Leading up to Super Tuesday primary elections, campaign donations and fundraisers gave added support and publicity to candidates in the running. Most specifically, Long Islanders gave greater amounts of money to Clinton's campaign last year than all the other major candidates combined. This major support, along with John Edward's recent drop out, is sure to impact Clinton’s race against the only other Democratic hopeful, Barack Obama. Although Obama's Long Island fundraising support has recently picked up, it may not be a huge help considering Hillary Clinton's senatorial record with New Yorkers. As for the Republicans, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani's recent departure from the race and endorsement for John McCain leaves a decent opportunity for the Senator. Giuliani was the obvious Republican leader in monetary support from Long Island, which makes his endorsement of McCain all the more influential. Money aside, only the looming results from the booths will tell who comes out with the lead.
Long Island is the home to several large universities (i.e. Hofstra, Adelphi, Stony Brook University), on top of its already huge population. As the Super Tuesday primaries this year distributed nearly 80% of the delegates needed for a nomination, the effect of Long Islanders to the results-- and those results of the primaries on Long Island and the nation--are great. Therefore, this article lends itself to almost all of the elements of news. Proximity greatly affects the newsworthiness of this article as well as its impact. This article is timely because it is about the biggest event (besides the Super Bowl) that is happening this month. Drama and conflict plays a small part, simply because the ongoing race between Obama and Hillary is mentioned and the whole race overall is one giant conflict. Lastly, this article provides a service to the people because it mentions the behind-the-scenes funds of prominent candidates supported by Long Islanders. (Newsday, 2/4/08, p. A5)
In my opinion, the best article this week in Newsday, was the one regarding a $153.2 million "boost" to New York City transit authorities in an effort against terror. There is a broad array of pertinent issues in this article which affect not only the immediate areas of New York, but the rest of the country as well. The money, allotted by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, is to be divided among the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, NJ Transit, Port Authority, the East River, Staten Island ferries and Amtrak (to pay for the "boots on the ground"). This means more bomb-detection patrols, behavior assessment screening, random passenger searches, and public awareness efforts. Proximity is a great element to this article because, as I am a Hofstra University student, I am greatly affected by these changes because I use the LIRR and Amtrak in my day-to-day travels, as I am sure many other students do. But there is more to this security boost—Sen. Charles Schumer, who is normally critical of funding decisions by the homeland security department, approved the announcement by bringing up the point that this may inspire the DHS to provide similar increases to other areas [in the nation]. This would impact large regions of the entire country, as well as travelers from abroad. (Newsday, 2/1/08, p. A7)
A recent study finds that baby shampoos, lotions and powders may expose infants to chemicals that have been linked with reproductive problems, most prevalent in babies younger than 8 months.(Newsday, 2/4/08, p. A18)… New Yorkers are expected to vote in record-making large numbers on Super Tuesday, which would mark their largest participation in a presidential primary in 20 years.(Newsday, 2/1/08, p. A2)… In Eldoret, Kenya, a second opposition lawmaker, David Kumutai Too, was shot dead, leading to many demonstrations in the chaotic Rift Valley.(Newsday, 2/1/08, p. A24)… Nearly 121 soldiers committed suicide in 2007, and increase of 20 percent since 2006; officials find that "failed personal relationships", legal, and financial problems are the main motives for the suicides.(Newsday, 2/1/08, p. A28)… 2008 Democratic Presidential candidate Hilary Clinton still considers civil rights to be the driving force in her public life; has been campaigning in several predominantly black cities/schools.(Newsday, 2/3/08, p. A4).
