Election Day: ... And the WINNER is.....

[sexybrownmocha]

DISCLAIMER: THESE ARE MY VIEWS ON THE CURRENT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AND MY OWN ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE.. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE MY COMMENTS FOR TRUTH OR INTERPRET THEM TO BE A REPRESENTATION OF ALL BLACK VOTERS.. CLEARLY STATED THIS MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION !! WHAT I REFERENCE I MY COMMENT BELOW IS A GREAT TEXT BY ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE.. ITS A GREAT READ AND REASONABLY PRICED.. ITS IS A BIT LENGTHY BUT VERY EDUCATIONAL...)

Presidential Elections - AP


3rd-Generation Yalie Bush Opposes Legacies

Sat Aug 7,11:01 AM ET

By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites), who followed his father and grandfather to Yale University despite an undistinguished academic record, said Friday that colleges should get rid of "legacy" admission preferences that favor the sons and daughters of alumni.


AP Photo



"I think it ought to be based on merit," Bush told a conference of minority journalists when he was pressed about his views on affirmative action. "And I think colleges need to work hard for diversity."


Bush's father, President George H.W. Bush, and his grandfather, the late Sen. Prescott Bush, were awarded degrees at Yale, and his daughter, Barbara, graduated from Yale this year.


Colleges' admission processes have never been equal for everyone. Universities have been known — and criticized — for making special allowances for athletes and children of donors and alumni.


Asked directly if colleges should eliminate legacy preferences, Bush said, "Well, I think so, yes."


Most selective colleges and many public universities favor legacy applicants as a way to build family loyalty and boost fund raising. Colleges respond that legacies are often stronger applicants to begin with, and insist they largely consider legacy status only to break ties between well-qualified applicants.


A member of a politically influential family, Bush graduated from Yale in 1968 and didn't try to hide that he had enjoyed the party life in college and had taken — as he put it — the "academic road less traveled." Returning to Yale four months after moving into the White House, Bush said with a grin, "To the 'C' students, I say you, too, can be president of the United States."


"In my case I had to knock on a lot of doors to follow the old man's footsteps," Bush said Friday. Presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush was talking about how hard he had to work to follow his father into the White House.


Bush told the minority journalists that he opposed quota systems in college admissions but "I support colleges affirmatively taking action to get more minorities in their school."


But as for legacy admissions, Bush said there should not be "a special exception for certain people in a system that's supposed to be fair."


The Supreme Court ruled a year ago that race can be one of the factors that colleges use to pick their students, so long as it is not the only factor. The court held that universities cannot establish quotas for members of certain racial groups or put members of those groups on different admission tracks.




******************MY COMMENTS**********************

Hello all! I hope everyone is well. I have recently returned to GC.. my old name on here was babyjsc (old aol babyjsc1).. my new aol screen name is krevettagreen28.....look forward to reconnecting with people and meeting new members... now for the issue listed above.. i just thought it was an interesting article about Bush. Granted it is mudslinging season now that the presidential campaigns are kicking into high gear with the recent Democratic convention being held and now over and the upcoming Republican convention this fall.. Just wondering how well we are all paying attention to the current political ads. I believe a lot of people assume that the average black person is supportive of the Democratic party and will further endorse any presidential candidate the Democratic party nominates.. In my own personal opinion I am not impressed with either candidate but being forced to choose the BEST candidate in the upcoming election I would definitely have to support the Kerry nomination. I believe the democracy that we have upheld for years and years has been ran by “ tyranny of the majority”.. if you are unfamiliar with that concept you can type that in any search engine and find information on it…. It is a concept discussed in Tocqueville’s work entitled Democracy in America.. Unfortunately we are forced to vote on a party platform and do not have the luxury of voting on each individual issue.. I believe it is truly important to research every candidate regardless of what party is endorsing them.. The area we need to focus on is the candidate and their voting tendencies were in their current office.. I believe a lot of us are mislead by party affiliations when in truth A LOT of candidates in the political arena will “jump tickets” to find the easiest way to get endorsed even though they may not necessarily agree with the party that is endorsing them to gain the endorsement they temporarily put aside differences to accomplish their own personal agendas…. I know a lot of the campaign ads published now till November will be more on the level of “attacking each candidate” than challenging each candidate to debate the real issues at hand…. I hope everyone pays close attention and is going thru making mental notes about the pros/cons of each candidate and votes for the candidate that represents more closely on a platform basis what you consider important.. a lot of people assume that Kerry is getting all the black votes because traditionally Democrats have tended to be sympathetic to black voters and we in turn endorse their nominees at all levels of government (federal , state and city govern.) I for one am not really voting for Kerry , just AGAINST Bush…. One issue that is a major concern for me is the way that Democrats consciously address their white audiences differently than black audiences.. Their tone and attitude is a a bit more lackadaisical than with when they address white audiences.. The black fist was not appropriate at the convention in my opinion…. And the “Great White Guilt” line of BS was not at all appealing to me.. Making the comments that we have suffered too long and blah blah blah…. Really angered me to be polite.. Granted there are still some areas the needed to be dealt with more sternly in regards to race relations but the idea of continuing to give black people a crutch or continually compensate for years and years ago needs to stop.. There is a fine line between helping and hindering and they are very near to crossing it if they already hadn’t… I believe that yes some of the corrective measures the government has taken to be proactive toward race relations specifically with black people have been successful but a lot of politicians still debate whether or not those measures are constitutional or not…. I am not going go on about that but I truly believe that the reparations and progression of change within different settings making provisions for minorities are great and do not disadvantage one group over the other.. In a lot of areas the minority has been on an unlevel playing field for awhile and the provisions made to “bridge the gap so to speak” have not helped us surpass our competition but just makes us even and in the position to have the same opportunities now that have been available to others for years. ( when I say minority I am referring to the politically disadvantaged group affected.. I.e.- women, blacks, Hispanics,elderly.. What ever the minority is in respect to the issue being discussed )

Well I think I have said enough.. I hope this encourages everyone to consider very carefully who you vote for in your local elections because those are the representatives that are “speaking for you in the presidential election”…. don’t be misguided by party nominations…. Look at the candidate and their individual platforms..

Responses welcome.. Thanks for reading my post..
~kg~

[Lady of Pearl]

I agree with you ,I am voting for Kerry because he in my mind seems to be the Best candidate morally, he is concerned about the average working man and women's problems in America-namely education, employment, and healthcare. I am tired of Republicans playing political football with education, that is the first area that is cut when trying to balance the budget-which affects poor African American Children and job losses for Teachers who can ill afford this- seeing as we don't make much money to begin with as others in various professions. For two years, there has been no hiring of Teachers in my city whereas I had to resort to other schools which don't pay much, now those schools are in danger of being shut down and audited-which results in the disenfranchisement of poor Black Children their Parents and Teachers-we are not inanimate objects that are being dealt with by the powers that be -namely Republicans, we are real human beings who are affected by those who are supposedly in leadership. I want a caring, compassionate leader which I feel that Kerry is- Go to JOHNKERRY.COM! IF YOU WANT CHANGE IN AMERICA, I KNOW I DO! I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE PLAYING WITH MY LIVELIHOOD!

[AKA2D '91]

The first debate will be held Sept. 30 at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla; A town hall-style meeting will be the format for the second debate, which will be held Oct. 8 at Washington University in St. Louis; Foreign policy will be the focus of the third and final debate, scheduled for Oct. 13 at Arizona State University in Tempe.

ETA:A single vice presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland is planned for Oct. 5

[Confucius]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
The first debate will be held Sept. 30 at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla; A town hall-style meeting will be the format for the second debate, which will be held Oct. 8 at Washington University in St. Louis; Foreign policy will be the focus of the third and final debate, scheduled for Oct. 13 at Arizona State University in Tempe.

ETA:A single vice presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland is planned for Oct. 5

Was there a topic for the first two debates?

[sigtau305]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91


ETA:A single vice presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland is planned for Oct. 5

Cool. Hopefully, I can attend the debate.

[TonyB06]

Originally posted by sigtau305
Cool. Hopefully, I can attend the debate.

Unless you are hooked up through either the D or R party, I doubt it, but I wish you well in your pursuit of a ticket.

[NiaX]

Heck...are any of these debates going to be televised? It would be good to see good ol' Dubya answer some questions... It would be better if the questions were asked point blank.

[UpPinkies]

Thanks for the dates. Everytime the president comes to the STL they shut the whole downtown area down. He has family here so he might visit them. So I know where not to be for a few days. I will try to watch them, but everytime I hear Bush speak, I fill like pulling out each individual hair out my head with tweezers, he can butcher up the english language.

[Jody]

Flush the Johns, November 5, 2004

[AKA2D '91]

ttt

Thursday!

[Virtuous Woman]

I hope that Kerry can turn things around with these debates. I don't think that he's a particularly strong candidate but Bush has to go. This is a very sad political time right now.

[Love_Spell_6]

Originally posted by Virtuous Woman
I hope that Kerry can turn things around with these debates. I don't think that he's a particularly strong candidate but Bush has to go. This is a very sad political time right now.

I think Kerry will do better in the debates than Bush..cause he's a better politician...so that may sway some of the undecided voters...but i think most voters have made their minds up.

Hopefully the Kerry supporters will get to see some consistency from their candidate.

Regardless of who wins..I hope we don't see another attack on the US like Sept. 11.

[TonyB06]

FYI...If you're going to register to vote and haven't yet done so, you best get to it. Many states are soon closing registration.

Ohio registration closes October 4.

As for the debates, they are heavily-scripted enterprises. Hopefully, there will be an unexpected question, or some other "magic" unforseen moment something that forces these guys to truly show what they know.

[WenD08]

i'm watching Oprah and she's talking about voting. many of the women in audience had never voted or hadn't voted in years. the apathy was so appalling, i applaud Oprah for not going off on these folks. a Black woman stated that it wouldn't bother her if Blacks lost the right to vote, her speaking as a seriously disinterested non-voter. Oprah's restraint was visible, you could tell she wanted to REALLY talk to her.
the thing that kills me is that these are the main ones complaining about what's wrong w/this country


wendi
16-yr. registered and active voter and proud of it

[TonyB06]

Originally posted by WenD08
a Black woman stated that it wouldn't bother her if Blacks lost the right to vote, her speaking as a seriously disinterested non-voter.
the thing that kills me is that these are the main ones complaining about what's wrong w/this country

wendi
16-yr. registered and active voter and proud of it

Wow is all I can say for the black woman who wouldn't care if we lost the right to vote.

Go 'head on, Ms. 16 years! just do the thang!!

My chapter bruhs and I will likely go door-to-door in the days leading up to Nov. 2, urging folks to get up off they "dusty" and go vote.