An In-depth Look: Resources Analyzing American Politics

I attempted to search the blogosphere once again in order to find helpful resources regarding the upcoming election and the political process of the United States. These are slightly more insightful than those I previously found, but still match the criteria set by Webby and IMSA, respectively, and can be found in my linkroll. Election 08' , a political blog, by the Care 2 website follows the 2008 Presidential Election. This blog contains videos and articles highlighting different aspects of the Presidential race. Donklephant is a blog that maintains to offer an independent assessment of the Presidential elections. The Green Papers is a also a blog that offers insight on the Presidential election with an emphasis on the environmental agenda. Divided We Stand, United We Fall, is a blog that takes the controversial approach on most things affecting America in the political realm. Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections, is a blog that analyzes the election by compiling different polls and primary results and formulating an educated decision about where the Presidential race is headed. Centerfield, is a moderate blog which offers some thoughts on, not only the structure of American politics but takes on the world as well. Reliable Politics also makes an attempt at analyzing world politics but focuses on the United States and the current state of the Union and the issues shaping that current state. Teagan Goddard's Political Wire, is a blog that attempts to scrutinize what Teagan Goddard seems to think is wrong with the American political system and where it is currently headed. The Debate Link, is a blog which follows a wider range of political events in the United States and correlates them to the American Presidential election and the elections also occurring around the world. The last blog that I recommend is The Moderate Voice, which is a well constructed blog with multiple well-written contributers, which paints America and it's politics in a light that is hopeful and truthful at the same time, giving it's readers news and hope about the American political system. All of these blogs and websites give their opinion on the news that is currently affecting the general populace of the United States, when it comes to the political spectrum, and do a great job.

The 2008 Presidential Election: A Global Perspective

The 2008 Presidential election has been in the limelight of the news all over the United States. This is fitting obviously because the outcome will have a large impact on the dynamic of the United States. There are many different variables and catalysts, which could influence different shifts in the political composition of America. For the first time in United States history, a female Democratic candidate, an African-American Democratic candidate and a 72-year-old Republican war veteran could all be the next leader of the free world. The truth of the matter is that the citizens of the United States are not the only ones who are paying attention to the outcome of the primaries and the election itself. In general, the problem with the inhabitants of the United States is that everything is held from a geocentric point of view and no one stops to consider what the outside world might think. Although the United States ignores the politics and make up of the outside world for the most part, they do not and inspect the United States with the uttermost scrutiny. It is sometimes necessary to observe what the other 95 percent of the world might think about what is happening in the United States, and a world-view is advantageous in illuminating the inner workings of the Presidential Election that might be otherwise hidden by American propaganda.

A particular part of the world that has held the political make up of the United States under a microscope has been Europe. The Europeans have always placed a great deal of importance on politics and the politics of the United States are something that they pay particular attention to because of past history. A newspaper that has been reflecting on the ongoing battle across the Atlantic is The Guardian. A recent article by The Guardian illustrates a certain part of the election that has been harped on repeatedly and that is the issue of "superdelegates" deciding the Democratic nominee. This piece of literature shows the side of the outside world that attempts to weigh in on the election and offer a balance of opinions and inform the UK's general public about what is occurring in the United States and the reasons behind those decisions and outcomes. On the other hand, The Scotsman shows a side that might be more pointed and blunt. In the article, 'Hillary Clinton's a monster': Obama aide blurts out attack in Scotsman interview, Gerri Peev a writer for The Scotsman highlights a few retorts made by Obama's aide, Samantha Power, after the barrage of attacks that Hillary Clinton waged on Senator Obama in the past few weeks. This specific article criticizes both sides of the Democratic primary on different levels. The way that this article is written, employs both the interview with Power and factual evidence, forming a somewhat balanced argument. Gerri Peev shows the moves that Senator Clinton made that cast her as a victim and contrasts that with the way in which Miss Power chose to respond.

As one looks at the Presidential Election from a world view it is also necessary to make an attempt at pinpointing which candidate might be the favorite of the world or specific countries. There are many opinions on the election globally, just as there are in the United States. The Times of the United Kingdom, recently published an article in which Andrew Sullivan refers to the Clinton family as "a horror film that never ends." Another article refers to Senator Obama as the popular candidate but not a candidate that should be the President of the United States. A large sentiment from the global perspective seems to be that the world would be more pleased with a Democratic President rather than another Republican one. Republican candidate Senator McCain is attempting to change this particular global sentiment and the thoughts of the American people by conducting a tour of Europe and the Middle East. This trip to Europe and the Middle East is Senator McCain's way of reaching out and showing the American people that he is serious about this election and that he will be able to have a dominant global presence and conduct himself and the country in the best way possible.

In the end, a conclusion can be reached as to why the citizens of America pay little or no attention to the politics or makeup of other countries. Americans love to be the center of attention and when they have to pay attention to other global occurrences it is a reminder that there are others who matter in the world. The truth is that the United States is a large powerhouse in the global sphere and the focus of the world on America and, specifically the election, gives the population of the United States a false bravado. The American voter needs to learn to remember what they have wanted in the past and not forget the issues when it comes to the candidate that they like. A majority of Americans need to learn to balance the pride of being an American with that of being globally aware. The election process in general will be strengthened if the American populace begins to examine the issues from the perspective of a citizen as well as removing themselves from the situation and analyzing it from an outsider's perspective.

The Election: Making an Educated Decision

This week, I searched the Internet and the blogosphere for resources that would be helpful when analyzing the upcoming election. There are a great number of sources on the Internet and in the blogosphere on the subject of the election, but only a few are truly helpful and reputable. I have consulted ten resources and I have placed them in my linkroll, for easy access. The first is CQ Moneyline. CQ Moneyline helps to shed light on the finances of different campaigns, the allocation of money who has it, who does not, and the role of lobbyists in those respective campaigns. The second resource is a blog entitled Election Law. Election Law delves into the election, as well as voting rights, the place of the courts and the law in relation to politics. The Federal Election Commision, which is my third resource, provides the background for the presidential, house and senate elections and different reports and data on the respective elections. While the FEC provides the background, CNN.com's Path to the Presidency:Election Center 2008 highlights different stories and issues that deal with the election and their positive and negative effect on each respective candidate. Politifact.com examines different rumors circulating about the election and analyzes their authenticity. Pollingreport.com shows different polls that have been taken throughout the United States which help to show the sentiment of the citizens of the U.S. on certain issues, specifically the politics of the country. As PollingReport gauges the country, Rock the Vote, is devoted to motivating the younger population of the United States to vote and have a political presence. U.S. Electoral College, the eight resource, educates the reader about the Electoral College, what it is, and how it affects the election, and even has an electoral college calculator so that one can see the possible election results. The ninth resource, WatchBlog, analyzes political news from three different vantage points: Republicans and Conservatives, Democrats and Liberals and Independents. The final resource I uncovered this week was OntheIssues.org. On the Issues, allows the reader to examine political leaders and the stance they have taken on issues in the past and presently. On the Issues also provides VoteMatch Quiz which allows the reader to examine which candidate they might align most closely with. The blogs that I have mentioned meet the IMSA criteria for paramount blogs and at least satisfy the intermediate qualifications of the rubric. The websites I have mentioned follow the Webby criteria almost perfectly. Collectively, these blogs and websites show that there are resources available to the citizens of the United States that would be helpful in making decision about the election and being informed citizens.