Barack Obama, the 44th president, is wading in the muck of the Bush presidency—two wars and flailing economy. And citizens and pundits are both asking the same question: “How will Obama handle the task at hand?” Needless to say, within the next few months we will begin to gather a sense of his political tactics.

Though he campaigned in black and white, as all candidates do, it will be necessary for Obama to bridge the partisan divide in order to accomplish a bold agenda. He must make tough decisions from the outset, and establish a political temperament somewhere between “cowboy diplomacy” and a passive, methodical approach. He must ease our worried minds by restoring faith in the economy, and he must call for every citizen to embrace an ethic of responsibility. He must establish relationships with foreign diplomats and renew America’s image abroad. He must invest in green energy, therefore creating millions of jobs. He must. He must. He must. The list could go on forever, and Peter Baker of the NY Times writes:

“But the task awaiting Mr. Obama arguably transcends this economic program or that foreign crisis. He takes over a nation weary of the past and wary of the future, gloomy about its place in the world, cynical about its government and desperate for some sense of deliverance. Nearly nine of every 10 Americans think the country is on the wrong track, the deepest expression of national pessimism in the polling history.”

So above all else, it is necessary for Obama to heal our nation and settle our nerves.

November 4, 2008….a day that I will forever remember. I will remember where I was, who I was with, what my sentiments were. But more than anything, I will remember the feelings of awe, pride, and sorrow. I had no doubt in my mind that our new President-Elect, Barack Obama, could take this election. However, it still was not real until I saw the words flash across the CNN screen. And at that moment, my heart filled up and bubbled over with excitement. While November 4th was a historic day because we elected our first African American president, I hope America can see that it was so much more than that. People of all races, nations, backgrounds, and social status united for a few moments in time to elect a new leader. Children of both genders and all backgrounds will grow up with the realization that they really can achieve anything they put their mind too.
After leaving an election watch party, I journeyed to the Square for a quick celebration. It was there that I noticed the long faces of some obvious McCain supporters. While listening to the coverage and talking with friends, I was asked by a McCain supporter who I voted for. Upon replying, Barack, the guy yells…Are you Crazy?! Not even for thirty minutes could I fully enjoy the moment of having voted in such a historic election for a man and family who stands for so much.

While I could write all day about my emotions and what President Obama stands for, I will leave you with just a few thoughts. First, I hope people look not just at the fact that an African American man is president, but that a new man has taken office. I hope that the American people hold Obama to his promises and polices and notice that it will take time to clean up the mess that has been left. Oprah summed it up best with her quote, “I feel that anything is possible.” I was sent an email this morning with an insert from Judges 4:4-6. This moment was written, history has been made. Regardless to whether you are Red or Blue, it is time for us to work with our new president in order to rebuild an America that we can all be proud of!

Are there times when a candidate buries their head in shame at some of the off the wall tributes and endorsements they are given? This is the question I found myself asking while I watched the famous 90s rap duo, Salt and Peppa, on BET’s Hip Hop Awards Thursday night. The group somehow thought it was appropriate to show their support for Barack and Michelle by singing “Whatta Man.” While in its original context I am a fan of the song, I must admit I was a bit off put by the performance. I can’t help but wonder what Senator Obama was thinking. Don’t get me wrong, I love rap and R&B music. I am just not so sure it has a place in a presidential election. The truth is, the election has been filled with many endorsements that have caused me to bury my head in shame or want to hide under a rock.

I can’t blame Obama from distancing himself from rapper Ludacris’s song “Obama is Here.” While it is admirable that the artist has a passion for the political process, it is not admirable to dissent other candidates in such a disrespectful manner. In one minute and 40 seconds alone, Ludacris dissed the age of McCain (“McCain doesn’t belong in any chair unless he is paralyzed”), the mental capacity of George Bush (“Bush is mentally handicap, so ball up all of his speeches and throw ‘em like candy wrap.”), and downgraded Hilary Clinton by using the B-word.

So how should one deal with these types of unwanted endorsements? And how do they affect the voting process? I believe Obama has done an excellent job ignoring the blatant disrespect that has been portrayed against a viable candidate. I hope that informed voters will realize that under the First Amendment, the U.S. Constitution does uphold freedom of speech. It should be remembered that the views of various entertainment moguls do not represent Senator Obama’s views or the views of the Democratic National Party. Hopefully, voters will not be ignorant and keep an open mind towards what really matters in a Presidential election, the issues. Let’s remember to focus on the economic crisis, education, energy, health care and let those inside the field of entertainment stick to entertaining.

Who are our Presidential Candidates? Obviously, we have been learning more and more about where they stand on the issues but what about how they their spare time? What do their movie choices reveal about them as a person? Do we forget that our candidates are more than issue-bearing robots? While I have stated in previous blogs that I wish pop culture didn’t play such a big role in the decision for our Presidential Candidate, it is interesting to see Obama and McCain’s personality come out in a recent article. Entertainment Weekly Online wrote about the candidates and their favorite movies, superheroes, and music.
Both candidates cam of as men who know how to have fun! His pick for favorite superhero, Spiderman. However, it was John McCain who I agreed with when he picked the mesmerizing Batman as his choice for beloved superhero. McCain also choose to show his love for music groups such as ABBA and Roy Orbison. This is when I realized that McCain is really really old. I did like the fact that he revealed one of his favorite singers is Usher Raymond. Who wouldn’t love such a fine portrayal of a young man though? Obama shared that a more eclectic group made up his picks while throwing out names such as Sheryl Crow, Frank Sinatra, and the best rapper alive Jay-Z. When it came to preferred television programs, I was surprised neither man picked anything up-to-date. Senator Obama cited the classic program M*A*S*H as a choice while Senator McCain went with “Dexter”. The candidates went on to talk about most recent movie viewed and their favorite portrayal of President. What was not cute was that as a 71-year-old, McCain admitted to crying during the movie Bambie. But then again, I could just be insensitive.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the article. However, as more and more pieces like this are published, I hope citizens remember to look at the issues and not base their decisions on personality based information. The race for President of the United States is not a high school popularity contest.

I am excited! We are 12 days, 290 hours, or approximately 17, 300 minutes from November 4. And while this is going to be a very historic election, today was another day that will continue to be written about. Colin Powell broke from the Republican Party and endorsed Senator Barack Obama. While this may be a significant move for so many people for various reasons, what does this endorsement really mean for the Obama campaign and the Republican Party? Furthermore, how does this move really affect the issues?
I am no political analyst; however Powell’s endorsement should move mountains for Obama and the Democratic Party. The words he spoke on behalf of Barack Obama were powerful and most important, in my opinion, measurable. Colin Powell spoke on behalf of the Chicago senator, while dealing with the issues behind the campaign. He made it clear that his decision was not based on race, but he analyzed the candidates and their ability to run our nation. Who else is more qualified than a first hand experienced Former Secretary of State to give an indication of who is able to lead the country?
While I am very proud of the endorsement the first thing I thought of was what this meant for the Republican Party. Over the next few weeks I believe the endorsement will begin to show the breakdown in the Republican Party. To have such a high figure break from the party and show his beliefs has been almost unheard of until this point. Powell gave clear reasons as to why he was not supporting McCain and was very clear in his discontent with VP candidate Sarah Palin. It was significant and impressive to me for Powell to speak on behalf of what is American and Constitutional.
Colin Powell is a very influential figure and obviously his endorsement will have an important role in the 2008 Presidential Election. He once again proved himself as an honorable and unassuming figure. What impressed me the most was the fact that he took a stand for what he believes while so many Americans are basing their decision on factors that aren’t indicative of what makes a good leader. Well done Colin Powell! Well done!

How does pop culture influence an election? Or the political process? Is it something we should let influence our vote? These questions have been on my mind a lot lately. During the 2004 Presidential Election we saw an increase in star participation in the election. Channels such as MTV and BET increased their coverage of the election and the issues that are affecting young voters. During this time, even though I was not able to vote, I found inspiration through these channels, famous musicians and entertainers. They inspired me to become better informed. I admired their activism.

The 2008 election has been a bit different. Instead of being inspired, I’ve felt as though the tactics used have been somewhat ridiculous. I have also been questioning if some of the candidates have taken their efforts to reach out too far. What are the candidates doing that are resourceful and beneficial. I’ve done a little research and this is what I’ve found…

Senator Barack Obama has been lauded for his work to incorporate a good means of technology into his campaign. He has implemented a text messaging program to keep supporters updated on what is going on inside of his campaign. Whether it is a reminder to donate to the Red Cross for Hurricane Victims or giving a listing of Presidential Debate Watch Parties in your area, the text message aspect of Obama’s campaign is ingenious. Not only can you get text messages, you can get Obama ringtones, wallpapers, and speeches sent directly to your phone. So in the aspect of capitalizing on a generation that is technologically savvy, Obama wins. However, I am still questioning what I think about our presidential candidates knowledge of music and television. Is it really appropriate for our future president to “brush his shoulder’s off” in the spirit of Jay-Z’s famous song? I will let you ponder this question as I move on.

Senator John McCain has seemed to tap into the use of pop culture in a different way. While he doesn’t have an educational use for today’s younger generation implemented into his campaign, he has seen if fit to appear in the movie Wedding Crashers. This is a movie that has been criticized for its heavy nudity and language. Senator McCain also felt that it was appropriate to show his knowledge for the famous MTV show The Hills. While I am in love with this show, I don’t think I want its characters endorsing my next president.

I am sure I am going to regret this later, but where is P. Diddy when you need him? I miss the Vote or Die movement and I hope that our generation makes a concerted effort to educate themselves fully on the issues versus letting pop culture sway us.

Religion was a definite factor in the 2000 and 2004 elections, and seems as though it may be even more important in this one. President George W. Bush was very outspoken on his religious views and faith in God during his election, as was Sen. John Kerry. However, Bush and Kerry are Christian and Catholic respectively.
There has been much discussion of Sen. Barack Obama's religious views over past weeks. He has been linked with Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism, and in his book said that he has studied Hinduism, as well as Greek, Norse and African mythology. While to some it would seem useful that Sen. Obama is well versed in many religions, others seem to look down on the senator because of it.
While Obama is a now a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ, his ties to Islam are causing an uproar, especially in the Southern Baptist south. Though both his father and step-father were Muslim, one considered himself an atheist and the other was a lapsed Muslim who followed beliefs of other religions as well. And yet, these ties have lead many southerners to view Obama as a terrorist sympathizer and have looped him into the negative view many Americans have of Muslims.
Gov. Palin's religious views have also been discussed at length, especially considering her strong social conservative views and the pregnancy of her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol. Palin was raised under the Pentacostal Church, which, according to Time follows "a strict moral code: no tobacco, no alcohol, no social dancing." This portrayal of Palin's religious background easily explains her social conservatism, however, the preacher of her former church is of the typical, and contraversial, hellfire and brimstone variety.
Palin now attends a nondenominational Baptist church and has not been outspoken on her personal religious beliefs, but I am sure they will surface soon. It will be quite interesting to see how the religious views of the candidates will affect the perceptions of the voters come November.

After reading an article published in USA Today titled “Obama outdoor speech echoes JFK's 1960 move” thoughts swirled as I began to draw comparisons between our leaders of the past and those today. The article highlights the fact that Obama is the first presidential candidate to accept his nomination in an outdoor arena since John F. Kennedy, when he made his acceptance speech on July 15 1960. The Democrats made the decision to move the night’s events from indoors to Invesco Field which can hold almost 80,000. I agree with the writer of the article when he suggests that this mimicked the stage set for Kennedy, but in particular Kennedy’s morals, values and ideas. It seems that the “new frontier” as he called it is back and well and truly alive.

Watching the 48 year old footage of Kennedy, several themes seemed to have stuck throughout the Democratic campaign. Obama made reference to his predecessors including Kennedy weaving their words into his own acceptance speech. Obama urged the nation to recover its “moral and intellectual strength and take responsibility to fulfil America’s promise”. Change and progression towards a successful future is a key theme for both Kennedy and Obama. While Kennedy coined the term “the new frontier” for America, Obama speaks of change and the “American promise”.

USA Today suggests that this decision by Obama to move his speech outdoors was strategic to echo the mystique of Kennedy and to “generally stir things up”. I don’t think the outdoor venue “stirred things up”. Besides the USA Today, there was little mention by the various media outlets of the outdoor venue, so whether or not the Democrats are disappointed about this I don’t know. In theory this should have been one of those moments that will be “Youtubed” forever, but to me it was what the usual of what I expected from Obama. The article states "Kennedy's physical presence was electrifying, and so is Obama's. A big outdoor audience maximizes their presence”, however, I don’t think this was the case. The New York Times, however have revealed that one of Obama’s planners did in fact study photos of Kennedy’s speech at the Los Angeles Coliseum in their article earlier this week. Basically I don’t think it has helped or hindered his campaign. I do think the idea was reminiscent of Kennedy but its impact did not compare. So was this $6 million operation to construct the outdoor arena really worth it?

Regardless, after hearing the address of Barack Obama, I was warmed, excited and motivated for change. And hey, I’m not even a citizen of this country! I understand you cant just vote for some one based on promises, but if there is no hope and you can’t strive for something then things will never improve. What are you aiming for? It all starts with a vision, which Obama is enthusiastic and motivated to see come to fruition. He reinforced what Michelle had to say in her speech earlier this week and outline specifics of his polices. So to all that say Obama has not shown any evidence of this thing called “change” he so powerfully speaks of, then listen to his acceptance speech. After all, as he said “you can’t meet 21st century challenges with 20th century bureaucracy”.

Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsdomV7giC0 to watch Kennedy's 1960 acceptance speech for yourself. How do you think it compares?

As a journalism student, I often find myself questioning the one institution I probably should have the most faith in, the media. Don't get me wrong, without them we would be an uninformed group of people. But a recent article, "It Rhymes with Fire," published in this month's issue of Mother Jones validates the fact that the media is a liar. In fact, the media is a bit shady. They plot against us and play with our minds.

The Mother Jones article highlights many instances where the media knew Bush was trying to pull the wool over American's eyes about key issues such as 9/11, the status of US soldiers, and Iraq. However, the next morning, papers would proclaim Bush was promising a safer world. The article also highlighted poll results. Even after September 11, 77% of Americans still thought of Bush as trustworthy and honest. These people obviously are being mislead.

All of this leads a backlash against Barack Obama. Until recently, Obama has been the media's golden child. He has obviously been getting more attention than McCain. But why? New York Times columnist David Brooks once called Obama grand and inspiring. Now he calls Obama over hyped and phony. Wall Street Journalist, Peggy Nooman also used to praise Obama, now she says he is a "self-centered snob who can't related to normal Americans." Also, John Dickerson has proclaimed he has had enough of Obama's euphoria. He questions whether there is a limit to the "Obama craze." Even John McCain's camp has been complaining to reporters that the media is going too easy on Obama. While many have challenged the media's inadequacy to report Bush's term, are they accurately portraying Obama and his run for presidency? While this is a question that may not be answered for a while, I do question the turn in Obama's portrayal. Is it just the media's ploy to keep him out of office?