Mason Votes

The Final Argument for Mitt Romney

There is no denying that the two men vying for the White House are supremely qualified and capable.  They are both devoted family men as well.  America has been through rough economic waters and it is now time to choose a direction for recovery.

The sentiment that pervades the United States is one of underperformance.  We have such potential as a people.  After all, it was us who through our sweat and tears, blood and sacrifice brought this land to the pinnacle of world growth and productivity.  There is a palpable sense that while America looks poised for a big comeback, we are not producing to our potential.

In any enterprise, private or public, the buck needs to stop with a leader. Over the past four years, America’s recovery post-recession has been the worst in a century. Home values are still at record lows.  Banks are still sheepish to lend.  Gas prices are still at record high levels.  Take home pay for the average family is still the lowest in decades.  Most prominent though, are jobs and the lack of them.  The unemployment rate when the President took office and where it is now are the same.  However, the workforce itself has shrunk over his term to the lowest in three decades.  There are still over 23 million people not employed today.

The President likes to blame his opponent and his party for America’s current predicament.  What he neglects to mention is that for the first two years of his term, he and his party controlled the levers of power to such an extent that the Republicans were powerless to stop them.  These current economic conditions are the direct result of faulty policy, crafted and signed under the misguided leadership of Barack Obama.  There is no one else to blame besides the President for the stagnation that is the result.

After the litany of pain and dysfunction that was the last four years, one would think America needs someone who is more of a doer, not just a talker.  Maybe America needs someone who has had business, non-profit, and government experience and achieved vast success in those fields.  America would need someone who is dubbed a turnaround expert.  Mitt Romney had an overwhelmingly successful record in business.  His turnaround of the Salt Lake City Olympic games after 9/11 was masterful.  His ability to govern and achieve success in an 85% Democratic legislature would be a breath of fresh air to Washington’s gridlock.

Take away the smallness that this campaign has sometimes stooped.  Forget binders and Big Bird, tax returns and ‘Romnesia’.  These are all distractions from the reality Americans can clearly see around them.  We have big problems to tackle and we need serious and successful men and women to solve them.

Barack Obama was elected four years ago to fix America’s problems.  On nearly every measure and even using his own benchmarks, he has failed to bring the change America needed.  The American people gave Barack Obama the position and power to lead the nation out of the economic wilderness, even though he had never led before.  Four years of meager growth and stagnant incomes were the result.  Now it’s time for the American people to give Mitt Romney, a man who has a distinguished track record for turnarounds, a chance to do it again.  Governor Mitt Romney should receive America’s vote to be the next President of the United States.

 *The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author. 

“First of All We Vote” Debate Video

College Republicans and GMU Democrats held a debate on Friday, November 2, 2012 in GMU’s Johnson Center Atrium at an event titled, “First of All We Vote: GMU Presidential Debate Public Forum“.  The event was sponsored by GMU Student Government, Weekends at Mason, Mason Votes and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.  Here is the video of the entire debate.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRv3ROREibg&feature=share&list=UU1TuP1898FOdPrvng_HGDCA[/youtube]

A Vote for Romney

Photo from: fairfaxcounty.gov

A vote for Romney is a vote …

-for someone who supports a Constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage.

-to repeal the Affordable Care Act.  Legislation that once fully implemented in 2014, will have given upwards of 30 million Americans the opportunity to receive health insurance that would not have access otherwise.  Legislation that gives any one making between 133% and 400% above the federal poverty level tax credits to help pay for insurance and the choice of states to receive federal funding and expand Medicaid for those who live below the poverty line.  Legislation that prohibits insurance companies from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions and capping the amount of coverage a person can receive.  Legislation that allows people to be covered by their parent’s insurance plans until they are 26 years old.  Legislation that eliminates copays for preventative care and decreases the cost of prescription drugs.  Legislation that drastically improves America’s health care system.

-to defund Planned Parenthood, the nations largest provider of women’s preventative care; an organization that one in five women have visited in their lifetimes and serves as the only medical personnel over half of its patients will see all year.

-to appoint 1-3 Supreme Court justices that believe it is not unconstitutional to tell a woman what to do with her body and will have the ability alter the makeup of the court for decades to come.

-for a Vice President that believes women should be forced to give birth to their rapist’s child.

-for someone who would like to expand the publically funded voucher system for private education.  This is money that would be taken out of public schools and be given to private schools, including religious institutions, obscuring the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state.

-against progress.

*The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

Mitt Romney to Campaign at Mason on Monday

UPDATED

 

Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney will make his first appearance  this election cycle at George Mason University on Monday, November 5.

Romney’s stop in  Northern Virginia reinforces just how close the race for Virginia’s 13 Electoral College votes is. Romney is set to speak at the Patriot Center at 2:45 p.m. with doors opening at 12:45 p.m.

President Obama also spoke at the RAC where he was greeted by 9,000 supporters. The Romney campaign hopes to convince voters in the Northern Virginia area suburbs that his plan for the economy will help put America back on the right track.

For ticket information please visit: http://www.mittromney.com/events/fairfax-victory-rally-w-mitt-gop-team

WGMU Radio Interview with Col. Chris Perkins

I recently had the opportunity to interview Colonel Chris Perkins on my political talk show, Take it to the Hill.  Col. Perkins is running for congress in VA’s 11th district, he’s a candidate that students voting on campus will have the opportunity to vote for. Here’s the full interview:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrlQGqHGMnc[/youtube]

For more information about Col. Perkins: http://www.perkins2012.com/

Get educated, stay informed, and vote!

The Impact of Political Advertising

Photo by | Dakota Cunningham C2M 

As Election Day approaches, the 2012 presidential campaign is in full swing. For months, citizens of the battleground state of Virginia have endured countless advertisements funded by the Obama and Romney campaigns. According to the Washington Post, more than $262 million has been spent on ad support for the president, compared to $282 million in support of the Republican nominee. The two parties have spent more than $96 million on Virginia alone. Only Florida has a higher total at $104 million.

The D.C. Metro area has seen or heard more than 24,000 ads, accounting for $44 million of the spending, since mid-April 2012. Each advertisement has the same goal: Form a likeable image of its candidate.

Thom Mozloom, the founder and president of The M Network, an advertising agency based in Miami, joined students participating from the George Mason University Video Studio along with Steve Scully, the political editor for the C-SPAN networks, and students from the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, and Purdue University for an episode of “The Washington Classroom.” Mozloom said, “The brand is the emotional connection a target audience has with a particular candidate, a campaign has to build that connection typically over time, getting the viewer emotionally involved with a candidate.”

Most ads on the air today last only about 30 seconds. “The idea is to connect with the least amount of words and the most amount of emotional impact,” Mozloom said, “something that everybody is going to agree with and have that emotional ‘yes’ to.” While the goal of ads is to create a brand, some viewers, such as Lauren Dean, a Mason alumna with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, choose to ignore the message. “Honestly, I’ve stopped listening to the messages,” said Dean, a 27-year-old resident of Alexandria. “All they do is say negative comments about the opponent instead of telling me their own views or plan.”

Others, such as Kevin McLain, a senior at Mason studying government and international politics, believe the message of campaign ads are not targeted to each individual voter. “As a partisan, I’m not very much affected by political ads,” said McLain, a 20-year old from Manassas. “When I see a political ad, I’m looking at who is targeted, what is the point and what it’s trying to make me feel.” Some advertisement viewers might wonder whose vote is being changed by ads. “Perhaps the ads influence those people who listen to the ad and believe it word for word,” Dean said. “Or maybe they’re intended for those who make their decision based on the negatives of a candidate.”

“I think the people who change which party they vote for every election are the ones who are affected,” McLain said. “A person who is not as politically savvy as someone who studies politics is probably more easily swayed.”

The latest Gallup poll of likely voters from Oct. 28, Hurricane Sandy suspended Gallup poll tracking on Oct. 29, showed Romney with a slight 5-point lead over Obama, making the presidential race a 51-to-46 percent dead heat.

The distance-learning course, which is produced by C-SPAN, is a unique opportunity for students to interview guests via video conference. The course airs on C-SPAN3 on Fridays at 5 p.m. and also streams online (http://www.c-span.org/Washington-Classroom/).

MASS TWEET @MittRomney

UPDATE 11/2/12 – Whether due to the “Mass Tweet” or not, Mitt Romney will be visiting campus this Monday, November 5th. http://www.mittromney.com/events/fairfax-victory-rally-w-mitt-gop-team

Article Posted: 10/10/12

As many GMU students know, President Obama spoke to our university during a campaign event this past Friday. Many students have been asking, “What about Mitt Romney, is he going to visit George Mason?” Students, whether Romney supporters or not, would like to hear from both candidates that they have to choose between on November 6th.

To encourage and invite Gov. Romney to visit campus, we’re organizing a mass tweet at Mitt Romney to get him to visit us here at Mason. The idea was first thought up during my radio show, Take it to the Hill, when we were talking about how my former High School did the same thing to get “RG3” (The Redskins’s starting QB) at one of their football games. What if we got hundreds or thousands of Mason students to tweet at Romney? We could probably influence and encourage a campaign stop here on campus before the election. These campaigns don’t ignore their twitter accounts; they notice these kinds of things. When the Romney campaign notices a ton of tweets popping up from Mason students wanting Romney to speak on campus, they might just happen to decide to do it.

This Friday, October 12th, between 4PM and 6PM, we’ll all be tweeting “@MittRomney” to let him know the George Mason University student community welcomes his presence and encourages him to come and speak to us. Let’s make sure both Presidential candidates stop by this election season, because Mason VOTES

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Create a Twitter account.
2. On Friday, between 4PM and 6PM, tweet @MittRomney
Example tweets: “@MittRomney ,come visit us at George Mason University! #GMU    #MasonVotes” , “Obama already spoke to us, it’s your turn @MittRomney!, we want to hear what you have to say #MasonVotes”, or ” Hey @MittRomney , don’t miss out on VA’s best university! Come speak at #GMU! #MasonVotes”
3. Tell others to Tweet! Get your friends on campus involved, the more people we have tweeting, the more effective this mass tweet will be!
4. Re-Tweet other tweets that are sent to Mitt Romney and tweet multiple times!

Whether you just want to hear from both candidates or if you want to show Romney that GMU supports him, this is a great nonpartisan mission to have both Candidates visit the George Mason University Fairfax Campus.

1-on-1 with Mason Votes: Colonel Chris Perkins

Mason Votes went 1-on-1 with Colonel Chris Perkins the Republican candidate for Virginia’s 11th congressional district. His opponent is Congressman Gerry Connolly.

Colonel Perkins spoke at length about the importance of this year’s election and shared his opinions opinions about how to best address the major challenges facing America.

To learn more about Colonel Perkins you can check out his campaign website here: http://www.perkins2012.com/

Here is our interview:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-PlvtYB3lA&feature=g-all-u[/youtube]

GMU Gangnam Style Video !

Cover Photo by Alexandra Sudak/ Broadside

Students Use Pop Culture Phenomenon to Inspire Voting

This election season, Mason is voting Gangnam Style.

Alexandra Sudak/Broadside

Twenty people gathered by the George statue on Saturday, Oct. 27, to film a video of Mason students rocking out to the internet hit Gangnam Style, but with a twist–the song’s lyrics were changed to let young people know that voting is something that’s cool to do.

The video is part of an effort by the Mason Vote Mob, as well as All Hands on Deck, a self-identified non-partisan group whose goal is to get young people to the polls.

The filmmaker, Colin Christopher, is a member of All Hands on Deck.

Follow the Link for the full article:

 http://broadsideonline.com/2012/10/31/students-use-pop-culture-phenomenon-to-inspire-voting-5500/

George Mason Univ. Students’ Election Season Rendition of Gangnam Style

 [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN0-LUyhYOw&feature=g-hist[/youtube]

CREDITS:

Psy Impersonator: Edgar Tran

Dancers: Daniel Abrokowitz Jasmine Barnes Gabrielle Cunningham Kyle Dingle Janisah Georges Jerell Georges Lesley Harris Saranya Jagadish Ashton Parker Morton Tiffany Nguyen Chelsea Norman Dan Quach Seth Robertson J.D. Stier Yunzhi Sun Marianne Tokarz Iliana Vakuza Jasmine Young

Editor: Daniel Singer

Assistant Editor: Janelle Germanos

Assistant Editor: Colin Christopher

Technical Adviser: Zach Gross

Music Director: Jaime Jimenez-Moreno

Producer: Colin Christopher

Director: Colin Christopher

Coreographer: Colin Christopher

Camera: Colin Christopher

Filmed on location at George Mason University

A Breaking Boundaries Production, 2012

www.HoodieVote.org 

AllHandsOnDeck.Net 

http://www.facebook.com/VoteMobGMU

 

Obama Rejects Chance to Send 5mil to Charity

FINAL UPDATE 11/1: President Obama missed the deadline to release the records, as a result missing an opportunity to directly benefit a charity of his choice with 5 million dollars.  Here’s Donald Trump’s response:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYgW3_w3TS8&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

UPDATE 10/30: Tweet by Donald Trump on Oct. 30th: ” The President has until tomorrow at 12 noon to pick up $5M for his favorite charity. Looking like he won’t be doing it. What is he hiding? “… Apparently giving the President more time to release the records due to Hurricane Sandy.   12:00 P.M. , November 1st, is the new deadline.

In a recent publicity stunt, Donald trump has given President Obama an opportunity to send 5 million dollars to a charity of his choice, the President has to release his college transcripts and passport records for the public to see.  Mr. Trump claims that Obama has been one of the least transparent Presidents in history and wants to give him a positive way to release these records to the public while becoming “more transparent.”  Trump told TheBlaze, “I thought it would be a very easy way to get transparency from the president…I would hope to find nothing – but I have a feeling that might not be the answer.”  President Obama would have to release those records by Today, October 31st, by 5:00 P.M E.T, or else he will have passed up an opportunity to give 5 million dollars to a charity of his choice.

Some met Mr. Trump’s ultimatum to the President with jokes and mockery, including the President himself who made a joke on the Jay Leno show.  Some just ignored Donald Trump by simply saying, “It’s Donald Trump, what a joke.”  Personally, I do not understand why people are making a mockery of this, what is the big deal?  While some might ask “why” Donald Trump would do this, I ask, why not?  If the President were to release those records, 5 million dollars would be donated to charity, he would be considered more transparent, and the public would know more about him.  If the President does not release those records, that is 5 million dollars that will not go to help others, the President will be considered less transparent, and the public will not know as much about him as they would if he did release the records.  If he does not have anything to hide, why not release his college transcripts and passports records?  Whether you are an Obama supporter or not, I believe we should all support this opportunity for the President to be more open and transparent with us while benefiting others with 5 million dollars  going to charity at the same time.

I could honestly care less if he released those specific records, it personally would not change my vote and probably would not change your vote, but why pass up an opportunity to give 5 million dollars to charity?  I am sure New York and New Jersey could use that money right about now from the damage that Hurricane Sandy has caused.

Click here to watch Donald Trump’s big announcement.

*The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.