Tag: domestic politics Page 1 of 2

R&D from Prepd: Elections

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On June 5, 2021

In R&D, U.S. Extemp

Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd (pronounced “prepped”). Prepd is building debate technology that helps extempers and congressional debaters research, practice, and compete. Visit www.prepd.in to learn more.

As part of the leadup to the 2021 National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament, Extemp Central will be providing daily research & development (R&D) posts for each of the tournament’s fourteen topic areas.  These will include links to important articles about each. It is hoped that these will aid in extempers preparation for this year’s national tournament.

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Five Senate Races to Consider in 2010

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On October 15, 2010

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

Until early November, extempers can expect to run into lots of questions about the midterm elections.  These questions may ask you which party will win the elections, what the biggest issue in the elections is going to be, or about specific races happening throughout the country.  Usually, if you get a question about a specific race it will be about a Senate or governor’s race because those typically attract more attention than House races.  Extempers should have files on the major races and get to know the candidates in those races.  To get an idea of what the major races are, extempers should go to the Cook Political Report or Real Clear Politics and see the races that are classified as “tossups.”  The “tossup” label designates races where the Democratic and Republican candidates have a chance to win.  If you are new to extemp, you will see this labels again in 2012 for the presidential campaign.

This small list provides you with five Senate races to consider this election cycle.  Having a file on each of these races would be a good idea.

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Top Five GOP Presidential Contenders to Watch

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On September 30, 2010

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

Once the midterm elections end, the next big political campaign will be the 2012 presidential election.  While President Obama will likely be nominated by the Democrats for a second term, the Republican opposition has no clear frontrunner.  Based on the midterm election cycle, the GOP presidential primary might be one of the most thrilling and competitive in years and might see a bloody civil war between social and fiscal conservatives.  Such a battle has the potential to either strengthen the party and the candidates involved or devastate the GOP’s 2012 chances.

This brief list will discuss some of the top contenders for the 2012 nomination, with some facts that extempers should consider when weighing in on 2012 topics.  Polling agencies like Gallup, the Pew Research Center, and Rasmussen provide regular polls on the 2012 field and extempers would be wise to cut them.  One useful Gallup poll that was released today can be found here.  I would highly recommend that extempers cut it and place it in their files.

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AGD: The Nation’s Most (In)Famous Party Crashers

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On November 30, 2009

In AGD

Facebook worthy? You bet.

Facebook worthy? You bet.

by Corey Alderdice

Washington (and the rest of the nation) hasn’t been this abuzz about a dynamic duo of social climbers showing up uninvited since Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughan slipped into the wedding of the Treasury Secretary’s daughter in the 2005 film Wedding Crashers.

Though the story of Michaele and Tareq Salahi is really more faux-news than anything, it did land smack dab in the middle of what was a slow news cycle thanks to, well, Thanksgiving.   In the event that you see a question this weekend at GMU’s Patriot Games, Bradley University’s Armstrong Invitational,or anywhere else around the country, Slate has a great piece outling the long history of social climbing.

To that notable group of societies we can now add 21st-century Washington, D.C. Like 18th-century Russia, it is a world of neophytes, a society whose members have only recently “made it” into an elite magic circle and who don’t necessarily know the other members all that well. Like 19th-century New York, it is also a world where appearances matter. You get invited to the party—whether the White House Hanukkah party or the state dinner—not just because of who you are but because of what you represent, which costume you wear, which ethnic group you come from.

After all, when you can choose between Wedding Crashers or 18th century Russia, be the speaker who stands out in the round.

Election 2009 Predictions

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On November 3, 2009

In AGD

Credit: Brooklyn Paper

Credit: Brooklyn Paper

Since today is the first Tuesday in November, it’s election day for 2009.  Voters cast ballots today in governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey, the New York City mayoral race, and the special election in the 23rd House district in New York.

Elliot Mamet of East High School commented on our facebook page that he anticipates Jon Corzine, the Democratic incumbent in the New Jersey race, to pull out a victory over Republican challenger Chris Christie thanks to independent candidate Chris Daggett peeling away some of Christie’s votes.

Does the political insider of Extemp Central agree or disagree?  Read more to find out his predictions for today’s elections!

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Topic Brief: New Jersey Governor’s Race

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On October 29, 2009

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

New Jersey governor's race candidates, from left, Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, independent Chris Daggett, and Republican Christopher Christie. / New Jersey Star-Ledger Photo Composite (nj.com)

by Logan Scisco

Although most of the country’s political attention is focused on potential Republican challengers to President Obama in 2012 or how the economy will impact the Democratic Party’s chances in midterm elections next November, there are two races extempers need to focus on next week:  the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey.  Elections in “off years” often are the red haired step child of political campaigns, never quite attracting the attention they deserve.  This year marks a stark contrast as the frustrations of the first year of the Obama administration and the national economic climate, not to mention the poor fortunes of the Republican Party as of late, make these two races a critical barometer for 2010.

When he assumed the chairmanship of the Republican Party in 2009, former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele said that he was focused on winning the Virginia and New Jersey governor’s races.  At the time, sweeping both races looked to be an impossible task because of Democratic gains in Virginia, which now has two Democratic senators and has an outgoing Democratic governor, and because New Jersey has typically been reliably Democrat for in-state politics over the last decade.  However, with healthcare reform bogged down in Congress and President Obama’s standing looking increasingly vulnerable, there is a real possibility of a GOP sweep next week in these two races.  Virginia’s outcome looks certain with Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds trailing former state Attorney General Bob McDonnell by double digits in some of the latest polls.  New Jersey’s race, though, has seen incumbent Democratic Governor and former U.S. Senator Jon Corzine close the gap with his Republican challenger Chris Christie over the last several weeks to the point that the race is now too close to call.

With the Virginia election reaching a near certain outcome, this brief will zero in on the New Jersey gubernatorial race and discuss the major issues in the race, the candidates involved and their platforms, the major issues in the race, and finally what a Democratic or Republican victory may mean for 2010 and beyond.

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Topic Brief: “You Lie!”: The Joe Wilson Incident

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On September 14, 2009

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

Last week, President Barack Obama tried to change the message on the healthcare debate.  As the American public has grown more skeptical of the President’s agenda, Obama’s team has tried to retake the initiative in the media and part of that was Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress.  However, during Obama’s speech when he said that illegal immigrants would not receive coverage in his healthcare plan he was interrupted with a shout of “You lie!” by Joe Wilson, a Republican representative from South Carolina.  For anyone who has not seen the video, it is worth a look just to see Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s facial expression after the incident.

Wilson’s remarks started a political firestorm.  Some have argued that his actions demonstrate everything that is wrong with the Republican Party.  Others have argued that there must be something bad in the water in South Carolina, where Republican Governor Mark Sanford is trying to fight off impeachment by January.  Then there are those who believe Wilson did the right thing in standing up to Obama and calling him to task for a lack of enforcement mechanisms in healthcare legislation to keep illegal immigrants from getting coverage.

Considering that healthcare is a central tenet of Barack Obama’s domestic agenda and that the Republican Party is hoping to regain control of the House in 2010, it is important that we look at the Joe Wilson incident this week.  To do so, this brief will break down the incident in two ways.  First, we will look at the issue that raised Wilson’s ire:  the coverage of illegal immigrants in the healthcare legislation before Congress.  And second, we will look at the political fallout from Wilson’s outburst and if it works more in favor of Democrats or Republicans.

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Topic Brief: Tea Parties & State Sovereignty Resolutions

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On April 21, 2009

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

In a time of federal bailouts for corporations, aid to homeowners who are facing trouble paying their mortgages, and budget plans that call for trillion dollar deficits, a segment of the American population has had enough.  Clinging to their signs and cries of showing Washington that power still rested with the people, 800 locations around the country were the site of “tea parties” last week, denouncing the policies of President Barack Obama and the Democratically-controlled Congress.

To supplement these protests, 24 states are considering legislation that would reargue the principles of the 10th amendment, the amendment to the U.S. Constitution that delegates all powers not given to the federal government to the states.  This showdown over the concept of federalism has intrigued constitutional experts, as well as some voters, who are seeing Texas Governor Rick Perry arguing that Texas has a right to succession (although Perry later toned down those remarks).

This grassroots action against the D.C. establishment will be analyzed in this week’s topic brief, which might be useful to extempers competing in U.S. extemp at NFL.  It may also be useful to extempers preparing for CFL, as the topic areas are slanted 5-3 in favor of U.S. issues.  This week’s brief will break down these competing ideas, providing background for the tea parties and their purpose, the fight in state legislatures over sovereignty bills, and an evaluation of how these actions could impact the American political scene.

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Topic Brief: New RNC Chairman Michael Steele

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On February 10, 2009

In Topic Brief

The Republican Party, walloped in the last two major national elections in 2006 and 2008, is a party suffering an identity crisis.  Torn between fiscal and social conservatives, the party is not sure how to best rebound and try to gain seats in 2010.  After all, a divided Republican Party without a coherent national agenda may not only find it difficult to defend their 2010 seats, but will also find it difficult to dislodge President Obama from the White House in 2012.

The recent election within the Republican Party for a new chairman to replace Mike Duncan was seen by political observers as an opportunity for the party to signify a change in direction and a chance to show voters that they had learned from their thrashing in November.  After all, a party chairman’s responsibility is to be the media representative for his/her party, held build the infrastructure for future election races, and getting the base of the party excited about future elections.  The election of Michael Steele, the first African-American Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman, sends mixed signals on how the party has interpreted its election results, but does send a signal as to how they plan to respond to the future Obama administration.

This topic brief will give extempers some background on Michael Steele, what his plans are for the Republican Party, and what advantages Steele offers the GOP in confronting the Obama machine.

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Topic Brief: The Obama Stimulus Plan

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On February 3, 2009

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

Over the last week, the news concerning the state of the U.S. economy continues to be troubling.  Unemployment rates stand at the highest they have been in twenty-five years, banks continue to suffer problems despite the federal government’s willingness to give them aid, there is still doubt and uncertainty over the fate of America’s automakers, the federal deficit is expected to climb, and the gross domestic product (GDP) of the U.S. shrinking 3.8 percent in the fourth quarter, the biggest such contraction in GDP since 1982.

Faced with these massive economic problems, newly elected president Barack Obama has urged Congress to pass a new round of stimulus spending, over $800 billion worth, in attempt to get the economy growing again and avoid a second Great Depression in the United States.  This is no surprise considering that the economic meltdown helped to elect Obama as president and if he fails to fix the economy over the next four years his chances of re-election look grim.

For extempers, the ongoing battle over this stimulus package is of utmost importance in examining domestic topics over the next two months.  The success of the passage of this stimulus bill will demonstrate how well Obama can cross the aisle and win bipartisan support for his initiatives.  This battle is also the first major legislative test of Obama’s presidency and a failure could cost his administration valuable momentum in its first several months in office.

This brief will clarify the components of the recent economic stimulus bill that passed the House of Representatives last week, describe what modifications the U.S. Senate may make to the bill, and the political implications that arise from these decisions.

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Topic Brief: The Roland Burris Situation

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On January 6, 2009

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

Just when the drama in Illinois concerning Rod Blagojevich seemed to be running out of steam in the national press, the controversial and indicted governor gave it new momentum by defying Senate Democratic leaders and state lawmakers and appointing Roland Burris, a former state attorney general and former political primary opponent, to Barack Obama’s vacant U.S. Senate seat.

The appointment of Roland Burris has created constitutional questions about the ability of the U.S. Senate, considered one of the most elite clubs in the world, to select who it seats in its chamber and has ignited a racial element in national politics.  It has also provided a tough maze for Democratic leaders to navigate without offending African-Americans, arguably the most loyal Democratic voting bloc.

This brief will provide extempers with some background information on Roland Burris, background on the appointment, and the implications his appointment has for national politics.  These implications will hopefully help extempers zero in on the appropriate level of analysis necessary to answer questions tied to the Burris situation.

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Topic Brief: The Blagojevich Scandal

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On December 16, 2008

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

Last week, when it appeared that the Obama presidential transition would proceed as smoothly as possible in the midst of economic turmoil, two foreign wars, and a crisis of relations between India and Pakistan, the entire U.S. political climate was shaken to its core by the arrest of acting Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.  The controversy has been a distraction for the incoming Obama administration and his transition team has been beating a quiet message for the media, while circling the wagons to prevent any negative political fallout.  The incident has also put into question Obama’s economic plan, worth up to $1 trillion, and has the implication of eventually altering the makeup of the U.S. Senate, at a time when Democrats assumed that Obama’s successor would be a Democratic candidate.

While controversy surrounding Blagojevich is not new, his accused actions of trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat for future campaign cash or for personal gain as well as trying to eliminate editorial members of the Chicago Tribune who disagreed with him are some of the most brazen acts of political corruption the U.S. political system has ever seen and will most likely be talked about by extempers for years to come.

This brief will give some brief background on the scandal, actions being taken against the governor, and the political fallout of the scandal for the Obama administration and Illinois politics.

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Topic Brief: 2008 Presidential Election Recap

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On November 15, 2008

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

topicbriefby Logan Scisco

The 2008 elections, an election cycle some extempers have been speaking about for the last two and a half years has finally come to a close.  The election result, unlike 2000 and 2004, was announced at the end of evening, with Senator Barack Obama of Illinois becoming the first African-American to be elected as the President of the United States.  Obama won the election by a large margin in the Electoral College, at last count 365 to Senator John McCain’s 162, and also won a commanding margin of the popular vote, 52% to 46% (independent candidate Ralph Nader won 1% of the vote).  Obama’s share of the popular vote was the first time a Democratic candidate has won over 50% of the popular vote since Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford in 1976.

Obama’s victory was accompanied by Democratic triumphs in Congressional races across the country.  In the House of Representatives, Democrats expanded their majority by twenty seats and in the Senate, the Democrats added to their majority by six seats, with three races in Georgia, Minnesota, and Alaska being subject to recounts, absentee ballot counts, or runoffs.  If the Democrats win all three of those contested races they would have a 60 vote, filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, which would be intact for the first two years of an Obama administration.

This topic brief will give a brief analysis of why Obama managed to win, why McCain lost the election, and where the Republican Party goes from here for the 2012 elections.

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Topic Brief: 2008 Presidential Election Recap

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On November 12, 2008

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

The 2008 elections, an election cycle some extempers have been speaking about for the last two and a half years has finally come to a close.  The election result, unlike 2000 and 2004, was announced at the end of evening, with Senator Barack Obama of Illinois becoming the first African-American to be elected as the President of the United States.  Obama won the election by a large margin in the Electoral College, at last count 365 to Senator John McCain’s 162, and also won a commanding margin of the popular vote, 52% to 46% (independent candidate Ralph Nader won 1% of the vote).  Obama’s share of the popular vote was the first time a Democratic candidate has won over 50% of the popular vote since Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford in 1976.

Obama’s victory was accompanied by Democratic triumphs in Congressional races across the country.  In the House of Representatives, Democrats expanded their majority by twenty seats and in the Senate, the Democrats added to their majority by six seats, with three races in Georgia, Minnesota, and Alaska being subject to recounts, absentee ballot counts, or runoffs.  If the Democrats win all three of those contested races they would have a 60 vote, filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, which would be intact for the first two years of an Obama administration.

This topic brief will give a brief analysis of why Obama managed to win, why McCain lost the election, and where the Republican Party goes from here for the 2012 elections.

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Topic Brief: Six Days to Go: A Countdown to the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election

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On October 29, 2008

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

Background

There is no doubt that any extemper worth their mettle will be watching the election returns on November 4th and already begin thinking of the many questions they will receive about the next presidential administration, the fallout from the election, the legacy of George W. Bush that was reflected in the election, and why the candidate who ends up losing ended up doing so.  This is also the very last week for competitors to receive questions they have been receiving since the 2004 election ended which asked “Who will win the 2008 presidential election?”  That question will be resolved, barring another Florida/Ohio scenario, on Tuesday evening.

Due to the fact that this is the last week extempers could receive a question on the 2008 presidential candidates, I felt that it was timely to write this brief.  In two weeks I will break down the 2008 presidential election results (as well as Congressional results) and offer some additional analysis for extempers to ponder.

This brief will focus primarily on the presidential contest between Illinois Senator Barack Obama and Arizona Senator John McCain, but will focus briefly at the end about the odds of the Democrats achieving a filibuster-proof majority in the United States Senate.

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