12 Political Bloopers

Diane — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:13:12 +0000

Politics is a fascinating career to be involved in. There is always some representative or president that spouts off their mouth and gets in trouble for it and then has to face the public’s rebuke. Because political leaders are always in the spotlight it’s necessary for them to have political science majors and PR experts on their team. Politicians like everyone else occasionally say some things that doesn’t make them seem very bright but that’s because they’re always in the spotlight.

But in their defense having cameras on one’s self would be pretty intimidating and they can’t always have every single thing planned out beforehand or in a setting where they can read from their teleprompter. So they just speak and hope it goes over smoothly. Then if they mess up and say something controversial the PR team takes over and eventually the politician apologizes. But it’s essential for politicians to have brilliant minds working with them and these are just 12 things politicians have said that the PR team has tried to smooth over.

1. Reid said that Obama could be a successful candidate because he is “light skinned” and that he speaks with “no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.” Harry Reid

2. “During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet.” Al Gore

3. “I suppose I could have stayed home, baked cookies, and had tea.” Hillary Clinton

4. “If you can’t lie, you’ll never go anywhere.” Richard Nixon

5. “I can see Russia from my house.” Sarah Palin

6. “Ethnic purity” in discussing neighborhoods. Jimmy Carter

7. ”Eight more days and I can start telling the truth again.” Dwight Eisenhower

8. “I can spend your money better than you can.” Bill Clinton

9. “I’ve abandoned free market principles to save the free market system.” George W. Bush

10. “I was under medication when I made the decision not to burn the tapes.” Richard Nixon

11. “It’s no exaggeration to say the undecideds could go one way or the other.” George Bush

12. “I didn’t go down there with any plan for the Americas, or anything. I went down there to find out from them and their views. You’d be surprised. They’re all individual countries.” Ronald Reagan

Politics is a great field to be in. It can be high stress but there is always something to laugh about and fix, but an education is necessary if you have the desire to be involved in politics or PR. Even though you may already be talented, an education and degree can not only improve your knowledge but also give you a boost in the job market. Politics can be a tough field to be involved in so that’s why they need the smartest and most capable individuals.

Political Scandals that Rocked the Country

Diane — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:23:18 +0000

America is a country that has had its share of political scandals. Since the founding of the country there have been individuals in positions in the government that have become corrupt or involved in some actions that were controversial. These are the top ten scandals that rocked Washington D.C. as well as the rest of the country in the 20^th and 21^st centuries. Some escaped legal actions or impeachment while other did not but one thing is for sure they didn’t escape the stigma or drop in public sentiment.

1. Teapot Dome Scandal – This bribery scandal rocked Warren G. Harding’s administration. An oil field on public land had been leased to an individual and in return the Secretary of the interior received large amounts of money.

2. Pentagon Papers – The top secret study entailed the U.S. Department of Defenses’ political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945-1967. It wasn’t intended for publication but it was leaked and the New York Times printed a series of articles on it in 1971. Protests, political controversy and lawsuit followed.

3. Chappaquiddick – Ted Kennedy drove his car off a bridge and killed his passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. He left the body of the woman in the car, then left the scene and didn’t report it to police until the next day.

4. Watergate –Five men broke into DNC headquarters but were caught. The FBI found they were connected to Re-elect the President committee. Evidence mounted against the president’s staff and Nixon wouldn’t hand over the tape recordings. Eventually, to try and end it all he resigned.

5. Abscam – This FBI sting operation where FBI members posed as Middle Eastern businessmen and videotaped talks with government officials where they offered money in exchange for political favors. Through this operation thirty-one officials and one senator and five House members were convicted.

6. Iran-Contra Affair – Senior US figures agreed to sale arms to Iran despite the embargo in order to secure the release of hostages as well as fund Nicaraguan terrorists known as the Contras.

7. Clinton Sex Scandal – A White House intern got involved with the President and the investigation led to an impeachment of the president in the House of Representative. but not in the Senate.

8. Plame Affair – This was a CIA scandal where the name of a covert CIA officer was leaked supposedly because her husband done an op-ed called “What I Didn’t Find in Africa” addressing his doubts about the factual basis of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

9. Lawyergate – Congressional investigations focused on whether the Justice Department and the White House used U.S. Attorney positions for political advantage.

10. John Edwards – John Edward denied having an affair with a former film producer and being the father of her child. But it was later discovered Edwards had cheated on his terminally ill wife and he was the father of Ms. Hunter’s child.

Education and a college degree can help you get into politics. There are a number of degrees that politicians are looking for like political science, communications, history, and law but it isn’t limited to those. The government and companies don’t necessarily want a specific degree in order to hire you; they just like seeing you have one. Not only does it bring greater knowledge but also skills and it shows that you have determination, drive, and you know how to work and accomplish tasks that are given to you.

Education & Careers » political science

12 Political Bloopers

Political Scandals that Rocked the Country