Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney withdrew from the race Thursday, stating that it was “imperative that the party unite”. He also added that staying in the race “would make it easier for Clinton or Obama to win”. Although Romney did not explicitly endorse Sen. John McCain, he expressed some support for McCain and mentioned their common ground on terrorism and the war. Senator John McCain is now the clear front-runner for the Republicans. McCain does not have the greatest relationship with Conservatives, but seems to draw a lot of Independents as he won many states in recent primaries where Republicans usually get low support. This definitely gives conservatives a chance to beat Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama.
As the 2008 Presidential Election looms closer, and many states are still focusing on upcoming primaries, this news about Romney’s recent drop-out and McCain’s gaining momentum are big news for the entire nation. People on both sides of the political spectrum would be interested in this news because it affects all candidates that are still in the running. Therefore, impact plays an important role in making this article newsworthy. The candidates have become fairly well-known since Super Tuesday and after a year or more of campaigning. This adds prominence to the elements in the article. Finally, drama/conflict is a big part of the article because the former disputes between Romney and McCain were touched on in the article, as well as the overall picture of the election which is one big conflict. The American public must make a decision, and with so many considerations to balance in an election, any news is big news. (NY Times, 2/8/08, front page-p. A16).
My favorite article in the NY times this week was the one by Tara Parker-Pope on new medical finding concerning Diabetes health. Many of my close friends and family members have been touched by the illness and have had to live with it for many years; many of them have since passed away. This obviously touches me, and provides a service for many people that are concerned about Diabetes and its effects. Although the article makes it clear that these findings will not affect the way most people with Type 2 diabetes manage their illness, it does present some startling findings of the major federal study. The study showed that a program aimed at lowering blood pressure actually increased risk of death, and seems to tell us that people with diabetes should not necessarily try to get their blood sugar down to normal. The glitch is that the techniques used in the study do not resemble those of most doctors and patients to manage blood sugar levels. Some of the data still needs to be sorted out to see if there was any pattern between those who died in the study. But nonetheless, this article shows some emerging findings that could greatly affect a massive amount of our world’s population. (NY Times, 2/8/08, p. A15).
While preparing to send more than 600 athletes to the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, the United States Olympic Committee will ship 25,000 pounds of lean protein to China about two months prior to the opening ceremony; this need due to China’s tainted food filled with insecticides, steroids, and illegal veterinary drugs. (NY Times, 2/9/08, p. A6). A Louisiana State University nursing student killed two young women by gunfire Friday morning, before fatally wounding herself, according to Baton Rouge Police. (NY Times, 2/9/08, p. A12). A series of dangerous tornadoes stormed through the south Monday, killing at least 55 people and injuring hundreds more; searches still continue for bodies amidst debris. (NY Times, 2/8/08, p. A10). Arizona’s recent laws on immigration have tightened, leading to fewer immigrants and slower economy. (NY Times, 2/12/08, p. A13). Former NY Yankees’ pitcher Andy Pettitte, was excused from testifying at the upcoming Congressional Hearing regarding Roger Clemens’ alleged use of steroids or H.G. H.; this despite allegations by Pettitte in a recent deposition that his former teammate and friend was linked with the use of both substances. (NY Times, 2/12/08, p. D1).
