Tracking Money In Politics

As shown through previous posts, the web hosts a lot of information on social and humanitarian issues and their interaction with governmental affairs. However, I found a website that tracks monetary donations given to political campaigns.


OpenSecrets.Org: Exposing Money in Politics

OpenSecrets.org is a non-partisan research group that tracks money in politics. It is used to view how much each local, state, and federal candidate has raised and to see what corporations, businesses, and people donate to. In addition, this site displays how much each donor has given.

You can track the money by easily searching through industries, candidates, or regional fiscal donations. I looked up 2008 Presidential candidates and found that collectively they have all raised just over $420 million. If money didn't matter in campaigning just imagine how much more efficient we could use that money to feed the hungry or shelter the homeless across the world.


Money and Politics: A Deadly Cocktail

Money in governmental affairs is a large controversy. Many corporations try to "buy" candidates so that nominees will pass laws or veto laws that benefit that business rather than the common people. More importantly, money in politics makes it nearly impossible for average people to run for state and federal positions because of the cost of campaigning. With politicians always looking for contributions, they can not delegate the progressive actions and social help needed to the middle and lower economic classes of the United States.

Why Use this Site?
It is important to use this site to become more educated on the sources of money donated to candidates. You may disagree with the way a candidate gets his or her money and you may want to change your vote to another candidate.

This site is also used to get citizens more involved with the "behind the scenes look" at politics.

OpenSecrets also hopes to create a "more responsive government" by showing candidates that citizens care about politics and want their vote on issues to matter and not be overshadowed by large corporate desires.


Further Research
For more information on why massive amounts of money in our political system is not beneficial to average citizens, please visit Democracy Matters for more information and ways you can help get money out of politics and people back in.

DemROCKacy

If you are passionate about music like you are about politics, I suggest taking a look at punkvoter.com. Although this site focuses solely on punk and rock musical genres, this website has lots of bands, musicians, record labels and fans backing up Punk Voter’s mission to educate, register, and activate progressive voters.

How Music Influences Social Change

PunkVoter uses music as an inspiration for social change. Historically, punk rock is known for being influenced by politics and has a tradition of punk bands singing out against modern politics and government in general. This site hosts an overlapping field of music and politics. Activists that use this site are primarily motivated prominent punk bands and their lyrics and use this sort of art to ignite social and governmental change.

This site also offers interviews with punk rock bands. However, instead of just posting interviews about the bands music, the site features musicians' insight and opinion of current political affairs which is very interesting to me as a huge music buff.

Why PunkVoter Works

In order to get people active and involved, PunkVoter has declared thre mission statements inorder to achieve their goal. They are:

1. To activate young people to participate in elections.
2. To expose the chaotic policies of George W. Bush and his current adminsitration.
3. To build a coalition of informed voters who can individually and collectively influence public policy.

By pulling younger voters in and getting them excited about music and what punk rock really stands for, punkvoter leaders can educate the youth through their website. On the issues page, the site offers insight on problems the United States faces today and gives voters a reason to vote to save civil liberties and social rights. Some topics include personal freedoms, the environment, and economics.

Getting Involved with PunkVoter

To get involved all you have to do is register to become a member. After you sign-up you will be e-mailed information on local, state, and national candidates. But, if you don’t want to fill up your inbox, you can still visit the links page and sign petitions, register for rallies, become more educated, and become activists for other progressive coalitions.

Punkvoter also offers an opportunity to register to vote, which is really important to do to get your voice heard at the polls. The site also offers downloadable flyers and fact sheets for activists to distribute to other people.

So, to all you punkers out there itching to stick it to the man, I suggest you visit punkvoter.com and see what you can do to change minds and change politics.

Exposing Political Sabotoge

If you are a Progressive Liberal like me you will appreciate the website, CrooksAndLiars.com. This is a blog based website that focuses on political debauchery through both serious and satiric posts.

Bloggers bash media and political icons that have unfairly condemned or attacked the general public or specific persons in a given circumstance. Basically this site it used to raise awareness of unjust individuals in the political world and to highlight their and expose their controversial misconducts.

My favorite post today is entitled “She’s A Barbie Girl, In A Barbie World.” It features a YouTube video of a spoof on recent toy recalls from China because of lead poisoning. The video shows Barbie and Ken dolls flirting and then suggesting that they were intimate. The video then shows later that week Barbie calling Ken to tell him that she contracted lead poisoning and he could be in danger of illness. The video is then followed by federal product safety facts that are pretty unsettling for consumers.

With posts like these that bring attention to social and ethical problems, CrooksandLiars.com is a good link for finding hidden agendas and ruthless behavior from what are supposed to be our strong, moral, political leaders. With the use of blogs and a long list of links, this progressive site gives readers a different perspective of the things we hear about individuals and enlightens citizens on the cruelty that can take place in politics.

Digging for the Truth in Political News

Media consumers have it hard when searching for truth in news. With so many media outlets being biased or just plain wrong, it is our job as consumers of television, radio, websites, and print to decipher between fact and fiction in the news.

Finding Truth in Politics Via Truthdig.com
To help us consumers get to the bottom of things, Truthdig.com has made it their mission to “dig” beneath top stories and search for truth and objectivity when it comes to current events. This web magazine not only sifts through stories to find honest reporting but it also focuses on important political and global issues that the American media may no report.

TruthDig offers stories on more than politics and governmental affairs. This site also keeps viewers both informed and entertained by using other sources of media outlets such as

• Arts and Culture

• Audio and visual files and clips

• Podcasts

• Political cartoons

• Interviews

Why TruthDig Works
I enjoy reading this site because it isn’t a cookie cutter news source. This web magazine offers alternative and progressive views on government affairs as well as uncovering more in depth analysis of current political issues. I also like this site because it offers alternative viewpoints and provides links to sources to back up their reasoning and logic in their articles.

For example, in an article about Rudy Giuliani, Truthdig sites sources in which Giuliani spoke of fighting terrorism since the 1970’s while showing other sources of him saying he did not know as much about terrorism until after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centers.

So if you are sick of seeing the same viewpoint on major political issues from every source you read, I suggest you pay a visit to truthdig.com.

The Ants Have Megaphones

For those of you that need something richer than just text, Blog Talk Radio is a site that hosts online talk radio. The site allows users to interact (for free) by either hosting their own show or calling in and speaking on a different broadcast.


A Show for Every Viewpoint
While Blog Talk Radio is used to broadcast about any subject that you could possibly want to hear about, for the purpose of this blog I checked out some shows about politics. I listened to a show about progressive politics and a show about the War in Iraq. Whether you are liberal or conservative or anywhere in between, Blog Talk Radio has something for you. In the political radio category alone there is 2,527 different shows. I sifted through a handful of them before I found 2 good shows and that is what you will have to do to find a show that appeals to you.


The Downside
This site is very unique because it gives everybody and anybody a chance to participate in radio. Because of this though, not everybody can broadcast professional broadcasts. Sound quality is not the best and most shows sound like you are listening to somebody's phone conversation. While radio shows do speak of politics and offer alternative political ideas and outlooks, you have to really pay attention and dig for a good show.


Try It
Blog Talk Radio is definitely worth a try. It is very easy to use. All you have to do is register and then go dig around on the site to find a radio show that fits your taste and enjoy.

Online Social Networking and Politics

Politics has the power to divide people but it also has the power to bring people together and create progressive ideas and discussions from local to global political issues.

Getting Involved without Leaving Your Computer Chair

If you are looking for a site to read about politics and have an urge to contribute or be involved with articles, Political Grind is your answer. This website allows users to read bipartisan editorial articles from the eleven staff writers that touch on a plethora of issues. Political Grind also plays host to users who want to write their own articles and add their own flavor to the website. Also, because this is a blogging site, users can give and share comments on posts.

Touchy Subjects

This website does write just about political leaders in the governmental and social world. The Political Grind focuses on all things political and gives viewers an array of articles and topics to choose from. Just to name a few here are a few examples of topics that are covered:

• Campaigns
• US Economy
• Environment
• European Politics
• Middle Eastern politics
• Social Issues
• Religion
• Legal Issues

Why It Works

Political Grind works well because it is very user friendly. The site is easy to navigate and it is simple to look up political topics as well as archived articles because of the links in the side bars. Also, this site very clearly shows articles posted by the staff and articles posted by contributing user writers. I enjoy reading articles from this website because of the different views that all of the writers have. I also enjoy reading comments and thinking about the ideas that users have about certain subjects and topics.

Political TV on the Web

If you prefer watching video about political talk rather than just reading articles online, I suggest you take a look at The Bleepin Truth. This Tampa, Florida based cable television show is streamed online and is available for all to see. Chris Krimitsos, the Executive Producer of The Bleepin Truth has put together a strong cast of characters that are solid in their political views and are passionate about their opinions.

Each episode features a new guest and a politically controversial or debatable subject that the cast discusses. Previous show topics have covered

• Religion and politics
• Political party debates
• Gay Rights
• President George W. Bush's time in the White House
• Military Issues
• Environmental Issues
  

The show is informative as well as entertaining. The Bleepin Truth is vibrant and full of energy and has a semblance of the old TV show Crossfire in each episode.

Information is Power

Politics1 is a website dedicated to informing American voters on controversial and highly debatable issues and political party ideals and characteristics. This website is handy if you are overwhelmed by politics but would still like to be involved with the political process and want to exercise your right to vote.

Politics1 provides links to Conservative, Liberal, Libertarian, and Radical websites. They also have a list of political issues that explain both sides to every issue to help you relate to an issue and create an opinion on it. For example, by clicking on the Abortion link there are links to websites that explain reasons to oppose abortion and reasons to support a woman's right to choose.

I like this website because it is simple and easy to understand. It takes away the overwhelming overload of political information. Also, this site is unbiased and it provides an easy to use and categorized a ton of information about politics. Politics1 is an example of true democracy at it's finest.

A Guidline to Your Vote

If taking a survey is not your style to figure out what political candidate you like, I found a website that displays a chart of all the 2008 Presidential nominees' political outlook. This site is called 2008 Presidential Election Candidates on the Issues. With this site you can quickly and easily look at a table that tells you what major issues Presidential candidates support or oppose.

I like this site because all of the candidates' views are listed right next to each other and it is easy to compare and contrast each candidate and learn a little more about the lesser known nominees.

The only set back to this site is that in some cases there is more than a simple yes or no answer about an issue. The site highlights this issue and encourages viewers to go directly to a candidate's website if there is any missing information or uncertainty.

"But Who Do I Agree With?"

This many be a question you are asking yourself with so many candidates running in the primaries. With so many nominees to choose from it is easy to get confused on what candidate you should vote for and who fits your political outlook. I found a site called Pick Your Candidate. This website has a survey that asks you how you feel about social, legal, domestic, and international affairs. Don’t worry, there is no writing necessary. How you feel about a particular issue is chosen through a pull-down menu that rates your outlook on the subject. The results are then calculated and a new page will pop up and show you which 2008 Presidential candidates match your perspective on politics, social issues, and international concerns.

I told a lot of my friends about this site during our political debates on who should be our next president. Most of my friends that thought that they were going to vote for one person decided to support a different candidate after taking this test. This site is easy to use and gives you a chance to second guess what presidential candidate you would vote for and gives you a direction on who to vote for if you are undecided.

WANTED: Al Gore Back in the White House

I came across an interesting website that was above and beyond the Democratic nature of this country. This site is dedicated to drafting Al Gore as President of the United States.

DraftGore.com is a grassroots organization that is trying to petition Al Gore to run for President. Supporters of Gore have created a large web based community (Over 100,000 strong) to support Al Gore and convince him to enter the 2008 Presidential Race. They are trying to recruit Gore enthusiasts by advertising, selling merchandise, keeping up-to-date news on Gore, petitioning, and writing letters to the Democratic Party and Mr. Gore himself.

This site is like nothing I have ever seen before. This site is an excellent example of the pursuit to the Democratic configuration that the United States claims to be seeking. It makes me feel thankful that we live in a country where we not only have the right to vote for our leaders, but also the freedom to nominate them as well.

Politics Through the Eyes of College Students

CampusProgress.org is a website that is getting college students involved with politics. This website engages people by giving them many opportunities to either get involved or to just read up on current politics. This site is different than an official website of a politician because it is a non-partisan website that invites all political viewpoints to join in and voice their opinion on issues that matter.

This site allows users to interact through:

• blogging

• contributing to website whether it be through writing articles, drawing political cartoons, or giving a commentary on audio or video
  

• attending or hosting events

• offering internships, jobs, and club membership.

I like this website because it focuses on young adults and appeals to me by speaking of progressive politics that involve peace, college affordability, and global warming issues just to name a few. I also like that the site is run by students, for students and many of the issues that appeal to my peers also appeal to me as well. The site also offers students a different take on politics through the Arts and Culture page that shows political issue through film, TV, comics, books, and music commentary.

But, mostly I like this website because it gives politics a rich and inviting culture and takes the blandness and insipid nature out of the word "politics."

Ron Paul and Myspace

The 2008 presidential election has been kicked off with many internet driven campaigns. For example, Republican nominee, Ron Paul is marketing his political proposals and ideals by networking through Myspace.com. Ron Paul is using Myspace as a website to show off his political platforms, ideals, and plans through links to his official website.

On more of the human side, Ron Paul's Myspace page gives users a chance to befriend him via Myspace and interact with his webpage. He also allows comments to be posted on his page and gives voters a chance to directly ask or say something to him. He also posts his favorite music, television, and books to try to relate with possible constituents. By adding Ron Paul as a friend, you can comment pictures, post comments, send messages, and become involved with his campaign.

I think that this new way of 21^st century campaigning is an efficient and exciting way to use the internet. It may give older audience members a reason to feel comfortable to use the internet because of an interest in politics while at the same time encouraging younger crowds to become more involved with government affairs.

Commondreams.org: An Alternative to Mainstream News

Commondreams.org is a politically based website featuring a collection of current news and articles on both domestic and international affairs.

I like this website because I can find a plethora of articles that mainstream news outlets don’t provide to consumers. Many corporate media sources tend to lack variety or censor certain stories. This website is valuable if you are looking for alternative political news.

I also love this site because there are no advertisements or pop-ups that interrupt me reading a story because CommonDreams is a not-for-profit organization funded primarily by readers.

Unity08: A Web Based Political Party

With a serious third party alternative primed for the 2008 election, it’s time to tell our politicians what Jon Stewart told the partisan pundits of CNN’s Crossfire -- "Stop hurting America!"-Unity08

Unity08 is an online community that is running as a third party during the Presidential race in 2008. This website is using the internet as a home base to inform voters of their platforms and recent news. The site also hosts blogs, polls, surveys, chats, and a Shoutbox that allows users to debate political issues.

Unity08 will be drafting nominees for President of the United States via the internet. The group is hosting the first ever online convention to elect a candidate for the 2008 race. A secure online vote will take place in June of 2008. Unity08 is giving qualifying everyday citizens a chance to campaign online and spread progressive ideas throughout the nation. If you are interested and fit the Constitutional requirements as a candidate for US President, you can run for the position. All you have to do is download the application and petition to get started.

Tracking the 2008 Campaign on the Web

PrezVid is a website created to track the 2008 Presidential Campaign on YouTube. PrezVid searches YouTube for influential, informative, and entertaining videos and archives the video on their website. As noted by Jeff Jarvis, the creator of PrezVid, this website is effective because:

• PresVid provides links to candidates that may have had an embarrassing moment or said something outrageous that the media would normally restrict from viewers.
  

• The viewer has an opportunity to view presidential commercials that were taken off air.

• It allows the presidential candidate to speak to viewers on an individual basis as well as for a longer time than a commercial. Here is a clip from Democratic candidate, Mike Gravel speaking to viewers:

Political Debates on Youtube

This year, the Presidential Debates took a leap forward and enabled YouTube, to be utilized for hosting questions from concerned citizens directly to the candidates. In order to do this, viewers used webcams to record themselves and send questions and concerns to the debating panel.

This form of hands on democracy was refreshing to see after years of just sitting back and allowing candidates to babble on and give beauty pageant answers. To me, seeing the concerned and sincere faces of American citizens and hearing passionate personal stories directed towards the candidates made the program both entertaining and informational.

The next Presidential Debate will be aired on television on November 28, 2007. However, this time, it will feature Republican candidates. By creating a Youtube account and uploading a video you can submit a question to a Republican candidate in the upcoming debate.

Interacting with Political Parties Through Official Websites

Some common actions offered on official websites allow a citizen to do the following:

• Register to vote

• Become a member: For a small fee you can become an active member of a political organization and receive newsletters and information regarding that party. For example, here is a look of the benefits of having a membership with the Libertarian Party.

• Make a donation: By making a donation you can help fund campaigns and maintenance of a given party. Most sites allow you to choose your own amount of money to donate. Here is a look at the Democratic Party's donation page.

• Volunteer: By volunteering you can organize other people in your community to become more involved with a specific party.

• Lobby: You can present special interests and new ideas to legislators.

• Gather petitions: Show legislators that massive amounts of people are calling for change a plan of action.

I have been involved with the Green Party for 3 years. I choose when I want to help out and when I want to sit out of the action. I have never felt that they were overbearing or expecting too much of me. I highly suggest being involved with the election process and political activities.