Kanye 2020 | Page 9

Movement Toward the Middle?

In the book Deeply Divided, Doug McAdam and Karina Kloos seek to explain the current polarization in American politics, and how we got here from the post World War II period of minimal social movements. Further, they want to understand the role of race, region, and movements in politics from 1960 until today. Chapter two…

Red States and Blue States? Try Red Country and Blue Country.

After digesting the Democratic debate for 24 hours, and comparing it to the Republican debates. I’ve come to one solid conclusion; the Democrats and the Republicans are running for president in two separate countries. The Democrats are speaking to a country filled with struggle, disadvantage, and prejudice, while the Republicans are speaking to a country…

Too Young to Discriminate

On Tuesday October 13th at the first 2016 Democratic Presidential Debate, party front-runners Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton were bound to criticize each other. In his opening line, Sanders condemned Clinton for accepting large donations and PAC money, while Clinton countered by asserting that Sanders is too soft on gun control. Despite these differences, much…

Politics As Usual

After reading Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow” and multiple pieces by Tah-Nehisi Coates, I couldn’t help but turn the volume up when Don Lemon asked the question regarding “black lives matter”. To my surprise, the candidates appeared to be united on this front and understood that the matter runs deeper than police violence. Bernie…

Gender Rules in Presidential Debates

Although there have been female presidential candidates in previous years, such as Sarah Palin, none have been as serious of a contender according to the polls, as Hillary Clinton. The role of gender in politics, in particular presidential elections, is subtle but apparent in the ways that female politicians have to work to convey themselves…

Targeting Voters and Winning Their Votes

During the Democratic debate, on October 13, 2015, five candidates answered questions on policies and concerns voters have about each candidate specifically. At the opening, each candidate was given two minutes for an introduction. In this time frame, Hillary Clinton hit points such as being the granddaughter of a factory worker. She discussed reorganizing the…

The Power of Sharing Power

As we discussed in our first class this semester, there are 3 “Faces” of power defined by sociologist Steven Lukes: power through decision making, power through agenda setting, and power through domination. In the first two GOP primary debates, only one face of power was present: power through domination. The GOP candidates did not prioritize…

After the first Democratic debate, the GOP needs to step up their game… big time

Carly Fiorina’s response to Donald Trump’s attacks on her physical appearance, the Trump-Bush back and forth on whether or not Trump tried to open a casino in Florida, Trump’s criticism of Fiorina’s business record, Mike Huckabee’s mockery of his wife’s spending habits, and Bush’s confession that he smoked marijuana in college are just some of…

Poor, Little, White Men

In last night’s Democratic Presidential Debate, former Virginia Senator Jim Webb, was called out for his previous statement deeming affirmative action a form of “state-sponsored racism”. Webb has been called a “White Man’s Democrat” because he argues that the Democratic Party contradicts itself in wanting to give a voice to people who otherwise wouldn’t have…

Prison USA: The Dilemmas of Mass Incarceration

“Racism is not merely a simplistic hatred. It is, more often, broad sympathy toward some and broader skepticism toward others…” -Ta-Nehisi Coates In the article from the Atlantic, “The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration,” Ta-Nehisi Coates lays out the troubles and injustices African American men are facing today in the American prison…