July 24th - Week 8

     On July 24th, I watched This Week hosted by George Stephanopoulos on ABC. This week, he hosted the show from the DNC in  Philadelphia, the eve of the convention. George's guests included ABC News Correspondant Johnathan Karl, Clinton Campaign Manager Robby Mook, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and Trump Campaign Chair Paul Manafort. His pundits on the round table were Vice Chair of the Democratic Party Donna Brazile, Co-chair of CPC Keith Ellison, Oklahoma Representative Tom Cole, and ABC Political Analyst Matthew Dowd. In spirit of the DNC, I will be discussing the recent events in the Democratic Party, such as Clinton's VP pick and the email leaks involving the chairperson of the party.

      Clinton has chosen a Vice Presidential nominee, but many were surprised by her pick, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Many people did not see Kaine as the best choice for Hillary, including members in both the Democratic and Republican party. He has been considered controversial because he is pro-life and a Democrat, but he has stated he will keep his "personal opinion" out of his politics. Many Republicans favor Kaine, which may bring some anti-Trump Republicans to vote for Hillary, despite the factors they do not like of her. 

      The Democratic National Convention was held in Philadelphia this week, and many people had high expectations for the event, saying it will be an optimistic time for the party, unlike the RNC held last week. Brazile said the Republican convention was gloom and dark, but the DNC will be optimistic. Just as Tom Cole stated, Democrats like to say "everything will be alright, just trust us." The Republican convention was optimistic, but it was not about "fluff" and reassurance that the future will be better. Republicans told the truth about what was happening in the country and how they would make it better, which is optimistic, but in a different way. 

      Some controversies have occurred in the party this week. Chairperson of the Democratic party Debbie Wasserman Schultz and other members of the Democratic committee exchanged emails discussing how they favored Clinton over Sanders throughout the primaries. This has sprung up theories that Sanders never had a chance to become the Democratic nominee or that the committee has done everything in their power to ensure Clinton would win the primaries. Democrats, mainly, Clinton supporters, have turned this into an issue about Trump's relationship with Russia and Putin's regime. Manafort has stated the supposed relationship between Trump and Putin is fabricated. On the other side of the issue, Republicans say the email leak is yet another email controversy for the Democratic Party and should be treated as such. Since Sunday, Debbie Wasserman Schultz has resigned from her position in the party, which ensures people's beliefs that the system was rigged and unfair. 

      To conclude, it seems as if the Democratic Party is scrambling and disorganized. It has seemed to split between Sanders supporters and Clinton supporters. This is similar to the state of the Republican party a few weeks ago. The upcoming weeks in politics should be interesting, and I am eager to see the events of the next few weeks unfold.

      

July 17th - Week 7

      This past Sunday, I watched Meet the Press. It was a special episode so Chuck Todd hosted the show from the Republican National Convention in Cleveland the night before the event. Guests on the show included Reince Priebus, Chairman of the RNC, Glenn Beck, founder of Theblaze.com, and John Kerry, Secretary of State. The pundits were Joy-Ann Reid host of AM Joy, Hugh Hewitt host of Salem Radio Network, Sara Fagen CNBC contributor, and Tom Brokaw NBC News special correspondent. Because the Republican National Convention is this week, I will be discussing the party and the current stance of the Presidential election.

      Todd starts the show with an interview with Chairman of the RNC, Reince Priebus. He is asked to speak about how no Bushes, Mitt Romney, or John McCain will be attending the convention in support of Trump. Todd badgers Priebus on the issue, to which he says it is not unusual for important figures in the party to not show up at the convention. They later discuss Trump's VP pick, Governor Mike Pence. Pence will give Trump the political experience that appeals to voters. Priebus mentions how he has gotten to know the gracious and caring side of Trump and says he believes Trump knows the voters need to know that side of him as well. I hope he can portray himself better to the public in the last stretch of the election. 

      Glenn Beck then came on the show and expressed some of his very strong opinions. He does not support Hillary but also cannot bring himself to vote for Trump, he says because of his morals. He believes Americans are "living in a fantasy world" and feel like they do not belong anywhere (in a political party.) He says people who originally said they have a hard time voting for either candidate, are now picking sides and pretending their original beliefs did not exist. I certainly disagree and feel like both candidates have changed over the course of the past few months, and people are now deciding which candidate will be best for America. I feel as if Beck was urging people to vote for the Green Party and other third parties. I am not bashing third parties, but I feel like that was Beck's motive and not to discuss Trump and Clinton's current positions in the race. 

      Todd then moves over to a round table with the pundits. They mainly discuss the announcement of Trump's Vice President pick, Mike Pence, saying it was a missed opportunity. By comparison to past VP announcements, Trump's seemed somewhat dull and forced. The pundits pointed out that Trump was excited when he spoke of himself, but when he introduced Pence, he used a monotone voice and read off of a card. After the event, Pence and Trump did not tour to different events to campaign, they went their separate ways, which is worrying people about their current relationship. Despite how their relationship seems now, I believe Pence will bring aspects to Trump's campaign which he does not have already and will bring in more voters and supports for Trump. 

      To conclude, this week is exciting in politics, especially for the Republican Party. Many people are worried about Trump's every tactic and move, but his campaign is unlike any other candidate's. He and his campaign are changing the traditional ways the GOP usually does things, which should not be a huge controversy or spectacle.

July 10th - Week 6

      This Sunday, I watched Face the Nation with John Dickerson. He featured guests such as Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, NYPD Commissioner William Bratton, and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. Other guests included NAACP President Cornell William Brooks, Maryland Representative Elijah Cummings, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Dickerson also featured several pundits including Terrence Cunningham from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Sherrilyn Ifill from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Wesley Lowery of the Washington Post, and CBS News Correspondent Jeff Pegues. The main topic of the show was the violence between the black community and police and the uprising racial tension that comes along with it.
      On July 5th, Alton Sterling was shot several times by Baton Rouge policemen at a convenience store in downtown Baton Rouge. He was a felon with an unauthorized firearm, and there was a 911 call saying he was threatening people to buy his CDs. He resisted arrest and was then killed. A day later, in Minnesota, Philando Castille was pulled over at a traffic stop. He informed the officer he was registered to carry a weapon and as Castille was putting his hands back up, the officer shot him in the arm and side several times, and he died. These shootings have caused people of the black community to protest, but the protests are becoming violent. At a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas on July 7th, American Veteran Micah Johnson shot and killed 5 police officers, while injuring 9 others. He fled and later had a standoff with the police, but he continued to threaten officers, so the police killed him with a bomb strapped to a bomb disposal robot.
      Jeh Johnson and Mayor Mike Rawlings both stated that the Dallas shooter targeted police officers, especially white ones. People are beginning to question how the shooter was killed with the robot, saying he "should've been given a chance." The police negotiated with him for 2 hours and he continued to laugh and mock them. Micah Johnson was enraged because of the police brutality of black men and sought revenge of white officers, who were innocent and protecting other protesters from the gunfire. People who are using violence to get justice need to understand that not all police officers abuse their power and most are doing all in their power to protect the public.  As Representative Cummings said, "The police needs the community and the community needs the police." Brooks said America knows what things they need to accomplish to help solve the problem of blacks fear of police, but he says we lack the impulse to do them. I do think the solutions he suggested, such as passing of certain bills pertaining to racial profiling, would help the targeting of blacks, but there will still be racism unfortunately. I do not think it will ever come to a complete end, most beliefs do not. There are neo-Nazis in America, showing that people stick to their beliefs, no matter how extreme or unjust they may be. Cunningham stated that we should do anything we can to keep everyone safe, while giving criminals the proper consequences and discipline for their actions, no matter the race.
      To conclude, there are two sides of the recent violence in America. One is that people are criminals and should be stopped from causing any more violence or trouble. Another is that all cops are corrupt and are targeting the black community, which is why so many people are causing violence towards any police they come in contact with. I realize there are bad cops in the world who abuse their power, but generalizing all police officers as racist and corrupt, is not okay. The black community are fighting back for justice for their family and friends, but some members are becoming violent. Their violence is directed towards police officers, so I have to worry that the dirty looks my father and other family members receive at their job, will worsen into something more just because of the uniform they wear.
   

July 3rd - Week 5

      This Sunday, I viewed the show Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, although this week, Shannon Bream filled in for Chris. The week, guests included California Senator Xavier Becerra and California Representative Devin Nunes. The pundits were Brit Hume, Senior political analyst for FOX, Heidi Przybyla, for USA Today, Charles Lane, journalist for The Washington Post, and Scott Brown, former Senator for Massachusetts. Topics discussed on the show included the meeting between Bill Clinton and Loretta Lynch, new Benghazi information, and terrorism attacks in different parts of the world. I will be focusing on the first two topics, since I feel they have clear opinions from both parties, and the topics somewhat are related.
      I will first discuss the impromptu meeting between former President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Loretta Lynch. They both happened to be at a Phoenix airport, so Bill asked Lynch to talk with her, and they had a private meeting for 30 minutes. Their meeting is raising questions, because the FBI is currently running an investigation on Hillary for her exchange of emails, which Loretta will make the final decision of Hillary's indictment. Democrats believe Lynch and Bill's meeting will not affect how Lynch will look at the investigation from the FBI. It now looks like Hillary will not receive any punishment for the email scandal, which is why Democrats are saying the meeting was "impromptu" and only to have a social conversation. On the Republican side, people say the meeting has tainted the investigation and Lynch's final decision. Scott Brown stated that Lynch agreeing to the meeting was a "rookie mistake." This mistake could drastically affect the race and where Hillary stands. The Republican party also thinks that Bill pulling Lynch aside to have a private meeting was a mistake and could possibly ruin this political race for Hillary, if she is indited. I personally believe the meeting was not a coincidence and will result in an unfair handling of the investigation on Lynch's part.
       Tying into the above topic, Fox News Sunday also discussed a new Benghazi report and Hillary Clinton's exchange of federal emails over a private email server. Starting with the Republican perspective, people are seriously doubting how trustworthy Clinton is to be president. When she sent classified information over email, she put her personal agenda and convenience before the federal laws. She put our nation's security in danger, which is a crime and should be investigated as one. Moving to the Democratic side, Hillary has claimed that the emails she sent were retroactively determined as classified or "secret," but not until after the emails were sent. Democrats believe she should not be held accountable for breaking any federal security laws. But, it has been proven that 110 emails in 52 emails chains were determined classified at the time Clinton sent them, debunking her original statement. Onto the Benghazi issue, the ninth investigation of the Benghazi attacks recently sent out reports of what they found. Senator Xavier Becerra, who is a Democrat, says that no new information has been found in this ninth investigation. He constantly told Bream that her information was not new, and he said people were trying to put blame on soldiers who were sent out to the attack sites hours after. Republicans respond by saying the new investigation proves Hillary lied about aspects of the Benghazi issue. This means Republicans believe Hillary knew about the security breaches in the emails and failed to do anything about it when she had the opportunity to do so.
      In conclusion, much of recent politics has been revolving around Clinton and the FBI investigations. Personally, due to the several investigations surrounding Hillary and her scandals, I think she has had too many allegations against her for me to trust her. Most Republicans and I do not feel comfortable with her as president because all the "drama" she would bring to the White House. As for the Democrats, it seems most members of the party seem to believe the cases against her are unjust and should not be trialed or investigated. I predict the next few days of investigation will be rocky, but I am anxious to hear the final decision and how it will affect the race.

June 26th - Week 4

      This week, I watched This Week on ABC with George Stephanopoulos and State of the Union on CNN, hosted by Jake Tapper. Pundits and guests with George included Mitch McConnell, Tom Perez, Sir Kim Darroch, Gillian Tett, John Micklethwait, Greta Van Susteren, Stephanie Cutter, Alex Castellanos, and Michael Eric Dyson. On State of the Union, the guests were Bernie Sanders and Bob Corker. The pundits included Martin O'Malley, Jan Brewer, Ken Cuccinelli, and Nina Turner. Both shows discuss Clinton's lead in the race, discomfort in the Republican party, and Brexit.
      I first watched This Week, and George began with reviewing the polls for the presidential race. Trump is trailing 12 points behind Clinton, because his mistakes and comments are beginning to show in the demographics. George brings Senator Mitch McConnell on. They discuss voters' reactions to Trump and his troubles, and McConnell states the Republican party will not change it's stance on issues just because the split in the party. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez supports Clinton and thinks she will be the change America needs. I agree with that in the sense that Clinton has a plan and has made the plan clear to voters, while Trump only claims he will "make America great again" when he needs to be giving voters a specific plan as president. Now onto Brexit, British Ambassador Sir Kim Darroch is interviewed on the relationship of America and Great Britain, Britain's leave from the EU, and the economic affect of their leave. Now speaking to Gillian Tett and John Micklethwait, Tett discusses how many British citizens regret their vote to leave the EU, but in my opinion, they should have taken the vote more seriously because it is irrevocable. John only says how other European countries are considering having the same vote, as a result of Great Britain leaving. At the panel, Cutter stated that numbers like Trump's are extremely difficult to come back from, but she also says they have never seen numbers like his, so the two statements cancelled each other out. Dyson mentions how people will not trust a man like Trump with nuclear codes, but this is not a valid argument, because a single man cannot start a war. Using that same argument, most people do not trust Clinton to be president, as Alex Castellanos said later on. I completely agreed with Susteren when she stated that Trump needs to become a more presidential candidate, and then the voters will decide who would be better for them, despite mistakes both candidates have made. The discussion between the pundits was very beneficial because there were strong people from both parties, even though some of them were aggressive with their opinions.
     The next show, State of the Union, started with the host, Jake Tapper interviewing Bernie Sanders. Throughout the duration of the interview, Tapper was trying to get Sanders to say he would endorse Clinton. Sanders' answer was that he will not do all the work for Hillary, which I think is Sanders' way to make Clinton change her campaign tactics to defeat Trump. Bernie later says that the feeling behind Brexit is similar in comparison to the feeling behind the election in America. Tapper ends the interview and moves over to Senator Bob Corker and first asks what he thinks of the Republicans not supporting Trump. Bob says that he has respect for those people, but Trump gives a voice to "faceless bureaucracy" and bigger politicians do not like that. He later says that he is offended by foreign leaders controlling our issues, so people from Britain would not appreciate President Obama doing the same and saying comments that were "sort of sophomoric threats." The interview ends after discussion of gun control and terrorism, and Jake brings in his panel for discussion. The panel on State of the Union was unprofessional and unproductive. The guests would argue over each other, and Tapper suggested talking about immigration, to which all the guests ignored and continues their arguments. Cuccinelli accused Democrats of calling Republicans "bigots and racists" while guests from the Republican party did the exact same. The tension from both parties was highlighted through these arguments and debates. The panel never really discussed a topic fully, and soon the show ended.
     In conclusion, recently there has been tension between political parties, and the effects of that is showcasing during the discussion portions of these news shows. Some guests had productive and useful interviews, while others had a hard time staying on topic while they head-butted with members of the opposite party. I doubt the parties will ever come to an understanding or compromise, but I think it would have an amazing impact on the effectiveness and peacefulness of politics.

June 19th - Week 3

     On Sunday June 19th, I watched Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace on Fox News channel and Meet the Press, hosted by Chuck Todd on NBC. Guests on Fox News included Loretta Lynch, Jeff Sessions, Juan Williams, Amy Walters, George Will, and Brit Hume. Pundits and other guests with Chuck Todd were Paul Ryan, Mark Halperin, Gwen Ifill, Jose Diaz-Balart, Katy Tur, and Loretta Lynch. Both shows had healthy discussions and interviews which covered very similar topics.
     On Fox News Sunday, attorney general Loretta Lynch discusses the Orlando shooter, Omar Mateen's, wife and her connections to Omar. She suggests how America should manage gun control, and says they are investigating the wife's relationship to the shooting. Lynch spoke as though it was less of a terrorism attack than a hate crime when in reality, it was both. Next, key adviser for Trump Jeff Sessions says that toxic ISIS ideology is what caused the shooting, not the access of guns. Trump says he thinks anyone on the no-fly list, should not be allowed to purchase a firearm, and I agree. Any questionable connections with terrorism or danger should prohibit someone from buying a weapon. Juan Williams, Amy Walters, George Will, Brit Hume, and Chris Wallace discuss ISIS's impact in social media and the growing threat. Amy Walters mentions how both parties cannot come to a common ground. Republicans say Orlando was a terrorism issue, and Democrats say it is a gun control issue, when it is both. Now onto the political race, the table discusses the candidates' stance in the race. Walters states that Trump can exploit Hillary and the Obama administration for their lack of controlling ISIS, but Trump fails to take those opportunities and uses insults and lets his mouth get the best of him. Hume says that Trump is missing chances to change his view to voters, since many voters are losing faith in him. George Will mentions that Trumps confuses the hype of the crowds at rallies with the attitude of the general voters, which gives him a false idea of what the voters think.
     This week on Meet the Press, Chuck Todd started the show with an interview with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. They discussed Trump's appearance in the media. Todd asks how Ryan feels about Trump "implying that Obama has a connection with ISIS." Ryan shoots back to say that is not what Trump meant by his statement, but Todd continues to press Ryan on why he trusts Trump. Ryan stands his ground and fully answers questions while keeping his cool. I believe that Todd is biased in his interviews and as a host by the way he forces his opinion against the Republican party into his deliverance of the news. Later in the show, Todd and his discussion team, Mark Halperin, Gwen Ifill, Jose Diaz-Balart, and Katy Turr, gather to talk about the "Dump Trump" organization. Ifill says that no one is strong enough to be appointed to win against Trump in the Republican party. The group agrees that no one will believe the movement is organic, because it is the delegates who want Trump gone, not the Republican voters. Tur mentions the fact that Trump is "backtracking" and is "sputtering" which hurts his support systems in the race. Since Sunday, Trump has fired the head of his campaign, so hopefully he will begin to be more specific about his plans and control his mouth.
     In conclusion, both shows I watched, Fox News Sunday and Meet the Press, had very informative information and included several interesting views on terrorism, gun control, and the presidential race. The guests had many points that made me think differently about current issues in America. I look forward to see how politics progresses in the next week.

June 12th - Week 2

On Sunday June 12th, I watched Meet the Press with Chuck Todd on NBC. His guests and pundits included Pete Williams, Tom Brokaw, Hugh Hewitt, Amy Walter, Joy-Ann Reid, and Jeff Flake. He also has Bernie Sanders, David Plouffe, and Steve Schmidt on the show.
     Early Sunday morning around 2 A.M., there was a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, so Todd addressed the shooting for a large portion of the show. There were at least 20 dead and 42 wounded, but more people were discovered dead later in the week. The shooter held hostages in the club until police came, and the shooter was killed in the gunfire. Todd showed several eyewitness accounts from survivors in the club and family of people who were killed. He also discussed gun control and terrorism with NBC News justice correspondent, Pete Williams.
     Todd gathered his news team and discussed those same issues. Tom Brokaw suggested that both Republicans and Democrats need to have a healthy discussion about gun control because of the several mass shootings in America, even in the past year. Hugh Hewitt discusses how powerful and terrorizing ISIS is, similar to how Amy Walter says that citizens and parents are scared to anything because the threat of ISIS. Joy-Ann Reid talks of people who are targeted by terrorism. I did not approve that Reid said the Orlando shooting was a hate crime when the shooter's intent was not yet decided. I think that was an inappropriate statement, even though the shooting was a horrible event. Todd repeatedly says he wants America to have a conversation about terrorism and gun control at the same time. I believe that America lacks moral for gun control and needs to realize that mass shootings cannot be a routine occurrence in our country.
     Now onto the political race, Clinton is up three points, and Romney loyalists attack Trump. Trump shoots back to say that he will win and will not "choke" how Romney did. Senator of Arizona, Jeff Flake, comes on the show. Todd asks him why America cannot have a debate discussing both terrorism and gun control. Flake gives a roundabout answer to this question, I believe he "dodged" the question to maintain his reputation and avoid getting criticism from the press. Despite avoiding that question, Flake speaks out to say that he is uncomfortable supporting Trump and feels that his racist comments will affect the ballots. Flake laughs when he is asked if he can see himself voting for Clinton, but he does not think Trump will change as a candidate.
     Bernie Sanders is brought onto the show and says he will do everything in his power to make sure Trump will not win the election. He will meet with Hillary Clinton soon to discuss her campaign.
     Meet the Press included a new segment called War Room when two political figures are interviewed by Todd. This week, he brought on David Plouffe, campaign manager for Obama in 2008, and the senior adviser for McCain in 2008, Steve Schmidt. They are asked about the similarities to the 2008 race and the current presidential race. Schmidt says Trump has been the primary Republican candidate, but his controversies and division of the party is not putting that to good use. I agree and believe that Trump is not using the tools he has in the election. Plouffe believes that Clinton's campaign needs to be incredibly smart, because if she loses certain states, it can seriously affect her stance in the race. Although, Clinton has advantages in several states, and that is because more states are primarily Democrat, so Trump has more places to lose only because of the political standpoint of the states.
     To conclude, this week on Meet the Press, Chuck Todd and team discussed gun control and terrorism in America. The also talked about how America handles these issues and how they should be fixed. He also meets with several political figures to discuss the progress of the race for president as the election nears. There are currently several factors affecting the race, and it is incredibly interesting to see how it will pan out in the upcoming months.