Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Presidential Primary Exit Poll - March 3, 2020
Monday, February 3, 2020
Iowa Caucuses Field Trip Day 3
Caucus Day is here! We started the day being interviewed on The Point with Mindy Todd - the students did an excellent job representing Monomoy and speaking articulately about our experience here. We checked out of La Quinta and headed to a meet and greet with Gov. Weld - our commonwealth's representative in the Republican race this year. It was a small event in a coffee shop, and the governor was generous in speaking to the students at length and answering their questions.
We then went up to the Capitol for a few pictures.
From there, we hauled across the state to Davenport to catch Andrew Yang's canvass launch at his campaign office there. The energy among his volunteers was unbelievable - we met people from Texas, California, Belgium, Sweden, and lots of other places who all came to work for him in Iowa. The place exploded when he and his wife, Evelyn, arrived. After a short speech to fire up the Yang Gang, we headed out.
We had some time in the afternoon to get some Chick-Fil-A, go for a walk down by the Mississippi River, and to get some souvenirs at the Black and Gold shop.
We then went to Fillmore Elementary School to observe a caucus in Precinct D24. We set up in our observer corner, then the festivities began. After a few initial formalities, the crown of ~125 gathered in different areas for each candidate and they did the initial round of counting.
After the first round, Buttigieg, Sanders, and Biden were the only ones to make viability, though Steyer and Klobuchar were close, and there were groups for Warren and Yang as well. Then there was some confusion over whether people for candidates with less than 15% could try to attract a few more to make it in the second round, or if they had to go to one of the top three to be counted toward county delegates. Eventually checking with the county, our precinct chair declared that they could, and after a lot of haggling, Klobuchar just barely made the minimum of 19. Then there was confusion over the preference cards that were given to each voter (new this year). They had a side with a one and a side with a two - presumably to indicate their preference in the first and second round. But this wasn't clear to everyone, and people left after filling theirs out (some seemed to have only filled in one side, but they counted these). In general it was a big mess, but in the end, out of the six county delegates that were to be selected, Buttigieg and Sanders would get two each, and the others one.
It had been over two hours, and we left before the calculations became official so we had time for a late dinner at Subway before getting to our Comfort Inn. Once checked in, the news was reporting a delay in the Caucus results, perhaps reflective of the confusion around new rules and procedures that we saw at our precinct, though the report blamed it mostly on the new reporting app that precinct chairs were to use that was producing some inconsistencies with the results they were getting by phone. So as we go to bed, we have no results. Tomorrow we are up early for the drive to O'Hare and the flight home - what an experience we have had! A huge thank your to our driver Victor from BusBank - got us all around Iowa safely, efficiently, and stylishly.
Another to our 20-strong delegation from the Monomoy RHS Political Action Club - there was never a more engaged and focused group out to save Freedom and Democracy.
Another to the two best co-chaperones in the history of the world.
And a final thank you the great state of Iowa and the Iowa Nice we encountered all over the state - see you in four years!
[And thanks for all the good luck, Rwenzori and Fifi]
We then went up to the Capitol for a few pictures.
From there, we hauled across the state to Davenport to catch Andrew Yang's canvass launch at his campaign office there. The energy among his volunteers was unbelievable - we met people from Texas, California, Belgium, Sweden, and lots of other places who all came to work for him in Iowa. The place exploded when he and his wife, Evelyn, arrived. After a short speech to fire up the Yang Gang, we headed out.
We had some time in the afternoon to get some Chick-Fil-A, go for a walk down by the Mississippi River, and to get some souvenirs at the Black and Gold shop.
We then went to Fillmore Elementary School to observe a caucus in Precinct D24. We set up in our observer corner, then the festivities began. After a few initial formalities, the crown of ~125 gathered in different areas for each candidate and they did the initial round of counting.
After the first round, Buttigieg, Sanders, and Biden were the only ones to make viability, though Steyer and Klobuchar were close, and there were groups for Warren and Yang as well. Then there was some confusion over whether people for candidates with less than 15% could try to attract a few more to make it in the second round, or if they had to go to one of the top three to be counted toward county delegates. Eventually checking with the county, our precinct chair declared that they could, and after a lot of haggling, Klobuchar just barely made the minimum of 19. Then there was confusion over the preference cards that were given to each voter (new this year). They had a side with a one and a side with a two - presumably to indicate their preference in the first and second round. But this wasn't clear to everyone, and people left after filling theirs out (some seemed to have only filled in one side, but they counted these). In general it was a big mess, but in the end, out of the six county delegates that were to be selected, Buttigieg and Sanders would get two each, and the others one.
It had been over two hours, and we left before the calculations became official so we had time for a late dinner at Subway before getting to our Comfort Inn. Once checked in, the news was reporting a delay in the Caucus results, perhaps reflective of the confusion around new rules and procedures that we saw at our precinct, though the report blamed it mostly on the new reporting app that precinct chairs were to use that was producing some inconsistencies with the results they were getting by phone. So as we go to bed, we have no results. Tomorrow we are up early for the drive to O'Hare and the flight home - what an experience we have had! A huge thank your to our driver Victor from BusBank - got us all around Iowa safely, efficiently, and stylishly.
Another to our 20-strong delegation from the Monomoy RHS Political Action Club - there was never a more engaged and focused group out to save Freedom and Democracy.
Another to the two best co-chaperones in the history of the world.
And a final thank you the great state of Iowa and the Iowa Nice we encountered all over the state - see you in four years!
[And thanks for all the good luck, Rwenzori and Fifi]
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Iowa Caucuses Field Trip Day 2
After our late arrival last night, we did not start too early this morning. Leaving at 9:30, we headed to Indianola for a Warren Rally at Simpson College, but getting there 40 minutes early was not early enough to get into the hall where she was to speak. There were a couple hundred of us who were left in the lobby, so her staff had us all huddle around an impromptu soap box and eventually (30 min behind schedule) she came out to give us a brief speech, which turned out great, partly because she took just three questions and two of them were from us and one was from my nephew there with us (see video below).
After the rally, we went to downtown Indianola for a bite to eat between rallies, stopping at the old timey Corner Sundry where most got a shake from the soda fountain. (and I enjoyed a chat on the bench outside with a couple native Iowans).
Next we went back to Simpson College, to a much smaller room, for a Joe Walsh event (one of the two Republicans running against Trump). We were about half the crowd, but this may have been the best experience of the trip. Walsh gave an impassioned speech about why Republicans should vote against Trump, and then took questions for the better part of the hour, most of which were from our students (maybe 12 of us got to ask one). We were unexpectedly impressed with the former US Rep from Illinois, and appreciated the chance to interact so closely with him.
From there we headed to Des Moines, and after grabbing a bite at the most friendly and efficient Subway I have ever seen, got in line at the Hiatt Middle School for the Biden Rally. Waiting outside on a beautiful day, we had a typical Iowa Caucus experience, meeting a couple counter ralliers in their Trump Tractor, getting free Constitutions from some C-SPAN folks, meeting someone who wants to Make America Kosher Again.
Once we got inside, we got the usual parade of surrogates speaking before the candidate, some of whom were impressive, especially Iowa's two new women members of Congress. By the time the VP spoke, it had gotten very hot in the crowded gym. He gave a speech, mostly about how and why to defeat Trump, never mentioning the other Democrats in the race. As we gathered outside after, a number of media outlets interviewed various students about their experience.
We took one last shot at seeing a candidate as Amy Klobuchar was scheduled to speak at halftime at a sports bar in Johnston. It was very crowded and we got to Jethro's BBQ just as the candidate arrived. A few of us packed in to catch part of her short speech, which she gave early in the second quarter as she was rushing for a plane to take her back to DC for the trial tomorrow.
We then headed back to the hotel where we ordered pizza delivered and watched the 2nd half. Tomorrow we will be up early to get on the radio - WCAI.
After the rally, we went to downtown Indianola for a bite to eat between rallies, stopping at the old timey Corner Sundry where most got a shake from the soda fountain. (and I enjoyed a chat on the bench outside with a couple native Iowans).
Next we went back to Simpson College, to a much smaller room, for a Joe Walsh event (one of the two Republicans running against Trump). We were about half the crowd, but this may have been the best experience of the trip. Walsh gave an impassioned speech about why Republicans should vote against Trump, and then took questions for the better part of the hour, most of which were from our students (maybe 12 of us got to ask one). We were unexpectedly impressed with the former US Rep from Illinois, and appreciated the chance to interact so closely with him.
From there we headed to Des Moines, and after grabbing a bite at the most friendly and efficient Subway I have ever seen, got in line at the Hiatt Middle School for the Biden Rally. Waiting outside on a beautiful day, we had a typical Iowa Caucus experience, meeting a couple counter ralliers in their Trump Tractor, getting free Constitutions from some C-SPAN folks, meeting someone who wants to Make America Kosher Again.
Once we got inside, we got the usual parade of surrogates speaking before the candidate, some of whom were impressive, especially Iowa's two new women members of Congress. By the time the VP spoke, it had gotten very hot in the crowded gym. He gave a speech, mostly about how and why to defeat Trump, never mentioning the other Democrats in the race. As we gathered outside after, a number of media outlets interviewed various students about their experience.
We took one last shot at seeing a candidate as Amy Klobuchar was scheduled to speak at halftime at a sports bar in Johnston. It was very crowded and we got to Jethro's BBQ just as the candidate arrived. A few of us packed in to catch part of her short speech, which she gave early in the second quarter as she was rushing for a plane to take her back to DC for the trial tomorrow.
We then headed back to the hotel where we ordered pizza delivered and watched the 2nd half. Tomorrow we will be up early to get on the radio - WCAI.
Saturday, February 1, 2020
Iowa Caucuses Field Trip Day 1
Welcome to Caucus Weekend! The Political Action Club of Monomoy Regional High School is barnstorming Iowa!
We met at MRHS at 3:45am for the bus ride to Logan Airport where we caught a 7am flight to Chicago-O'Hare. By 9:30 Central time we had boarded our coach bus with our driver, Victor, and headed to Dubuque.
After stopping for a photo at the U.S. Grant Home in Galena, we headed across the Mississippi to Dubuque for lunch at the Sunshine Family Restaurant.
After some good Iowa diner grub, we went over to the Loras College Fieldhouse for the Buttigieg Rally. He gave a good speech in front of a crowd of ~500.
We then got on the bus and drove to Ceder Rapids for the Sanders Rally at the US Cellular Center. This was a big venue and about 3000 people were there.
The energy was high and there were a bunch of surrogate speeches that featured Michael Moore, Ilhan Olmar, Cornel West, and others.
Finally we got to Bernie who gave a rousing speech, followed by a set by Vampire Weekend. We were there for more than three hours (standing! the video above is the full set of speeches - Bernie is the last 30 minutes) and still had to leave before VW was done,
After, we grabbed a late dinner at Wendy's and then headed for a very late check-in at our hotel - LaQuinta in Altoona. Up early tomorrow for more rallies.
After some good Iowa diner grub, we went over to the Loras College Fieldhouse for the Buttigieg Rally. He gave a good speech in front of a crowd of ~500.
After, we grabbed a late dinner at Wendy's and then headed for a very late check-in at our hotel - LaQuinta in Altoona. Up early tomorrow for more rallies.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Monomoy Students Conduct Exit Poll
Monday, November 7, 2016
Monomoy Hosts Congressional Debate
See photo gallery by Spencer Kennard here
by Sean Walsh
On November 4th, Monomoy Regional High School hosted a debate between the five candidates running for Congress in the Ninth Congressional District, Representative William Keating (D), Dr. Mark Alliegro (R), Mr. Chris Cataldo (I), Ms. Anna Grace Raduc (I), and Mr. Paul Harrington (I). The five questions asked were on a wide range of topics created by students from Mr. John Dickson’s AP US Government class. Each student had a position. Kira Foster was the moderator, the panelists were Sarah Hemeon, Ben Dube, Colleen Cronin, and Rudy Fratus. Students who did not speak directly had other roles including sound/lights, candidate handlers, video, and social media.
Question One asked “ What should the government be doing to improve the economy? Should the government try to reduce income inequality perhaps by increasing the minimum wage?” Raduc stated that it was impossible to make a living on minimum wage, and that the government should increase the minimum wage. Cataldo stated that the minimum wage should “raise itself”, by that he meant that the business’ should pay people wages that make sense. Incumbent Keating stated that the minimum wage should be increased, emphasizing that “the economy is stronger when there is a strong middle class.” Finally Alliegro stated that raising the minimum wage is exactly what government interference entails, and that the government should “keep its hands off the marketplace.”
Question Two dealt with the rising cost of college tuition, and asked “What can congress do to make college more affordable?” Cataldo stated that since the time that many of the older people were in college, the price has risen dramatically. While in days past one could pay their way through college, the cost now makes that impossible. Keating spoke next, and stated that 2 plus 2 programs, where one spends the first two years of their college career completing classes at a community college before completing their education at a state school, is a good option now for those looking to save money. Keating also spoke of how he believes a college loan should be negotiable, much like a mortgage is, allowing people to pay less. In Alliegro’s answer to this question, he rebuted Keatings opinion by stating that the government shouldn’t be pushing people into 2 plus 2 programs, and that the federal government should not be making money off of education. Harrington stated that education is the lifeblood of the economy, while emphasizing the high cost of a college education. Raduc stated that she agreed with President Obama’s idea to supply six billion dollars of government funds for college.
Question Three asked “Do you believe that there are racial disparities in economic status and police treatment that the government needs to address, and if so, what should the government do?” Keating, who himself was former District Attorney and comes from a police family, stated that as a DA he knows that every case is different, and every situation needs to be looked upon on a case by case basis. Keating believes that early education can address some of the issues of racial disparity. Alliegro stated that the interactions minorities have with the police are not a social issue, but rather an economic one. Harrington, a former public defender in Dorchester, said that the vast majority of police are doing their jobs well, but the small minority that are not need to dealt with. Cataldo argued his point well, by saying that in America we incarcerate more people than in any other nation. He pointed out that the police do indeed have a difficult job, and that we need a national standard of force. He also said that the criminal justice system has made the government a significant amount of money, and the entire system should be reevaluated. Raduc then stated that there should not be racial inequality, and that she has traveled around the country, and seen that there is indeed still unspoken segregation in many parts of the nation.
Question Four asked “What if anything do you think the government should do to address gender pay equity, sexual harassment, and sexual assault?” Alliegro stated that there is no gender pay gap. Harrington believes that there should be equal pay for equal work, but on that note no two people will ever work the same. Raduc said that the gender pay gap should not be a political talking point, and the pay for men and women should be the same. Cataldo addressed the sexual harassment portion of the question. He said that if we look at Trump, and look at Clinton, who have both been involved in some sort of sexual scandal, that there should be a national discussion going on, but there is not. In our country where one in five women are sexually assaulted, neither the democrats nor republicans have done enough to address this issue. Keating said that while acting as district attorney, he was able to set up work place programs to deal with issue of sexual harassment. Keating believes that education is key this problem.
Question Five asked “With humanitarian crisis in Syria, Sudan, and elsewhere, what should we be doing to reduce suffering, help refugees, and prevent future atrocities?” Harrington spoke first and said that there needs to a better screening process to prevent terrorists from entering the United States. Raduc wanted a proper vetting process as well. Cataldo spoke passionately about how the United States needs to stop toppling foreign dictators. He also mentioned the Syrian Civil War, which he stated was not a civil war, but rather a proxy-war in which foreign governments are fighting each other on Syrian soil. With 50,000 foreign fighters on the ground, and the Kremlin benefitting from the war, he said we cannot allow this problem to continue. He also believes that the two party system has failed the nation at large. The two party system, according to Cataldo, divides the nation between republicans and democrats, and leads to a hostile environment in which factional divide is keeping the nation from addressing the issues at hand. Keating said that it is hard to do anything about either issues directly, but both require a political solution. Alliegro said that we should not be involved in the Syrian conflict.
The final question asked each candidate who they were voting for. Raduc stated that she liked things about both candidates. Cataldo was not comfortable disclosing who he was voting for, but he was quick to point out that Keating is a super delegate. Cataldo believes that the very notion of a Super Delegate overrides the will of the people, and is undemocratic. Keating stated that he had already voted for Hillary Clinton. Alliegro stated that he would rather vote for Donald Trump, and although he was not his first choice it was in his opinion better than voting for someone with possible federal charges. Harrington, like many others, held the sentiment that this is the worse choice he has ever had to make. Harrington is voting for Hillary, because he believes her to be the less dangerous option.
After the final question, each candidate was given thirty seconds to give a closing statement. The approach each candidate took in their closing statements were each radically different. Raduc went over some of the things she had previously spoken of, such as the pay gap, and inequality. She ran out of time, and asked that we vote for her. and asked that we vote for her. Cataldo brought up the opiate epidemic that we face on Cape Cod today He said the opiate problem is a major issue, and even though there was no question asked about it, it needs to be addressed with a solution that will work. Keating said that he had started a heroin task force as DA in his closing statement. Alliegro said big government is the enemy of the people, and it is the biggest issue we face, Finally, Harrington said that the American Republic is divided into two great parties, and that is the biggest issue we face today.
The Debate shed new light on not only the candidates policies, but their personalities as well. Throughout the debate, Cataldo spoke with intensity, and confidence without sounding arrogant. His dissatisfaction with the current state of the government was clear, but the solutions he had to address the issues facing America were clear as well. The first time the audience applauded, even when they had been asked not to, was during one of his passionate answers. Keating spoke with the confidence that only a congressman could have. Raduc seemed nervous, and often ran out of time while giving her answers. Alliegro had the greatest amount of support in the audience. Harrington was confident as well. The choices we will soon face are difficult, but the debate shed new light on each candidate.
by Sean Walsh
On November 4th, Monomoy Regional High School hosted a debate between the five candidates running for Congress in the Ninth Congressional District, Representative William Keating (D), Dr. Mark Alliegro (R), Mr. Chris Cataldo (I), Ms. Anna Grace Raduc (I), and Mr. Paul Harrington (I). The five questions asked were on a wide range of topics created by students from Mr. John Dickson’s AP US Government class. Each student had a position. Kira Foster was the moderator, the panelists were Sarah Hemeon, Ben Dube, Colleen Cronin, and Rudy Fratus. Students who did not speak directly had other roles including sound/lights, candidate handlers, video, and social media.
Question One asked “ What should the government be doing to improve the economy? Should the government try to reduce income inequality perhaps by increasing the minimum wage?” Raduc stated that it was impossible to make a living on minimum wage, and that the government should increase the minimum wage. Cataldo stated that the minimum wage should “raise itself”, by that he meant that the business’ should pay people wages that make sense. Incumbent Keating stated that the minimum wage should be increased, emphasizing that “the economy is stronger when there is a strong middle class.” Finally Alliegro stated that raising the minimum wage is exactly what government interference entails, and that the government should “keep its hands off the marketplace.”
Question Two dealt with the rising cost of college tuition, and asked “What can congress do to make college more affordable?” Cataldo stated that since the time that many of the older people were in college, the price has risen dramatically. While in days past one could pay their way through college, the cost now makes that impossible. Keating spoke next, and stated that 2 plus 2 programs, where one spends the first two years of their college career completing classes at a community college before completing their education at a state school, is a good option now for those looking to save money. Keating also spoke of how he believes a college loan should be negotiable, much like a mortgage is, allowing people to pay less. In Alliegro’s answer to this question, he rebuted Keatings opinion by stating that the government shouldn’t be pushing people into 2 plus 2 programs, and that the federal government should not be making money off of education. Harrington stated that education is the lifeblood of the economy, while emphasizing the high cost of a college education. Raduc stated that she agreed with President Obama’s idea to supply six billion dollars of government funds for college.
Question Three asked “Do you believe that there are racial disparities in economic status and police treatment that the government needs to address, and if so, what should the government do?” Keating, who himself was former District Attorney and comes from a police family, stated that as a DA he knows that every case is different, and every situation needs to be looked upon on a case by case basis. Keating believes that early education can address some of the issues of racial disparity. Alliegro stated that the interactions minorities have with the police are not a social issue, but rather an economic one. Harrington, a former public defender in Dorchester, said that the vast majority of police are doing their jobs well, but the small minority that are not need to dealt with. Cataldo argued his point well, by saying that in America we incarcerate more people than in any other nation. He pointed out that the police do indeed have a difficult job, and that we need a national standard of force. He also said that the criminal justice system has made the government a significant amount of money, and the entire system should be reevaluated. Raduc then stated that there should not be racial inequality, and that she has traveled around the country, and seen that there is indeed still unspoken segregation in many parts of the nation.
Question Four asked “What if anything do you think the government should do to address gender pay equity, sexual harassment, and sexual assault?” Alliegro stated that there is no gender pay gap. Harrington believes that there should be equal pay for equal work, but on that note no two people will ever work the same. Raduc said that the gender pay gap should not be a political talking point, and the pay for men and women should be the same. Cataldo addressed the sexual harassment portion of the question. He said that if we look at Trump, and look at Clinton, who have both been involved in some sort of sexual scandal, that there should be a national discussion going on, but there is not. In our country where one in five women are sexually assaulted, neither the democrats nor republicans have done enough to address this issue. Keating said that while acting as district attorney, he was able to set up work place programs to deal with issue of sexual harassment. Keating believes that education is key this problem.
Question Five asked “With humanitarian crisis in Syria, Sudan, and elsewhere, what should we be doing to reduce suffering, help refugees, and prevent future atrocities?” Harrington spoke first and said that there needs to a better screening process to prevent terrorists from entering the United States. Raduc wanted a proper vetting process as well. Cataldo spoke passionately about how the United States needs to stop toppling foreign dictators. He also mentioned the Syrian Civil War, which he stated was not a civil war, but rather a proxy-war in which foreign governments are fighting each other on Syrian soil. With 50,000 foreign fighters on the ground, and the Kremlin benefitting from the war, he said we cannot allow this problem to continue. He also believes that the two party system has failed the nation at large. The two party system, according to Cataldo, divides the nation between republicans and democrats, and leads to a hostile environment in which factional divide is keeping the nation from addressing the issues at hand. Keating said that it is hard to do anything about either issues directly, but both require a political solution. Alliegro said that we should not be involved in the Syrian conflict.
The final question asked each candidate who they were voting for. Raduc stated that she liked things about both candidates. Cataldo was not comfortable disclosing who he was voting for, but he was quick to point out that Keating is a super delegate. Cataldo believes that the very notion of a Super Delegate overrides the will of the people, and is undemocratic. Keating stated that he had already voted for Hillary Clinton. Alliegro stated that he would rather vote for Donald Trump, and although he was not his first choice it was in his opinion better than voting for someone with possible federal charges. Harrington, like many others, held the sentiment that this is the worse choice he has ever had to make. Harrington is voting for Hillary, because he believes her to be the less dangerous option.
After the final question, each candidate was given thirty seconds to give a closing statement. The approach each candidate took in their closing statements were each radically different. Raduc went over some of the things she had previously spoken of, such as the pay gap, and inequality. She ran out of time, and asked that we vote for her. and asked that we vote for her. Cataldo brought up the opiate epidemic that we face on Cape Cod today He said the opiate problem is a major issue, and even though there was no question asked about it, it needs to be addressed with a solution that will work. Keating said that he had started a heroin task force as DA in his closing statement. Alliegro said big government is the enemy of the people, and it is the biggest issue we face, Finally, Harrington said that the American Republic is divided into two great parties, and that is the biggest issue we face today.
The Debate shed new light on not only the candidates policies, but their personalities as well. Throughout the debate, Cataldo spoke with intensity, and confidence without sounding arrogant. His dissatisfaction with the current state of the government was clear, but the solutions he had to address the issues facing America were clear as well. The first time the audience applauded, even when they had been asked not to, was during one of his passionate answers. Keating spoke with the confidence that only a congressman could have. Raduc seemed nervous, and often ran out of time while giving her answers. Alliegro had the greatest amount of support in the audience. Harrington was confident as well. The choices we will soon face are difficult, but the debate shed new light on each candidate.
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