Help in my political science class!

[jbrace]

So I have a final coming up, and I really want to kill it! We have one essay topic that we get to take home, and here it is...

1. Write a brief political biography of an American voter of your own invention who was born in 1907 and died in 2001. In particular, discuss four presidential candidates he or she supported between 1928 and 2000, and why (you should discuss four different individuals rather than the multiple candidacies of a single person). Clearly identify our voter's sex, ethnicity, occupation, religion, place of birth, and place of residence, and make sure his or her political choices are consistent with patterns we have discussed in class. (there were always many exceptions to these patterns, but think in terms of what was most typical for an American if your voter's background and circumstances).

I'm gonna be studying all day tomorrow, but off the top of my head I was thinking about writing about Robert Taft, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy. I feel those will be the most easiest to write about. Any input would be awesome, Or even a better candidate!

[Jeremy]

You mean those would be your 4 candidates this person supports? Because if they supported Robert Taft, they wouldn't have supported FDR. Or maybe I misunderstood what you were saying. =o

[jdmyprez_deo_vindice]

hmmm if they died in 2001 than they could have voted for Ron Paul in 88.

[RSLudlum]

Did you consider writing about a mixed race, hermaphroditic, agnostic orphan that lived a vagabond lifestyle. That should give you plenty of room to neglect the "consistent collectivist patterns" discussed in class. ;)

Then again you might not want to take my advice.

[jbrace]

You mean those would be your 4 candidates this person supports? Because if they supported Robert Taft, they wouldn't have supported FDR. Or maybe I misunderstood what you were saying. =o

Thanks for pointing that out! Robert Taft... Ron Paul in 88, who else?

[BuddyRey]

Thanks for pointing that out! Robert Taft... Ron Paul in 88, who else?

Coolidge in '28 and Goldwater in '64 perhaps?

Edit: I'm sorry...I just realized Coolidge didn't seek reelection in '28. How about Harry Browne in 2000?

[axiomata]

There's two ways you could play this:

You could give your voter the profile of a free thinking, independent, entrepreneur who votes for good guys or give him the profile of a collectivist follower who voted for bad guys.

[dannno]

Coolidge, Taft, Goldwater and Paul.

JBS member.

[dannno]

Or you could do Reagan 84, Bush 88, Clinton 92 and Bush 2000....Cuban....female...wife of a drug kingpin in kahootz with the CIA...she runs political non-profits :cool:

[Kludge]

Gah!

"Clearly identify our voter's sex, ethnicity, occupation, religion, place of birth, and place of residence, and make sure his or her political choices are consistent with patterns we have discussed in class."

There's no way I'd be able to make it through that class.

[BuddyRey]

Gah!

"Clearly identify our voter's sex, ethnicity, occupation, religion, place of birth, and place of residence, and make sure his or her political choices are consistent with patterns we have discussed in class."

There's no way I'd be able to make it through that class.

Agreed, this assignment looks like a real pain in the neck.

Maybe you could just half-ass it and say that you voted for Harold Stassen in nearly every Presidential election from 1944 to 1992! :D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Stassen

[bossman068410]

Or you could do Reagan 84, Bush 88, Clinton 92 and Bush 2000....Cuban....female...wife of a drug kingpin in kahootz with the CIA...she runs political non-profits :cool:

oooohhhhh

MIKEY LIKEY

[Liberty Rebellion]

Gah!

"Clearly identify our voter's sex, ethnicity, occupation, religion, place of birth, and place of residence, and make sure his or her political choices are consistent with patterns we have discussed in class."

There's no way I'd be able to make it through that class.

Yeah, that's effing stupid. Basically, you're being told how to mold your fictional character to the instructed "common knowledge."


Clearly identify our voter's sex, ethnicity, occupation, religion, place of birth, and place of residence, and make sure his or her political choices are consistent with patterns we have discussed in class. (there were always many exceptions to these patterns, but think in terms of what was most typical for an American if your voter's background and circumstances).

^this in bold.

The spirit of liberty knows no political or geographical boundaries. The exceptions to the collectivist mindset are those of individuals. Make your character someone that resides in a place the "patterns" have deemed to be the most inconsistent. That gives you a great platform to stand on and tout individualism and why, despite the prevailing wisdom, your character chose liberty over charisma, wisdom over popularity, and thinking over signing (or so it goes in our American Idolized world).

[Liberty Rebellion]

When's your paper due? That's a lot of research for your typical student.

[Elwar]

Take your teacher's sex, ethnicity, occupation, religion, place of birth, and place of residence and speak highly of your "fictional character" who voted for FDR, Kennedy, Carter and Clinton.

Just sayin...do you want an 'A' or do you want to make a point...

Also mention how white males are evil...I think that was the mantra of getting good grades when I was in school, not sure if that's still the going rate for an 'A' these days or not.

[jbrace]

When's your paper due? That's a lot of research for your typical student.

"The spirit of liberty knows no political or geographical boundaries. The exceptions to the collectivist mindset are those of individuals. Make your character someone that resides in a place the "patterns" have deemed to be the most inconsistent. That gives you a great platform to stand on and tout individualism and why, despite the prevailing wisdom, your character chose liberty over charisma, wisdom over popularity, and thinking over signing (or so it goes in our American Idolized world)."

^^ I'm def gonna use that. I think I'm gonna use Dannno idea....


Coolidge, Taft, Goldwater and Paul.

JBS member.

Its due saturday at 730 in the morning, thats when our midterm is! It doesn't have to be too long though. He just wants to make sure you understand who people voted for, and why. The class is history of the American Politics since 1893.

[acptulsa]

Gah!

"Clearly identify our voter's sex, ethnicity, occupation, religion, place of birth, and place of residence, and make sure his or her political choices are consistent with patterns we have discussed in class."

There's no way I'd be able to make it through that class.

Yeh.

Umm, you might want to skip Taft. He didn't run in 1928. He was already out of office. It was Hoover vs, iirc, Al Smith (the Catholic).

[jbrace]

Take your teacher's sex, ethnicity, occupation, religion, place of birth, and place of residence and speak highly of your "fictional character" who voted for FDR, Kennedy, Carter and Clinton.

Just sayin...do you want an 'A' or do you want to make a point...

Also mention how white males are evil...I think that was the mantra of getting good grades when I was in school, not sure if that's still the going rate for an 'A' these days or not.

As much as I dont want to, I'm gonna follow your advice. We had a little bits of debate in clas s the other day and made my points. I need an A for my GPA so I'm just going to go with that.

[KoldKut]

...

[Standing Like A Rock]

Coolidge, Taft, Goldwater, and Paul would be my four.

[Young Paleocon]

Coolidge didn't run in 1928. Maybe Buchanan in '92, Reagan '76, Perot '92, Thurmond '48, just some ideas.

[Aratus]

Calvin Coolidge ran in 1924. cool as a cucumber Cal had better political instincts than hapless Herbert Hoover... needless to say!

[bigronaldo]

Calvin Coolidge ran in 1924. cool as a cucumber Cal had better political instincts than hapless Herbert Hoover... needless to say!

Yeah, kinda sucked he decided against running for a "second" term. Things would be MUCH different if he did.

Maybe you could throw in something about how Coolidge helped mold the person's political philosophy growing up.

[Don't Tread on Mike]

Coolidge, Taft, Goldwater and Paul.

Agreed.

[sailor]

What if this person`s sex, ethnicity, occupation, religion, place of birth, and place of residence mean the person was a cynical non-voter? :rolleyes:

[jbrace]

On the study guide it also says make sure to distinguish between liberalism of JFK and liberalism of Lyndon B Johnson, and between New Deal liberalism and liberalism of the 1960s.

[Young Paleocon]

So it doesn't say differentiate between classical liberalism and the new socialist liberalism of the progressive era?

[jbrace]

So it doesn't say differentiate between classical liberalism and the new socialist liberalism of the progressive era?

nope, that's all it says.

[Imperial]

I don't know about ya'll, but I didn't much like Coolidge. He would have done basically nothing different than Hoover. He stopped the corruption under Harding's inaction on the matter, but other than that wasn't that great.

Make sure you don't just pick guys who ran in the primaries...it sounds like you need general election chaps.

I would go with somebody from New Hampshire if I were you; conservative but yet open-minded.

If you want to include Paul and go for the A, try...

Then, you could go with Coolidge '24, Eisenhower '56, Goldwater '64, Reagan '80, Paul '88, Perot '92, although the turn independent might be a bit unusual.

[jbrace]

I think I'm just gonna go with African American's that supported New Deal policy candidates. I think he's wanting more mainstream.