Some Hope May Be Lost (But Just A Little Bit...)

Well, the radio says Romney, TV says Obama, and it seems like every other news outlet is paying more attention to Moderator Robert “Bob” Schieffer, or Big Bird, than either candidate. Last night, both men decided to spend more time on rhetoric, and trying to make the audience at Lynn College laugh, than trying to convince the American people to vote for them. Correct me if I’m mistaken, but shouldn’t the American public know why each man is right for the job, and what he said last night? I thought so. If you are part of that minority who went into last night’s debate with a concrete idea of who you are voting for come Election Day, then last night was just another installment in what have become weekly comedies, for the viewing pleasure of the American public. However, if you went into last night with no idea of who you’re siding with on November 6th, then last night didn’t do too much for you. With as much talk about ships and bayonets as there was about Syria, Libya, and Israel combined, last night’s “foreign policy” label certainly was a misnomer. this debate was one where Romney could have easily taken the forefront in foreign policy, but fortunately/unfortunately (depends how you look at it), Romney did not do so. Again, just like last debate, it seemed like the President and the moderator were on the same page. Obama seemed to have the upper hand on Romney, in terms of being allowed to speak over his allotted time. This allowed Obama to capitalize, and make the most of this extra time. 

The Two Stars of the Debate:


Moderator Robert "Bob" Schieffer



Mitt Romney's Arch Nemesis: Big Bird

So what does this mean for the American people? Well...virtually nothing. This debate did not do what many people expected it to do. Truth be told, both men stayed along the same lines of rhetoric as they had in the previous two debates. Neither man separated himself from his opponent, and thoroughly confused the American people. While both men did make the audience laugh as a result of their verbal jabs and rhetorical punches, the connection with the audience stopped there. Both men spent more time talking to moderator Bob Schieffer about his life and career, as well as making mentions to ships, bayonets, and Big Bird. B-Readers, if this was the debate that you expected to tell you who to vote for, this wasn’t the one to watch. B-Readers, I promise to bring you more updates, and to continue to bring you the truth among lies. Until next time!!

A Guide To The Circus

Greetings B-Readers! I hope you’re all as excited as I am for tonight’s show. No, I’m not talking about the Yankees-Tigers game, I’m talking about a matchup between two other heavy-weights, the men with whom the future of our country will rest in just a few short weeks. My friends, in the coming hours, the second installment in the debate saga will take place at Hofstra University. Based in Uniondale/Hempstead, NY (the jury’s still out on that one). Tonight brings a debate between President Barack Obama, and his adversary, Republican Nominee for President and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. However, tonight there are three main things that can, and will have an impact on tonight’s debate. Here’s the “B-Men Hofstra Debate Watching Guide.” What to Watch for:

1. A More Forceful Obama

After the last debate, President Obama needs to hit the ground running in this debate. Last debate, the President seemed to be reserved, unable to gain his normal form until nearly the end of the debate. However, tonight needs to be different, the President needs to come out in top form. In order for tonight’s debate to go more smoothly than the last one did for our esteemed President, he needs to come out in full force. The President needs to make sure that the audience knows his positions, and that he is right. Simply put, Barack Obama cannot let Mitt Romney walk all over him again. 

 
Democratic Candidate and President Barack Obama  


  

 Republican Candidate Mitt Romney

2. Ability to Connect to the Audience

This audience is one that can truly swing the debate. A mixture of college students and potential voters, the ability to connect the audience can give one candidate an advantage over the other one. The applause and positive vibes that either candidate can get from this college audience can even go as far as to embolden one of the candidates. If Obama can get the audience on his side at the beginning of the nigh, it could help him regain the form that helped him win the nomination, as well as the presidency in 2008. However, if Romney can connect to the audience, he could show the American public that he is relatable candidate who, in fact, is the candidate not just for the older generation, but for the younger generation as well.

5. Making The Audience Laugh 

This goes back to the ability to connect to the audience, and is just something that helps all politicians when the speak in any public forum. Besides the use of comedy, both men will be looking to make the audience laugh at every opportunity. Again, this is a technique that can give both men the ability to make the audience to think that they are the perfect candidate. Especially in a situation with so many potential voters, both Obama and Romney want to get as comfortable as they can with the crowd. In addition, any chance that one of the candidates has to flash those pearly whites for a photo opportunity can, and will be taken advantage of. So remember B-Readers, keep your heads up, and take everything you hear tonight with a grain of salt. Until next time!

"Americ...uh"

There’s no doubt about it, those of you who have younger siblings, or babysit know exactly what I’m talking about. When you’re in a supermarket, or a department store, or even someone else’s house, and that one little kid throws a temper tantrum. Your first reaction is to glance in that general direction, out of the corner of your eye of course. The screaming, crying, and frustration draws the attention of everyone in a twenty foot radius. By the time the child’s parents realize what’s going on, it’s too late. Now take a step back, and imagine this child were older, maybe not such a child anymore, maybe like 40 or even 50 years old. Imagine a grown man or woman throwing a temper tantrum. Forget a temper tantrum, just think about a grown man or woman saying something so ridiculous, that it’s funny. In the world of politics it happens, trust me, and plenty of our public officers do it. These mess-ups and mishaps can be detrimental and potentially career ending for these men and women. For today, I’ve assembled a collection of some of the more recent and amusing political gaffes, mishaps, and just all around ridiculous comments. Enjoy B-Readers!


Former Alaskan Governor and Republican Vice Presidential Candidate (2008) Sarah Palin touts her foreign policy experience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXL86v8NoGk


It’s great to see that our President knows how many states there are in our country, are you sure about 59 states President Obama?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws



And finally, who doesn’t love to listen to the political expertise that is former President and Texas Governor, George W. Bush:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sP26ZmCHY4

So, be they male or female, black or white, Democrat or Republican, no politician is safe from the media scrutiny, and apparently the mishaps. So, B-Readers, watch what you say, and how you say it, because you never know who’s watching. Be on your way, and have a great day. Until next time!

"As American as Apple Pie?"

     Salutations B-Readers! Well, the time is upon us. And no, I’m not talking about the beginning of football season, or those random days off of school for all the religious holidays. I’m talking about that process by which, every four years, we elect (essentially) the ruler of the free world. Yes ladies and gentlemen, the contest to elect the person that this land’s citizens deem “as American as apple pie” is well upon us. If you had told me eight years ago that the race would pit former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney against (now President) then Senator from Illinois Barack Obama, I’d have been skeptical. But yes, on November 6th our country will be able to choose between these two men, as well as a number of other candidates, to serve in our country’s most sacred office. While candidates from the smaller parties could make an impact, we’re just going to focus on the big two, Romney and Obama. 

      

 
President Obama (R) and VP Biden (L)         

 

 Congressman Ryan (L) and Former Gov. Romney (R)

     So before we get into the issues of the election, a quick run-down. Current President Barack Obama, the 44th President of this beautiful nation, a member of the Democratic Party, and the first African-American man to achieve the American Presidency. His running mate, current Vice President Joe Biden, formerly a Delaware Senator, is known for his foreign policy experience, as well as his reputation for saying things he shouldn’t while on the campaign trail The Republican ticket features the duo of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and current Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan. The two are running on an Economically conservative ticket, and have touted their budget plan at every opportunity. So you’re probably wondering where and how this election can and will affect you?

      Whenever we hear anyone talk about the Presidential election, words like: economy, healthcare, reform, immigration, taxes, and all sorts of other politically charged words are thrown around. But what we don’t get are the meanings of these words, nor do we know why they’re relevant to us. Simply put, there are too many college students who are not being given enough information about this election. It’s okay though, I’ve got your back. While there are a number of issues that these candidates disagree on, there are two key issues that I want to focus on.

     This nation’s the healthcare debate, as well as the issue of taxes are all going to be battles that will be fought and won or lost in this country over the next four years. As a college student, if you get sick, you’re taught to go to your campus’ health services center, and the hospital in emergencies. now fast forward five, six, even seven years, and you have to go to the doctor to get medicine for a stomach virus. Now there are two very different paths that could be taken. Under the Republican position, you would pay for your medical expenses out of pocket, directly paying the doctor for your expenses, with no effect on your taxes. Under the Democratic plan's universal healthcare (ObamaCare), your health insurance would be built into your taxes, raising them, but covering you if the need ever did arise. Under ObamaCare, the Federal government would mandate that every person pay for their own healthcare starting from a young age. The decision is not simple; do we, as healthy college graduates spin the wheel and hope that we don’t get sick, or do we cover our bases from the start? 

     As if this issue isn’t enough, our generation is one that will certainly have to worry about our taxes. Our nation is currently operating at what we call a “deficit.” This means that our country is currently spending money that we do not have, like a really big credit card. In our case, the country who issued the credit card happens to be our neighbors across the pond, China. The Democrats want to raise taxes in order to raise more money for our government to spend on our ever-growing population. On the other hand, the Republican ticket is promising a cut in our Federal spending, which means fewer taxes for the American people as well as a cut in funding for programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. While it’s easy to say that we don’t want to raise taxes, can we also survive without these various services? So I hope I’ve been able to shed some light on these issues, and in turn that each of you will be able to enlighten someone else. 

     But what do I think? Well I’ll let you know: while I certainly think that the Republican ticket has its merits, I think that Barack and Joe are due for another four years at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Until next time, stay beautiful B-Readers!