Tag Archives: palin

The Elections, Writers, and Poets

We’ve introduced a new feature over at The Externalist: Presidential Election 2008.  Many of the issues highlighted in the presidential campaigns are issues that contributors to The Externalist write about, so we’ve asked our contributors and other published writers to answer three or more questions directly related to the presidential elections.  We’ll be posting their answers throughout October on The Externalist‘s blog.  Thus far, answers have been posted by Kathie Giorgio and David Michael Wolach, both fiction writers whose work has appeared in The Externalist in the past. 

Participants need not be contributors to the journal.  If you are a published writer or poet, or know a published writer or poet, the questions and submission instructions are below.  We want to hear from many voices and encourage everyone to get involved, to talk politics, even if that isn’t with us.

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Check It Before You Spread It

While the relevance of any particular rumor can be debated all day long, there’s no doubt that some of the rumors flying around about our presidential tickets are playing a huge role in people’s perception of the candidates.  Because of that, the rumors are the first thing that we need to get straight in order to be informed voters and to speak with our neighbors in an informed manner.  When we spread rumors, no matter which candidate we’re talking about and even if it helps us bring someone over to our way of thinking, we aren’t behaving like the adults we are and certainly not in the best interest of the country that we all love enough to feel so passionately about.  On top of that, as soon as someone reads the truth about the rumor, we’re more likely to get folks to vote the opposite way we’d hoped because if you can’t believe one thing, why should you believe another? 

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Fact Check Your Candidates

I cannot believe the number of rumors that are guiding this election.  I cannot believe the number of times I’ve heard or read things that are proven to be false, yet are said/written as though they are some irrevocable truth and should determine how we vote.  A responsible voter should fact check everything they hear, read, or see on some TV ad.  A great place to do this is www.factcheck.org, an award winning, nonpartisan public policy institute that researches rumors and posts a complete analysis of their factuality on the web site.  Voting records are also public and appear on most state web sites, including budgets and often the public testimony/minutes of council meetings.  Old newspaper articles are also good sources of information.  I’ll post a list of the most commonly believed rumors and gossip, along with links to sources that can help unmuddle an amazingly muddled campaign, soon.

More Links on this Election Year

I’ve never been a blog surfer.  I’ve posted more stuff on my own blog in the last two weeks than the entire year it was up before.  This election is too important to me to give up any opportunity for more information, or to pass that information along.  Wading through fact and fiction is harder than ever and I have found more verifiable information reading blog comments than anywhere in the national media.  There’s a lot of falsity out there, too, extremists on both sides.  The single best blog I’ve found for intelligent, rational conversation is Mudflats, a blog that has received a lot of attention lately.  If you haven’t checked it out, you should.  Pay attention to the comments and click on the links within them.  There is information we should all know and don’t.  We have a responsibility to be informed voters.

Another blog that is getting a lot of attention: Women Against Sarah Palin.  Again, read the letters women-and men-are sending to this project.  It is heartening to know that there are still people out there, many people, that do not determine their vote on a single issue or a single perception that may or may not be true.

And finally, a YouTube Video highlighting McCain’s dirty and fraudulent advertising tactics.