Let's Bomb Agrabah!

http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2015/12/trump-leads-grows-nationally-41-of-his-voters-want-to-bomb-country-from-aladdin-clinton-maintains-bi.html

Summary:
In a new poll performed by Public Policy Polling, a fair percentage of Republican voters were in favor of bombing the country of Agrabah. Agrabah is a fictional land seen in the classic Disney film Aladdin. It features magic caves, genies, and flying carpets, yet 30% of Republican voters stated that they supported a bombing campaign targeted at the seemingly Islamic country. Trump's supporters were particularly dedicated to this new focus for the war against terror, with 41% supporting the imaginary campaign. Democratic voters sided against the it with 36% percent aiming to remain peaceful while 19% supported the bombing.

Questions:
What mistakes could have disrupted the results of these polls? What do these polls show us about voter knowledge regarding Middle Eastern countries? What do these polls tell us about general public opinion? Why do supporters of Donald Trump tend to favor the bombing campaign?

Trump's 'Ban' On Muslims

Article:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/12/donald-trumps-call-to-ban-muslim-immigrants/419298/

Summary:
After the recent unfortunate Paris attack where 130 people were left dead, Donald Trump, the republican frontrunner, called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on".
Trump cited a controversial six-month-old survey from the Center for Security Policy, finding that 1/4th of U.S. Muslim respondents said violence against Americans was 'justified' as a part of global jihad. He also cited that a slim majority of this population "agreed that Muslims in America should have the choice of being governed according to Shariah".
Currently, Trump is calling for all Muslims to be ID'd and is playing on the fears Americans have after the attack on Paris. Furthermore, without evidence of truth, Trump claimed that "thousands" of Muslims were cheering the 9/11 attacks on rooftops in New Jersey. Again, there was no evidence of this and he is making false claims.



http://townhall.com/political-cartoons/2015/12/18/137591

Questions:
What do you think of Trump's stance on this issue? Is he doing the right thing by wanting to ID all Muslims? What does his 'call to action' remind you of? What would you do to aid the current turmoil and widespread fear in the U.S. after the current attacks in Paris and San Bernardino if you were in the running to be president?

U.S. Senate Votes to Replace ‘No Child Left Behind’ Law

Summary:
On December 9th, the US Senate voted 85-12 to replace the No Child Left Behind law enacted during Bush's presidency, replacing it with the Every Student Succeeds Act. Instead of having a national standard, states now have the power to determine how poorly performing schools can be improved. Obama signed a new legislation that would give about $26 billion annually to the states, leaving the states to determine how to use the funds to improve their education systems. Under the new bill, states will still be required to test students yearly in grades three through eight and once in high school, but states will be held accountable for improving school quality. The bill also bars the federal government from giving the states incentives to use any specific learning standards, removing some federal oversight.



Questions:
Critics claim that without pressure from the federal government, the states will feel little need to make significant changes to the school systems; do you agree? Why or why not?
Most 2016 presidential candidates either voted against the bill or chose not to vote; what do you think it says about the bill and Obama's decision to implement it shortly before the end of his term?

Article:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-senate-votes-to-replace-no-child-left-behind-law-1449678245

Koch Brothers Get Each Other Same Election For Christmas

Summary: As they opened presents after a Christmas meal, the Koch brothers realized they had both gotten each other something truly special; in fact, the exact same thing! Both had bought each other the same election, that of Lee Zeldin in New York's 1st Congressional District. After the precedent set by the right-to-work law passed in Wisconsin this time last year, they decided they had to go big. Notwithstanding, this was only a small part of their efforts for 2016, however after the defeat of their preferred candidate Scott Walker, they decided to start from the ground up, much like 2010 and 2014.

All jokes aside, campaign spending in this presidential election thus far has been unprecedented. Huge donors each have their pet candidates, such as Ted Cruz receiving $15 million just from two billionaire brothers alone. In addition, Super PACs like Right to Rise supporting Jeb Bush has over $100 million in funds to spend on the campaign. It is impossible to ignore the effects of this wave of cash flowing through our political process, making corruption and buying elections a distinct possibility. We are at a crossroads, either regulations are passed to limit this, or it must be embraced as just another quirk of the American political system.

Questions:

What are your thoughts on the Citizens United Ruling in 2010? Do you believe that unlimited campaign spending is a corrupting influence or enables more free speech? How do you feel about multimillionaires and billionaires having such a great influence on elections?

Article: http://www.theonion.com/article/koch-brothers-get-each-other-same-election-christm-52012 

Obama admin weighs in on legalized marijuana at the Supreme Court

Summary: Last spring the Supreme Court asked for the administration's view on legal marijuana in the state of Colorado. The administration advised against involvement in disputes, because although the administration is committed against major traffickers of illegal substances,"federal resources should not be focused on individuals who were in "unambiguous compliance with existing state laws" and not involved in large-scale industrial marijuana cultivation centers." Recently, a case from Nebraska and Oklahoma against Colorado has been filled due to uncontrollable increases of marijuana across Colorado state borders into neighboring states. If Nebraska and Oklahoma were to win the case, pot would still be legal within Colorado, but its regulation on the market(how the substance is distributed and controlled) would have to change. 


Questions: Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli argues that SCOTUS should not have accepted the case because it poses a "substantial and unwarranted expansion of this court's jurisdiction." What do you think he means by that? And do you agree with him? 
Hypothetically, if Nebraska and Oklahoma were to win, what are possible solutions to the regulation problems? 
http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/16/politics/supreme-court-marijuana-colorado-obama/index.html

GOP Debate: Still Too Many?

Summary: The Republican party has had far to many horses in the race and as we approach 2016 it is time for some of them to step out so that the party will have some semblance of organization. Four of the candidates in the debate should not have gotten as far as they have and they are only taking up space. Two candidates that were thought of as real contenders, Fiorina and Carson, looked like they were being shown the door as well. Their limited speaking time throughout the night showed the parties general disinterest, and the ways which they used the time that they did have, moments of silence and arguing with the moderators, did not help them look any better. The indomitable Trump seemed to be loosing his insanity as he began to take some of the attacks thrown at him and was tongue-tied when it came to his repartee. Jeb Bushed seemed to have gained some confidence and took Trump on to show that he wouldn't back down from a fight, and people seemed to be with him except for Ted Cruz who is trying to make nice with Trump and is expected to become his running mate. Marco Rubio dug into Cruz about nukes, and came out on top with far superior knowledge.

Trump makes faces as Jeb Bush points out his lunacy

Questions: Do you think that the list of candidates will eventually shorten to a reasonable number? Do you think that Trump's support will fade as people come to their senses? Do you think that a strong front runner will emerge? If not, who will be the top two or three?

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/16/time-to-pit-some-of-the-gop-out-to-pasture-commentary.html

Obama's "Strategy" to Stomp Out ISIS

Summary: The President, Barack Obama, feels that the military mission on ISIS is a long-term effort through local forces and a stable government. Obama pointed to the more than 5,000 airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq, Syria and new regions like North Africa, and the efforts of an impelled Iraqi government in the wake of the demolishing of Ramadi, as signs of increased effort against them. Currently, he has no plans to send more troops across to the region. He finds that security forces will be the biggest threat against ISIS. The President said success against ISIS depends on "Muslim communities, including scholars and clerics, rejecting warped interpretations of Islam and protecting their sons and daughters from recruitment.” He doesn’t think we should do everything ourselves because it won’t make terms better. Obama feels that his strategy will be best at stomping out ISIS.

Questions: Do you agree with Obama’s strategy? Is the success really dependent on the Muslim communities? Does Obama even have a strategy? What should he do differently (if anything)?

Article: http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/06/politics/obama-isis-pentagon/