April 10th, 2010
Recently, I was listening to a discussion on CSpan and Sarah Paylan and her chances at the presidency were the topics of discussion. A caller made a comment that she would never be president, but she was someone that most people could adore. I thought about how I feel about most politicians, and my first thought was, “I try not to adore anyone in politics.” The other side of the coin is that I try not to demonize anyone in politics.
As we watch our congressmen and the president or the contenders for these positions, we hear them make speeches and read about the votes they make for and against legislation. We watch how they handle interviews with journalists. At times when the media is in the mood for scandal, we get to hear about extramarital affairs. This wealth of information at times causes us to despise or love politicians.
The media has become the conduit through which most of us receive our information about elected officials, yet we should remember that this information is delivered in such a way that plays on our emotions. The purpose is to persuade us to love one elected official and hate another. Even in speeches, some politicians have an appeal that is designed to play on the emotion of the listener. The problem is when we let our emotions get in the way of good judgment. When we demonize a president or congressman, we tend to overlook the contributions they make to our nation. Conversely, when we become attached to them, we may tend to overlook some decisions they make that are a detriment to our nation.
It sometimes annoys me when I hear someone say that they just hate some one in office, without giving any specific reasons. An example of this is Bill and Hillary Clinton. It seems that many people dislike them, but no one can point to something specific that causes them to feel this way. When someone asks about my opinion on an elected official, I might respond with, “well, I like what he’s doing with regard to.…” I usually talk about the things they are doing that pertain to their office. To me, saying that I love or hate a president or any other elected official is too simplistic. I want the conversation to focus more on the job they are doing as elected officials. If they are doing a good job, I will vote for them. If not, I will vote for someone else.
Objectivity is one of the strengths of Politivote. We exist merely to impart information on candidates or pieces of legislation. We do not favor either end of the political spectrum. We want people to have information so that they can make informed decisions on the legislation being considered and the officials they elect.
Tags: Bill And Hillary, Congressman, Congressmen, Contenders, Cspan, Detriment, Elected Official, Emotion, Emotions, Extramarital Affairs, First Thought, Hillary Clinton, Journalists, Judgment, Listener, Perceptions, Politicians, Presidency, Scandal, Speeches
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March 12th, 2010
Announcing the upcoming release of A Guide to our Government
Before we can effectively be heard and participate in our government, we need adequate information not only on the current issues, but on how our government works. Therefore, a guide to our government will soon be available on politivote.com. With this guide, you will be able to understand the elements of our government and how they work together.
Our government consists of three branches. They are: the Legislative, the Executive, and the Judicial. In this guide to our government, you will learn the role of each branch, how each branch of government works, and the system of checks and balances that keep one branch from having power over the other two. In addition, we will provide references for further reading if you want a more in-depth understanding of our government.
This guide to our government is quick and user friendly information that will benefit you as you strive to become more politically active. I now encourage you to register with Politivote and become informed as you use this site to participate in our democracy.
Tags: Branch Of Government, Checks And Balances, Checks Balances, Current Issues, democracy, Elements, Further Reading, Government Branches, Government Guide, Register, System Of Checks And Balances
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February 27th, 2010
My friend Nick and I were discussing a class he was taking on organizations. One thing he learned is that an organization is more than any one person. It is a set of activities and patterns. The organization must be bigger than even the person who founded it in order for the organization to endure. If the success or failure is solely contingent on one person, then when that person becomes unable to run the organization, it will die. As I thought about our discussion, it occurred to me that the principles that determine an organization’s success must also determine the success of our nation. When we encounter a national crisis or difficult constitutional question, we tend to look to our founding fathers for the answer. We cite their writings and speeches as support for our chosen solution to the situation. Their advice is valuable and should be considered, but we must realize that the principles that govern our nation are bigger than even the founding fathers. Through out our history, the leaders that followed Washington and Jefferson have used the original founders as guides in their decisions; but, at the same time, they realized that they could improve upon what the founders had accomplished. Over the past 200 years, slavery has been abolished, and equal rights have been assured for all citizens. We now need to continue the legacy begun over 200 years ago and make this nation better than it has ever been.
The philosophy of Politivote plays a part in accomplishing this. With each vote we cast, we have the power to influence our representatives and make a positive impact on our nation. As more and more people register with and use the site, the contribution of Politivote to the betterment of our nation will increase.
Tags: Betterment, Citizens, Constitutional Question, Decisions, Failure, Founders, Founding Fathers, Friend Nick, Legacy, National Crisis, Organization, Philosophy, Plays, Slavery, Speeches, Success, Survival, Vote, Washington And Jefferson
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February 20th, 2010
The head of our executive branch is arguably the single most scrutinized individual in our nation. From conversations at the dinner table to speeches in Congress, millions of Americans examine and debate his actions and policies. Throughout our history, it has always been this way, but now more than ever, we have more access to information on both the public and private life of the President through television, radio, and the internet. The president always has his supporters and detractors. The former will do their best to defend the president’s policies, and the latter will attack the head of the executive branch. During this exchange, the opposing groups continue to hurl charges and countercharges at each other.
Amidst this constant chaos, it is important to gain a perspective of our presidents throughout history. In studying our president’s predecessors, I always try to figure out how our current president will be rated in comparison to those who previously occupied his position. Will he be considered one of the great presidents, or one of the worst? Many Americans already have formed their own judgment on this question. However, it is important to remember that some of the great presidents were not well liked while they were in office. In studying the history of our presidents, I cannot find one who was immune from criticism. Even the presidents we most revere such as Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt endured their share. In gaining a perspective on our president, we should remember that the consequences of his actions may not be fully understood and appreciated years after the president leaves office. As for rating the presidents, historians use two criteria: the difficulty of the circumstances of the nation, and the president’s response to those circumstances. It takes a considerable amount of time for us to realize the full impact of the president and the context in which he worked. It is difficult to rate our most recent presidents because new revelations about the president’s decisions and the context in which those decisions were made always will surface, and our opinion will change over time.
While it is difficult to have a clear perspective on our current president, we should actively participate in our government. Most of us will not communicate directly with the president, but our congress can be the conduit through which the will of the people is expressed. The bills presented to Congress will need to come before the president for veto or passage. We can facilitate the passage or abolishment of legislation. Through Politivote, we can make our feelings known concerning legislation, and this will dictate what bills make it to the president to sign into law. I would encourage the reader to register with Politivote and use this site to be a part of this process.
Tags: Amount Of Time, Chaos, Circumstances, Congress, Consequences, Conversations, Detractors, Dinner Table, Executive Branch, Franklin Roosevelt, Historians, Judgment, Lincoln, Perspective, Predecessors, Presidents History, Private Life, Revere, Speeches, Television Radio
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January 28th, 2010
The President’s proposed spending freeze
In his state of the Union speech last night, President Obama proposed a spending freeze as a solution to the rising national debt. He said that this would affect discretionary government programs, but that Medicaid, Medicare and spending related to national security would not be affected. He said that this freeze would go into effect in 2011 when the economy would be stronger.
In reading this segment of the President’s State of the Union speech, I generally agree with the proposal. I wrote an article on December 10, 2009 criticizing H. J. Res.45 which authorized the increase of the national debt. It is refreshing to hear the President in his State of the Union speech advocate a curtailment of government spending and say that we need to examine our money management and eliminate the spending which is not appropriate. You’d think he read my article! I know he didn’t; so I won’t flatter myself. This idea goes back much further than my December 10 article.
Although I generally agree with the sentiment, I wonder about its implementation. Good financial management is the sort of thing that households across the nation are practicing, but here, we are talking about a household that is around three hundred million strong. Everyone is clamoring for their share of the pie. Another concern I have is the health care being considered in Congress. This bill carries with it a large price tag, and if it passes, I am concerned that the national debt may increase despite the spending freeze. I hope that the President can implement the spending freeze equitably and that the freeze will recognize our most important priorities. At the same time, I hope that it will at least stop the growth of the national debt. These are some of the challenges the President will face.
If this spending freeze is implemented, bills on our expenditures will come before the Congress. This is where Politivote fits into the situation. We will obtain the data on these bills and anyone can register for free and vote for or against these bills. We will then send the aggregate of these votes to legislators. Now is the time to be involved to make sure that the government recognizes your priorities.
Tags: Advocate, Congress, Curtailment, Expenditures, Financial Management, Government Programs, Government Spending, Household, Households, Hundred Million, Medicaid, Medicare, Money Management, National Debt, National Security, Price Tag, Priorities, Segment, Sentiment, spending freeze, state of the union, Union Speech
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