One doesn't have to look far - just a little more than a century ago, when another historic election took place. A picture of that election, in 1898, provides an understanding of just exactly how monumental of a leap was taken by North Carolinians on November 4, 2008, when Senator Barack Obama became the first African-American to win the nation's presidency.
North Carolina voters favored Obama, albeit by a very narrow margin - approving him not only as America's first black president, but also as the first Democrat to take North Carolina's presidential vote since 1976. But how will the election of 2008 impact the quest for transparency?
... MOREReaders were quick to let us know about memorable omissions from the Capitol Monitor’s “Political Slogans, Parts One & Two” series. Here are just a few of the more colorful additions that we’ve received.
... MOREAs with every election year, political slogans whirl about the airways, boggling the imagination this campaign season. Newspaper, radio, and television ads, bumper stickers, campaign flyers, pamphlets, yards signs, and buttons assault the voters at every turn - and their associated political campaigns aren't always that easily transparent. In Part One of our campaign slogans series, the Capitol Monitor will challenge you to match some North Carolina political slogans that have survived history with their associated political campaigns.
... MOREIn the Capitol Monitor article “Political Slogans: Part One,” we examined the history of political slogans in the Tar Heel state, examining the origins of the term “slogan” and its history as a tool in political campaigns. Now, during the height of campaign season, we’ll briefly leave the state to turn our attention to political slogans at the national level. How many of these do you remember?
... MOREPolitical pundits, public policy interest groups, and the news media in North Carolina have all been lamenting the massive political spending in the state during this election year, especially that which is flowing in from out-of-state. Much of this money, it seems, is being spent on feeding misinformation to North Carolina voters.
... MORETime magazine has dubbed 2008 “The Year of the Youth Vote.” Haven’t we heard this kind of thing before?
Remember the “Year of the Soccer Mom,” or the “NASCAR Dad”? Every presidential election year, it seems that the mainstream media focuses on some demographic group and proclaims it critical to the upcoming elections. This year the media has trained its eye on “youth,” generally referring to those age 18-24 or, in some cases, age 30 and under.
... MOREAnyone with a television has likely noticed an uptick recently in political advertising as candidates vie to win their respective elections in November. While many of the ads are sponsored by the candidates themselves, the influence of outside organizations is increasing as independent “527 Committees” queue up to join in the fun.
So what are 527 Committees anyway, and who’s behind them?
Are lawmakers really representing the concerns of their voting constituencies, or might they be more influenced by special interests?
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