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fandomhigh2006-09-27 09:51 am
professor-lyman.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2006-09-27 09:51 am
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American Political Campaiging (Wednesday, September 27, 1st period)
Josh was holding onto his coffee mug like a lifeline when the students arrived for the morning class.
He waited until they were seated, then cleared his throat. "We've covered the broad strokes of campaigning. Today we're gonna talk ethics." He raised an eyebrow and looked atMarty Clarence. "And yes, before you ask, there are ethics in politics. This is a matter of finding out where you stand. And some people stand a little more in the gray area than others."
He pulled up a piece of paper. "There aren't any right and wrong answers to these. Some of the scenarios I'm giving you fall onto the illegal side of the line, but they aren't anything that haven't been done, and repeatedly, in recent campaigns. It's better to be prepared for what your opponents might be throwing at you than to be surprised later.
"That being said, here are five scenarios that come up all the time in campaigns. Pick one, pick all five. Tell me what you think, how you would react to the situation." He pointed to Isabel. "But first, how many days until the election?"
1.You are sitting in a diner. The campaign manager and the communications director from the other campaign are talking strategy. Do you write down what they are saying and use it to counter their plans?
2. There's a dumpster behind their campaign headquarters full of paper. Do you go through it? Do you send someone else to go through it?
3. You have been told that your opponent has had an affair. You have no proof other than rumor. Do you use it? What if you have proof other than rumor?
4. You've been given medical records that show your opponent has a potentially serious medical condition he hasn't disclosed. Do you tell? What if he has a psychological disorder? What if his spouse does?
5. The election is going to be close. It's been shown that a police presence has a chilling effect on your opponent's voter turnout. Do you station people in uniform, who might not even be police, near polling stations? Do you put up pamphlets saying the election date has changed? Do you start rumors that there might be background checks to see if a voter has paid child support payments before they are allowed at the polls?
He waited until they were seated, then cleared his throat. "We've covered the broad strokes of campaigning. Today we're gonna talk ethics." He raised an eyebrow and looked at
He pulled up a piece of paper. "There aren't any right and wrong answers to these. Some of the scenarios I'm giving you fall onto the illegal side of the line, but they aren't anything that haven't been done, and repeatedly, in recent campaigns. It's better to be prepared for what your opponents might be throwing at you than to be surprised later.
"That being said, here are five scenarios that come up all the time in campaigns. Pick one, pick all five. Tell me what you think, how you would react to the situation." He pointed to Isabel. "But first, how many days until the election?"
1.You are sitting in a diner. The campaign manager and the communications director from the other campaign are talking strategy. Do you write down what they are saying and use it to counter their plans?
2. There's a dumpster behind their campaign headquarters full of paper. Do you go through it? Do you send someone else to go through it?
3. You have been told that your opponent has had an affair. You have no proof other than rumor. Do you use it? What if you have proof other than rumor?
4. You've been given medical records that show your opponent has a potentially serious medical condition he hasn't disclosed. Do you tell? What if he has a psychological disorder? What if his spouse does?
5. The election is going to be close. It's been shown that a police presence has a chilling effect on your opponent's voter turnout. Do you station people in uniform, who might not even be police, near polling stations? Do you put up pamphlets saying the election date has changed? Do you start rumors that there might be background checks to see if a voter has paid child support payments before they are allowed at the polls?
Re: General discussion
Re: General discussion
He began pacing. "Behind every hairdo on the Sunday morning programs there's a staff of incredibly competent and underpaid staffers who do their jobs because they love it. Not for glory or fame because you're not going to get any of that. And for most politicians, they won't either. There are 435 members of the House of Representatives, 100 Senators, 9 members of the Supreme Court and thousands of people in state houses and city councils across this country. If you could name more than, say, 30 of them, I'd be impressed."
Josh smiled. "So when I cross a line--and it's not that often, let me tell you--it's because I'm working for one of the good guys, and it's not a rationalization. I've been in politics a long time. I know most of the tricks the other side will pull and I've invented a few moves of my own. I know we've gotten to a point where it seems we're chosing between the lesser of 'who cares?' in national elections. But I do this because I still think I can make a difference for the guy I'm working for. And when I think of it in those terms, I don't have any regrets."
A teal deer butted its head against the classroom window. Josh ignored it.
Re: General discussion
Re: General discussion