National Insecurity:
By MARTY SANTALUCIA
Columnist
MFSSO7S@PSU.EDU
The responsibility that falls on
this article is enormous. During
my one issue sabbatical (which
translated to almost two months)
Pennsylvania has shot to the front
of the national stage, gaffs have
been made by both presidential
candidates as they crisscross every
Pennsylvanian location except Penn
State Harrisburg, and John McCain
has apparently fallen off the face of
the earth.
On top of all of that this will be the
last issue for the year and the next
time I have the opportunity to write,
both parties will have a nominee
and the general election will be well
under way. Looking all of this in the
face the only thing I really can do
is write an article with some shelf
life and make some real political
predictions. Keep in mind that I am
an amateur at this, but with the help
of polls and history these should
hold some water.
Getting directly to the point: Barack
Obama will be the Democratic
nominee; however, there are still
several steps between him and the
general election.
First is our own state of
Pennsylvania. With the long seven
week wait finally ending tomorrow
all indications at press time point to a
victory for Hillary Clinton, albeit an
almost insignificant one. Even with
Obama recently reminding central
Pennsylvanians and rural Americans
everywhere of their excitement
over religion and their affinity for
guns, Pennsylvania polls barely
moved. This could be for one of two
reasons. My preferred explanation
favors the idea that Clinton was the ,
only offended person iri the'stalei-' 4 , t
a solution that is both simple and
short-termed. Unfortunately, such
a statement would indicate a rather
sizable inconsistency in Clinton's
record. As far as guns are concerned,
she has voted the typical Democratic
line favoring a 10 year expansion
of the assault weapons ban, raised
age limits, and voted in favor of
giving the Consumer Products Safety
Commission control of gun sales. On
the topic of religion, again Clinton
totes the Democratic Party ideology
of almost never mentioning it. When
confronted about the last time she
went to church, she shrugged it
off by saying it wasn't "relevant".
If anything, Obama's statement
reflected the same sentiments held
Don't be bamboozled by Obama
By CHRIS VARMECKY
Columnist
CJVSO43@PSU.EDU
Attracting thousands of passionate
veterans of the political process,
as well as, energizing a substantial
following of first-time voters to his
camp, raising an unprecedented
$193 million in campaign
contributions purely from average
Joe's, and promising to unite and
heal the irreconcilable wounds of
an ever-growing divided within the
country, the man, many herald as a
political godsend, may well in fact
be the next president of the United
States.
Amidst the hoop-la of the 2004
Bush/Kerry presidential race,
it's inconceivable to think that a
relatively unknown (at the time)
and inexperienced freshman
senator from Illinois would rise
out of obscurity and be well on
his way to seizing the reins of the
2008 Democratic nomination for
president.
Now, four years later, Barack
Obama's humble ascension into
a pop-culture familiarity with a
transfixing speech at the 2004
Democratic convention has evolved
into a full on revolution, entrancing
an audience of malcontents,
impressionable college students,
and seasoned voters, who are all
by Clinton he just let them slip.
In the 2002 and 2006 gubernatorial
elections Ed Rendell only won
18 and 33 of the 67 counties in
Pennsylvania, respectively. Such
deficits in counties, yet victories in
two consecutive state-wide elections
are a result of the large central
area lovingly known as Pennsyl
tucky. Rendell took the denser
populations of Philadelphia and
Pittsburg while the Republican took
the rest. This area is a Republican
stronghold and the location of those
Pennsylvanians who, according to
Obama, are so bitterly gripping their
Bibles and shotguns. Because of
Pennsylvania's closed primary in
which only pre-registered Democrats
and Republicans can vote for their
own party ticket, almost none of
the people who would be offended
by Obama could vote for Obama
anyway. This is the unfortunate
scenario because these voters will
be able to vote for McCain in place
of Obama come November and
McCain isn't going to help them
forget these comments.
So this brings us to tomorrow, the
Pennsylvania primary. While Obama
has been able to make tremendous
progress in closing what was once a
20 point gap, he will most likely fall
short. Clinton will win the popular
vote but by such a small margin that
it will not make a significant dent
in Obama's delegate lead and there
is even the remote chance that, as
happened in Nevada, Clinton will
take the popular vote and Obama
will net I or 2 delegates from the
more populated areas where he polls
well. Without the landslide victory
Clinton so desperately needed the
only option will be to drop out - but
a victory is a victory, especially in a
state like Pennsylvania which allows
her to arguelfittt §FieiVhiikltFtfre'" (l
big states needed to talk the White
House in November.
The next two states, Indiana and
North Carolina, will vote on May
6. This provides an opportunity to
look an interesting ability Barack
Obama has and Hillary Clinton does
not. Once Obama actually starts to
campaign in a state, his numbers
jump. This jump can be seen in
South Carolina where he took a 55%
to 26% victory after trailing in the
mid 20's only a few weeks before,
lowa where he jumped nearly 10
points to take an 8% lead and his first
victory, and even Texas where he lost
the primary by a narrow margin but
ultimately won the state by netting
more delegates from the caucuses.
yearning for political change in
Washington.
Akin to the preteen hysteria
generated by the success of the
Disney Channel sensation Miley
Cyrus/Hannah Montana, Obama's
rock star persona has driven his
campaign to the forefront of
popular culture and has ingrained
the public with a constant barrage
of messages of hope, change from
business as usual, and the pledge
to bring a newfound optimism to
America.
This political rhetoric seems
hunky-dory on the surface.
Charismatic, articulate, and, well
educated; outwardly Obama may
seem like the total package worthy
of the highest office in the land.
However, his inescapable flaws
far outweigh the facade of glitz
and glamour synonymous with the
Obama campaign trail.
Inexperience alone has shown
its inconvenient head numerous
times throughout the course of
the campaign. Blatant foreign
policy snafus pertaining to
his inexperience are peppered
throughout some of Obama's ill
conceived statements and off-the
cuff remarks, and they should leave
prospective supporters with a sense
of apprehension and caution before
casting their ballots.
The cornerstone of Obama's
hat all the
Indiana will be where he will need
to focus this energy in order to
overcome Clinton's current lead in
the state while he already leads by
double-digits in North Carolina. If
Clinton can take wins in either state
they will be minor victories. Every
state holding a primary after May 6th
does not have enough delegates to
swing the race and Obama will be in
the lead. Clinton will not be able to
reach the nomination, forcing her to
dro • out.
The Spoiler:
Superdelegates. Clinton can pull
out a victory only with the help
of superdelegates deciding that it
is the best interest of the party to
overturn the popular and pledged
delegate votes to oust Obama and
Time to throw in the towel, Ron Paul
By ALLISON MILLS
Staff Reporter
MXA932@PSU.EDU
As you're driving down any
Pennsylvania highway, you'll see a
few common features: green grass,
tall trees, probably a cow or two;
oh, and don't forget the multitude of
Ron Paul signs.
Yes, Ron Paul signs are all over
central Pennsylvania, some official
and some homemade that declare
a "Ron Paul Revolution". A quick
visit to Paul's campaign website
makes it look like he's still in the
running for the 2008 election, and
clearly, he is not.
All these ridiculous Ron Paul
signs make me wonder what his
deal;it,:lind why on' earth he's still
in this race. Eveniformer Pastor
Mike Huckabee realized he was
beyond a miracle after he stayed
in the presidential race a beat too
long. But Paul has to be breaking
some sort of record as most pathetic
candidate in the history of the
Republican party.
So how does he justify his
unrelenting, paltry campaign? On
his website, a press release states,
"Dr. Paul is continuing his bid
for the Republican nomination
in order to spread the message of
constitutional government and
personal freedom, take the GOP
back to its traditional roots, and
continue the grassroots activism his
candidacy inspired."
Personal freedom and
foreign-policy, from what I can
gather, is to legitimize rogue
dictators, alienate our allies, and
retreat from Iraq only to inevitably
redeploy our troops at a later date.
These scathing accusations are
more than just speculation, but they
will become realities if Obama
is elected president. Obama has
stated numerous times that he
wants to open dialogue with Iranian
President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
When he is not making passionate
ploys to wipe Israel off the map,
denying the inhumanity and
reality of the Holocaust, or having
his name subjected to ridicule
at the hands of Jimmy Kimmel,
Ahmadinejad enjoys providing
insurgents in Iraq with LED's,
ammunition, and other explosive
devices that have maimed and
killed our brave men and women in
uniform fighting overseas.
Bamboozled into bargaining with
Iran, the United States would not
only be legitimizing the state
sponsored terror exported by Iran
since the 1970 s and continuing
today, but the ensuing propaganda
would incite a sense of victory
and accomplishment throughout
the Islamic world (well the
fundamentalists anyway).
By proposing a moratorium on US
trade agreements, most specifically
NAFTA, as both senators Obama
elitist kids are doing
favor Clinton. Republicans like
Rush Limbaugh and the Fox 'News'
team drool over this possibility as
it would destroy the party in a way
that would take years to recover
from, not to mention the probable
loss of the 2008 election. I do not
think any party elite would see this
fate as the most productive path
for the Democrats and so I see the
likelihood of this occurring as very
small although we will only be
sure in September when the real
cam iai u can finall be in.
Autor 's Note: So that ends the first
year of National Insecurity, or as
my critics know it as "That leftist
bullshit that takes up most of the
opinion page" and to everyone
else, "National Insecurity? Isn't
constitutional government. Don't
we learn about that in elementary
school? I'm not sure I understand
the necessity of spreading that
message, and I don't consider
myself politically inept either.
Going back to GOP roots makes
sense, especially considering the far
right's previous rejection of McCain
and his moderateness, but if it hasn't
worked for him yet, it's not going
to. Grassroots activism, which is
typically considered the lowest link
on the political chain, isn't going to
put Ron Paul in the White House,
even as an intern.
The same press release talks about
his campaigning in Pennsylvania.
Apparently, he drew a crowd
of 450 at Indiana University
of Pennsylvania and 700 at
University of Pittsburgh. These
numbers hardly compare to the
22,000 Obama drew at Penn State,
University Park. Paul will also be
appearing on April 11 at Gettysburg
University and Penn State
University. While Obama crowded
Old Main, I doubt Paul would even
crowd Penn State Harrisburg's
campus.
Even Paul's appearance bothers
me. I find his goofy little grin
troublesome and when he wears a
sweater under his suit and over his
tie, he reminds me of a priest, but
not a priest you lovingly call Father
Instead he reminds me of a priest
with whom you don't leave your
children alone.
In addition to his creepy vibes,
and Hillary Clinton have contended,
the United State's relationship
with Canada, Mexico, and other
South American countries would be
greatly compromised.
In a maligned and concerted
demagoguery of the issue, Obama,
like much of the Democratic
Party today, blames a loss of
manufacturing jobs in Ohio on trade
agreements like NAFTA. However,
that couldn't be further from the
truth.
According to the American
legislative exchange Council, most
of these plants and corporations
fleeing the state are doing so
out of fear of taxation, and they
are relocating to more business
friendly states in America. Ohio
ranks 47'" out of 50 in economic
competitiveness, and has the third
highest corporate income taxed
in the country of 10.5% and the
six highest personal income tax at
8.87%. It's ironic that the same
self-righteous, political hacks
denouncing the loss of factory jobs,
the opportunists, blaming George
Bush for such dire economic straits,
are the perpetrators of policies
unfavorable to job creation.
Throw into the mix a racist Pastor
Wright who could barely restrain
his jubilation after the deplorable
and haunting attacks of September
11, and Obama is on the road to
THE CAPITAL TIMES
that that Donald Rumsjeld guy or
something?
I would like to thank those that
have been loyal readers throughout
the last year as I am convinced there
are one or two of you out there.
Writing this piece has not only been
fun for a political nerd who gets
off to poll numbers, but it has also
given me an excuse to spend long
hours, days after deadline, staring
at those numbers late into the night.
More importantly it has given me
the opportunity to research and
learn more about the history and
current events of our country. I hope
that I have sparked an interest or
conversation somewhere on campus
and I hope that everyone has a great
summer vacation watching C-SPAN.
Ron Paul's entire campaign is lame
and unoriginal. His few supporters
are referred to as Ron Paul
Republicans, a phrase not unlike
Reagan Republicans or Reagan
conservatives
His campaign slogan is even less
creative. "Hope For America" not
only represents a theme politicians
have used and reused to death, but it
is pretty much Obama's successful
slogan. Not to be immature and
play the game of "I found it first!"
but if another politician successfully
utilizes a theme and yours is only
a lack-luster version, find a new
one. But clearly Ron Paul has not
concerned himself with success or
any type of change that may bring
more success.
The press release quoted earlier
shed some light on Paul's refusal
to bow out gracefully. He has
written a book, "The Revolution:
A Manifesto", that will be released
April 30. While Paul gets nearly
no publicity or media attention,
he is still getting more than if he
dropped out of the race. And with
the doctorate's book coming out this
month, why not exploit the little
media coverage he's receiving to
boost sales.
Any way you look at the hundreds
of Ron Paul signs, he's a joke,
staying in the Republican race for
publicity or even just for kicks.
Who knows and frankly, who cares?
I just can't wait for this election to
be over so the Ron Paul right wings
can take down their signs.
self-destruction. Keep the mind
that Obama attended this church
for 20 years and conveniently,
was unaware of the unabashed
anti-American sentiment that
reverberated throughout the belfries
in his place of worship every
Sunday.
This Harvard graduate. This
astute rouge scholar. The man
who was supposed to bring back
competence to the White House.
The embodiment of the anti-George
Bush was simply impervious to the
hate filled ranting of a loon trapped
in the 19505? Likely story.
Obama and the canonization
of his campaign are the political
equivalents to the stardom of Miley
Cyrus. Both are young, likable,
and offer an uplifting message (in
Obama's case selling an empty
commodity of hope), yet, they lack
any substance and their generic
rhetoric will not bring change.
Of course we all want change
from the bureaucracy, corruption,
and pork-barrel spending that took
place the last eight years. However
if the change means higher taxes,
compromising our national security,
retreat from Iraq, and an obtrusive
government run health care system,
you can count me out.
A campaign that will live in
infamy. A general election Obama
will not win.
April 21, 2008
President's
Corner
By SAHAR SAFAEE
SGA President
SVSSO33@PSU.EDU
Finally! It's nice outside and
this campus is turning into a real
"college campus." Students are
coming out of their hibernation and
are being spotted everywhere, like a
rare endangered bird it is so exciting
to see life on this campus! This will
be my last article for the president's
corner. The president-elect along
with the new administration will
be taking office on April 24th a
wonderful occasion for so many
people. Personally I am excited
to see the new ideas that will be
brought to this campus. I also am
extremely thankful to this Student
Government Administration they all
did a wonderful job! I feel that with
the circumstances that arose we did
a great job picking things back up
and making important dents to this
campus. I hope that through out the
years that the Student Government
really does become 100 percent
the voice of the student body and
that the Student Government will
be able to create immediate change
to this campus. I have to say it has
been a roller-coaster ride this year
and I am both glad and sad to see
it come to an end. I really cannot
find anything to say and I have to
write 600 words... I do have to say
is that never miss the present. If you
get to caught up in looking way to
far into the future you will drive
you self insane...(it is like looking
down a path that never reaches an
endpoint)... it is true what "they" say
it's the journey not the destination
itself. I know everyone is so excited
for summer to arrive. I have been
counting down since Thanksgiving
break. Hopefully for the majority
it's either lying by the pool, beach...
any body of water really (even a
kiddy-pool works), filled with travel
and excitement, or just being a
bum for three months. For those of
you who are stuck in my situation
where we have the wonderful
pleasure (totally being sarcastic) of
summer courses, to you I say enjoy
the one or two weeks of summer
you have in May just make sure
you take a breather so you don't
go completely crazy. If you are
already at the crazy point I'm sorry
there is no way to go back to being
nonnal ever, then again who wants
to be normal in the first place...
it's so overrated. If you graduate
this Spring Congratulations! If you
come back in the fall make sure
to check out the clubs that are on
this campus during the club fest in
the fall! Join a Club that interests
you...like the WPSH radio station,
or even the Capital Times. Meet
new people and start an awesome
fall semester. Don't forget to check
out the hang out in the wonderful
town of Middletown. They have
a Ilardee's, they totally deliver to
your table its awesome, or even the
quaint Brown Stone Café located
in the heart of Middletown, does
Middletown have a heart? Well,
that is a question for another day!
To leave you with some cheesy
words of inspiration: Grasp every
moment and every opportunity and
never turn back to regret something.
Never lose your passion, your drive,
or your motivation in life, for these
are the things that pick you up when
you feel like you have reached rock
bottom. And one last thing before
I end this article, good-luck to
everyone on your finals! And life
has a weird way of working itself
out. Peace!