Google Docs on Youtube

There is now a youtube channel for Google Docs. Most people know about Google Docs (ie word documents) and Presentation (ie PowerPoint), but few know about charts and my new favorite - drawings which is better than Microsoft Paint. Above is how to make a Google Docs Drawing which I use for my map quizzes and tests.

Roberts Court's Influence on Elections

Here is a nice long explanation WashPost of how the Citizens United v. FEC decision has had on this year's campaign. 

Midterm Projections

The October issue of PS Political Science & Politics included forecasts for the midterm election. I took the projections to create this graph.

Money Raised This Fall

The Dems and Repubs are neck and neck with party building, but that is not true of individual campaign fundraising and outside groups as you can see here.

Ladd Ehlinger Ads

So apparently the video on Barney Frank's opponent that was written about below in the NYTimes is not out yet, but above is another one producer Ladd Ehlinger, Jr. did that your students will enjoy as it features the characters in the Wizard of Oz. Judging by his ads, he works with candidates who have no chance of winning as this one (John Dennis) is for the opponent of Nancy Pelosi and the one featured on the NYTimes (Sean Beilat) is running against Barney Frank.

Reid vs.Angle

Since we all must teach about the majority leader of the US Senate, the closeness of Harry Reid (D-NV)'s race is rather intriguing.  Here is the HuffingtonPost/Pollster has Angle ahead by 1.6%.

Where Are the Tea Party Candidates?

Really this blog is not THAT much into the NYTimes, but the paper has such a good online presence, that it's hard to avoid mentioning them repeatedly.  For example, here is a page on the Tea Party Candidates that shows that slightly more than half of them are in solid Dem districts and have no chance of getting elected.  Even O'Donnell is in a Dem leaning district.  It does bring up for your students the horse race mentality that the press likes to embrace even if it doesn't really exist in many districts.

The Making of a Political Viral Video

Changing the Education Paradigm

This is a very interesting video that essentially (in a very entertaining way) describes how our schools were created for an industrial age and asks if we are preparing them for our current world.  I laughed at part of it as I thought of someone who this week complained that I was expecting my students to work too much online - as if they won't need it after high school!

Iowa Caucus Results

This is a website that I use with my students when discussing primaries and caucues. Although the image I've posted has results from 2004 and earlier, 2008 results are available as well. It's a good source for students to draw conclusions, discuss name recognition, etc.

"The is Rent Too Damn High Party"

Sharon Angle ad against Harry Reid

Senator Murkowski's Write-in Campaign ad

Speaker Boehner?

If you believe the forcast, John Boehner will be the next speaker of the House.  Here is an article on his roots and above a short video.

Impact of Citizens United v. FEC

This is a short video detailing the impact of last year's Citizens United v. FEC on this year's midterm elections.