Term Paper on "Presidential Election 2008 Candidates Project"

Term Paper 10 pages (3340 words) Sources: 5 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Candidates Project

have chosen to shadow Hillary Clinton the democratic presidential candidate for president in 2008. Hillary Clinton filed with the FEC in January 22, 2007. In so doing I will analyze the official candidacy website as well as other sources to determine the foundation for the candidacy, the issues, the candidates platform, and how the media sees the candidate. I will also seek out information on who is funding the candidates bid for office, what opinion polls are saying about Clinton, what the advertising looks like and lastly I will evaluate and synthesize the information and draw conclusions about suggestions I have for this client in her campaign.

Official Website Analysis:

The official Hillary Clinton candidate website opens with a sign up page that is only redirected if you skip the sign up form. From the very beginning those who sign onto the website are offered an opportunity to be connected to the candidate through the electronic media. The first view of the website is a picture of Hillary in profile, smiling at a crowd (you presume) and holding her hand to her heart in a gesture demonstrating she has been moved by the reception of the people she is greeting. Next to this picture is an interactive scroll screen that offers Hillary's top ten positions on issues, the campaign platform, in brief. This screen makes it very easy to pull at least a very general idea of the candidate views, issues of importance and platform, as well as to seek out more information from other informative tabs, on the main menu above her picture. The website next offers options for what a supporter can do to aide the campaign, either by supporting/plannin

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g events, signing up to receive information, start a group, start a blog, get campaign contributions or make one directly. Below these options is a link to visit the Hillary store or order a free bumper sticker, and below that is a calendar of upcoming Hillary events. In the center of the page there is a spotlight section as well as a latest videos section. The website itself is flashy and modern, with links to modern services which are hubs for media information on Hillary and her candidacy. You can link to the candidate's MySpace page, Facebook page, YouTube Video Page, Flickr video page or even her Eons profile page. All of these modern and youthful sites offer people opportunities to communicate with and connect with Hillary, to some degree, making statements or viewing information about or for her. To be honest her website is one of the most comprehensive I have ever seen and really has the potential to develop a life of its own through all the links that are interactive.

General Issues:

Clinton's take on Iraq is simple, she wants to get the U.S. out, as is reflected by her first issue point. "To end the war in Iraq." As a senator Clinton has already developed a set of suggestions for Bush to end the war, but she has outlined her plan, after her election as president if Bush does not begin removing troops from Iraq before then. Her three phase plan includes, phased redeployment and veterans support, securing stability through aid and she would support the appointment of high level UN representatives in Iraq, lastly she would begin a new diplomatic initiative in the region that involves, non-interference, mediation, and reconstruction funding.

Clinton also has a clear statement on health care. She wishes to create the universal health care system she was barred from creating as first lady to Bill. Clinton believes that universally affordable health care is one of the most significant social issues of our day and without address this issue will continue to cripple the strongest nation in the world. Her plan consist of a tax credit system for those who cannot pay private premiums, as system of non-discrimination of pre-existing conditions and lastly portability of insurance coverage so every time one changes jobs they do not lose coverage. The plan is laden with choice for the consumer as well as incentive for small business, the leading employer in the nation, and a group who have been priced out of insurance over the last twenty or so years.

Though it was difficult to find Hillary's position on abortion, it is relatively clear once one looks a little deeper in the website, to a speech she gave to the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association Luncheon, linked on her "A Champion for Women" issue page. The statement is clear, that like most moderate pro-choicers Clinton advocates for better access to contraceptives, education and other prevention models to decrease the number of abortions, rather than illegalizing abortion or overturning Roe.

Clinton's stand on immigration is curiously absent from her official website, though she does discuss the importance of creating a more tolerant America. The issue may be downplayed on the sight because of her active involvement in senate votes that involve Bush's plan for immigration reform and resolving naturalization and guest worker issues. In her senate record are clearly several stands on immigration, and especially toward immigrant and family access to education and health care. She has sponsored and voted for many immigration population welfare bills and blames the current administration for failing to aide immigrants to continue in their bid to become fully participating members of the U.S. society.

Hillary has a strong stand on strengthening education but most importantly making sure that it is available and affordable for all. She has been an advocate for children for her entire career as and attorney and a politician and she will likely continue to advocate for domestic education reform in the future. Her discussion is especially strong given the recent increases in the cost of education in America. Her speech on College Affordability she discusses the fact that many college going individuals today leave college with an average debt of 20,000 and then have to take jobs they do not want to pay off student loans. Her stand is to go back to a time when college lending was not a big business and the system was not so confusing.

Clinton's take on the environment is also strong. She advocated environmentally friendly technology as well as the development of energy plans that reduce the country's dependence on oil. Her overall goal to help the environment is to create energy independence through renewable environmentally friendly energy sources.

Clinton's take on the economy is twofold, one she stresses the importance of fiscal responsibility on the part of the government, in much the same way as her husband did and she also stresses that the middle class needs to be strengthened. Her stand on creating jobs for the middle class is in fact one of her thread stands on change, as the middle class is her audience of choice and economic trends have in her eyes made them invisible to the current administration and living from one potential economic disaster to the next.

Clinton wants to ensure that Social Security is a guarantee even for future generations, through reforming the system now, instead of borrowing against it and hedging bets that it will not disappear or become useless in its size of payment in the future. Saving social security is a part of her plan to bring the nation back into fiscal responsibility, so there will be no more need to borrow against social security in the present or future. According to CNN Clinton also apposes the Bush plan to allow individuals to divert Social Security fund, payroll taxes into private retirement accounts.

Clinton's stand on foreign policy is one of the most logical I have seen. She states unequivocally that the U.S. has a bad international reputation as a result of the actions of the current administration and that we need to do everything we can to remedy that. One thing she is particularly strong on is that we as a nation need to reestablish communications with those nations which we consider enemies, as open communication will be the only way that we can resolve conflicts and understand one another.

Same-sex marriage is also not an issue that is discussed on the Clinton website, unless one considers the general call to a more tolerant unified nation as one that makes a statement about gay rights or same sex marriage. On CNN though Clinton's take on same-sex marriage is outlined. According to this source she opposes same-sex marriage and is instead in favor of civil unions. She believes states should decide on the issue for themselves and also apposed a constitutional amendment that would ban same sex marriage.

Taxes are also not really mentioned on Clinton's webpage, though sweeping change usually involves tax increases. According to CNN, Clinton apposed the bush tax cuts in 2001 and 2003. She also opposes extending any tax cuts that have been put in place by the current administration.

Clinton's energy policy is clearly focused on energy independence. She… READ MORE

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Quoted Instructions for "Presidential Election 2008 Candidates Project" Assignment:

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You must have some form of footnotes embedded within the content of your paper, and an alphabetized bibliography at the end. Citation and bibliography are important, in that they give readers a record of where you located your source of information.

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The Paper: The paper assignment is to select a 2008 presidential candidate in which you will read watch and listen and analyze candidate*****s campaign for requirement of the course. In the paper project you will also recommend how to improve candidate*****s campaign platform through laws, programs or funding. Grade percentage for this paper is 200 points. The grading process for this paper assignment is based on ability to follow directions, using required outline (see below), organization, analysis, content and focus, objectivity, recommendation, documentation.

The most important part of the paper is Part III. of the outline. Part III. is where you will share your personal views on how you would change and/or modify your candidate*****s management and responsiveness of the issues in his or her campaign.

This paper project was created to have students use applied knowledge as a responsible participating citizen in a government of democracy; to have an understanding of the constitutional representation process, political party, political ideology, campaign and elections, public opinion and voting, interest groups, media, and the presidency. This paper project also helps students to use critical thinking through questionnaire strategies of knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation and synthesis processes; and how to use analytical writing skills within a document forum to express their roles as citizens in a representative democracy.

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*** Important Notice to you guys ***

I have already chosen my candidates *****˜Hillary *****. So, you have to keep my candidates when using this outline like below.

*****I have selected to shadow presidential candidate Senator Hillary ***** for my paper project.*****

*** Presidential Election 2008 Candidates Project Outline

Instructions ****

I. Select a Presidential Candidate

A. Assignment Activity

: Report you selected candidate to instructor by deadline of September 10, 2007 in WebCT assignment drop box. This is a simple assignment, which is worth 10 points of your paper project points. For example, to declare your candidate for project you can write a simple statement, *****I have selected to shadow presidential candidate__________ for my paper project.*****

Instructions: Select a presidential candidate from one of the presidential candidates 2008 lists on www.wikipedia.org. Choose a presidential candidate that has filed (or announced plans to file) with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). Copy and paste these URLs into your web browser address bar, or click on the following URLs for:

Republican presidential candidates

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Republican_presidential_candidates

Democratic presidential candidates

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Democratic_presidential_candidates

Third party presidential candidates

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_United_States_third_party_presidential_candidates

II. Read, Watch, Listen and Analyze Candidate

A. Analyze and report candidate of your choice presidential campaign website

Assignment Questions:

1. Look at candidate*****s website. What is candidate trying to say with his or her website?

2. Does the candidate explain why he or she is running?

3. How does candidates engage visitors to get involve or give money for campaign?

4. What is the significant about the website?

Instructions: An easy way to located a candidates website(s) for example, while you are viewing the Wikipedia *****˜United States Democratic Presidential Candidates, 2008***** page, and you choose candidate Bill Richard; click on Bill Richardson*****s hyperlinked name, which will take you to his full profile page in Wikipedia. Scroll down to bottom of page. Find subheading *****official site.***** Click on *****˜Bill Richardson for President***** hyperlink which will lead you to his official presidential site, http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/home

[Note; candidates may have a subheading for *****˜unofficial supporter***** websites and blogs. It is okay to look around at them. You are only required to analyze and report what you find on the candidate*****s official presidential website(s).] If you cannot find an official presidential campaign website for your candidate, try to *****˜Google***** do a search, with his or her name in web browsers.

B. Write a short statement, 3- 5 sentences on each issue to show where the candidate stands on each of the general issues in your paper project

Assignment Questions: 1. Look at the candidate*****s website and write a short statement on how he or she stand on each of the general issues of 1. Iraq, 2. health care, 3. abortion, 4.immigration, 5.education, 6.environment, 7.economy/jobs, 8.social security, 9.foreign policy, 10.same-sex marriage, 11.taxes, 12.energy?

Instructions: As an example, using Bill Richardson*****s campaign website http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/home , find and click on his *****˜about***** and *****˜issues***** hyperlink to read, get knowledge and analyze his political position on Iraq, jobs, economy, health care, education, environment, etc., [You can also go to CNN.com, http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/ to keep abreast of their abridged profiles. Note: Do not depend upon this webpage only to gather information; your project will be incomplete.]

C. Research and report the candidates***** platform and any key issue(s) that your candidate is concentrating on the most. Report which particular issue(s) has the candidate chosen for his or her platform (an outline of candidate*****s policies and positions on his or her key issues) in his or her speeches, electronic and newsprint interviews, website(s) and political ads.

Assignment Questions:

1. What issues has the candidate chosen for his or her platform?

2. What is the platform*****s weakness?

3. What is its strength?

4. How does your candidate state how he or she plans to address those issues?

5. Are there any laws, statutes or program your candidate states that need to be in place to support the issue?

6. Will resources or funding be needed to available to resolve issue?

7. Does it concern bringing equality?

8. Does the plan focus on any particular group?

9. Does the candidate*****s resolution cure the problem?

Instructions: Use suggested list of media listed below in this paper project outline instructions to answer candidate*****s key issues questions. See list of newspapers (can include journals, i.e., Time, Newsweek), news websites, television and radio news.

D. Analyze candidate*****s debates

Assignment Questions:

1. How do the media rate your candidate*****s debate score on certain issues among same party opponents and different party opponents?

2. How do you rate your candidate*****s debate score on certain issues among same party opponents and different party opponents?

3. Is media correct in their assessment of your candidate*****s debate performance?

4. Does evaluation of candidate*****s debate skills differs from media accounts, if so, explain the difference.

Instructions: Use suggested list of media listed below in this paper project outline instructions to answer debates assignment questions. See list of newspapers (can include journals, i.e., Time, Newsweek), news websites, television and radio news.

E. Survey candidate*****s finance and interest groups source

Assignment Questions: by using www.opensecrets.org: you will report twice on candidates finance and interest group source at beginning of semester, and an end of semester by November 30th the total of money raised, and what type of industries and the source of contributors that are giving your candidates money.

1. Find total amount your candidate has raised for their campaign?

2. How much money has the state of Nevada contributed to your candidate?

3. Who is giving the most or least by gender/ Is he or she the top fundraiser candidate from your state?

4. What type of PACs are giving your candidate*****s money? Who is giving the most; who is giving the least?

5. What types of PACs are giving your candidate*****s money? Which is giving the most; which is giving the least?

6. What types of contributors are giving your candidate*****s money? Which is giving the most; which is giving the least?

Instructions: Go to http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/index.asp?cycle=2008

To answer questions on finance, PACs and group support of your candidates; use navigation area on left that is titled *****˜2008 Campaign Profile***** and *****˜2008 Presidential Election.*****

F. Survey candidate*****s opinion polls results

Report how polls and survey results show what Americans are saying or thinking about the candidate.

Assignment Questions:

1. What is the level of overall support for your candidate relative to others in her/his party?

2. Relative to candidates of other party? How does the American opinion differ on issues (i.e., abortion, Iraq, education) by political party affiliation?

3. How much support does your candidate receive from different demographic groups(demographics can include gender, race, age, region, religion, income, education, employment status, etc.)?

4. From different ideological groups (liberals/conservatives)?

5. From people with different positions on various issues (Iraq, terrorism, gay rights, health care, etc.)?

Instructions: Go to one of the opinion poll websites: www.galluppoll.com www.pollingreport.com and Report on the results of 2 polls or surveys that is primarily about or include your presidential candidate to answer assignment questions.

For example, look at a recent Gallup Poll August 16, 2007 poll results report on presidential candidate, [Barack] *****˜Obama*****s Appeal to Well-Educated Not Conducive to Winning Nomination***** http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci=28414. Look at graph chart titled, *****˜Support for Democratic Presidential Candidates by Education Level (among Democrats).***** If you have difficulty downloading the Gallup Poll URL page or it has expired, use handout of report which shows results of Obama*****s support received from the different educated demographic groups. Gallup Poll findings states, *****Obama is a much more familiar to highly educated Democrats than those with less formal education. Alternatively, the candidates who have shown growing support across education levels may share similarities -- such as in their issue positions or personal style -- that appeal to highly educated Democrats but may not attract the broader base of the party.*****

G. Survey candidate*****s advertising

Assignment Questions: If the candidate has any political ads, billboards, yard signs, bumper stickers or buttons to support platform, answer the 5 appropriate questions from instructions.

Instructions: Answer at least these 5 questions below from the handout sheet. (If your see or hear something impertinent that should be mentioned about candidate*****s ad in your paper project and want to add additional questions and information, use the handout *****˜analyzing political advertisement***** handout questions as a guideline)

1. Does the candidate, or actor(s) appear on screen or narrate the ad?

2. What issue or issues does the ad talk about?

3. Is the candidate*****s opponent mentioned in the ad?

4. Is this an attack ad, and who and why is the person being attacked?

5. Who is the sponsorship for ad; and does the candidate state that they *****approve this message***** at end of ad?

H. Survey candidate*****s campaigning in Nevada

Since the state of Nevada has moved up its date of its participation in the Presidential Primaries, presidential candidates are visiting the state more frequently because they would like to secure the state*****s primary election votes, and eventually all of Nevada*****s electoral votes.

Assignment Question:

1. What has your candidate promise he or she will do for the state of Nevada

(or for your state if you are taking this WebCT course and living in another state)?

Instructions: Go to: Review Journal for recent local news articles and updated information on presidential election at http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/election See *****˜Local Election News,***** >then Click on *****˜More News,***** see monthly up*****“to-date chronological election news articles. The RJ also keeps *****˜archive***** of *****˜news***** stories to keep abreast of what happened during candidates***** visits. RJ news archives are maintained from September 29, 1996 to present.

III. Evaluate and Synthesis

A. Rate your candidate*****s campaign and platform

Assignment Questions:

1. How do you rate your candidate*****s campaign and platform?

2. Is it strong enough?

3. What do you like best about your candidate*****s plans to make America better on issues discussed in sections II. B. and II. C.?

4. What do you like the least about your candidate*****s plans?

5. Is the plan inclusive of any group, or omit any group? 6. What is missing in his or her platform?

B. State what would you change about your candidate*****s plans

Assignment Questions:

1. What will be your platform or issue?

2. State your recommendation for change?

3. Will you need a new law created, or an existing law modified for your plan?

4. Explain in detail how law, plan, or program will work if one is needed.

5. If you need funding, tell how the monies will be raised in detail; will it come from federal or state budget, taxes, grants, bonds, fund-raising.

6. Will you need an interest group to support your plan?

C. State how your recommendation for change will improve America.

Assignment Questions:

1. State what or whom will the change help; an individual, participants in a program, a target group or businesses.

2. What will your change do for those participants, groups or businesses?

3 Will your change bring inclusiveness, opportunity, set limits, change behavior, notify, set time limits, establish due process, reward, or penalize?

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