching decisions in the realm of sport or to social injustices like the "Black Lives Matter" campaign.  The biggest concept derived from social media is the mobility of information, no matter the origin.  There is no discrimination on what side of the argument is heard.  There is no discretion to the benefit of the mobilization of information.  Does this hurt the public as a whole?  How do we know what subjects need our attention?  Does the magnification benefit society as a whole, or could this be a negative forum for citizens to voice their displeasure.  Recently, we have seen the President of the Missouri University system retire this week although no crime or discrimination was committed directly.  We see social media react to a football game, and coaches wont have a job the following Monday.  Do we understand the power of public opinion?

Staying "Current"

When brainstorming of what I wanted to write about, I started thinking what actually was the center of "Mass Media" and its role in modern American Politics.  As I thought for a few days, the answer of my self posed question seemed to change.  Every news source or broadcast that I would view, so would my level of "importance" I would place on an issue or story.  I came to believe that the center of American politics and the media that is so closely associated with it, is spurred by current events.  With the speed and efficiency of Social Media increasing by the hour, our definition of current events is evolving as well.  We, Americans, are apart of a generation that truly lives in the moment.  I now believe that it is essential that we assess the mood, significance, and the facts of current events, because of the power the American people have on affecting public opinion.   That opinion is closely related to the mood and how we analyze current events.  I came across this article on the New York Times, and found it helpful and enlightening on the topic itself.  Thank you for your time!

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/50-ways-to-teach-current-events/

Affirmative Action

To start this post, I would like to pose a question.  Is it possible that Affirmative Action will one day run its course and will no longer be necessary?  Ideally, our country will one day reach a point where legislation can in fact be "color blind", but that simply cannot happen until our society ceases to associate certain thoughts or social preferences based on color.  That being said, because our world is not perfect and because of our past racial discrimination made by our government and society, there is no doubt that Affirmative Action was and is necessary. Affirmative action is  legislative policy that aims  to improve opportunities for historically excluded groups in American society, being minorities and women.  It has done wonders for minorities and women in the realm of opportunity for professional, educational, and social opportunities, but has it done enough?  Well we must decide how to determine when is enough.
  
Where Affirmative Action has been very beneficial in most aspects, there are some complaints about the constitutionality of the policy itself .  Some argue that causes a form of reverse discrimination by favoring one group over another, based on racial preference rather than academic achievement. This point of view outlines my projected point of when Affirmative Action outlives its purpose, but I do not quite think we have gotten there yet.  Of course there have been some publicized incidents of where this type of complaint occurred, but that is a part of a very small number. Affirmative action policies do not necessarily help economically disadvantaged students. This is my only personal problem with Affirmative action. 

The point of this policy is to increase opportunity, yet the lower-class is still lacking in the category. In my own opinion, the topic should be re-visited to really see who are the most disadvantaged at this point in our society.  Affirmative Action is still needed and beneficial in our society, but inevitably it will outlive its purpose or it will need to be tweaked in order to help give all Americans the opportunity to succeed. This too should be a color blind discretionary policy, that simply helps those in need.  I think it is possible, but we as Americans, have a long way to go.

Mental Health Evaluations in exchange for Firearm Liecensing

This whole Oregon community college shooting has me questioning my own stance on this topic. Public shootings have become all too frequent for Americans over the past few years.  This has spurred a lengthy, complex debate over the 2nd amendment rights of American citizens.  Pro-Gun right activists have grown over the past few years as well.  After reading an article on NBC news, I learned that the violent crime rate in this country has actually dipped to just under half the rate was in the early 1990's. That alone shocked me.  The question that has been bouncing around my head is why does it seem so much more prevalent than it did then?  This may be in part to the fact that I was still a child and the news did not interest me, or could it be in part that these kind of occurrences are just so much more publicized now that various forms of news media have become more readily available to the American people?  Although I believe in the benefits of the 2nd amendment and support it, I believe there has to be some sort of structure given to the process.  I believe that there should be a background and mental screening prior to obtaining a license to own a firearm.  I also believe that a gun owner's educational course should be administered prior to obtaining a license.  We have to attempt to educate gun owners about safety, use, and even how to secure your firearms from your children.  If we look closely at the public shooters of late, we can see a common trend of confused, delusional, and irresponsible young men.  Many of who would have been denied access if a parent did not allow the possession of the firearm or if a simple mental health screen would have certainly denied their ownership.
There is no doubt that my suggestions on this topic will certainly receive many rebuttals, and understandably so. Any time our government seems to be taking away our rights, we as people tend to get really pro-constitution.  We fear that more is to come, and resist.  This being said, we have seen throughout history that we have a choice we make in regards to our safety in this country. Is the sacrifice of a small amount of liberty worth a safer environment for us to live in?  To me, it is.  I'm open to all forms of aiding this problem and understand fully that this may not be the correct method, but I do believe we have to start somewhere.  This does not infringe upon rights, this would just aim to add responsibility, aim to make sure that guns are in the hands of mentally healthy owners legally, and potentially could lessen the possibility like the tragedy in Oregon.  May God Bless those people, their families, and the family of the shooters.  May all of you receive some type of peace.

My Next President

Over the past few weeks, I've really struggled with what to write about.  I finally came to the realization of the simple fact that this is MY blog, so I've decided to simply express my thoughts.  After watching the recent debates, I began asking myself what I desired in my picture perfect President of the United States.  Here are just a few of the most important qualities I desire for my next President to possess.
Besides the obvious traits such as cognitive ability, I believe that our President must be open to the opinions of the opposing party, experts in the field of the topic at hand,  and the American people.  In order for him/her to be the most effective and fair, they should be able to listen to others with opposing views in order to best understand them.  Instead of allowing issues to become polarizing, I want a President who can help find some common ground.
Another trait I desire is courage.  The courage to do the right thing when it's not always the easiest.  The courage to be open to the voice of the people, over the voice of their party. The courage to question their own traditional values, in order to best understand an issue.  The best presidents have traditionally been considered controversial.  Lincoln had courage in regards to abolishing slavery, despite the backlash that turned into the Civil War.  FDR had the courage to implement controversial social programs, despite the lack of Federal funding.  Most importantly, Washington had the courage to say "No".

I'm a fool for charisma.  I want someone who is passionate about their work, this country, and our country's future.  I want someone who loves this country so much that when they speak, it is evident.  When they act, it is evident.  I want someone who can make others believe the American dream is alive and well, and much more importantly, obtainable.

Lastly, I desire the Decision making trait.  I do not want a President who is "wishy washy".  Once a decision is made, stand behind it.  A President should be assertive, and confident.  A President with cognitive ability, one who is open to the full scope of a topic that go beyond their traditional values, and to the voices of others, will be a position to make a sound, quick decision regardless of the magnitude surrounding the situation.  As we know, decisions made in a less timely manner can lead to chaos.  We've seen past Presidents fail in this realm, such as Bush with Hurricane Katrina. One can make the right decision, and simply not have made it at the right time.  It is imperative my President be able to

I  tend to identify on social topics more liberally, but tend to slide conservatively in regards to fiscal policy.  I'm open to a member of either party, as long as they possess my desired traits.  Is that candidate available?  That is the topic of my next post.  I will become much more active as now I have a trending direction that I would like to run with.

Thank you all for reading.

Greetings

Hi Guys!
This is my first blog, and hopefully the start to a new mechanism for expressing my views of our government, society, and the citizens within.  This is kind of exciting for me, as I've always enjoyed to write, but for some reason only do so when required to.  Here's to blogging and new horizons.  Follow me on twitter @Maynard_IN_2028