McCain and the Environment

It has been difficult to see in the past few years, but Sen. John McCain used to have a reputation for center- and left-leaning views on many social issues. But with the defeats he suffered in previous Republican nominations for president, he has molded himself into someone any red blooded, family values, Christian, anti-abortion, anti-gay, pro-gun, military loving Republican would be proud to call his or her President.

It might just be my liberal bias, actually, no. It is my liberal bias that tells me that Republicans have made it a policy to ignore tree-hugging liberal environmentalists, and Doom's Day predictions on global climate change, regardless of the overwhelming and conclusive proof from the scientific community.

Yet John McCain, one of the only prominent lawmakers in Washington that still supports the President's plans, or lack-there-of, for involvement in Iraq, the man who reversed his opinion on abortion (can you say flip-flopper?) Nevertheless, Senator McCain has decided to champion global warming in his run-up to announcing his Presidential campaign.
According to Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post, McCain framed his concern for climate change in a very Republican way - calling it a matter on national security. McCain said during a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies that America's dependence on foreign oil is a concern to the safety of the nation. "The problem isn't a Hollywood invention, nor is doing something about it a vanity of Cassandra-like hysterics," said the Arizona Republican.

McCain did offer speeches in the past two days about Iraq and the economy of course, but his intentions to put climate change towards the top of his priorities during his presidential campaign is commendable.
Now if only more politicians would look at the greatest threat facing the world with as much attention, we might actually get serious about saving the world.

Is this what I want to do?

After a national tragedy it is natural for people to soul-search. To reflect on their own lives and the decisions they have made. I am no different.

After the unspeakable evil that descended on Virgina Tech Monday, a tragedy so vile that words such as massacre and horrific seem cliche and ill-equipped to articulate the events, I have been going through so many emotions.

Fear for my friends at Tech, grief for the victims and families affected, sympathy for the family of the killer and outrage. I have been angered by the images I have seen, thinking: "how could this happen?" I have been angered by the ignorant people the media has projected on to televisions across the country, so quick to blame and push for their political agendas, even before we know the facts. And I have felt anger towards the media. An institution that I have been striving to be apart of for the past four years.

The past few days has made me focus on my feelings towards the media, which I realize is first and foremost a business. It is understandable that the reporters covering the story are giving the country what they want. Our country is so hungry for information about this tragedy, and rightfully so.

But I wonder...

How far will reporters and broadcasters go to get the story? So far, to my knowledge, the media has been respectful of the victims families, both of the deceased and those still in Blacksburg-area hospitals, but what about the family of the very disturbed Cho Seung-hui?

I know little about the family, except they live in Centreville, VA, 15 minutes from where I sit to write this, operate a dry cleaning business and have a daughter enrolled at Princeton. That is more than I need to know at the time, but the media, always competing for the story will be trying their damnedest to get every bit of information on the family.

The media was staked out in front of the families town home minutes after the name of the killer was released. I know that the public wants to know about the killer, his background and childhood, and the media will be there to find out - but where is the respect for this shattered family?

I thought if I were asked to cover the family, post out in my car-turned-RV to wait for the parents of the killer, would I be able to do this? Would I be able to circle the distraught family so soon after the tragedy, like a vulture? Just doing my job, I guess...

I still don't know what I would do, but right now I can't really make sense of much.

Prayers For Tech

On a day like today there really isn't a lot to say. I, along with the rest of the country I'm sure, are sending our thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families along with all the students and faculty at Virginia Tech.

The only thing that really surprised me, after learning more about how the media works, was how callous, certain parties reporting on the incident acted in the wake of this tragic, tragic event.

Flipping through the ongoing coverage of the events as the occurred today, I stopped on Fox News, which I shall forever refer to as Fox Opinion Channel, and heard a guest on the program railing against administration and the state of Virginia for "dropping the ball."

On Brit Hume's coverage of the incident Judge Andrew Napolitano railed against Tech administration for not locking down the campus and attacked the entire Commonwealth of Virginia for not allowing people on college campuses to carry concealed firearms. This, without any concrete evidence of who the shooter was, the motives, or any actual reports on how the events occurred.

While Napolitano was a guest and is allowed to voice his own opinion, there was no rebuttal to this outlandish and ill-understood claim. The fact that mere hours had passed and already the media vultures on Fox Opinion Channel along with the other cable news channels is a sobering reminder that people will use even tragedy to push their agendas.

I hope in the coming days and weeks our country as a unified whole will focus on the real issue here. Supporting those who have been affected by the most vile and disgraceful of all human action.

Obama: Fundraising Machine

Anyone who stays current on the 2008 Presidential Race or actually reads this blog, knows that Illinois Senator, and my completely biased favorite for the Democratic nomination in 2008, Barack Obama sent shock waves inside the beltway when he announced that he had raised $25 million in the first quarter of this year. Ensuring that he will be sticking around for the long haul, in the marathon to the White House.

What is the most surprising is that he has managed to do this without accepting any donations from lobbyists, in an attempt to claim the moral high ground on the issue of campaign finance reform.

In a recent Washington Post article, the other half of his fundraising arsenal are now being exposed. Obama did receive over 100,000 separate donations, with roughly half coming from online donors in denominations of less than $100. Hillary Clinton, the current leader for the Democratic nomination received less than that in total donors, while raising her $26 million for the months of January through March.

Not only is Obama running laps around Clinton in the number of sheer donations, indicating very strong support at the grassroots level, but he has also taken away some of the former First Lady's most notable donors. Most remember the brouhaha that started after music mogul David Geffen publicly slammed Clinton while defecting to Obama's camp, but he has also come under the good graces and deep pockets of Hollywood producer Jeffrey Katzenberg and mega-famous director Steven Spielberg.

Now this may not mean all that much in the long run as to who will eventually be sitting in that big leather chair in the Oval Office. But doesn't it make Obama look that much cooler?

Obama Don't Run for Second!

During the friendly and amicable taping of the Late Show with David Letterman, BarackObama and his host joked about topic ranging from the freshman Senator kicking his smoking habit to getting a dog for his daughter if he were to win the election, but the most revealing conversation came towards the end of the interview.

When asked if the Senator's bid for the Democratic nomination in 2008 was really just a way to secure his spot on the ticket as the Vice Presidential candidate, Obama said, "No, you don't run for second. I don't believe in that."

When Letterman asked about a possible ticket with fellow Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Obama replied, "which order are we talking about?"

I realize that two posts for one small interview is odd, but I thought that this was a good example of how well Obama can appear strong and sure of his stance as the opponent of the other candidates, but also side-step accusations while keeping the atmosphere light and humorous.

Obama on Letterman

Yes, I am an Obama supporter, and yes I do realize that it is a very trendy and popular position to take at this time. I don't care. If you caught him on Late Night with David Letterman last night, you may a few of the reasons why.

For twenty-somethings who vaguely remember Bill Clinton and have become politically knowledgeable only since President Dubyah has been in office, Obama is so exciting for the simple fact that he is NOT Bush. His demeanor and easy on camera shines through quite easily, but it is when he speaks of policy that he really becomes electrifying.

For the first time in my life, I see a politician that can hold my attention on the issues that are important in this country and also make me believe that it can be better. I, like many people in my age group who have not been around to see presidents rotate in and out of the Oval Office, who may still be too idealistic, am inspired by Obama. Case in point, last night when he described America as "the last best hope on Earth."

I actually believe that HE believes it, and I hope I can stay idealistic like this for a long time to come.

Play Ball

Every year I am reminded how lucky I am. You see, I am a UNC Tarheels basketball and Boston Red Sox fan, so virtually every year at least one of my teams is in the running for their respective championships. I can never ask more from sports than 2004, where my Sox won the World Series followed in April 2005 by UNC cutting down the nets and taking home the NCAA national championship.

I remembered how lucky I was roughly one week after UNC's monumental collapse in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament to Georgetown in the Elite Eight. I remembered because after coming home from work and finally being able to turn on ESPN, always fearful that I would be reminded about THAT game, I saw it. The most holy of holy events for a sports fan unlucky enough to live outside his beloved team's network coverage - a Red Sox opening day game broadcast nationally.

And while the Sox lost to the Kansas City Royals in an extremely poor showing, it sure did not hurt as bad as UNC's 10-point-choke. Hey, there are still 161 more chances to grab a "W."

For Sale: President of the United States

Want to be President young man or lady? Well I hope you have oh...$300 million you could stand to part with. According to the Washington Post Barack Obama has just claimed that in the first quarter of this year he raised $25 million, putting him in a virtual dead heat with front-runner Hillary Clinton who claimed $26 million. Poor John Edwards with his pitiful $14 million. I mean, is he even trying?

Clinton's campaign really turned the screws toward the end of the quarter, sending out their walking-ATM and hubby, Bill Clinton to solicit donations. The figures are in actuality, a win for Obama's camp, because Clinton intended to scare off her competition and project an air of inevitability with the egregious sum of campaign contributions she raked in. But new internet strategies and the wide base of donors for Obama may make Clinton Corp. adjust their game plan.



I personally think that this is ridiculous. Look at the graph to the left. If the presidency has devolved to the point that only the richest or best favor-askers can get elected, what does that say about our democracy?

Where will it end?

Turning Online Activists to Offline Voters

As I have discussed before and many people already know, the 2004 campaign of Howard Dean was very promising at the outset. The problem was that Dean, who garnered a huge amount of support from the online community before the Iowa primaries, could not convert online support into real life action. Dean sent online volunteers to Iowa to help him campaign, instead of using online supporters from Iowa to help. This cost him dearly, with a very embarrassing defeat and subsequent rally.

Learning from Dean's mistakes, Barack Obama is trying a different tactic to convert internet supporters. On April 1, Obama's campaign organized a nationwide "community kickoff" event to encourage the estimated 6,000 groups established on his website to come together and turn online excitement into real votes. According to his campaign, over 5,000 groups across the country participated in the event, with individual supporters inviting friends and sometimes strangers into their home to view the live webcast.

No one really knows how this new tactic is going to play out for him, but I just hope that he continues more of this. While its great to announce your intentions online and have facebook groups, the real key is exciting people enough about your campaign to volunteer. The online world is a far different animal than the real world, but if he can do it - convert the onliners - this will be a turning point for political campaigns that will be here to stay.

Much like the campaign of Franklin Roosevelt, who was the first to use technology in a meaningful way to address the voters, political strategists will be keeping a close eye on how this turns out for current number two in the race for the Democratic nomination.

The Youtube Vote

Dear 2008 Presidential election Candidates,

I am sorry to be the one to tell you, but your time is over. Pack it up, write your thank you notes, kiss your spouse and start your lonely drive back to the old farm. Because if your name is not Barack Obama, then you have no chance of winning the presidency in 2008.

Sincerely, Your internet watchdog.

According to USAToday.com Obama leads the "youtube" vote by an astounding number. The Obama campaign's Youtube channel has had over 620,000 views compared to runner-up Hillary Clinton's paltry 51,000 views. In this online popularity contest, Obama is the Brad Pitt of the online political world. With Clinton playing, lets say...Alec Baldwin.

Now seriously. I understand that "Youtubers" and "Myspacers" will have an impact on the election, but the fate of Youtube still has not been decided. Everyone thought that Howard Dean's web-campaign would push him into the Democratic nomination in the last election, but we all know how that ended up for him. "BYAAAHHH"

While the Youtube Presidential Candidates Channel is a great place for politicians to attract voters and also a place where voters can learn, but we still do not know the fate of the website. How will a small and devoted internet following turn in to real votes? I guess we will see.

Hillary's 1984 Video

We are living in a very precarious political landscape at the time. I am not specifically talking about the fact that someone took the famous 1984 Apple Computers Ad that debuted during Super Bowl XXVIII and superimposed Hillary Clinton into the video. While the video was done very well and seems, to this point, not to be an attack by a presidential rival or political group, the surrounding controversy does bring up one question in my mind. Click here to watch the ad.

What happens when the media becomes the news?

This controversy took shape after one person decided to get creative with some video editing software and posted his work for millions to see via Youtube. What happened next is what concerns me. Most major news companies including NBC, FOX, and CNN aired the video and reported on it.

This scares me. The fact that, within a blink of an eye, Tucker Carlson or Sean Hannity may report on something that was put-forth from the far reaches of the internet with out fact-checking is something that I can see happening very easily. It is a slippery slope between reporting an issue that started on the internet, and giving wide and, some would say, more credible exposure to this.

News media are scared of the internet and trying to keep pace, instead of realizing that people turn on their evening news programs because they trust what is being said, not because the information is instantaneous. TV, radio, and print news will never be able to compete with cellphones and laptop in the breaking news department.

Sad to see it end.

Well, it is now the end of my vacation. My parents, girlfriend and I are about to leave for the airport, and I have this overwhelming feeling of depression creeping into my body. But thus is life...I guess. I know that I have not been keeping up with my posts, and they have strayed a bit, well completely would be more accurate, from my original topic, but none the less, here are some more pictures from my trip. Maybe looking at these while I am stuck at work or school will help me get through the day.


Lombard Street, the "crookedest" street in America.

Just a cloud.






The view from the "Sky Deck" at Squaw Valley.









A view of the Redwoods at Muir Woods national park.

Still...On Vacation

I do realize that it is not very fashionable to go on Spring Break with your parents. But hey, when they offer you and your girlfriend a free room in Lake Tahoe and San Francisco, who would refuse? I didn't, and I am not regretting it. The trip so far has been amazing, and although we left the ski slopes, meaning that my ski season is most likely finished until next year, we are all having a blast in San Francisco.

This is my mom, on the way out of Tahoe we spotted a bear on the side of the road. Honestly, I did not believe it myself. It is not easy to see, but she is standing about 25 feet away from a very groggy grizzly bear that has just woken up and is munching on some bird feed.


Oh, and I still have not watched the news or read a newspaper all week. I am on vacation after all.

On Vacation

It is hard keeping up with the news while on vacation. I know that it sounds pretty pathetic to be whining when I am in BEAUTIFUL Lake Tahoe, CA. It really is difficult to keep up with things when I am running around taking in the sights and skiing. If only I could do this for a living, I wouldn't have to worry about a blog or a website or homework at all, for that matter. Well, anyways, I have included a few pictures from my first few days here in Tahoe.

300

I know that I have focused the majority of my posts on the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton presidential campaigns, but I just saw 300...and wow. Yes, the plot was rather thin and and gratuitous violence and sex could be a drawback for some people, its not a movie I would suggest taking a child to see. But the visual effects and cinematography along with well coreographed fight sequences were amazing.

As a poor college student, sigh...I do not get to splurge on $10 movie tickets often, but I definitely got my moneys worth on this outing. If you are in for a good old fashioned action movie that is easy to follow with great special effects and dialogue that will amp you up for a fight go see 300, you won't be disappointed.

What is REALLY in a name?

UHH OHH! Watch out folks, I have just discovered that Barack Obama, my current favorite for president in '08 has a dirty little secret. His middle name is Hussein. The Illinois Senator sure did draw a short straw when it comes to names, sharing names with a former dictator and having a last name that sounds very similar to the leader of Al-Qaeda.

Anyways, on to the real story. I have found a site that is maintained by the Center for Media and Democracy, that gives accurate information on presidential candidates. I am including the link because I feel that to make an informed and responsible vote, it is important to have an accurate and unbiased view of each candidate. I have read articles by the Center for Media and Democracy, and trust the majority of the information to be true. There is also information on past campaign contributions given to the candidates.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:Find_Senators_and_Representatives

Candidates may spend $1 billion

According to a Washington Post editorial, "The two major--party nominees alone may raise and spend $1 billion combined." is it just me or does this seem a bit excessive and ridiculous?

I realize that each campaign cycle, campaigns spend more and more money. But when is this going to end? I am taking a class called Foundations of Mass Communication with Tim Gibson, where we read an article entitled The People's Choice that was written in 1948 by Paul Lazarsfeld that studied the voting patterns of people. In it, the scholars determined that people generally do not change their political opinion based on media and advertising, instead relying on peers whom they trust.

I understand that the study was not full proof, and flaws have been pointed out, but the premise remains the same today as it did previously. Those who are already paying attention to the campaigns have already made up their mind. The eggregious spending that is occuring is keeping current senators from doing their job, because they have to spend the majority of their time fund-raising.

This system of campaigning we have in America is flawed, and needs to be fixed. And we haven't even gotten into the smear campaigns that are sure to come.

Clinton and Obama Campaign in SC

On Monday, Senator Hillary Clinton campaigned across South Carolina, just days after Senator and Presidential hopeful Barack Obama was there. The visits underscore how important the votes of African Americans and South Carolina will be during the Democratic Primaries.

While many see Obama as a favorite to win the "black vote," because of his ethnicity, he is actually behind Clinton in many polls, including a Washington Post-ABC poll from early February, according to a Time magazine article. The article goes on to say that Obama trails Clinton by 40 points in the poll.

VA Gov. backs Obama

According to the Washington Post, Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine will officially endorse Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president. While his staff has remained tight-lipped thus far, sources have said that Kaine plans to make his endorsement official Saturday during the annual Virginia Democratic Party fundraiser.

This may not seem like a big deal at this time, with the election still two-years-away, but this is a good sign for Obama. As most know, Virginia was one of a few states that swayed the mid-term elections towards the Democrats, and has seen the Democratic Party strengthen, in this historically Republican state, in the past few years.

Click here to view a Washington Post slide show of Obama's career

Obama's Response

After the comments of Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who criticized Barack Obama's plans for troop withdrawl, Obama responded while in Iowa.

Obama said that he was flattered by the criticism of one of President Bush's close allies, because Howard had singled him out. He then challenged Howard, noting the fact that the U.S. has roughly 140,000 troops stationed in Iraq to Australia's 1,400. "So if he is ginned up to fight the good fight in Iraq, I would suggest that he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them to Iraq," Obama said.

This little incident can do wonders for Obama's campaign, because it shows that the presidential hopeful is not going to back down from a fight, and in his first bit of criticism since entering the race, he showed that he can take the scrutiny that will be under him until the elections.

Read the washingtonpost.com article about the incident.

Australian Criticism

Australian Prime Minister John Howard criticized Barack Obama Sunday, just 24 hours after he announced he was entering the presidential race, about his stance on the Iraq War. Howard said that Iraq's al-Qaeda leaders should "be praying as many times as possible for a victory, not only for Obama but also for the Democrats" in the 2008 election.

What is interesting is that Howard's son worked for President Bush's reelection campaign in 2004. This strikes me as a conflict of interest, and not an honest critique of a politician's stance on an issue. To me this just smacks of the same partisan rhetoric that plagues politics across the country. Instead of actual public discrourse Mr. Howard's comments reinforce many opinions that politicians simply care about their own party and not about the issues.

Obama's In

So like anyone who has been keeping track of the story already knew, Barack Obama jumped into the presidential race Saturday. He made his speech in the same place that Lincoln made his "A House Divided" speech in Springfield, Illinois. I for one, am extremly excited about this because, after reading his book "The Audacity of Hope," have become a huge fan. The ideas and way of talking that he uses is something that I have never seen in the short time I have followed politics.

His speech

My Very First Blog

So I am really not sure what it is that I am supposed to do here, guess thats the way the majority of my college career has gone so far though. I have been assigned by my online journalism professor to begin a blog, well now what?

I guess I can begin by describing who I am. My name is Eric Moreno, I attend George Mason University in Fairfax, Virgina. Yes, GMU is the school that made it to the Final Four last year. I am 23 and a senior, aspiring to be a political journalist but not really sure how exactly I do that. I work for GMU's student newspaper, "The Broadside" as an online reporter.

As for my miniscule list of accomplishments thus far: I interviewed Helen Thomas for a class story last semester, I have written a few online and print stories so far at "The Broadside", and I was the lead reporter for the Barack Obama rally held at GMU last friday.

--Well thats it for now, I'm sure I will be back soon enough.