Election 08: Ballot Choice for United States Representative
Starting today and running up to the election I'm going to post my ballot choices. I know I have the right to voter privacy but I figured this is a way for me to educate myself and my fellow voters (and to push my views. Tough.) I have never this thoroughly researched my voting decisions so maybe it will be an eyeopener for me.
It's become pretty obvious that I most likely will vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden in November. I will write a post articulating why (because I am a liberal freak, that's why) at a later date but let's start with the second biggest office on my ballot in my precinct: The House of Representatives.
Since I've moved out of UCLA/Westwood to the West LA district, I am now a constituent of the 36th congressional district and Congresswoman Jane Harman, who is a conservative Democrat who has a reputation of being a bit of a, shall we say, "Lieberman." I'm a little bit wary of Harman due to the fact that she introduced the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. Harman voted Yes on the bailout, which annoyed some of my older friends. I'm still torn on the bailout. My parents, both economists, seem to think that it was necessary to restore confidence to the markets, although, as my dad put it: "$700 billion is an irrational number." She also voted to go to war in Iraq, and her position as one of the four "Democrat defectors" to "save" the Patriot Act is a little iffy.
When it comes to video games and censorship she is also kind of made of ::facepalm:: John Stewart mocked Harman on the Daily Show for her irrational fear of Second Life. Because griefing = terrorism. But not so much as Hillary and Lieberman so eh.
Harman is pro-choice, and a co-sponsor of the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act that restores fair pricing for prescription drugs, including birth control, to college students. To give her her due, Harman also voted for Mental Health parity, a topic of importance in my field.
As for the Republicans, well...Harman's opponent is a physicist, Brian Gibson. You're probably wondering "Who the hell is he?" because of his creepy website. If you need more information, here is his MySpace, which reads: "In order to form more perfect union Brian believes a law degree will assist his tenure on your behalf in the US House of Representatives!. " Gibson recently retired and then graduated from Trinity Law School in Santa Ana. Trinity touts itself as "law from a Christian perspective," is non-accredited by the American Bar Association, and has a bar pass rate of 11.5%...compared to the 69% pass rate for all of California. um. Is it just me or did the Republicans kind of just give up on this district?
So Harman isn't great but she's bound to win anyway. I'm voting for Jane Harman for HoR because I don't see any reason not to. Nice to know who is representing me in the legislature. Right.
It's become pretty obvious that I most likely will vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden in November. I will write a post articulating why (because I am a liberal freak, that's why) at a later date but let's start with the second biggest office on my ballot in my precinct: The House of Representatives.
Since I've moved out of UCLA/Westwood to the West LA district, I am now a constituent of the 36th congressional district and Congresswoman Jane Harman, who is a conservative Democrat who has a reputation of being a bit of a, shall we say, "Lieberman." I'm a little bit wary of Harman due to the fact that she introduced the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. Harman voted Yes on the bailout, which annoyed some of my older friends. I'm still torn on the bailout. My parents, both economists, seem to think that it was necessary to restore confidence to the markets, although, as my dad put it: "$700 billion is an irrational number." She also voted to go to war in Iraq, and her position as one of the four "Democrat defectors" to "save" the Patriot Act is a little iffy.
When it comes to video games and censorship she is also kind of made of ::facepalm:: John Stewart mocked Harman on the Daily Show for her irrational fear of Second Life. Because griefing = terrorism. But not so much as Hillary and Lieberman so eh.
Harman is pro-choice, and a co-sponsor of the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act that restores fair pricing for prescription drugs, including birth control, to college students. To give her her due, Harman also voted for Mental Health parity, a topic of importance in my field.
As for the Republicans, well...Harman's opponent is a physicist, Brian Gibson. You're probably wondering "Who the hell is he?" because of his creepy website. If you need more information, here is his MySpace, which reads: "In order to form more perfect union Brian believes a law degree will assist his tenure on your behalf in the US House of Representatives!. " Gibson recently retired and then graduated from Trinity Law School in Santa Ana. Trinity touts itself as "law from a Christian perspective," is non-accredited by the American Bar Association, and has a bar pass rate of 11.5%...compared to the 69% pass rate for all of California. um. Is it just me or did the Republicans kind of just give up on this district?
So Harman isn't great but she's bound to win anyway. I'm voting for Jane Harman for HoR because I don't see any reason not to. Nice to know who is representing me in the legislature. Right.