Pack it up, Honey. We're going to the White House.

This is the point at the high school basketball game when the kids start yelling, "Warm up the buses" or "It's all over."
Friday, October 31, 2008 11:42 pm.
No tricks here; only treats for Obama. In the final days before the election, Obama is moving into typically Republican states. While McCain is in Ohio, and Palin in Pennsylvania, Obama is making stops all over the US, and pouring more money into states like Georgia; a state only voted for a democrat once in the last 20 years.

However, the BBC is still giving McCain a chance. They say that he could be the underdog... That's what he is claiming, so they are reporting it.

Are they giving McCain too much credit? Or are they just trying to 'make news'? They said national polls say that Obama is way ahead overall, but battleground states' polls make it seem closer. After the freshmen seminar presentations, I don't know if I buy it...

It's wonderful to fool the pundits, we're going to win in the state of Pennsylvania

The main article for today, October 28, 2008 10:37 pm, is about the battleground states, and McCain trying to catch up. McCain and Obama has spent a lot of time in Pennsylvania and North Carolina... and the BBC is not doubting McCain.

Sometimes I wish I had a news source more biased... Again, this article is straightforward. It says, yeah, McCain is behind... But he says he's catching up. Yeah, McCain is neck in neck with Obama in North Carolina, a state that hasn't voted democrat since the 60s or 70s, but McCain has been visiting, and it could still go either way.

They do say, "[McCain] He is the first Republican in many years to find himself outgunned financially and outmuscled on the ground, our correspondent says.

As if to hammer home the point, Mr Obama has bought a costly 30-minute "infomercial" due to be shown on leading US networks on Wednesday evening."

While some may believe this might make it look a little biased, I can't help but see that it is the truth... I think the only thing that McCain can hope for now is lots of racist Americans...

frame it!

This one is the one that I used for YouTube-- and is actually most current..



Still not sure who I'm going to vote for... but here is a video that I had assigned in my media and election seminar using YouTube downloader and Windows Movie Maker. Hope you enjoy...

Wrap up...

As the election draws near, it is gaining more and more attention from the international media. This week has been a good week for news-- but it is funny how different the BBC is from other news sources in America. The issues this week are....
1. The traditional October surprise...
Dr Rupp and Pete talked about this on the first day of Freshmen seminar. The BBC asks, though, will it matter with all the early voting? Will another Osama video come out, using fear as a persuasive means to gaining votes for the Republican party? It is hard to imagine one man being responsible for literally THOUSANDS of deaths, and we can't find him... We have computer programs that know the kind of music that we like based on genres and beats per minute-- but we can't find ONE guy?? This isn't how they frame it-- but they do say bluntly that this is the reason Bush won in 2004. Does it match up with everything I know? Yep.

2. Early voting
The BBC reports that early voting is helping Democrats. The key for McCain to win is for democrats not to get out and vote... Voting in states like North Carolina, a key battleground state has early voting up nearly 400%. The articles says, "In the past, Republicans have tended to benefit from early voting.

"This is like a mirror image of what we've seen in the past," said Paul Gronke, of the Early Voting Information Center at Reed College. "This cannot be good news for John McCain."

Overall, early voting is running about twice as high this year as in 2004 in many states."

It's more than gaining the support of the people. It is about getting the support, and then energizing them in a manner that will make them go out and vote... and Obama is doing that well..

3. McCain the underdog!

McCain is behind... We all know it, but on Meet the Press, McCains says he's not worried... The BBC did a great job at just talking about the situation. McCain claims that the polls aren't accurate... and the BBC doesn't rip him to shreads because of it... and that is probably because it is true. Really, since we do not use cell phones to do polls, they are missing an important segment of the American picture... I know people like my aunt are hoping they are wrong... But, we'll see....

4. Palin's ethics...

While the media in the US can't get over how great Tina Fey does as Sarah Palin, the British are focusing on how... no, wait, wait...

In their "Election in a nutshell" segment, they mention how the Ethics report found Palin to be unethical... What articles did they write though? Tina Fey has to glue her ears down to do a better Palin... I can see the brainstorming session for this week's news stories in case there aren't any tragedies... World hunger? nahhh.... Inpropriaties of an elected officials-- eh, we'll mention it... Tina Fey glues her ears... OMG< FRONT PAGE...

yet, suprisingly enough... that is what people are talking about...

5. McCain isn't playing fair...

That's what Obama is claiming... and again, this is what America is talking about... Last week, in seminar, we talked about Robo-Calling... The BBC doesn't go into great detail about this... I actually didn't realize that this was what this artilce was about until I read it... They took a much less biased view of this topic, using Obama's words and accusations, how ever accurate, to write the story. Again, the BBC seems to want to stay out of this partisanship, while reporting the facts.

Overall, the BBC did a pretty good job this week... I am anxious to see what happens next week-- The last time we'll see election news for four years, as long as there is no Y2K fiasco...

October Surprises

I usually wait until the last minute to write these blogs, but after visiting bbc.co.uk at 8:30 am on October 23, I realized I couldn't wait...

This wasn't just the front page of the American Election section... No, it was on the main page of the website. It talked about the 2004 election and the Osama video coming out the week before the election... and this article talked about what can happen with the time before this election dwindling...

The discussion in the article makes it appear that a twist would have to occur to benefit John McCain-- BUT it can't be anything that he can be rash about... He is already known as the 'maverick', but some believe that he makes decisions without really thinking or considering the things necessary for a president to consider. The question, then, is really-- is there going to be something happening having to do with something where McCain is stronger in the coming months that Republicans would have potential power over... For instance, if the White House has a tape of Bin Ladin that has not been released yet... that would magically appear before election day...

Another topic that I hadn't thought about is that so many people take advantage of early voting, that it is hard to say how many would be influenced by this action... I would argue, though, that those that have voted already probably were confident in those that they voted for...

It is funny that this is brought up; I remember the first day of Pete and Rupp's freshmen seminar, and they talked about something happening before the election that could turn things around... Right now, I think that the only thing McCain can do is sit back and pray for the Bradley effect...

REJECTED

October 21, 2008. 11:13 pm
So, it's all about framing. While the BBC has done a really great job at being fair and balanced, BUT today's headline read, "Russians reject McCain cash plea."
The article reads that there was a mishap in the technology, and that the McCain campaign accidentally solicited money for the campaign from Russia. They talked about how, first, candidates were not allowed to accept money from foreign donations. They then went on to talk about how McCain spoke out against them during the Georgia-Russia conflict, and also suggested that we throw Russia out from the G-8 because of their behavior when it comes to human rights.

The article itself isn't so bad. It gives all the information. The reason that it can be considered 'framed' though, is because going from the headline only, it would lead one to believe that McCain is not only dishonest-- but also is doing exactly what he is accusing Obama of doing: pandering with people with questionable ethics and morals...

Whoa Republicans!

And the stories of the week are:
1. Colin Powell, George Bush's former secretary of state, and one of the few members of Bush's cabinet that is still respected by the general American public is endorsing Barrack Obama. This is a recent development that won't affect most voters-- but those few down the middle, such as myself, this decision will influence them greatly. When I read this, I thought, if he is going to endorse him, then I probably should, becausing being a PR major, I know that it is all about perception. If people think that he will be an instrument of change, then it might empower the public to be the change they want to be... Also, if there aren't red flags up from Mr. Powell, then I trust it...

2. Court blocks Ohio vote challenge...
Republicans wanted to block some votes... but the court did not allow it...
That is what one would think if someone just read the synopsis... but if you read on through it, you would see, "... there were 200,000 cases where voter registration did not match social security or motor vehicle registration records, [but] the majority of the cases were mis-spellings or inaccuracies in data bases."
I can see how this story would be significant in the state of Ohio, but this is not what my friends and family are talking about...

3. Obama breaks another record.
Obama brought in another record breaking month of fundraising. The BBC reported that he brought in over $150 mil. This is significant in the history of US Politics. Not only is our country is a tight economic crunch, but this is also a time where people's ethics are under a microscope... and if, even with those conditions, is still making and breaking records like that... then it is something that people are going to notice. They didn't really rag on McCain, though. It always, in each of these articles, tells about how McCain gets his funding in other ways--agreeing not to solicite from the public campain finanace. So far, while fair and balanced, most good stories come from the Obama/Biden ticket.

4. Live from New York...
It's Sarah Palin!! Palin made her debut this weekend on SNL. The headine reads, "Palin joins her mimic on US show." Humor plays an important role in this election, and especially the jokes on SNL. This is a great way to reach out to a younger demographic, who again, rather than voting on the issues, are voting on character... This will be something that my friends and family will actually talk about-- more because it is entertaining rather than newswothy.

5. Pro-America states...
It's crunch time for Mccain... The final issue that the BBC talks about is how McCain has to catch up strategically using the battleground states. This is something that we talk about more in classes than in conversation, but it is something. With less than 20 days left till election day, it is imperetive that McCain pull out the works in those key states...

Election is two weeks from Tuesday, and most states are now allowed to have early voting.... I'm excited to see how everything begins to change in the next two weeks! :)

Florida, North Carolina & Virginia....

Friday October 17, 2008 10:50 pm.
It's not about having the most supporters; it's about getting your supporters registered and out on November 4th. That is what the BBC is saying. It again is not about framing it to make Obama look ahead. Obama is ahead, but unlike MSNBC, they're not saying it is over.

One quote said, " The winner of the 2008 election is likely to be the candidate who is most successful at getting their voters to the polls."

The BBC is saying that if McCain doesn't win NC, VA and FL, there is no chance for victory, and this is the headline tonight. Another top story is that the Republicans sued the state of Ohio about voting registration, and voting policy. While this would be an awesome opportunity to frame the story in such a way that makes the Republicans or Democrats villains or heroes, again, the BBC just states the facts.

I think, much like me, the BBC is becoming more lax about the entire election, especially as the economy continues to jump back up... 17 more days...

money money money.... MUN-AH

October 14, 10:30 pm
And it appears that the candidates are finally talking about things that the American public is interested in...

the ECONOMY. The two lead stories are about Obama's and McCain's economic plan. With McCain behind in the polls, he had to have a plan and he has to understand it, and be able to explain, in particular to undecided voters... and the BBC framed it in this way. On the nutshell, they say, "John McCain unveils an economic plan in response to yesterday's Obama plan"

Responding? It's all about McCain catching up... The pic in the nutshell alludes to the debate tomorrow... Maybe tomorrow, we can get some answers.... Let's see who the BBC favors after tomorrow, and after the plans of both candidates have the opportunity to be vetted...

Class Notes... Oct 13

Maslow's hierarchy of needs...

Self-Actualization (what you do is what you are meant to do)
Self-Esteem
Belonging & Love
Safety
Physiological needs
They want to say that we are not safe after 9/11. The frame says 'it could happen to me, anywhere.' It is now over here...

Carter-- human rights... It's not really our problem
Reagan-- TWA hijacking... International security. In this instance, it was framed differently.

The fact that it was right behind us... It is now in America.
1995- FBI building..

Americans harming Americans = criminals...
Others harming Americans = terrorists

Compare to today: Economics!
Proactive in finding the truth... www.fightthesmears.com <-- What to think about: Taxes How to think about it: Obama says

• 95% will not have taxes raised
  
• McCain will give oil companies break
  

McCain says

• economy in trouble, so you don't raise them
  
• jobs
  

Democrats own:

1. health care
2. social welfare
3. income
   
4. job security
   

Republicans own:

1. defense/national security
   
2. crime
   
3. foreign policy

Fear appeal: We don't know what everyone is afraid of...

Dan Rather showed the video of Bush not being in the air force... You show too much violence... you show too much sex...

Well, it's what you want to see. Chicken & the egg-- do we want to watch it b/c we want to see it-- or do we watch it b/c they show it and now we want to see it...

Do you tell us what should satisfy us? Or do they show what will satisfy us?

Overtime, you become someone who wants to see sex in advertising... What is fine? What can we NOT see on television? We become desensitized...

Other fear appeals:
Jobs
Taxes
Terrorism
Character attacking...


Obama taunting McCain... Bring it on.... We love watching other people fighting each other...

Because of the Republican party, we have stamped out terrorism within the United States...
Democrats majority in congress...

I can't take the fighting, the back-stabbing, the open hostility. We're not acting like cheerleaders, we're acting like a bunch of sorority girls!

That's right... a quote from the movie Sugar & Spice best describe this week in politics. But what are the big stories at the end of the week? Sunday October 12, 10:02 PM.

1. Obama's lead/ McCain's battle to catch up
In light of the economic crisis, Obama has taken a lead in a race that has been a virtual deadlock. The news, however, has not been about how Obama can stay ahead; rather, it has been framed in a way that asks how McCain can catch up. I personally, can't decide if that is some ploy to gain readership in a certain niche, or if it is just the angle they randomly picked... But this seems to go on pretty well with the others in the media world.

2. TrooperGate
This was the week that the ethics report came out about Sarah Palin's role in the firing of a trooper in Alaska, and how it was related to a family feud. This was important because it provides insight to her character, which, contrary to popular belief, those that watch the media know is the most important issue in this election. The BBC does a good job at showing "both sides" or contridictory opinions... but I'm not sure this has match up with what my friends and family are talking about...

3. Smears
This ties into McCain catching up. This is the smearing that is happening in the campaign. Dr. Rupp said last week that the undecided voters that he wants to reach out to does not like to hear negative ads, but McCain's campaign team has not heard that. Even today, Palin is making more charges against Obama. They talk about the ties to Terrorists, and even made that a story. Some voters, again, some of my family who tend to be narrowminded, voting on single issues like the war and abortion, buy into those ties... but are those the people McCain wants to reach?

4. Palin's email
Again, this is something that I don't think anyone but the media cares about. It is interesting because the student who did it was the son of a congressman, and there is invasion of privacy that is happening... but it doesn't really have anything to do with the election, because none of those emails turned out to be anything bad... I'm not sure why this is a top story IN THE ELECTION with less than 25 days to go...

5. Economic crisis.
The problem with the crisis is the one that most people are talking about... yet other than Obama's lead, this hasn't been tied into the stories this week. I think this is because there was so much on it last week... and when the candidates are so vague, the media cannot keep reporting the same facts or analysis every day...

I know that the news this week on CNN and Fox has had more of the racism sentitment... I'm anxious to see if this pops up more as the elections draws nearer..

Back to the BS

Friday October 10, 2008 7:36 pm.

While I have been completely immersed in the business world of Trustee Meetings for the past two days, the election has only briefly been in my mind since the debate... And while this is still a great concern among everybody, it appears that you can only beat that horse so long...

That is why the BBC, instead, is writing articles on an ethics report on Sarah Palin that no one has read yet... and also on McCain's campaign messages accusing Obama of having ties to terrorists.

In their Day in a Nutshell segment, they are talking about troopergate.. Again, it is hard to talk about how this is framed because it appears to me that they are unbiased, presenting only the facts, and all the he said she said garbage. In editorials, they allow authors to write what they think... but even then, they have pretty fairly balanced representation from both sides of the specturm. I did notice today, though... they featured quotes from both of the candidates' wives.

They quoted Michelle Obama from her appearance this week on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with John Stewart
. It quotes her saying, "I put myself in the position of a voter, and I tell him, if I don't believe you, I'm not voting for you, buddy."

As for Cindy, she says, "I have very distinct things that I like. I have very distinct opinions. Just because I choose to be a little less overt out on the campaign [trail] doesn't mean I'm anything less than very opinionated and very intelligent." That is from an interview with Good Housekeeping...

I don't think that what they said is important... it's more about who they said it to... The Daily Show shows that Obama is reaching out to the younger voters... Good Housekeeping is to upper-middle class white women...

The BBC doesn't say this... but what this election comes down to is who is going to show up on election day....

and the beat goes on...

Wednesday, October 8, 2008 7:11 am.
The BBC may not be framing this in a way that makes it appear that McCain is loosing ground.... he actually appears to be loosing ground. However, does this kind of talk deter undecided voters to vote for Obama?

The Day in the Nutshell says that McCain did not get the win he so desperately needed to keep his campaign alive. One source said, "Because he's trailing, we needed to see something different from McCain tonight. It wasn't a bad night for him, and most of his answers were fine. But there wasn't anything that any of us are going to remember in a couple of days..."
Jim Geraghty, National Review.

They report that polls say some people say that Obama won, while others say McCain, but a majority say that it was a draw... but is it lining up with what my friends and family are saying?

No. Candidates have got this thing where they can totally avoid a question. They say something like 'I'm not going to talk about that... instead, I want to talk about blah blah blah.' How can the media ignore this? I guess, because everyone else is...

Final Countdown

Less than a month from the election... and what is the BBC talking about?
1. Economic Bail-Out
Again, this had to be a big story, even for a news agency outside of the US, because the US market is a world leader. Usually, if America is hurting, most countries, especially Europe will probably follow suite, as America is a world leader. Although the BBC doesn't frame this in a way that blames anyone, say the Bush administration or John McCain, it does say this in their 'day in a nutshell' article, "'I want to thank one person who's not here, and that's Barack Obama, who made numerous calls and helped us get the votes to pass this.' Rahm Emanuel, House Democratic Caucus chairman"
2. The VP Debate
Sarah Palin came onto the scene and took the US by storm. While many past VP debates have not been watched by a huge population. This debate, however, most definitely was. Most were waiting for Sarah Palin to fall flat on her face, especially after her embarrassing interview with Katie Couric... as well as ready for Biden to say something to knock Obama from his increasing lead... However, again, the BBC does not take a side, reporting "No train wreck"


3. McCain pulls out of Michigan
McCain is behind, and while you might think he needs to keep on campaigning hard, his campaign decided that he needed to refocus his energy... The BBC, while I believe are only speaking the truth, are showing that even while McCain, who had to "inevitability have to withdraw from one state" shows that Obama is gaining a lead...

4. Obama's terrorist ties
This is a recent development... Since the VP debate; again, the BBC is showing both sides of the story. They printed the story and put a video clip in there where Palin actually makes the connection. They then printed the article where Obama refuted that, as well as that video clip. It turns into a he said/she said, but the BBC is telling you about it...

5. Polls in battleground states
This is part of every story, but also has some pictures.. This is straightforward with stories and options so that you can make the call yourself... It tells with facts, how Obama is gaining in battleground states.

This pretty much follows what I'm hearing about in my election classes, as well as with family and friends. While this is a hectic time of year, and this is taking a backseat in the Wesleyan World, I'm sure that the debate on Tuesday is sure to take the forefront tomorrow... I'm excited to see what the media predicts, and even more excited to see what happens on Tuesday...

VP Debate...

The BBC, as I'm guessing most other news sources are focusing on two things: the VP debate and the economy.
10:30, Friday October 3, 2008.
BBC, unlike MSNBC or Fox News, is not so biased. It makes it hard, sometimes for me to try to see how they frame it. While the articles about the VP were pretty straightforward wit a combination of facts about each side. They also made a chart with the words that both candidates used most often.
They also reported about how Obama was leading in the polls currently by about 9 points. However, I've noticed there hasn't been much about racism and accuracy of these polls.
In the primaries, in the exit poll, many people said they voted for him, but when the actual numbers came out, they were significantly lower than those who actually voted for him. This, I learned at the racism and politics conference is what we refer to as 'invisible racism.' However, the BBC does not mention this...
This makes me wonder if they intended to leave this out; if they planned to frame it in this way.... or since they are not part of the culture, if they are blind to what is going on...
As the election draws nearer, the BBC is getting really cool tools to help you watch the debate, such as a calendar of events, financial tracker and polls. If you are interested in pretty unbiased news, you might want to check out www.bbc.co.uk.