Map and count is current as of 11/3/08. Presentation by Corey, Charity, Geoff & Eddie.
- Obama / Biden –278
- McCain / Palin – 132
- Toss Up -128
This is it baby – Election is on TUESDAY!
Each week between September 15 and November 4 (the election) Senior Current Issues will provide you an update on the progress of the 2008 Presidential Election. Each week at this site you will find a photo (USA Electoral Map in room #112) of the updated polling comparisons between Barack Obama and John McCain. Each week a different group of seniors will offer you a three to five minute podcast of where this election currently stands and the trends they see on the horizon. Student groups will provide a news article that they think will help you to better understand the dynamics of this election. All students are encouraged to listen to the podcast and read the article.
SCI students will offer a “what do you think” question that goes with the news article. All Senior Current Issues students must do the ensuing 20 point blog. All other students may choose to answer the question as an extra credit blog assignment (5 pts max.)
All electoral votes come from estimates located on Real Clear Politics.com Remember polls are only estimates of how people may vote. Until Nov 4 nobody really knows the outcome of this election.
Podcast – click podcast. Go to Real Clear Politics while you listen. Podcast coincides with photo of map in room 112, located at the top of this post. Special Note the podcast does not work in Firefox browser.
News Article – New York Times – “Campaigns Focus on States their Parties lost in 2004”
Question – Despite the parties losses in these states in 2004 (according to the article) do you think that the candidate’s strategies will change the outcome of these states in 2008?
Postings for the question must be made before the final outcome of the Election is determined, whatever the time of the morning that may be.
Podcast: (98% / A) Interesting podcast. Certainly unique to all the others – I thought your NPR style worked rather well. And I thought you captured both candidate’s positions well. Good job with the numbers guy, the moderator, and issues people. Real well done. Probably the most informative one we had.
Article / Question: (92% / A-) The article was timely.
Presentation: (NA ) – Election day. No presentation.
Overall Grade: (95% / A) – You guys had a lot of time constraints and still pulled it off prior to the election. Good work. That took some doing. You also juggled schedules and worked well together under the gun. Nice. I’m impressed.
Check the category “08 ELECTION – The News” for more news about the candidates and the Election.
The contents of this podcast and its delivery was
a awsome to use the vernacular of today’s students. . I do think the experiences that the students are getting is one of a kind. Being able to express your thoughts is what makes this such a wonderful country. I will say Cory did his home work and Charity stood her ground. Jeff was a wonderful
moderator showing no prejudice which is an important characteristic of a political moderator. What ever the out come of this election I feel so proud to think I also worked with some of these bright students.
Once again, “The Vote” was professionally delivered! On the other hand, I was unaware that Govenor Palin announced her candidacy for 2012 and would think that such a statement would, indeed, make the news somewhere! Please let me know from where you obtained this information.
I will be waiting patiently….
Yes I think these strategies could have an effect on these states. States like Florida and Ohio are always unpredictable-swing sates. In order for either candidate to win, they are going to have to fight hard.
I don’t really appreciate the candidate’s negative commercial strategy. I know that it might affect some voters, but most voters are getting sick of all the negative stuff.
Despite the party’s wins or losses in 2004, this election is a whole different ball game. Anyone could win and the candidates just have to fight hard with their last few strategies.
5 PTS EXTRA CREDIT
I think that it is not a smart idea to be visiting the states they lost in 2004. Some of them such as Ohio and Florida should be visited, but not because they lost them in 2004 rather than because they are toss up states. At this point now most Americans have already voted . I do not think that by campaigning in states they lost at this point will change anything. I think that they need to be insuring the states that are leaning their way in the polls.
5 PTS EXTRA CREDIT
POLLS ON THE EAST COAST ARE NOW OFFICIALLY CLOSED. This post according to directions closes at 8:00 PM on Tuesday November 4. Enjoy the Election Returns.
Great podcast! Although this podcast did seem to focus more on Senator McCain than Senator Obama. Other than that everthing was pretty accurate. It stricks me though that Senator McCain probably won’t even win his home state. Something else that strikes me is why would Senator McCain go into the states that he pretty much has a slim to no chance at winning those states, the senator should play it safe and go into the toss-up states and get their votes. Also, I would have to agree that Senator McCain has more experience because he has been a senator for a large number of years, unlike Senator Barack Obama who has only been a senator for a fraction of the time of Senator John McCain.
I have to say I’m totally impressed with the presentation on the podcast. As Mrs. Mac said, you all did your homework, and you speak so intelligently! It makes your former teachers proud! To answer the question, yes, I do believe that the outcome of the election will be changed. In fact, I’m watching that happen as the results are coming in right now. What an amazing moment in history we are living in!
In my personal opinion I do feel that the strategies will change the outcome for those states now in the 2008 election. The issues each candidate carries is also another way to win those states that were lost last time. If they make the issues that effect that state clear things might go a little farther. For McCain visiting Pennsylvania and New Hampshire it might encourage those states to follow him. Going to the swings states is an important thing to do. If he makes an impact on those states it will increase his chance on becoming president. With Obama it’s basically the same thing. McCain has been targeting Ohio for awhile so Obama is taking a chance on going there, but he might be making the right choice. If he gets Ohio it will be like fish out of water, especially since McCain has worked hard on keeping Ohio on his side. He should also go to the swing states to help swing the vote to him.
Florida is a big one it has been bouncing back and forth to leaning Obama to toss up and leaning McCain. So both candidates really need to consider that and go there to make it a solid Obama or McCain. If one of them do that it’s clear they have got it. Strategy is always the key. If one side makes a better impression I’m positive they will do great and go far and win this election.
One thing we have to keep in mind always is that no matter what candidate wins to become president we always have to look at the fact that they can not keep all promises made. If we push and encourage them they might do a lot better that Bush did.
Great job everyone on the podcast. I really liked the question and answer format that was used. You all put in the needed research and produced both an informative and entertaining podcast.
Geoff, it seemed like yesterday when you were in my 4th grade classroom at Wolf Lake Elementary during the Bush-Gore election. You are still as responsible and hard working as you were then. Good luck in tonight’s game against West Catholic. Bring home another trophy for the cabinet tonight!
To all of the groups it was a great fall listening to your podcasts. No matter what your political views are, keep up with being informed in the world, and fight for your beliefs whatever they may be.
I certainly think that the candidates strategies will change the outcome of the states that there parties did not get back in 2004. McCain and Obama are smart guys and they know they must win the states that there parties lost back in 2004 in order to win the election.
The article stated that the candidates were heavily targeting the states there parties lost back in 2004. Obama was doing some last minute campaigning in states like Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia so he could win the states that were lost in 2004 for the democratic party. McCain on the other hand was heavily targeting states like Pennsylvania and New Hampshire that were lost in the 2004 election for the republican party.
Both the candidates were very smart in last minute campaigning in the states there party lost in 2004 because they new if they were to win those states they would have a good chance of winning. It seems Barack Obama has targeted more states than McCain and it goes to show why Obama is winning in the polls. Bottom line is that the strategies of the candidates going to states there parties lost in 2004 will effect how this election turns out big time. I strongly believe that if the candidates target a state more than the other, they will win that state. I just think Obama will win the bigger and more important states for the election.
Personally I do think they the candidates should go back to the states in which their party lost in 2004. But, I am not sure if they should have gone to the small states. I think they should have focused more on the bigger swing-states that were in the last election. For example I think that I would focus more on Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania rather than New Hampshire, or any of the states that did not have a lot of electoral votes. I think that with them going back, even though a lot of people had already voted could change the undecided voters minds if they seen them speak or heard their views on some important issues. Going back to the swing states is a very smart choice I think. Because if you go back and look at the percentage of Ohio, Florida, or Pennsylvania you can see that it was a very close match between the two candidates. I do not think that Obama would have won Ohio if he didn’t go back to there and visit and speak with those Americans there. So yes I do think that their strategies did change the outcome of these states in 2008 because it made people question their vote and re-think who they were going to vote for if they had seen them one last time before election day.
I do not think that campaigning negatively is going to help either of the candidates. I think that negative campaigning just shows their weaknesses and I do not think that it’s really presidential or mature for either of them to bash each other into the ground like that. It’s a waste of money for them to do this.
I think that the candidate’s strategies will change the outcome of the states in 2008 compared to the results in 2004. I honestly think that this election being the longest campaigned ever has had an effect of many states. People are still somewhat simply minded but with the youth being so involved that I believe that the outcome will indeed be different than 2004. It’s not easy to predict the outcome because there are many swing states and there are states that have different ratios of race and age which happens to play a big role in this election. The best thing for the candidates to do is to work hard at gaining the vote of the swing states, without the use of negativity. I believe Obama has done his homework and will most certainly gain the larger states.
Hello mr wooooooood hooooooooow are yoooooooou me ooooooooook sooooooooo is the yoooooour blooooooooooog