Trump Spent More on Hats Than Polling

Trump has spent $1.8 million on polling and $15.3 million on collateral (hats, signs, shirts) from June 2015- September 2016. His campaign strategy was to spend more on hats than on field consulting for a large portion of his campaign. It wasn't until September of 2016 that he started spending more on ads (roughly two thirds of his total campaign budget). Do you think this was an effective campaign strategy? How does Trump's campaign compare to Clinton's? Do you think the outcome of this election will be largely impacted by this?

Nightmare Election for Female Republicans

Women of the Republican Party are struggling with the defense and fallout of of their party nominee. Some of the conservative women defend him and his misogynistic comments while other struggle with the fact that they have to push back against their party. This is not a normal election, and many women of the Republican Party don't want viewers to think that Trump speaks for the entire party. Most of the Republican women speaking out against Trump's sexism are getting a lot of hate and negative feedback. Many think that after the 2016 election, there will be feud in the Republican Party over issues like sexism and racism. Also, interviews with conservative women solely regard their thoughts on Trump's most recent sexist comment or allegation, rather than policy or their thoughts on the other presidential candidate. What do you think about the Republicans who are speaking against their party nominee? How do you think this election will effect women in the Republican Party?

Electional Law... Ceding the Election?

Electional Law Doesn't Care

"I guess we'll have to wait for November 8th to see if Trump decides to wipe his a&& with the Constitution!" exclaimed a fiery Stephen Colbert recently after Trump's promise to keep the country in suspense over whether he'd accept the results of the election. (Don't worry, he absolutely will*).

*assuming he wins. 

Don't worry, though, there's no need for a concession speech by either candidate, legally. The Founders had a sneaking suspicion we'd get a few sore losers along the way, and made it not a problem. 

Knowing what you now know about the actual laws, consider the campaign we've witnessed. Think about Trump and Clinton's respective fan bases and consider what they will feel about the results of the election. We can safely assume Clinton will win, so what do you think happens if Trump doesn't cede the election? What will his supporters do? Will we still have a country? Who showed me how to use the italics feature??

Why do bad things happen to good people?!

I Had a Scary Dream About Trump

"I Had a Scary Dream About Trump"

"Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it"
Many who have tried to compare the current election cycle to history are met with an uncomfortable reality. Call Donald Trump a demagogue and face the wrath of conservatives everywhere who can't stomach a Hillary Clinton presidency (for various reasons). You'll be accused of over simplifying, or told that you're equating everyone you don't like to Hitler. Fail to address Donald Trump as such and not only will you draw ire from liberals, you'll be aiding the desensitization of this country to such foreign concepts as Donald Trump and many of his supporters.

Still, awkward as it may be to discuss, this election reeks of demagoguery. With sotto voce anti-Semitic speech from Trump and especially his supporters (many of whom represent broad coalitions of white supremacist groups from #AllLivesMatter to the actual KKK) we begin to draw some pretty strong parallel between Trump and Hitler. Trump's proposal of a Muslim ban and tests on their faith would be unlike anything the United States has ever seen, but not unlike anything the world has ever seen.

Consider the human impact of Trump, his speech, and the kind of speech he encourages. Consider whether comparing Trump and Hitler is fair, or if it's just the sort of anti-Trump propaganda any idiot could make online. Consider perhaps other historical figures more aptly compared to Donald's campaign.

Trump ends big-money fundraisers that were boosting GOP

This article is about how Donald Trump has scheduled no more high-dollar fundraisers between now and the election. The campaign is still raising a lot of money thanks to online donations and other RNC members who are fundraising for the entire GOP ticket. Trump's financial chairman said that they want to focus on talking to voters instead of holding these fundraising events. The Trump campaign says they are raising enough money online, but only 20% of online donations go to the RNC. What does this decisions show about the relationship between Trump and the RNC, if anything? Do you think this will prove to be an effective strategy?

Millennials Go for Clinton

This article is about how Hillary Clinton has been appealing to millennials, especially since the first debate. It discusses how hard Clinton's campaign has worked to appeal to this age group. The article includes quotes from a lot of students about what it is about Clinton that has caused them to support her. Factors such as her toughness, confidence, focus on family issues, and lack of tolerance towards Donald Trump are all cited as appealing qualities about Clinton. It's clear that Clinton will never have the same response from millennials as Obama or Sanders, but what she has now should be enough for her to secure the vote from this demographic. Do you agree with the quote from Clinton's campaign manager that "Secretary Clinton is going to win this campaign because of millennial voters"? A lot of the people in the article were former Sanders supporters. How much of an impact do you think Sanders' endorsement of Clinton has had on the amount of millennials who now support her?

The Political Environment on Social Media

There has been a particularly large amount of social media activity surrounding this election season. Some users of social media have found this amount of activity helpful in facilitating political activism and engagement, while others are "worn out" from this unpleasant and unproductive saturation. Also, some view the tone and manner in which this activity is conducted to be harmful. This type of activity is most prevalent on Facebook and Twitter. Users have taken steps to ignore and block what they view as "angry and disrespectful" political discussions. This frustration occurs across the entirety of the political spectrum. What role do you think social media has in the political process? Do you personally see more political activity on social media from one side of the political spectrum? Do you enjoy the amount of political discussion on your feed, or are you frustrated with it?

Why politicians lie

There has been a lot of discussion of lying and deception during this election season. While this election is unique in a lot of ways, it is not the first to include lying politicians. This article examines some reasons behind these lies. In order to facilitate deals, politicians may have to keep private views and public views separate. Politicians may also take advantage of public ignorance by lying about details of policies, overstating benefits and understating costs, or lying about ones own past. For example, Obama and Dick Cheney concealed their private support of same-sex marriage until public and political attitudes shifted. The article gives examples of several other Republicans and Democrats who have participated in lying throughout campaign cycles. Do you think lying is an inevitable and necessary part of the political process for candidates to achieve success? Is it an ethical political strategy? Do you believe their are any current politicians or present/former candidates innocent of lying?

These women have accused Trump of sexual harassment

8 women have steppesing Donald Trump for sexual harassment. It seems to be all of a sudden. This events happened mainly at Trump Tower and night clubs, one even on a plane. These women seem to be pretty serious about their reports, saying he groped them, aggressively kissing by force and more. No matter who this is, it's a disgusting g thing to do. Now do you believe everything the women are saying or do you think there's a possibly chance they're just trying to get attention and throw dirt on Trump. Trump has denied most of the actions.

Donald Trump's 'Rigged Election' Claims Raise Historical Alarms

This article talks about how a trump believes voter fraud is a huge problem. Saying the only way he would lose Pennsylvania is because of voter fraud. As stated in the article, Trump did say if he lost he would support Clinton, but his answer has changed; "We'll have to wait and see." It sounds to me that Trump is afraid is losing the election and wants to blame voter fraud on his possibly chances of losing. Do you think voter fraud is a severe problem? Do you think Trump will fully support Clinton if he loses the election? Why?

Leaked Hillary Clinton Emails: Could Bernie Sanders Have Won Primary If Leak Occurred Earlier?

I think that while this is not as important to me as the other issues, I do think that it is quite important to some people who really did want Bernie initially. This could be very important to the current race, as I believe that if the choice was Bernie or Trump, the country would undoubtedly pick Bernie. People are not so trusting as of now in Hillary. On CNN just now I saw that  Trump is 13 point up in Ohio with Married Women. If Trump can turn things around enough through diversion, no matter how distasteful that thought might be, he could bring a pretty damn close race.

Report from Standing Rock: 100+ Militarized Police Deployed Against Native American Water Protectors

For a couple of weeks now, the protesters have been attempting to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. This is one of the newest developments where protesters at Standing Rock were praying and being interviewed by Democracy Now! for the reasons they came to the pipeline. Reasons ranged between, in an effort to save the water, as one woman came from Michigan, others simply for the continuity of native generations coming from Native Reservations. There was a blockade of the road by the police, armed with batons, and rifles in riot gear along with national guardsmen. What do you think of these protester's pleading to pray for the land? What do you think about the way they were responded to by law enforcement?

Is Donald Trump Good for Women?

Put down your torches and pitchforks, ladies and gentlemen. I know what I'm saying.

One of the largest blows to Donald Trump's campaign (and there were many blows) was the resurfacing of an eleven-year-old tape in which Trump "essentially admits he has a habit of sexually assaulting women." This brings the topic of sexual assault and the way in which we as a society address it into the political spectrum yet again. The article describes the wide-spread effects of Law Professor Anita Hill's testifying against Justice Clarence Thomas that he had sexually harassed her. It also cites the story of the many brave women who last year stepped forward to tell their stories of being sexually assaulted by Bill Cosby. Both events succeeded overwhelmingly in galvanizing women. If that were the case then, imagine now. "Perhaps Trump is the ultimate gift to feminists: a grabber and bragger who has focused the world’s attention on the outrages women quietly endure on a chronic basis without notice. And perhaps we can now see the mid-90s response to Bill Clinton’s own accusers — subdued or defensive among liberals on account of his women-friendly politics — as a near miss of an opportunity, a cultural shift that could have built on the momentum of Anita Hill, but never did."

Do you think that Trump's open admittance to sexual assault will give women a new way of seeing their own experiences going forward? Are Trump's actions the final straw in how our society views and quietly tolerates such horrific behavior? Should Kristian have chosen a less volatile article?

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/14/magazine/after-donald-trump-will-more-women-believe-their-own-stories.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=2

Erick Erickson: The G.O.P. After Donald Trump

Recently, many influential Republicans have made a mockery of themselves and their party by attempting to defend the Republican nominee and his actions on national television. As Erickson puts it, "free-trade advocates have become protectionists. Strategists are treating Drudge Report surveys as scientific endeavors while dismissing legitimate polls as Clintonian propaganda." As Trump's campaign collapses around him and election day looms ever closer, it begs the question: what will happen to the Republican party after Trump? What do you think should be the top priority for the Republican party in terms of reform? How will they win back disgruntled voters and party members who feel repulsed by the party's extremely conservative views?

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/14/opinion/erick-erickson-the-gop-after-donald-trump.html?_r=1

What Story Did Debate Night Body Language Tell?

What Story Did Debate Night Body Language Tell?

When determining who won a debate, commentators often include body language as an aspect of their evaluation. In the second presidential debate, much was conveyed non-verbally. Donald Trump repeatedly stood behind and seemed to "stalk" Hillary Clinton, which has been described by a public speaking expert as his attempt to exert dominance over her. Trump's gripping of his chair and frequent fidgeting has been described as a way for him to convey power, and his facial expressions said to indicate he was very angry. Clinton looked down frequently, which could be interpreted as her acting defensively. Did you find either of the candidate's body language to be off-putting? How much of an effect do you think body language has on the public's perception of a candidate's performance? 

Paul Ryan Won’t Defend Donald Trump, Upsetting Trump and G.O.P. Hard-Liners

On Monday, October 10, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan informed Republican lawmakers that he will no longer defend Donald Trump or campaign with him. He will instead focus his efforts on retaining the GOP Senate and House majority. Donald Trump has sharply criticized Ryan's actions, saying Ryan shouldn't spend so much time attacking the Republican nominee. Ryan, the top Republican in Congress, is certainly very influential and his decision will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for the Trump campaign and the future of the party. Do you believe Ryan made the right decision in distancing himself from the Trump campaign? Do you think he should completely rescind his endorsement of the embattled candidate? What do you think the consequences of Donald Trump's campaign will be for down-ballot Republicans? 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/11/us/politics/donald-trump-gop-hillary-clinton.html?_r=0

In country's most expensive Senate race, Pat Toomey, Katie McGinty each raise $5 million more

Another article from the Philadelphia Inquirer, this one examines the Senate race between Pat Toomey and Katie McGinty. They're spending ridiculous amounts of money on their campaigns, making it the most expensive Senate race in history at about $81 million. Although it's a short article, it's very concise and informative if you've been following the campaigns! Do you think the amount spent is absurd?

Kaine, Pence blast opposing running mates in VP debate

This article from the Philadelphia Inquirer and gives a good (and kind of liberal biased) summary of the Vice Presidential debate on Tuesday night. Although this article is very similar to Lauren's, it focuses more on how both Kaine and Pence didn't quite run the show. Both candidates seemed to talk over eachother and the moderator the whole time. I thought it was very interesting how Pence supposedly supports Trump but can't defend any of Trump's opinions.

Donald Trump’s Slip in Polls Has G.O.P. Worried About Congress

In recent polls, the ratings for Donald Trump have plummeted in crucial swing states. Republicans are worried that with Trump's support falling, their support will also fall, causing many of the Republican nominees for Congress to fail to be elected or reelected. This leads to the issue of whether the Republicans running for Congress should pull their support away from Trump. Some Republicans already have openly stated that they do not support Trump, but most have stayed silent, a strategy that may come back to hurt them if Clinton wins the election by a landslide. Do you think that it would be beneficial for the Republicans attempting to get elected to either openly support or not support Trump? Do you think it would make a difference at all? Why?

Tim Kaine and Mike Pence Clash Sharply Over Their Running Mates

The vice presidential debate was October 4, involving Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's running mate, Senator Tim Kaine, and Republican nominee Donald Trump's running mate, Governor Mike Pence. Both Pence and Kaine addressed topics such as faith, insult-driven campaigns, and foreign affairs. Kaine, however, was on the offensive the entire night, addressing or rather attacking Donald Trump's various blunders and policies. Pence, however, took a more defensive approach, choosing to avoid addressing the attacks on Trump and making only a few attacks on Kaine's running mate, Hillary, while Kaine openly praised Hillary every chance he could get. What is your opinion on Pence's defensive approach versus Kaine's offensive one? Do you think the outcome of the vice presidential debate will have any lasting impact on the election?

Rather Than Responding, Pence Dodges Questions About Trump

In Tuesday night's vice presidential debate, Gov. Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Kaine went head to head for the first time to discuss their candidate's policies. This article focuses on how, rather than giving clear answers to questions about his running mate's, Donald Trump's, policies, Pence often deflected questions, choosing to change the topic and not answer questions directly.  I found this interesting because Pence's behavior seems to be similar to Trump's when he was in the same position last week. (An interesting sidenote: I read that this year's VP debate had the lowest number of viewers since the one in 2000...)

Clinton Uses Trump's Voice in Ads Against Him

In her most recent ads, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton uses clips of Donald Trump in order to paint a picture of a man who is unfit to be president. Supporters claim that these ads are effective because the viewer can relate to the people in them while others believe that the ads are ineffective and offensive. Have you seen Clinton's ads? Do you believe they are effective?