2016 Presidential Election Circus: Is Social Media the Cause?

The social media platform has been growing exponentially since the last presidential election. Popular social media companies almost doubled in users and activity. This year's candidates for the Presidency are using this platform as an effective advertising outlet, saving their campaigns upwards of $100 million. Seeing as social media is easily accessible and used by millions of voters, candidates can send instant updates and advertisements, knowing that it can be widely viewed and shared. Candidates are taking advantage of this tool to reach out to various demographics of voters across the nation directly. The millennial generation, who will have a very important role in this year's election, are very involved in social media, and are an important demographic to reach out to. In recent polls, "44 percent of American adults have said they learned something new in the past week from social media."

Social media has turned into a popular news source, replacing many traditional news outlets. Though it is a good source of information by candidates themselves, it can also serve as a platform to spread false information, or immature content around the election. Americans have spent a collective amount of over "1,284 years reading about Donald Trump on social media". It is likely that a good portion of the information is inaccurate or construed to be comical or support his opponent. Trump's overwhelming presence on social media, though not always positive, has earned him the attention of Americans across the country. Though his opponent, Hillary Clinton, uses social media to reflect her campaign and ideals, she has received  far less of a reaction from voters. In fact, in this election people have paid more attention to Donald Trump on social media than Clinton and Sanders combined. 

I choose this article because we have been focusing on how media impacts campaigns, and for the first time, candidates are taking media into their own hands and outdoing traditional news sources. Social media is likely to become the future of all campaigning so, it is important to learn about the impact it is having on the election currently. 

Questions to consider:

1. Do you think the power of social media is strong enough to differ voters away from broadcasted media indefinitely, in the future? 
2. Is social media more effective than standard advertisements? Is it targeted to too specific of a demographic? 
3. Does social media further risk statements and polls being construed? Is social media more or less trustworthy than a typical news source, such as television news, talk shows on the radio, and internet sources. Why or why not? 
4. Do you think social media will be the sole source of advertising in the future? 
5. Is all exposure good exposure? Does Trump's overwhelming presence on social media help or hinder his campaign? Is Clinton's more subtle approach more effective? 

Election Officials Brace for Fallout from Trump’s Claims of a ‘Rigged’ Vote

Election Officials Brace for Fallout from Trump's Claims of a 'Rigged' Vote

Republican nominee, Donald Trump, is claiming that there has been voting fraud in some of the current polls. He posted on Twitter saying that "there is large scale voter fraud happening on and before election day..." following his statement by asking why "Republican leaders deny what is going on?”  Clinton's Campaign Manager, Robby Mook, responds to Trump's actions by stating that he believes Trump knows that he is losing, as a result he is blaming the system for his loss. Based on the democratic campaign's analysis of early voting records, there was evidence showing that Clinton was leading in the polls. 

The Clinton Campaign has denied these allocations, claiming that they are false. The Clinton Campaigns has a network of trained lawyers, all of which are trained on how to handle possible situations of fraud and are instructed to immediately report delays and if need be, how to seek court action. They have also stated that they have increased the amount of lawyers and volunteers at  polling places in key battleground states. Furthermore, GOP leaders are worried that Trump's allegations have hurt the republican party and could jeopardize their representation in the senate. 

I chose this article because it talks about many of the sections we have learned about in class. For example, it touches upon the polling process and how the senate majority is important in government.  

Questions

1. Do you think there is potential for voter fraud in the current election/polls? Why or why not?
2. How do you think Trump's allegations will effect the republican or democratic party?
3. What measurers should be taken to prevent future fraud or fraud allegations?

The Women of the United States vs. Donald Trump

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/election-update-women-are-defeating-donald-trump/


National polls in recent weeks have shown that Hillary appears to be leading Trump by a significant margin. Clinton appears to be holding somewhere between a 5 and 11 percent lead. This lead may be attributed to the bad publicity Trump has been receiving recently regarding offensive comments he has made about women in the past.

 Although Clinton is ahead in national polls which include men and women, she shows an outstanding lead in the polls where only women are surveyed. Hillary has achieved a lead of 33 percentage points over Trump among women. However, this extreme gender split goes both ways as Trump has secured a 11 percent lead over Hillary in polls surveying only men. A serious gender gap is forming between these two candidates.

If only women were voting, Hillary is projected to win as many as 458 of the 538 electoral votes. On the contrary, if only men were voting, Trump is projected to win as many as 350 electoral votes. There are obviously serious disagreements among the genders on the topic of who should be our next President. The fate of this election may very well rest on the candidate's ability to sway members of the opposite gender to vote in their favor.

Questions to consider:

1. Does the gap in candidate preference between the two genders in contribute to, limit, of have no     effect on democracy?

2. Is it still possible for Trump to win the election?

3. What strategies could be used to help candidates gain support from members of the opposite gender?

                           

How Body Language Determined the Second Presidential Debate

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/10/09/a-guide-to-body-language-during-the-debate/
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/11/us/politics/body-language-debate.html?_r=0

From the beginning of the debate to its conclusion, the two candidate's body language demonstrated the hatred the two candidates share. Trump crept closer and closer to Clinton while she was speaking until he was immediately behind her. Trump was attempting to dominate Clinton while she was speaking to control the people's attention even while he wasn't speaking. Trump's close quartering also could be seen as an attempt to threaten Clinton in an attempt to make her misspeak. Trump also had a common movement during the debate. He would pace back in forth in the background while Clinton would speak, likely trying to ease any nerves he had.

Clinton on the other hand, was very professional in the large majority of her mannerisms during the debate. While Trump attacked her husband for his misdeeds in office, Clinton kept aa blank expression in order to not show any reaction towards the hateful remarks made. In doing so, Clinton illustrated that her presidency would not have her husband's ghost and that she will be strong in the face of backlash by the people. Despite her vast experience, Clinton did make a small mistake during the debate. When speaking, Clinton looked down more than usual, showing that she was less prepared during the debate in comparison to the first debate.

Question to consider: Which candidate hurt themselves more with their body language during the second debate? Why?

How Hillary Clinton found her stride on gender

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/27/politics/hillary-clinton-debate-gender/

Reporter Maeve Reston from CNN reports that Hillary Clinton has overcome the obstacles that arise with the potential of being America's first female President. Reston highlights Clinton's grace and maturity by demonstrating how she refrained from reacting to Trump in a way that would feed into female stereotypes. Reston recognized how careful Clinton had to be about every single movement and statement in order to prevent accusations that occur because of stereotypes. Reston continues by acknowledging how Clinton never "took the bait," compared to many of Trump's reactions. 

Gender is a very controversial issue during this election, for obvious reasons. It's unfortunate that Hillary Clinton has to "behave" so properly at all times, when Trump is clearly not restricted to these societal obligations. If Hillary responded with Trump-like emotion outbursts, she would be ridiculed. Women are already so underrepresented in politics. It is a shame that we make it so difficult for them to participate. 

Question to consider:

Should we implement laws to ensure that both genders are equally represented in politics? Why, or why not?

Hillary's Immigration Policy

https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/immigration-reform/
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/jul/15/compare-candidates-clinton-vs-trump-immigration/


One of Hillary's most recognized motives is that, "we are a nation of immigrants, and we treat those who come to our country with dignity and respect... we embrace immigrants, not denigrate them." Despite being a stereotype for racist profiling, the United States is modernizing immigration reform to further establish itself as a nation of opportunity and immigration. Hillary promises a path to full and equal citizenship within the first 100 days of her presidency, while also getting rid of the lengthy process for legalizing an immigrants status.

1) How likely is it that Hillary will truthfully make a change offering citizenship for immigrants?
2)How does she plan on upholding the law while also monitoring immigrants?
3)Hillary plans on getting rid of the 3 to 10 year process for legalizing an immigrants status. How can she get Congress approval?
4) How will Hillary naturalize immigrants into an American society?