Balancing the Ticket

I believe that balancing the ticket is a very useful and successful tactic used in elections. This allows the president to have a running mate that could make up for one of their weaknesses. In many cases this tactic has had a strong influence on the results of elections. In McCains situation this had backfired due to a poor choice of asking Sarah Palin to be his running mate, but Obama used this to his best advantage. His choice to run with Biden helped make up for his lack of experience. Also Biden is known for being very up front so he can be used to be more aggressive as Obama can remain more composed.

Extension of Bush-Era Tax Cuts

Obama agreed to extend Bush-era tax cuts for 2 years and unemployment benefits for 13 months. "As outlined by Obama and sources, the deal would add up to hundreds of billions of dollars in more federal spending or lower revenue in coming years at a time when the president, Republican leaders and a federal deficit commission appointed by the president all say that the growing federal debt must be brought under control"(http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/06/obama.taxes.debates/index.html?hpt=C1). Although this may be bad for federal spending I believe this was completely necessary. As the American people struggle and unemployment is at around 10%, many cannot afford for these tax cuts to expire.

Prop 25

As California's economic state continues to struggle, the passing of prop 25 was completely necessary. The ridiculous 2/3 needed to pass anything allowed no room for change. I am now more hopeful for California's future now that this has been passed and now that a much need budget can be passed. This will allow for less arguing and more progress to be made. Especially since party lines are drawn, a 2/3 majority is too much to ask for parties that struggle to come to agreements in the first place.

Airports Beef Up Security

     New technology allows us as a country to protect ourselves better, but at what cost? The newest piece of equipment has become highly controversial, the body scanner. I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t be a little uncomfortable going through one, but for my safety I will risk it. Saying it is an extreme invasion of privacy is a completely relevant argument, but there are people out there trying to hurt us and I believe this scanner might be necessary. As terrorists advance and come up with new ideas, we too must also evolve our means of defending ourselves from attacks.

Eminent Domain

Eminent Domain gives the government the power to seize private property in the name of public use. These public uses include hospitals and schools, but the government has been abusing this privilege. Based off of ones agenda this right has been interpreted in different ways. The government has torn down neighborhoods in order to build something that would bring in more tax dollars. This helps the economy which helps the public, but was this intended when the law was written? Many may say this type of use helps the public by stimulating the economy, but what would you say when your property was a target? The house you have grown up in and created memories in. I believe the way eminent domain is being used is ridiculous and shows how out of control our federal government really is.

Obama on The Daily Show

Obama gained much of his power by inspiring the youth, but how inspired are they now? With many expectations of change not met, a decline in support has been made apparent. When Obama ran for office in 2008 he ran on change and brought out an enormous amount of young people to vote, but the decline in support can be seen through the recent midterm election. Before the election Obama appeared on the Daily Show to make a last attempt to rally votes for the election, but the election has revealed his success rate was far lower than in is campaign ( This is made obvious by the loss of majority in the House and the republicans gaining seats in the Senate). Obama states that "change does not happen over night", but how much longer are people willing to wait?

The Filibuster

 In America we pride ourselves on democracy, but I believe the ability to filibuster should be limited. Even if there maybe a majority, a minority in Congress has the power to delay or even prevent voting. Now that doesn't sound very democratic. The longest filibuster record remains at forty three and a half hours. This is beyond ridiculous and a waste of time. Yes, a group gets to voice their opinion, but this leaves the rest of Congress helpless. Also passing proposals through Congress has become increasingly difficult and slow, which doesn't allow for change. All in all I believe this poses a hinderance rather than a helpful tool.

“Legalization of Marijuana in California”

Legalizing the use of marijuana can be very beneficial to California. This would make the process of obtaining medical marijuana for those who are ill much more simple. Even more important the amount of crime would reduce as business for drug dealer would reduce as well. Finally as California struggles to stay a flout the revenue that could be made by taxing the sale of marijuana can help with California with its financial woes.

“Baby Boomers Bankrupt Social Security”

Since its invention Social Security has allowed those retiring benefits that offer stability in times of struggle. To average teenager this topic wouldn't be considered very interesting. The Senate discusses the extra support the elderly need from the government. They demand an improvement with the social security system, but I am interested in an opposing argument that captures my attention.http://www.cnbc.com/id/34941334/Will_Baby_Boomers_Bankrupt_Social_Security

The "Baby Boomers" generation is approaching a place where they will being needing support, and some say their numbers have the possibility of bankrupting Social Security. Although it is difficult to look into the future when one would need support in their retirement, I know that if the result of this generation is a broken system my generation will be severely effected. This issue is a battle of the generations. Both have strong arguments unto what they deserve, but at what risk to the other generation?

“Don’t ask don’t tell"

            Although there are issues with gays in the military such as the comfort of straight soldiers and possible inappropriate relationships, the pros of throwing away this policy far out way the cons. Through the years many gays have been kicked out of the military with many playing very important roles, such as those who speak other languages. Also our ideals of fair treatment among all people are not represented. I support the movement, which will soon probably be put into action, as justice will finally serve. Just because you prefer a different sexual orientation doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to serve your own country proudly.

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    My family most influences my beliefs, morals, and my view on politics. Fortunately we don't all share the same beliefs allowing for debate and the questioning of each others thoughts. I believe this is beneficial because it allows us to form an individual view instead of, which is quite common, me just following after my parents without much thought. This variety of opinion has challenged me to look at issues and current events and conceive my own perspective. As I transition into adulthood and prepare to be more independent I'm allowing my own experiences to form my judgement.

    The issue I am most passionate about relates to the environment. With America having one of the biggest carbon  foot prints in the world you would think the U.S. would do all it can to intervene with the damage we are causing. With the economy in distress environmental issues have taken the backseat. Not nearly as much federal funding is directed to our planet, our home. I believe we take a lot of the earth for granted especially as other issues arise(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fy2010_spending_by_category.jpg). It is our responsibility to take proper care of our earth.

Voting Age

 I strongly believe that the voting age should never be raised to any age over 18. Although many who are around the age of 18 aren't some of our most mature citizens and many make decisions based off of their peers or the influences in the media, other factors outweigh this belief that they are not ready for the responsibility. First of all no citizen should not be allowed to die for their country, but not be eligible to vote. Also many young people these days, since the 2008 presidential election, have been more interested in politics and raising the voting age would effect interest in politics in our youth. In many aspects decisions are being made about our future and our youth should be able to be apart of those decisions.