NBC.com - Procrastinating the Cliff

By: Rob Schreier
schreierama@gmail.com
@rob_schreier

With the 2012 Presidential Election on the back burner, major news websites and television programs are turning their focus to the notoriously dubbed "Fiscal Cliff" that is rapidly approaching dated for the New Year.

Hit the Breaks! (NBC.com)

It seems as though this critical date to the world's economy has slid under the radar somehow because of the election media fire and close-knit contest that was Romney/Obama.

Now, current politicians and media outlets are in "hurry-up" mode to get the public, and themselves, aware of the current bargaining chips for either party in Washington standoff between Republicans and Democrats.

Republicans hold the position that loopholes and budget cuts are the answer to lowering the deficit. On the flip side, Democrats are preparing for a tax increase battle that will dig back into Republicans' past.

#GroverNorquist

The new social media inferno this week on Capitol Hill is the Washington D.C. lobbyist Grover Norquist, who swayed Republican leaders to sign a document for satuch defense of raising taxes.

Created in 1986, it still holds strong (NBC.com)

The document, only 58 words long, was created in 1986. But, it has been signed by several Republican leaders, even by presidential hopeful Mitt Romney last year.

The two elements of the document pledge that the signee shall never raise taxes and shall not lessen tax deductions.

So, the right is at a standstill as the clock continues to click.



She's Movin'!

Hold that thought...

After the holiday weekend, the Right has decided to find error in dedication and loyalty to a document that was made over 20 years ago.

And frankly, there is too much on the line not consider moving off of rigid party lines in a time of needed flexibility and agreement.

Impact

Returning to the original thought of the post and refocusing to the impact of the election, this is an unprecedented story following the election.

FDR had the pen ready, Today's Congress should too (returnonreputation.com)

Outside of FDR's First 100 Days in office after the Great Depression, there has not been a more critical stretch of post-election legislation in Washington between these times.

If the movement is slow paced, there may be several last-minute meetings and major decisions made as folks open holiday gifts late in December.

Still on NBC's Political Front Page, 25 days after the election (NBC.com)

With the exhausting news cycle that just completed over the election, I can sense there is a hangover effect of having to "gear up" for the Fiscal Cliff.

I urge NBC.com to remove their electoral college map, information about Romney's campaign, and election-based political cartoons section with more pressing matters.

Here's to hitting the breaks before the Cliff!


   

NBC.com - RNC Analyzes Romney Loss, Ohio Among Reasons

By: Rob Schreier
schreierama@gmail.com
@rob_schreier

Post election evaluation is fully underway inside the Republican Party as the Presidential Election now becomes a distant memory as incumbent Barack Obama faces national security challenges from several angles.

The Republic National Committee compiled a report, detailing election numbers and outlining areas where candidate Mitt Romney and his campaign fell short.

Data provides more concrete answers to a tight race that came down to a few key categories. All of the numbers collected stemmed from a 250K exit poll survey.

O-H--Oh No!

Ohio, one of four battleground states determined by the RNC report, served as the primary focus of the group from the national media perspective.

African American Voters helped Obama take Ohio (NBC)

The Republican candidate was able to take 10 percent more of the independent vote, but a increased presence of Democratic voters neutralized that gain.

But, what is more troubling for the Red is the minority vote, a category that Republicans were crushed in throughout the general elections. 178,000 more African American voters went to the polls, and Obama won 96% of the vote.

Yes, 96% of a growing demographic that could potentially see minority votes becoming 1 in every 3 voters. Keep in mind that Obama won the Buckeye state by 103,00 votes.

What will be the threshold moving forward with specifically targets adds, speeches, appearances, for the minority vote. Customized YouTube ads, emails, and demographic research tools should lend to more minority targeting, especially for Republicans based on this information.

One more note about Ohio, the vote tally was 123,550 less that the turnout in 2008 (McCain vs. Obama). It was the only battleground state that had a deficit of voters on the hells of the last election.

Late Deciders Swinging Democratic

Noticeable changes in the undecided voters seemed to coincide with major media events in the election.

What sign to I vote for? (NBC)

Romney received a 53-45 boost after the first presidential debate, but Obama seemed to pick up steam in the later stages of the race.

Could it have been the infamous 47% video leaked at a private function, or was it a negative response of the Republican hopeful mishandling the response to Hurricane Sandy one week before the election.

What is clear is this: 70 percent of voters had decided on a candidate before September with the next 20 percent deciding in September and October. Those two stretches are the most critical for the mass numbers, but there was still 6% deciding in the final days leading up to the election.

Those last impressions indeed could have been the difference for Romney/Ryan as the exit polls showed a 50-45 favor for the Democratic ticket.

What the casual, uninformed voter swayed by the late stages of the campaign trail, both parties must handle the final moments of their trails carefully.

NBC.com - A Lost Art Not Forgotten

By Rob Schreier
schreierama@gmail.com
@rob_schreier

One of the lost elements in election coverage throughout generations of general media is the usage of political cartoons.

With the booming sensations of iPad apps, Twitter, Facebook, Video Players, hashtags, linking, there was once the direct, compelling, and humorous images that still now serve as the singular image associated with the event -- and it's being brought back into the fold.

Welcome to NBC.com's Political Cartoon section - bringing back the lost art into the current fold of the 2012 Presidential Election.

Romney had to use all of the bells and whistles just to get
attention this week (Screenshot from NBC.com)

I admit that I am not a regular reader of the comic section of my local newspaper, and frankly, with the number of hard copy newspaper subscriptions falling like a goose tied to a cinder block, I can understand why comic artists must find new outlets to display their work.

They have a friend in NBC.com.

"This Week in Political Cartoons" is included, while not prominiently placed, on the main page of NBC's political web hub.

It allows those who appreciate the power of the image and its ability to tell us "1,000 words" at once to visually feast on a collections of the week's best.

Ironically, it might be the MOST effective way to summarize the week's happenings. Yes, more than 140 characters or through constant blogging analysis.


The Power of Imagination

What's more powerful that dynamic images using skewed and sometimes crud representation of political figures tied with slicing editorial comments?

Just let the image sit... (Screenshot from NBC.com)

Not much, at least that I am aware of.

The power of the cartoon is the value of "fantasy." Whether it is removing the characters from their normal roles, adding damning dimensions to their persona, or simply letting your imagination run wild, you can take a real-life figure and contort it freely to help depict your message.

It is also why the political cartoon is considered a high art in that a complex message must be solved within a single still image.

Furthermore, with any artists, the fine (and sometimes hidden) details are like a puzzle to find, making a still image surprising more interactive than at first thought.

What Can We Learn?

By simply pursuing the selected cartoons from the week, one can gain a healthy insight on the main issues added with editorial spice.

Keep things in perspective too
(Screenshot from NBC.com)

NBC.com, smartly, made a commitment to finding a variety of artists, topics, and politically charged images (in terms of remaining balance with Republican and Democratic leaning sketches).

Obama's purposed taxpayer funding of the Middle Eastern conflicts to Chicago teacher strikes, all of the information, and exploration is there to appreciate.

Kudos to NBC.com for including this niche element of a forgotten art in and amongst its new launch of a 2012 Election Coverage App.