Campaigns and Politics class blog

 Birth of Nation is a horrid film that involves, many terrible racist depictions of African Americans, and reconstruction America. Notes -Wow I hate this film. -The Klan hoods are effective in evoking fear in me (perhaps since I have heard many stories from my own family) - The entire plotline of the black politician is one of the most enraging things I will ever see. -Still really hate this film -This dangerous "black guy" trope was one of the most damaging to black men in the 20th century. -Id better share the rest of my thoughts through the paper.

 President Trumps accusations of fraud are completely baseless in every single way.  Not only that but his accusations have brought violence, destruction, and disaster to out nation, and our standing on the world stage. In my lifetime we may never gain back the full legitimacy internationally that we held when I was born.  Being a disabled-African American-religious minority I hold very few myths about my country, you wont catch me on a proud to be an American  montage. However, I know that America, its government and the constitution meant something more, greater than the sum of its parts, it was a beacon of hope. I just pray we remain that beacon for the many people migrating across this vast planet. My questions  Where did this fraud actually take place? Like states, cities, precincts, names, streets, addresses should all be made public, if they are in fact fraudulent.  When Trump says he won in a landslide, I want the math behind that? I want an ac...

 The final week of the Presidential campaign seems like a life time ago. However, what I do remember from the time before we  knew Joe Biden would be president was one of the most tense times in American history. While all the polls and metrics pointed towards a Biden-Harris victory, it was as unbearably close as expected. What the tense atmosphere of that week taught me is that, despite the fact that most Americans don't deal with federal government very often, they act as if they do. What I mean by that is that Americans do not seem to care much for politics, politicians or elections until it is at their doorstep. Then in a switch that befuddles my mind, the American populace can rise up in anger over the results of the Presidential and other elections, while sometimes not even voting. All of this depends on which demographic you are apart of, and that groups views on voting. The theme I am writing about the duality within America, from non-caring to overwhelming care  ...

 For this module we are to summarize the conversations that are revolving around the American political system in the fallout or aftermath of the 2020 election. Given that I have a wide range of friends and family, the bits of pieces of conversations form a sort of highlight tape   or best of   "political conversations and meltdowns of 2020." Conversation 1 "My Israeli Friend" for an international perspective This section written with the understanding is that the "reader" (Hi Professor Andrews) understands the Israeli-Palestine/ Arab conflict (as much as anyone can understand something so complex and nuanced.) While conversing for the first time in years with a dear friend who lives in the Middle Eastern nation of Israel, I mentioned that I myself was part of a winning local election . My friends demeanor and tone quickly changed, and responded with " Oh so you like Biden?."  I explained that while yes I personally did support the Biden ticket ...

       Over the course of American electoral history presidential debates have changed the course of elections, drawn millions upon millions of eyeballs, and led to more arguments than the state of Israel. Yet throughout this contentious history of yelling, lies, counter lies, and nonsense, one political event usually gets somehow more contentious, the vice presidential debate. This is because historically the President or the Presidential candidate is supposed to maintain an element of decorum and respect, in order to inherit or keep the office of the Presidency. However, as we have found over the course of Donald Trump's political career that he himself is his own attack dog, and Mike Pence is a more traditional face for the administration. Thus the Vice Presidential debate that took place resembled what a Presidential debate should look like. While neither side had a revelatory win or moment, both sides maintained their talking points, forced each other into awkwa...

  Module 5 Part 2: The Federalist Papers In parts 9&10 of the federalist papers the discussion of Republics, confederacies, and factionalism take center stage. In part 9, Alexander Hamilton makes references to and invokes the style of Machiavelli's The Prince when referencing the various histories that have plagued republics. Hamilton specifically refers to the issues of despotism, nepotism and corruption remarking on how these issues especially can stem from republics. However, Hamilton makes a point of referencing how far Political Science and Political Philosophy have come since the days of the Roman Republic, or the failures of the Medici (possibly one of the most powerful factions to ever exist.) Hamilton then calls on the enlightenment thinker Baron de Montesquieu, whose suggestion of combining elements found in confederations with republicanism to create a “Confederate Republic.” Montesquieu through Hamilton explains that  “This form of government is a convention b...