In case you weren't at the Dems meeting the other night or weren't near a tv, you can find a play by play of the debate between 2008 Democratic Presidential hopefuls here.
Basically, nothing new came out of the debate. In fact, it wasn't so much a chance for candidates to clarify their positions on the issues as it was for them to cut at each others' throats publicly for the first time. Though the tone remained relatively upbeat, moderator Tim Russert didn't let anyone get by with anything. He proved that Hillary has directly contradicted her husband's own statements on torture, possibly signalling her move towards the middle on the issue. Russert got Obama to admit he can't make any promises on pulling troops out of Iraq. Russert also reveals that perhaps the reason Kucinich is behind in the polls is that he doesn't know what year we are currently in. Furthermore, Edwards just can't run away from his $400 hair cut.
All snide remarks aside, the debate highlighted the key issues that are currently giving Democrats strength:
- All of the candidates want universal health care
- All of the candidates want to be out of Iraq (though only Kucinich and Gravel have actually voted for bills that say as much)
- Under their plans, social security will still be in existence when we're all of retiring age
- They are willing to admit we are in an energy crisis
- A new issue: a national smoking ban such as that that just went in place in the UK in July.
I think the most valuable point that came out of the debate is that, though Hillary leads in the polls, none of the candidates is giving up. This bodes well for the performance of the Democratic party as a whole in the coming year.
-Emily
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Friendly Political Discussion Group
Here is an email I sent out about a weekly discussion group some friends and I are starting that would discuss various political issues in a friendly manner. All are welcome to come.
If you would like to joing the group shoot me an email at galtshul@middlebury.edu .
Hello Friends,
The moment you have all been waiting for is just around the corner: the first meeting of the Saturday afternoon discussion group. For those of you who didn’t receive my first email: this is a discussion group that will get together weekly and discuss political issues in a friendly manner.
Will Bellaimey and I will be leading the first discussion this coming Saturday at 2 in Hepburn Lounge.
We will begin talking about what we want this group to be all about and that will hopefully lead into a conversation about political activism in general. I have two main ideas we could go off for a discussion of theoretical activism, a Chomsky quote about dispelling political illusions and forming opinions and an excerpt from an essay by Isaiah Berlin about the dangers of “utopianism” or being overly idealistic. Next Willy B will help us look at the political movements of the 60’s an example of social activism in action.
If you have other good ideas about how we could go about discussing activism shoot me an email.
I hope to see you all on Saturday, but once again if these emails are annoying you let me know and I’ll take you off the list.
Peace, Love and Happiness,
-George
PS: I was thinking of naming the group Saturday Afternoon Group (SAG) because as everyone knows, all ballers SAG.
PPS: Here are the quotes I was thinking of going off of:
From Understanding Power: The Indispensable Noam Chomsky
“Woman: Noam, in general, how would say ordinary people should go about tring to dispel their illusions about the world—what’s the best way to start?
Chomsky: Well you don’t sit in your room somewhere and dispel illusions....Usually you find out what you think by interacting with people, otherwise you don’t know what you think—you just hear something, and maybe you accept it,or you don’t pay attention to it, or something like that...And you learn by trying out ideas, and hearing reactions to them, and hearing what other people have to say about the topic, and formulating programs and trying to pursue them, and seeing where they break down, and getting some experience, and so forth.”
From The Proper Study of Mankind: An Anthology of Essays by Isaiah Berlin
“The old perennial belief in the possibility of realising ultimate harmony is a fallacy...-in shot, one cannot have everything, in principle as well as in practice – and if human creativity may depend upon a variety of mutually exclusive choices: then as Chernyshevsky and Lenin once asked, ‘What is to be done?’...There seems to me, no clear reply. But the collisions, even if they cannot be avoided, can be softened. Claims can be balanced, compromises can be reached...Priorities can be established.
The first public obligation is to avoid extremes in suffering. Revolutions, wars, assassinations, extreme measures may in desperate situations be required. But history teaches us that their consequences are seldom what is anticipated; that there is no guarantee, not even, at times, a high enough probability, that such acts will lead to improvement.”
If you would like to joing the group shoot me an email at galtshul@middlebury.edu .
Hello Friends,
The moment you have all been waiting for is just around the corner: the first meeting of the Saturday afternoon discussion group. For those of you who didn’t receive my first email: this is a discussion group that will get together weekly and discuss political issues in a friendly manner.
Will Bellaimey and I will be leading the first discussion this coming Saturday at 2 in Hepburn Lounge.
We will begin talking about what we want this group to be all about and that will hopefully lead into a conversation about political activism in general. I have two main ideas we could go off for a discussion of theoretical activism, a Chomsky quote about dispelling political illusions and forming opinions and an excerpt from an essay by Isaiah Berlin about the dangers of “utopianism” or being overly idealistic. Next Willy B will help us look at the political movements of the 60’s an example of social activism in action.
If you have other good ideas about how we could go about discussing activism shoot me an email.
I hope to see you all on Saturday, but once again if these emails are annoying you let me know and I’ll take you off the list.
Peace, Love and Happiness,
-George
PS: I was thinking of naming the group Saturday Afternoon Group (SAG) because as everyone knows, all ballers SAG.
PPS: Here are the quotes I was thinking of going off of:
From Understanding Power: The Indispensable Noam Chomsky
“Woman: Noam, in general, how would say ordinary people should go about tring to dispel their illusions about the world—what’s the best way to start?
Chomsky: Well you don’t sit in your room somewhere and dispel illusions....Usually you find out what you think by interacting with people, otherwise you don’t know what you think—you just hear something, and maybe you accept it,or you don’t pay attention to it, or something like that...And you learn by trying out ideas, and hearing reactions to them, and hearing what other people have to say about the topic, and formulating programs and trying to pursue them, and seeing where they break down, and getting some experience, and so forth.”
From The Proper Study of Mankind: An Anthology of Essays by Isaiah Berlin
“The old perennial belief in the possibility of realising ultimate harmony is a fallacy...-in shot, one cannot have everything, in principle as well as in practice – and if human creativity may depend upon a variety of mutually exclusive choices: then as Chernyshevsky and Lenin once asked, ‘What is to be done?’...There seems to me, no clear reply. But the collisions, even if they cannot be avoided, can be softened. Claims can be balanced, compromises can be reached...Priorities can be established.
The first public obligation is to avoid extremes in suffering. Revolutions, wars, assassinations, extreme measures may in desperate situations be required. But history teaches us that their consequences are seldom what is anticipated; that there is no guarantee, not even, at times, a high enough probability, that such acts will lead to improvement.”
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
First Meeting!
Our first official meeting of the year is tonight (Wed, Sept 26) at 9PM in Pearsons Lounge. There will be food and there will be Bill Clinton. ;-)
Bring your friends and your questions!
-Emily
Bring your friends and your questions!
-Emily
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Activities Fair!!
Come stop by the Dems booth at the Student Activities Fair on Thursday at 5:00 to sign up for our email list and find out about meetings!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Welcome
...to "the blog" of the Middlebury College Democrats. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, your thoughts don’t have to wait for the next meeting! At the blog, discussion is ongoing: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all 365 days of the year.
Find an article on foreign policy you just have to share? Want to debate proposals on national issues of education, or healthcare, or the environment? Feel like sharing one of those heartwarming stories of politics “done right”?
Members of our organization and guests to our site alike, are all invited to join in a discussion of Democratic politics. Please, take advantage of this opportunity to share your views and hear those of others. Be more aware, be more active… for today, for life!
- The Middlebury College Democrats
Find an article on foreign policy you just have to share? Want to debate proposals on national issues of education, or healthcare, or the environment? Feel like sharing one of those heartwarming stories of politics “done right”?
Members of our organization and guests to our site alike, are all invited to join in a discussion of Democratic politics. Please, take advantage of this opportunity to share your views and hear those of others. Be more aware, be more active… for today, for life!
- The Middlebury College Democrats
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