Politics 2000

I suppose–in a more verbose way–I’ve completed a “meme” that’s popular among blogs. There is a person behind the computer typing each night. I like working late. I like the peace and quiet of the overnight hours. I’m also able to talk to friends from London or from South Africa more easily.

I care about what you think; there’s no point producing anything for public consumption if the feedback doesn’t matter. Put it this way. If I wanted to simply write for myself, I’d adjust the settings to private. The trick for anyone within a society–whether he or she creates art, sells products, manages people or works in government–is to function well within a group dynamic yet not lose one’s own identity. Mindless drones don’t help us in the long run. Headstrong individuals don’t benefit the group either since there’s bound to be tension developed from attempting to work with them. I know moderation is best. With that, I’ll review one more group of search results.

clay aiken

Plenty of Claymates wanted to see what I wrote about their favorite singer. I’ve watched American Idol since the beginning. I like Aiken, no matter his sexual orientation. I’m sure some people will be heartened by his coming out; I just wish the publicity wasn’t necessary.

nordic nudes

Can’t say I’m surprised. There were quite a few requests worded slightly differently. One’s outward appearance has been a social and political issue in the U.S. since the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. The country’s Puritan roots remain embedded within us. Periods of permissiveness have alternated with periods of reaction. Cultures often clash during elections. The 2008 election, while historic in some ways, is far from atypical in that regard.

electoral college tally

I enjoy writing about the Electoral College. I know a lot of people want the popular vote to decide the outcome but I think the present system is better than a national public vote. I have two basic reasons. One, candidates must canvass most of the country in hopes of winning 270 electoral votes. They could concentrate on metropolitan areas in a popular-vote contest. Sen. John McCain would be better served looking for 250,000 more votes in California, even if he lost the state, then going to Iowa or New Hampshire. Sen. Barack Obama would be well-advised to drop Iowa and Indiana. Instead, look for 200,000 extra votes in Texas. Secondly, I’m cynical about the election. I’ve talked about voting obstacles. At least, most of the states will have outcomes no amount of fraud, incompetence or accidents can outweigh. Imagine trying to recount the ballots of every precinct in America should the result be within one or two percent. Nah, I prefer the status quo to that nightmare.

obamanable!: why barack hussein obama is bad for america

I wrote a review of the book a few weeks ago. It’s definitely for the right-wing crowd. I look forward to reviewing some more books soon.

judgepedia.org

Another site from the Sam Adams Alliance, the group behind Ballotpedia. The site has a lot of good information about judges, which can be hard to find.

issues on public ethics

I’m heartened that people are looking for positive and ethical behavior. Public Ethics Radio, based in Australia, produces regular podcasts concerning the topic. I recommend getting more information from them.

bellwethers for presidential elections

Look at Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. All four states have voted the same way since Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and all four states have voted for the man would become president every time since then.

which president broke the custom of serving 2 terms then retiring

He was Franklin Roosevelt. He chose to serve a third term in 1940 because he wanted to help lead the U.S. out of the Great Depression and because war had begun in Europe. “Don’t change horses in mid-stream” was the mantra that year.

who is running for president in each of the six qualified parties in california

Bob Barr (Libertarian), Alan Keyes (American Independent), John McCain (Republican), Cynthia McKinney (Green), Ralph Nader, (Peace and Freedom) and Barack Obama (Democratic). There were also a lot of searches about particular ballot issues. Going to your state government’s official Web site will help. In California, the Secretary of State is in charge of elections and each county’s Registrar of Voters Office handles things locally. Your state may be different but there is a person charged with managing the election. Get information from that person’s office.

I’ll do this again in a few months. Tomorrow, I’ll compare state populations.

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