Filibusters

I was surprised by the whole concept of a filibuster. Honestly, I find it silly. I do not see the effectiveness of use of a filibuster in Senate. I think that they are a waste of time and that people should not be able to "talk a bill to death" with a filibuster. It amazes me that people can filibuster a bill by simply talking about anything and everything until people give in and agree. I think that filibusters take away from the process of reviewing bills which should be the main concern of Senate.

2012 Election Possibilties

As Obama enters his third year as President people are starting to question what will come of the 2012 election. Obama mostly likely will remain the Democrats nominee but will he be able to hold the office? I think that many people believe Obama has not lived up to his campaign promises. I do agree that Obama was a great campaigner and not all of his promises have been fulfilled. However, I think that a lot goes on behind the scene and that change in our country takes time. The question of weather or not Obama will hold a second term remains and open question for the time being. 

Prop 20: redistricting

A no on prop 20 would mean that California districts would continue to be drawn my member of the House of Representatives. A yes vote would mean that the people would create a committee that would draw up the district lines.  I think that it is important that for a fair vote that those being elected, like the members of the House remain excluded from the district drawing process. This would, however, mean an increase in the cost of redistricting because a committee would have to be paid to draw districts. This proposition passed with a yes vote by 61%. I think that this measure being passed will result in more fair election results.

President Obama’s Press Conference: "Let's Find Those Areas Where We Can Agree"

Following the November elections President Obama spoke about what he hopes for based on the results of the election. I think that Obama made a good point in saying that no matter which party is the majority in Congress it is important to be a united front. I agree that not everyone will always agree on issues and that this is one of the reasons we have political parties. However, I do think that it is important for our nation to work together in order to get things done. President Obama made it clear that in order to keep the nations best interest at hand it will be important for the Democrats and the Republicans to be able to work together to find common ground and serve the people of the United States.

Drugs In Portugal

I found the article about how drugs are dealt with in Portugal very interesting. When reading the article I thought about what California would be like if we followed the same drug laws as Portugal. This would mean that no one would go to jail for drug use or possession and they would have the option of turning down rehab therapy. I think that this would increase the amount of drug addicts and possibly result in a higher crime rate. However, the amount of inmate in jails would decrease and save the state a large sum of money. I do not think that saving that money would be worth it though. I think that in order to keep the majority of Californians safe it is important to maintain drug laws.

Brown calling Whitman a whore

I believe that it was inappropriate for Whitman to be called a whore, however, I do not necessarily believe that Brown should suffer because of it. It has become obvious that this race has become way too personal and I am sure that name calling goes on on both sides frequently. It just happened to be that Brown's was caught on a recording. I think that both candidates need to step back and take a look at how personal this race really has become.

Whitman Vs. Brown

Watching parts of this debate I discovered that I don't think of either of the candidates as great potential Governors. I feel as though they each have made it difficult to take a side because there debates on issues always seem to turn into personal attacks. I am disappointed that they are using personal attacks as a way to win votes. This keeps the voters from learning about each candidates and their views. It also send the wrong message that they don't work well with other parties which as Governor is an important job.