Corey Booker

Ok, so we talked about this in class, that Newark Mayor Corey Booker would want to stay in Newark even if he was offered a job by President Elect Obama. Somehow I find this hard to believe. Its much easier to say no when no one is offering.

Mr. Booker played football at Stanford, graduated from Yale Law, and is one of the rising starts of the Democratic party. He is very well rounded, and knows how to compete in the world of politics.

What would do for his image if he were to go back on his word and accept a job in Washington?

NB Mayor

So today we had the North Brunswick Mayor come in to talk to us about local politics. I thought for the most part he had a pretty good idea of what his job was and what the NB council does, but I do feel like he was avoiding some of out questions. Some of the things that were asked about did not really provoke good answers, as if the mayor himself did not know the answer to the questions.

NJ Politics

This is gearing up to be an interesting discussion. I disagree with anyone who is advocating that this will be a boring chapter. With the input from the movie on the Newark mayor race, and the information we have obtained from our guest speakers, it seems like Nj Politics might be fun to learn about, especially because it is close to home.

A win for Mr. Obama

So I actually went to bed on the night of the election earlier than I had thought. To be more precise, it was right after both Pennsylvania and Ohio went Blue. After this, I that that the election was safely in the pocket for Barack Obama. 

When was the election over for you, and were these the key states in shutting down John McCain's March to 270?

A Little Controversial

We just read an article that reviewed racial bias and its pertinence to the current presidential election, but I wanted to look into other aspects that might effect the race as well.

One thing that I thought would have a pretty big effect was religion, and how many people would vote for a candidate because of their religious beliefs.

For example, I am a Roman Catholic, which tend to be more conservative, but I view myself as a more Liberal Independent. My parents on the other hand are conservatives, this fitting the religious mold.

Any one else have a take on this? (Possibly with other religions)

No Dancing Shoes for Mr. Dawson

Just wanted to point out that at the Homecoming dance I did not once see that Mr. Dawson was out on the dance floor. I did however see, Mr Lester, Mrs. Hamilton, Mrs Wright, and that new History teacher, but alas, no Mr Dawson...what a shame

No Dancing Shoes for Mr. Dawson

12th Congressional District Showdown for House of Rep

We recently had both the candidates who were running for the local Congressman spot in the House of Representatives. Both Rush Holt, and Alan Bateman came to North Brunswick to take our questions, and provide insight as to what their stance was on certain topics, and how we would benefit from them being in Congress.

In my opinion, Rush Holt would have won this if it was a debate. When both candidates were asked similar questions, I felt that Holt had stronger responses, thus gaining the upper hand over Bateman. Although I don't completely agree with the views of either candidate, I believe that Holt's answers were more thorough than Bateman's.

On some topics, Bateman seemed to have a good angle, but could not develop his ideas enough, and on others he just didn't know what to say. If there were one question where he won out over Holt, it would be the one asking "what is your opinion of the tenure system, and should some teachers not deserve it?" I felt that since he had a family background in the subject, he was able to give a better answer than Holt, even though oddly enough Holt was a teacher.

Anyone else have opinions on them?

Are Americans Stupid?

Since we are currently researching our candidates for the NJ 12th District House of Rep, I decided to provoke a question on more local terms.

With the congress's approval rating getting lower and lower, I ask you why do we continue to elect the same people for congress and senate?

It seems to me that they are not representing us as we wish, if we do not approve of our actions, but come election time, it is still a walk in the park for the incumbents.

First Debate Gearing Up To Be A Big One

In the recent week, Obama has shown an increase in the polls, as Palin and McCain start to fade out of the limelight. This makes this first presidential debate a pretty important event. (As if it was not already)

If McCain is able to do well in the debate, (its one of his strong points) then he will be able to erase/ overtake Obama's lead that was gained this week.

However, it there is a weak showing on McCain's part, or Obama appears to be stronger, this does not bode well for McCain. With an Obama win added to a McCain blunder with the campaign drop for the economy and Obama lead, Obama might just be able to break the stalemate that has been occurring for most of the campaign.

Whether or not this stays is another topic, but for now, it looks like Obama has the chance to win big...

AIG and the Rest of the Failing Economy

Although the DOW JONES closed +410.03 today making up for the loss yesterday, the government support of AIG does not seem responsible for this. AIG's stock is still very low, at only $2.69 a share. Was this government bail out worth it, or does it show more blind spending by the government? Also, which party do you feel benefits from this?

McCain's Use of POW Status in His Platform...

The war in Vietnam was and forever will be considered the Great American Tragedy. It put a large strain on the American people, and the Government alike. Sen. John McCain was one of those American Soldiers who found themselves in captivity during this. 

Although I agree that  Sen. McCain did suffer and endure hardships in his  imprisonment during this war that no human being should have to endure, I still wonder if how much this has to do with this election.

Granted it plays a role in developing McCain as a leader who loves his country, and understands the hardships of war but is he using this too much? Does it really have anything to do with his political platform other than give him the ability to reference his scars in speeches?