Rough Politics

[Willie]

The issue facing America are stretching to reach everyone, including those of a generation that some feel have are disconnected. But on the contrary it is estimated that the new voter population (18-24) are getting registered to vote and on some level making themselves knowledgeable of the issues and concerns at hand, more so then every before. Being up front, I did not interview anyone who did not plan on voting. I feel if your not going to vote (and you can) then you have nothing to say and are willing to living by anyone’s rule. And my rule for you is, shut up!
I interviewed about six people and some of the same topics came up such as the economy and the war and while I value these issues very much too, I don’t wont to focus on them. I interview a good friend of mine named Levi. He is 24, a real estate agent, and student. He, like myself enjoys outdoor activities; firing range, basketball, paintball, festivals in Austin, and things we can say I beat you in. Another good friend of mine is Gary, he is 28, engaged -works as a contractor and has substantial investments in stocks so he pays close attention to the market constantly. I choose these two to contrast their views and opinions, they are voting for opposite candidates.
The first question I asked both of them was; “Not paying attention to the candidates what is the biggest issue of this election year to you?” Levi response was the our energy usage. “I really want the country to start thinking green.” he feels we have to put more emphasis on our development of supplementary forms of energy. He feels that his candidate has a good plan that will start to push us towards more natural forms of energy like wind and solar power. This question to Gary produced this response, “The recession has to end.” To Gary the market is in shambles and its getting worse. He feels that fixing the money problem fixes all the other problems. The next question I presented was, of all the issue revolving around this election and the nation as a whole, what issue do you feel your candidate has the best chance to reduce or eliminate? Gary’s response was the social security issues. He feels that if any of the monetary problems the country is having now can be and should be solved, it’s the state that social security system is in. He believes that the candidate he is NOT voting for has a better plan of reform for the SS problem then the candidate he his voting for. Levi’s response went like this, his candidate will probably surprise the world with his foreign diplomacy strategies. “ His lack of direct linkage to the “Old Way” will give him a clean slate to deal with other countries.”
The next two questions I asked my informants was, what are the strengths and weakness of your chosen candidates. Levi response was his candidate is, “Not tied to the old system.” He his trying to create a new way of doing things. He has his own ideas and is not overly concerned with lobbyist, “Who really run the show.” “He is something fresh and speaks to a generation that’s coming into power.” On the other hand, his candidate in his words has a lack of necessary experience. Additionally he said with his candidate, “Everything sounds like a promise.” No one comes through on every promise. Levi also said that “Change is never immediate.” sometimes it seems like his candidate is selling us dreams of immediate change and we as a society in the position we’re in, are looking for anything new and better than what we have now. Gary’s answer to this question went this way. “ My candidate has experience and more important he has good relationships with big money-big money that can jump start our economy. He likes to make money that so helpfully we (the American society) should make some money. He worded it this way, his candidates weakness is his age. “He is disconnected with the generation that will be taking on the problems that will face America tomorrow.”
The final question I gave my interviewees, was, “What is something you can see in four (4) years, that your candidate will have accomplished?” Gary’s response was “his candidate will remove us from this current financial situation we’re in.” “He might even be able to take the conditions and make them better than what they previously were.” Levi’s answer was, “In four years we will have found new home based sources for energy-there by creating jobs and stimulating the economy in the mist.”
I really like both of these guys and as long as your willing to state your opinion
and justify it I can respect it. I like both sides they played and honestly they have impacted some of my views of the candidates and this election. I did not directly say the name of any candidate be cause I wanted to focus on the views and points of my interviewees. I want to thank them for giving me something of substance to write about. This is going to be some election year. The suspense is crazy, the turn out is expected to be a all time high and the attention that it is capturing across the age barriers is proof that the current state we are in is rejected across the board.

[Lennie Irvin]

I like your opening "shut up" to those who don't vote. These two men seem very interesting, and I liked hearing their contrasting views. I too believe that energy is really important. I'm currently reading a book by Thomas Friedman called Flat, Hot, and Crowded and he writes about how our current oil-based dependence and economy causes so many bad things and it isn't just the environment. It is our dependence on countries that increasingly don't like us. I hope we can become energy independent, but it won't happen really fast without some major breakthroughs.

LI

[Robert Melita]

Ok Willie hear is my response to you. First of all the popular vote DOES NOT count in the presidential election! Your presisent is elected by the electoral college, in other words your vote counts for everything on the presidential ballot EXCEPT the President. You vote on issues, and thats it... ISSUES. Therefore, I guess that since you think you vote for the President, and you really don't you should "shut up" too. You can gripe about the issues...but not about the President, because you really did not vote for President. If you have any doubts about what I have just said, do a little research, you will find that what I have said is true. Sad....but true.

[Eric Sawyer]

i like how you wrote your outlook with a sort of contrast. i think that we need to look for more alternative forms of energy and steer away from oil a little. to help the American people and help the environment. i think it is great that our automotive manufactures are experimenting and producing hybrid and electric cars, and i hope to see more innovations in the future

[Justin La Cour]

I like how you opened up with telling people that if they don't vote then they have no right to complain about whats happening. I do agree that we need to start using alternate forms of energy and try to steer away from the use of oil and other forms of energy that we are continually using. I think that it is very important that we become energy independent and can cut off some of the ties that are constricting us so much.

[Angel Barrera]

First of all I agree on what Roberto Melita is telling you “the popular vote DOES NOT count,” and I know its sad and hard to believed but is true. About the energy issue we people depend so much on energy, that I really don’t think that it would be easy for us to try to use it less because each time we use it more and more. As for the oil, there’s a lot of people and countries that have become richer with their oil companies, one example is the country of Iran most of the economy power they are getting depends on the oil they are selling.

[Laurie Lopez Coleman]

Willie,
Thank you for your contribution to the discussion. I share your feeling of anticipation. There is so much to look forward to, if we stay optomistic.

[Natasha McCarthy]

I like the fact that the people you interviewed knew things about the person they are supporting. I have actually spoken to many people who said they were going to go vote and didn't know anything about the candidates. Its ridiculous to not take such a big issue seriously. Many people were bold enough to even say that their vote wasn't going to count anyway, so why bother with it. Obviously, from the results of Obama winning, EVERYONES vote counts. It may only be ONE vote, but when you put that one vote together with all the other ones, you get a majority, and that is power.