Category: National politics

Programs and podcasts that discuss national podcasts.

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Wake-Up Call: The 2008 Presidential Election

This week’s edition of WNRN’s Wake-Up Call is a discussion about politics – specificially the 2008 Presidential Race. Three guests: Bonnie, Thalia, and Jim, give their opinions on questions such as, “Should Clinton drop out?” “Which Democratic candidate would do better against McCain?” and “How does ageism/racism/genderism play into the equation?”

The conversation then moves to each candidate’s specific policies. How does each one stand on domestic affairs? Foreign policy? What policies are popular with the voters? They also discuss the college vote – what college-age voters care about, and how that could affect the general election this November. Callers also chime in with their opinions on the issues.

Plus, how did you feel about the discussion? Post your comments on the show and let us know!

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Senator Webb seeks new GI Bill

Senator Jim Webb joined Coy Barefoot on the April 28 edition of WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” to talk about his new GI Bill, which he has spent the last two years collecting votes for the initiative. If passed, the Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2007 (SB22) would provide financial assistance to service members who have served since 9/11/2001.



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Negative Campaign Ads

In today’s show, adapted from an article recently published on the Oscar Web site written by Brevy Cannon, we look at the research of University of Virginia politics professor Paul Freedman which suggests that the ever-growing barrage of political ads actually contributes to citizen education and engagement, and only rarely have negative impacts.

Television viewers may instinctively reach for the remote control when yet another political ad airs during a commercial break, but those who stay tuned may reap some surprising benefits…

Stayed tuned for a bonus announcement at the end of the podcast…

For more information about the show or to see the full text, visit the Oscar Show’s blog.

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Liz Chadderdon on the uncertainty in the Democratic campaign for president

Liz Chadderon of the Chadderdon Group, a political consultant firm, joins Coy Barefoot on WINAvDj(tm)s vDjnjCharlottesvillevDj”Right Now!vDjkj to talk about the Democratic primaries. Chadderdon was surprised with Senator Hillary ClintonvDj(tm)s win in Texas.

vDjnjI did predict that [Tuesday] would not decide anything for us, but I have to say I didnvDj(tm)t think it would be that indecisive,vDjkj Chadderdon said.V vDjnjItvDj(tm)s a brand new day in this campaign.vDjkj Chadderdon and Coy talk about the effectiveness of negative campaigning, the impact of the Michigan and Florida primaries not counting towards delegate counts, and what it means that Republican Senator John McCain has his partyvDj(tm)s nomination outright.

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Before Florida; A History of Voting Technology

For more than a century, voting machines have helped shape American political history. The chaos of the 2000 presidential election in Florida and the alleged election fraud in Ohio during 2004, which led to testimony before congress about computer programs that could rig an election, demonstrate the crucial role that voting machines play in shaping the outcome of an election. Bryan Pfaffenberger, a historian of science and an associate professor at the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, believes there is value in understanding that the interaction between technology and culture has been going on for more than a century.

For more information about the show or to see the full text, visit the Oscar ShowvDj(tm)s blog.

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Senator Webb talks to Coy Barefoot about Iraq, his term to date

/Senator Jim Webb joins Coy Barefoot on WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” for the first time. Coy begins the interview by asking how Webb, who had never run for office before, is adjusting to life as a Senator. Webb talks about what he sees as a major divide in the Bush administration in terms of Iraq policy. Other topics include the privatization of military functions by groups like Blackwater, efforts by members of the House to make earmarks harder to track, and Webb’s plan to pay more to care for returning Iraqi veterans.

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Who Votes?

Across the United States hundreds of elections were held Tuesday November 6th and thousands of Americans voted. Did you? According to the research of Ross Baird, voting has been on the decline for the past several decades. A University of Virginia Government and Foreign Affairs major from the class of 2007, Baird researched this trend to find out why it has continued, especially among the young voting population…

For more information about the show or to see the full text, visit the Oscar Show’s blog.

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Scott Moyers, editor of Greenspan’s The Age of Turbulence

Perhaps no other recently published book has attracted as much attention and press coverage as former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan’s memoir, The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World. The editor of the book, Scott Moyers formerly of Penguin Publishing, joins Coy Barefoot on WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” to discuss the work.

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John Grisham interviews Hillary Clinton at the Paramount

On September 23, 2007, New York Senator Hillary Clinton came to Charlottesville’s Paramount Theatre to raise money for her presidential campaign. She was interviewed by Albemarle County resident and best-selling author John Grisham for about an hour before the floor was opened up to questions from the audience.

(I was assigned this story by WVTF Public Radio – check their website for the feature I filed for them)

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Boston Globe writer on the Imperial Presidency

A hidden thread connects many of today’s most important news stories, from warrantless wire tappings and U.S. Attorney firings, to torture and the political struggle over the future of the Iraq War. These and other contentious issues in both foreign and domestic policy stem from the Bush administration’s concerted and relentless efforts to increase Presidential power.

That’s the view of Charlie Savage, a Pulitzer-Prize winning author. He’s a national legal affairs correspondent for the Boston Globe, and he’s outlines his views in a new book called Takeover: The Return of the Imperial Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy. Savage recently guest-blogged about the book.

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Political analyst Chuck Todd appears at the Miller Center

NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd serves as an on-air political analyst for NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, Today, Meet the Press, and other programs. He is responsible for all aspects of NBC News’ political coverage and is the editor of First Read, NBC’s daily online guide to political news and trends. Before joining NBC News, Todd was editor-in-chief of National Journal’s “The Hotline.”