Sure, you’ve got a stance on the Angelina/Brad/Jennifer triangle. Yes, you’ve learned a lot about the last minute diet and skin care tricks of the Oscar contenders. You’ve read a dozen articles about the perfect Mother’s Day gift. But what about politics? Iraq? Health care? Immigration? And the one event that is quickly encompassing all these subjects: the 2008 Presidential election. When it seems like a new candidate is throwing their hat into the ring every other day, the task of staying in the know about the upcoming Presidential race can be more than a little daunting. Add to that the hot-button topics that candidates are using to define themselves, and you’ve got a subject that is not only overwhelming, but potentially divisive as well. Fortunately, getting up to speed, and, just as importantly, staying up to speed, isn’t such an intimidating activity.
Alicia on “Facts versus Opinions”
“When you’re first diving into the world of Presidential politics, it’s important to consider and select your information sources. With hundreds of television channels, and thousands of sites, blogs, and feeds on the Internet, this upcoming election will be the most heavily reported on in history. None of us has the time to thoughtfully read and digest every bit of information (unless of course, it is your job), which means many of us will be getting our ‘news’ about candidates from one or two sources. To be really informed though, it is important to review the facts through multiple lenses. One quick and easy way to do this is to use a tabbed internet browser to gather information on candidates from lots of different websites at once. I have six different newspapers open at once and can quickly skim the big stories about each candidate that way. There’s a big difference between learning about a candidate, and being told how to think about them.”
Sarah on “Contender or Pretender”
It is February, 2007, and there are already over fifteen declared candidates seeking election twenty-one months away! While each has their passionate backers, the truth of the matter is, only a few will be left standing as primaries and funding weed out the contenders from the pretenders. Get to know the major players and their positions, so when yet another person enters the race, you’ll at least have a good understanding as to where they stand in relation to the big names.
Have something to say at the next dinner party with these quick ways to stay in the know.
1. Stick to the Basics
You already know the main names. Obama. McCain. Clinton. Guliani. But what else do you know about them? By picking out a few of the main points of debate between the major names, and going to each candidate’s website to see what they say, you can quickly get a grasp on what each candidate stands for, while avoiding the hype and hyperbole.
2. Monthly Briefings
If your days and weeks are too busy to stay on top of every breaking news story about a candidate, try and put aside time every month to get up to date on who’s done what. Try reading one of the many available news weeklies like Time, Newsweek, US News & World Report, or the new publication, The Week, which collects not only the news of the week, but also what different newspapers and magazines are saying about specific stories.
3. Listen to Others
This is one of the rare occasions when listening to two people argue can actually be a good thing. Next time people you know (or even total strangers) are engaged in a political debate, listen in and take notes. While it may be a little nerve-wracking to listen to a disagreement, hearing both sides of a debate can help you form your own opinion on both candidates and the issues for which they stand.
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Source: www.articlecity.com
