The Hillary Saga: Is All Hell About to Break Loose?

By Miranda Faber, Editor

Though for a considerable amount of time I personally backed the Soc 118
Clinton campaign, I am displeased to announce that I am no longer publicly endorsing the woman I once hoped would lead our great nation. At the start of the campaign several weeks ago, I firmly believed that Senator Clinton was poised, polished, and prepared to bring great change to America. Her policy plans had me convinced that she would serve the people of America well, with ambitious goals and decisive plans regarding health care, an exit strategy from Iraq and boosting the suffering economy. However, upon recent events, opinions regarding the former First Lady seem to be ever changing within the walls of 118.

At last week’s press conference, the Senator seemed unclear and unsure of the issues at hand, answering our own Loren Shimanek’s question about her alleged “mistake” of originally supporting the Iraqi war and then stumbling over her words regarding whether it was indeed a mistake on her part to lend approval or not.

Hillary went on to make the very bold claim that “the people who play video games don’t vote,” clearly upsetting some reporters and audience members. This seemed an incredibly foolish move on her part, considering her opponent, Barack Obama, is clearly popular with young voters. By chance did she consider that an overwhelming amount of her supporters at her husband’s recent speech at UC Davis indeed indulge in playing video games once in a while? Apparently not. This was not a wise opinion to publicize on the Senator’s part, as Super Tuesday is now only days away and Hillary has made racially offensive comments, as well as activity based opinions that will likely deter supporters towards Obama.

Not long after making this rather presumptuous comment, Hillary responded to one reporter’s question regarding President Bush, which she answered rather candidly, claiming” He’s trying to leave the presidency in a state where he wont’ be shot on the street.” I wasn’t aware that there was any implication the current President was reported to be an assassination victim upon leaving office, but the Senator seemed unabashed when speculating upon this possibility.

To top off Hillary’s recently poor track record, she and her campaign team have failed to actively participate and rally for support in 118. I have personally made efforts on two occasions to interview Senator Clinton, and was unable to locate the candidate or her campaign team, as it appeared they had left meetings in a hasty fashion. Likewise, she and her team members have failed to make attempts to gather press coverage, at least from our organization and visibly other media outlets as well, while opponents have constantly sought interviews, coverage and support. To make matters worse still, according to an inside source Hillary has personally “bashed members of the press”, detailing her disgust over inappropriate dress and the unnecessary use of professional attire, when in fact she did not know of miscommunications causing the stir and confusion amongst a reporter prepared to go on air.

Hats off and good luck to Hillary in the upcoming week, because it certainly looks like she might well need it.

Erica Huckabee: Boldly Going Where No Baptist Minister, Woman Governor Has Gone Before

By: Loren Shimanek

Last night on the UC Davis campus Erica Huckabee gave a sermon and prayer to the few thousand attendees either in opposition or support of the once social conservative who has taken a unique stand; trying to align Christian idealists with liberal minded Democrats. The synthesis came full circle when, what we are calling the "other" woman in the race for the Presidential nomination extended what many believe is an open invitation for all United States voters to put down their religious content and agree that "change"needs to be the primary focus.

Erica Huckabee's plea comes at a time when Mayor Giuliani has dropped out the race and a loss in Florida circumstantially illuminates the dwindling campaign funds. The convergence of grass roots support and a self-prescribed ethical transformation, that has the entire voting population talking, is what Erica Huckabee is hoping will usher in a California primary win. The big story is the metamorphosis that Erica Huckabee has undergone since deciding to run for the Republican nomination. To most liberals the once governor of Arkansas was a Bible thumping bigot and extreme fundamentalist looking to eradicate progressive moral endeavors. But the transformation has captured not only the imaginations of the liberal voting population, but Christian conservatives that see the first female Governor of Arkansas as a political Messiah.

Erica Hucakbee in an exclusive interview with the New York Times stated, "I find that most people change depending on what is more convenient at the time, but I want to set an example for the people of this nation to stick to their faith, whatever that may mean to them." Consolidating this personal change with a relativistic scope Gov. Huckabee enthusiastically revealed that she can "respect an honest atheist more than a two-faced Christian." The unfortunate tale thus far has been the gradual climb into theconsciousness of voters as only one state has awarded Erica Huckabee a decisive win.

"Some people believe that my win in Iowa was a fluke" was a response given to the Times before the Florida primary which saw the furtherance of Senator John McCain's position for the Republican nomination. However, Erica Huckabee says, "in the South Carolina primary, Senator McCain and I stressed different aspects of our platform" with "the Christian vote swayed by Senator McCain’s experience, both in the military and political spheres." While the Christian vote may be swayed the question many progressives, feminists and secular political enthusiasts must face is whether Hilary is the only woman candidate worth voting for. The media has failed to focus on the fact that there are two women running in the primaries, one in each party.

Erica Huckabee doesn't seemed bothered by the lack of attention which has allowed her to focus on issues outside of socially constructed notions of gender such as the health care of Americans, the war in Iraq, and the economy. The once Arkansas Governor says, "honestly, the media attention given to Hillary Clinton’s campaign hasn’t affected my campaign much." Huckabee does "agree with her[Clinton] that being the first woman president would be incredibly historical." Consequently, the fact that Erica is a woman and Hilary is a woman shouldn't be the sole reason why people cast their vote. As the first female Governor of Arkansas the recognition by a primarily Christian state may correlate that “the Right” is ready for a woman in office.

Governor Huckabee believes the Christian population is ready for a woman inoffice, but she doesn't "think one’s gender should dictate one’selectability, nor does it say anything about that person’s ability to govern." Erica Huckabee's distinction as the first woman governor of Arkansas and as a Baptist minister, as fluently performed last night in Davis, shows that her unique position can create "change" that both Christians and secular liberals may find appealing.

Huckabee is quick to point out that the transformation of ideals and gender do play a significant role in the California Primaries. Huckabee states, "considering the nation’s cry for positive change, my moderate conservatism and my being a woman are strong points for my campaign...especially in California." The multi-faceted identity may be a hinging factor in the states psyche, but in "real," daily struggle the economy is the hot button issue the entire nation is pondering.

Erica Huckabee plans to tackle the economy in what may seem as an unorthodox policy change for a Republican by emphasizing savings and taxing consumption. Huckabee's plan "through the Fair Tax, people will onlybe taxed for consuming new items rather than for their productivity" which will "allow people to not only save money on taxes, but it would make many goods much more affordable, thus raising the buying power of the dollar." The drastic ideological shift in consumer taxation comes at a time when the Bush administration has successfully pushed through an economic stimulus plan through Congress that will encourage consumption, not savings, to get the economy up to speed. This tactic has received much criticism as the deeper issues of our economy need to be structurally fixed, not bandaged haphazardly.

Governor Huckabee may be the candidate to structurally ease future economic problems, but the fundamental policy shift in economy loses ground to proposed ethical male volence arising out of accusations that the once Governor of Arknsas said people with AIDS should be isolated. The governor doesn't fully refute the comment, but acknowledges that she was misinformed about the truth of AIDs and the processes of the epidemic. Erica Huckabee admits, "I was ignorant...about AIDS," but "by educating myself on this issue, I have come to realize that I was wrong and retract my prior statement." The life lesson that Erica Huckabee was dutifully mature to recognize the people are different regardless of moral disposition and perception. Partly, this realization encouraged the physical and issue oriented transformation Huckabee nows stands to benefit from, but the once ill-informed candidate states, "not knowing the truth is harmful not only to others, but one’s self" and "I want to put the“candid” back in candidate."

The once first woman governor of Arkansas may be able to be candid, but will people receive the message in time to elicit a positive response on February 5th? The country must wait and see if either party will nominate a woman to run in the Presidential election, but the metamorphosisis hardly a contextualization of a Kafka analogy. Instead, the "new" Erica Huckabee is the "other" woman that deserves media attention for being boldly reluctant to let misconception and misrepresentation control this country any longer. The manifestation of Erica Huckabee as a woman is not what should be the focus of voters, but the desire to address the issues Californians see as important for the desired "change" to improve Washington.

The former Governor divulges, the now famous decree of popular sympathies and realities, that "people are beginning to stop looking to the left and the right for solutions, and are starting to look up for who’s going to uplift America, looking for who’s going to uplift them."

The Few, The Feud: TV Broadcasting Companies Battle in SOC 118

By Miranda Faber, Editor


The recent merger between NBC and CNN news networks has brought forth an interesting and difficult dynamic between the 118 broadcasting organizations. Because NBC and CNN have joined forces, the competition has become increasingly heated between the self proclaimed “America’s News Leader” and Fox, who pride themselves on “Fair and Balanced” reporting. Perhaps the most prominent reason the battle between the broadcasting companies has reached such heights stems from their longstanding alleged political biases. Fox news has notoriously been claimed to promote stories and vantage points that prefer conservative morale, while NBC has long been said to provide coverage that favors left wing political stances. Tensions arose between the two organizations after last Thursday’s in class presentation of “Meet The Press,” hosted by NBC.



My fellow staffers from the Times and I found it extremely odd following the entertaining broadcast hosted by NBC’s anchor, Fabian Gonzalez, that Kristin Cook, reporter from Fox, had not appeared on the show. What struck our attention was her prompt arrival to the set that day, dressed to impress and quite clearly expecting to participate in the day’s debates and news presentation. However, Miss Cook did not appear on the show, and instead made an informal announcement to the audience following “Meet The Press,” encouraging members of the press and campaign teams to stay up to speed via the Fox News website and reminding her audience that Fox was indeed still a viable and reliable news source, though they did not participate in the edition of “Meet The Press.”



Although viewers seemed baffled by this plea for recognition and entirely confused as to why the Fox reporter did not appear on the television show, most seemed to think little of the situation and moved on to work on individual campaign projects and reporting. This was not the case, nor the reaction, of the Fox news team who seemed deeply frustrated by their lack of participation. After speaking to Ms. Cook and Terra Rossetto, Producer and fellow Reporter from Fox, it was easy to see why. In a personal interview Thursday, I spoke to the two Fox correspondents to gain insight as to the unraveling feud between their own broadcast network and NBC. Ms. Cook explained to me that she had personally spoken with delegates from the NBC/CNN team on Tuesday, asking “what to focus on…and what to reference” in the upcoming show. She was told “We’re going to cover all sides of the spectrum” by one of the reporters, and was given no indication that she would not be included in the upcoming discussion and reporting. And so, with this information and advice, Ms. Cook came prepared to provide information on the current status of the Preliminary Election, with specific info on “Super Tuesday, which wasn’t even covered” according to Ms. Cook during our interview. She was extremely disappointed that she was unable to inform viewers of the implications of the election which will tell the outcome of more than 20 states and is only 13 days away. “I was frustrated by it all,” said Cook who continued by adding “I was very, very prepared. I had a wealth of info.” According to Cook, the anchor informed her just prior to the show airing that they were not planning on including her, and Ms. Cook was forced to sit as an audience member of the live show.



However, according to NBC anchor Fabian Gonzalez, who hosted the first 118 edition of “Meet The Press,” he felt that Ms. Cook had seemed misinformed, and that according to the tradition of “Meet The Press,” it was not typical for anyone other than print media sources to be present. Gonzalez, alongside Timothy Jue, the field producer for NBC, claimed that he felt badly for the miscommunication, and offered Ms. Cook a spot after seeing that she had put ample preparation into the upcoming show. He informed me during an interview Tuesday “I said come on, sit down, we’ll grab a chair.” He said he distinctly remembered offering this invitation as the representative from Davis Enterprise was late to appear and had failed to respond via e-mail regarding their potential spot on the show. According to Mr. Gonzalez, Cook’s response was anything but appreciative, claming that the Fox reporter told him “If I don’t have to be on camera I don’t want to,” which seems hard to believe given Ms. Cook’s vehemence regarding the situation and the interview I conducted with her Tuesday.



While it is unlikely we will ever know what truly went on between the two networks, one thing is sure, the battle of the broadcasters has officially begun.

Image vs. The Message: John Edward's Ascent

By Loren Shimanek

Opinion Editor

The ad campaign, thus far, has been an assault on the senses with a lack of definitive resolution placed on the issues at hand. However, the reason why print and television ads are effective is due to the immediate scope of a candidate's image for public digestion. If ads were to be the "end-all" in campaigning, there would be less cautionary negotiation of text and more blatant image rendering. For example, mini press conferences that last a minute or so with visual aids where entire policies are written out and discussed at full length by the candidate. The issues, fortunately, are generously addressed and exposed in open forum situations, but it's the short information bits in the form of ads, that people attach to their general notion of a candidate's worth. In the most recent Edwards television ad, the former Senator triumphantly acknowledged his values not only as a statesman but also as a family man. His image is important because he is not as well-publicized than his fellow candidates; the effort Edwards asserts shows he is equally, if not more, concerned with image. Ultimately, this effort illustrates his awareness of voters' low attention span and sensory overload. In fact, in a Meet the Press show last week, a journalist attacked the Edwards campaign for being glitzy, or as I referenced the Kylie Minogue backed ad, "Edwards all up in the club." That type of reference, while discouraging on first encounter, actually ties in the post-modernist perspective that accompanies short, inadequate bursts of information: information which may be perceived as light hearted and delightful is compounded by individual experience based on numerous perceptions. Perceptions of what type of image a President may encompass. The liberating vibe of a dance floor song with nicely paced footage creates multiple sensations for each individual voter every time the ad is viewed. The process of interaction becomes more profound with real-life assessments of Edwards character or image.

Now... using the debate from the night before where Hilary and Barack engaged in a scandalous tit-for-tat about linguistic shortcomings, and the next day's many polls and media reports declaring that Edwards was the decisive victor... Edwards' image is rejuvenated. Of course not without being slightly marred by the other two candidates, who tend to grovel and wallow in each others' inadequacies. Edwards emerges confident and experienced. He realizes that he should not be involved in political spats of image when he is so far behind in delegates. Also, his mature stature amongst the other candidates shows his influential capabilities if given a fair opportunity to couple his image with a credible dissertation of issues. This coupling of image and message points to how convoluted ads, the media, and each social relation becomes when realistic provisions, such as a debate, allow for cognitive grounding. Back to the ads...

The Obama and Clinton ads were very self-aware in a different way than Edwards'. They knew that voters knew them; that the voters already had substantial information about who they were as candidates. The overarching message distinctive in Edwards' ad was that he wanted to get to know you. He may be the candidate that can fully embrace the "me" generation by telling a bit about himself so you can relate... the war, the economy, the issues that real people, not corporate lawyers or wishy-washy lobbyists, but real people, with real self-images, that want to share themselves with someone who cares. That someone is John Edwards or Ron Paul, if you're 20, and you've gotten a good laugh out of believing in the post-modernist dream. Until the libertarians rule the world by enslaving a continent like they once did in the 19th century, or do now, we shall all be wise to get behind someone who thinks free trade means expensive costs and big business means big government. John Edwards with image and message in tow will possibly be the best Democratic candidate, but only once people start looking with their ears and listening with their eyes.

McCain Focuses on Big Issues and the California Primary

By Loren Shimanek

In an exclusive interview with John McCain, the Senator discusses the issues of the faltering economy and stability in Iraq. McCain provided clarification of issues he hopes will strengthen his position in the Republican party nomination race that has so far produced three different winners in three different states. The loss yesterday in Michigan may be a setback for the Senator, but McCain’s focus on the California primary is where his moderate political position could bolster a deciding presidential nomination.
Suffering the loss to an absent candidate would discourage some, but not war time veteran and political moderate Senator John McCain. Instead, the loss to the former candidate, Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney in the Michigan primary serves as a wake-up call to McCain, who fared well with over 30 percent of the vote compared to Romney’s 40 percent. Romney campaigned so heavily in Michigan that despite dropping out of the race a wave of voter confusion ensued, as the majority voted for a candidate no longer in the race. Senator McCain, however, has put more stock in the primaries of South Carolina and Nevada that occur this weekend. The coming weekend’s primaries will undoubtedly give the Republican party a confident leader to support, and John McCain feels confident about being the Republican representative, despite polls that indicate a much closer race. When asked about the influence and consistency of polls, McCain declared “Americans are too smart to rely on polls and will vote with their heart and mind.” Votes, the Senator hopes, that are determined by issues important to Californians.
In an exclusive interview Tuesday, Senator McCain discussed his position on issues that matter for the California primaries. When asked about his stance on lowering emission requirements on sport utility vehicles, an agenda recently aligned with the California consciousness, McCain, who hoped his pro-automotive industry policies would be a boost with the Michigan voters, said “concern of emissions are a small point” in the global warming debate, and insisted that “dependency on oil should be replaced by alternative energy sources.” McCain also voiced concern that policy, economic or otherwise, should affect “all citizens, not just individuals” or single states. Regardless, Senator McCain sees conservative Democrats in California as an opportunity to pull votes away from his Democratic rivals which gives him an edge in the Republican bid for the 173 delegates in the state. McCain’s moderate stance, as he describes it, is to “make bridges between the parties” which has proved a constant problem during the Bush administration.

McCain is not afraid to ruffle the feathers of fellow Republicans when discussing economic policy. While maintaining the promise President Bush made to entrepreneurs that they should not be “taxed into submission” Senator McCain sees not only the benefit to the American public of lower taxes, but an ethical obligation based on “another man’s word.” Unlike other Republican candidates Senator McCain will cut taxes for the middle class and maintain a tax structure that is “more fair” in a global market. The global market is where “money can be brought to domestic economy through lower costs,” and companies being able to traverse manufacturing capabilities. Also, domestic jobs will be “created through innovation in the war effort” as corporations will need workers in the new market, said the Senator. The new market will be accomplished through a “strategic plan for Iraq.” Ultimately, according to the Senator, the income disparity in the country and the troubled economy is the top priority along with stabilization and infrastructure building in Iraq.

The Great Economic Divide (and Conquer)

By Loren Shimanek

Opinion Editor


The war in Iraq, immigration, health care, social security, and ubiquitous “change” were cornerstones of the 2008 Presidential Primaries but are quickly losing ground to income disparity, the housing crisis, and the overwhelming consensus that a recession is looming. The economy is in disarray according to most polls and the candidate swinging the sharpest policy ax could possible walk away with their party’s nomination, as well as the presidency.

The only outspoken economic propagandist that seems to make sense, both fundamentally and rhetorically, is Senator John Edwards. His pro-union and anti-big business stance coupled with his moderate working class image may become the benchmark others have been avoiding due to the prevalence of equally serious issues. However, as a dimming flicker in the Democratic primary race, Edwards will go silently and possibly re-emerge, once again, as a running mate for vice president. A strong economic spokesman would be great for the Democrats, but difficult on Edward’s bruised ego which earlier this week was afflicted by John Kerry’s personal endorsement of Barack Obama. Senator Edwards seemed to take the news quite well saying he “stands by Kerry,“ and that there was a “surplus of qualified individuals” among the candidates present at the 2008 118 announcements that faired less capable of tackling the issues, especially the economy.

Edwards’ fellow Democrats were enlightened and verbal about what type of “change” they could bring to the country. Senator Hilary Clinton executed impeccable correspondence during the Thursday’s conference, and candidly remarked “We are not the Bush family,” after being confronted her campaign being aligned to the Bush family’s administration as a so-called dynasty. Senator Clinton added “I have learned from Bill’s mistakes” which garnered a roar of laughter from the crowd of attendees. Sen. Clinton did address how to remedy the housing crisis, but failed to fully embrace the middle class who is suffering from greater economic disparity. The Senator from New York did, however, perform much more confidently than Obama.

Obama tiptoed around major issues while paying lip service to the American vote. The economic issue was not of priority. What was a priority was bringing the troops home, energy dependence, health care, and higher education costs. Obama’s rise to the political elite from a relatively disadvantaged background aids the “American opportunity” argument, but how can even the most impoverished American find refuge when the “affluent” middle-class feels the economic crunch? At least there was some concern for Americans from the Obama camp, as well as the Democrats, but the Republicans offered little more than a resume of previous achievements.
McCain used his veteran status and Giuliani used the narrow scope of New York City as backdrops for what they can offer the country. Meanwhile Erica Huckabee changed her rigid Republican stance as she asked Americans to not “look to the right or to the left, but up” signaling a grievance with the Christian right as she headed for a more moderate if not a complete liberal ideological turnaround. And, finally, Ron Paul amused and bewildered the attendees and fellow candidates as he sauntered through a repertoire of nonsense and finger pointing. None of the Republicans showed much concern for the economy or the fact that they are running for their party’s nomination.

Not to discourage Americans in the shadow of near economic meltdown, but the future looks a bit uneasy when considering the prospects, albeit Edwards surefire economic will. The Exxon Valdez had a more apt captain than what the United States may end up with as head of doomed vessel.

"I Wont Be Engaging In This Silliness"

As Senator Barack Obama campaigned in northern Nevada earlier today he stated he was concerned that a heated discussion of racial issues in the presidential campaign could divide the Democratic Party.

“I don’t want the campaign at this stage to degenerate into so much tit-for-tat, back-and-forth, that we lose sight of why all of us are doing this,” Mr. Obama told reporters at a news conference.

“We’ve got too much at stake at this time in our history to be engaging in this kind of silliness. I expect that other campaigns feel the same way.”

Obama was seeking to be seen as taking the high road in the ongoing feud between his campaign and that of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. After speaking to hundreds of Nevada voters at a rally, Obama urged Democratic voters not to become embroiled in racially-charged or motivated discussions.

On a day that initially was devoted to speaking about the economy, he held a nine-minute news conference. Before taking questions, Obama mentioned his rivals by name and praised them.

“I think that I may disagree with Senator Clinton or Senator Edwards on how to get there, but we share the same goals. We’re all Democrats,” Mr. Obama said. “We all believe in civil rights. We all believe in equal rights. We all believe that regardless of race or gender that people should have equal opportunities.” He continued, saying: “They are good people, they are patriots. They are running because they think that they can move this country to a better place.”

This came about after a comment by Senator Clinton was made that was interpreted by some as giving President Johnson more credit than the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. for winning changes in civil rights laws. The comment disturbed African-Americans who saw it as unfair and diminished the role of civil rights activists.

News conferences are a rarity for Obama. The last formal one – with chairs for reporters and a flag backdrop for him – was a month ago in Iowa. It was not immediately clear why he called one today, except to be seen as taking the high road heading into a key debate in Nevada on Tuesday with Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Edwards.

Campaign Announcements 01/10/08

This Thursday, January 10th campaign announcements are going to take place in SOC 118. At that time, we will meet the candidates and also be able to ask a few questions.

Details from that event will be posted shortly after so check back for the latest news.