On February 21st, trying to gain support in Texas and Ohio, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama argued about universal healthcare, debated who would be the best as commander in chief and fought over who would be the best to bring about change in the country.
Towards the end of the debate, both candidates were asked to discuss how they had delt with crises in the past.
Sen. Obama described growing up with no father and how he got to where he is today. Sen. Clinton however, used all of her experiences as a first lady to support her argument, telling everyone that she has faced challenges that ordinary Americans go through every day such as her husband’s famous affair.
This debate was the first out of two for both senators before the March 4th primaries. The second debate was held Tuesday. (The Washington Post, 2/22/2008, p. A01)
This was the biggest story of the week to me due to the fact that it concerns the very politics that will affect our country in the long run. This debate is just one of many factors that will determine who will lead our country for four, possibly eight years.
This story has the element of time because it discusses an issue that is happening now. The prominence element is there as well due to the fact of how important the topic is. Although the events didn’t occur in a close proximity, it will affect where we live eventually. The most important element is conflict since that is what creates a debate. There would be nothing to debate about if both candidates didn’t disagree with one another.
My favorite article of the week is titled “For Political Candidates, Saying Can Become Believing”. This article discusses new psychological research which reveals politicians can start believing what they tell their voters, even if they didn’t mean it in the first place. Considering a huge political movement is happening right now, this information is interesting and can make voters think twice about which candidate they think is sincere.
The most important element this story has is time. If there wasn’t a presidential debate in the works, this story would mean nothing to us. I think the element of oddity can be found as well. Most of the time I think that candidates are just saying what they know people want to hear however, with this new information, if they can start believing what they say too then they end up actually being honest by default. (The Washington Post, 2/25/2008, p. A03)
Hundreds of Serb demonstrators overran and burned part of the American Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia on February 21st. (The Washington Post, 2/22/2008, p.A01)…John McCain was told by the nation’s top federal election official that he cannot withdraw money from the presidential public financing system whenever he pleases. (The Washington Post, 2/22/2008, p. A01)…Some of the nation’s biggest lenders are shutting off access to home equity lines where the value of homes are declining. (The Washington Post, 2/23/2008, p. A01) The bust administration has pushed back plans to build a “virtual fence” along the U.S.-Mexico border, delaying the project three years. (The Washington Post, 2/27/2008, p. A01)…Private companies are proposing to create a series of tolls called HOT Lanes on the Capital Beltway and Interstate 395/95. (The Washington Post, 2/25/2008, p. A01).
