Rhetoric and Democracy

It's the End of Democracy (and Rhetoric) as We Know It

2004-12-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

...and I feel fine. This semester's English 1101 class has reached its conclusion, and for now, this entry will serve as a brief wrap-up to the course and some of the questions we've considered. After reviewing student's "discussion blogs" and group blog projects, I'm pretty convinced that blogging has serve an active role in the success of these sections of English 1101. The blogs were designed in part to grapple with the practice of writing for the public, as well as the role of rhetoric in democracy, specifically within the context of US elections, and many students seemed to grasp the value of blogging. In the words of Grant C:

In the future, blogging will only grow. I mean, where else can you publicly bitch about the government, or school, or about how bad the pizza you ate for lunch was?

After my experiences in English 1101, I hope to use this space to navigate questions about rhetoric and democracy, although I'm not sure what form that will take. I'll try to write several other entries that seek to make connections bewteen different students' observations and to work through their concepts to develop an overall narrative for the course. In the past, I've abandoned my course blogs at the end of the semester, often without any kind of signpost or explanation for what you're seeing.

Group Projects

2004-11-30T09:21:00.000-08:00

Please check the list of links on teh right margin. If you do not see your group project blog listed, please email me the URL today so that I can include it on the roll.

Turnitin.com Re-opened

2004-11-30T06:45:00.000-08:00

The second paper assignment for Turnitin.com has been re-opened. If you need the user name and password, let me know.

Research Project

2004-11-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to that graduate student research project on blogging that I mentioned a few weeks ago. If you're interested in participating, I know it would be much appreciated. There's an email address link on the blog if you'd rather submit your comments privately.

Do College Students Work Hard Enough?

2004-11-17T22:50:00.000-08:00

Found this article on college student study habits in the Chronicle of Higher Education. It has nothing to do with the election, but I'm curious to know if you find it representative of your college experiences. Any comments on the article would be much apprecaited (eithe here on the blog or in class).

Thursday Articles

2004-11-17T07:17:00.000-08:00

Possible articles for discussion:

John Nichols, "Frist's Fury Over Filibusters."
Barbara Ehrenreich, "The Faith Fator."
Andrew Arato, "The Two Americas" (click through to artcile on Dissent's homepage).
Steven Waldman, "Perverted, God-Hating Frenchies vs. Inbred, Sex-Obsessed Yokels"

It might help class discussion to know which articles you find most interesting, so feel free to leave a comment. Or, if you can track down other suggestions, that would be great, too.

Article Links

2004-11-16T06:31:00.000-08:00

Quite a few of you haven't yet linked to articles for class discussion. Those of you in my afternoon classes should do so ASAP. Possible topic: what should teh Dems do in 2008 to increase their chances of winning?

Representing Voters

2004-11-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

Just for entertainment: here's another webpage that collects different maps that attempt to prepresent the political affiliations of US voters (thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the link).

Journeys with George

2004-11-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

This week in class we will be watching and discussing Alexandra Pelosi's documentary film, Journeys with George (IMDB), which focuses on George W. Bush's 2000 bid for President of the United States, starting with the Republican primaries. Pelosi, daughter of Democratic Congressperson Nancy Pelosi, works as a producer for NBC News, and is assigned to cover Bush's campaign for the network.

As you watch the film, I' dlike you to think about some of the issues we've discussed pertaining to this year's election: How, for example, does the film characterize the relationship between the press and the politicians they cover? Do you believe that this relationship will allow the media to be completely objective in their coverage of an election? Of specific candidates? How does the film characterize the future President? We know, for example, that Pelosi is a Democrat, and she discloses that news in the film (even noting that she voted for Bill Bradley in the primary), but how does that affect her portrayal of then-Governor Bush? Note here that many Republicans like Pelosi's film despite her politics. What do you think might account for their enjoyment of or appreciation for this film?

As with all other assignments, you're certainly encouraged to write a blog entry on your reaction to the film.

For Tuesday

2004-11-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

Your assignment for Turnitin.com is now ready. Please submit assignments ASAP.

For Tuesday, I will show a film on election issues, probably a documentary. More specifics forthcoming tonight.

Turn It In

2004-11-04T08:45:00.000-08:00

I'll set up an assignment for people to submit your paper to turnitin.com. As with the first paper, submitting your paper is required. Your grade will not be official until you submit your paper.

I will have an in-class assignment for students on Tuesday, so keep working on your group and individual blogs. If you have any suggested articles, feel free to post them in the comments to this entry.

Mapping Votes

2004-11-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

What do these two maps ("Purple," "Counties") tell us about American politics? Which map do you think is more representative of American political discourse? Which map would you like to be more representative? Thanks to Anne Galloway for the concept.

What to Do on Election Day

2004-11-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

Eric posted a link to this New York Times instructional article explaining the process of voting. It's a great list of practical tips that can be very helpful for first-time and even long-time voters.

The Year of Passion

2004-10-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting New York Times article analyzing the election year rhetoric. Purdum notes that many people have debated about the political atmosphere during this year's elction, with some people complaining about the negativity and polarization associated with the Swiftboat ads and with Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. Others point to the large increase in first-time voters and see more positive trends. This ambivalence is nicely framed by Harry C. Boyte's comments:

"If you think of democracy as elections and voting, then this is a great moment. If you think of democracy as more a way of life, it's very uncertain what the result is going to be, and the polarization is very troubling."

So what's your take on how this election reflects democratic process?

Update: Here's another story about election-year issues that I came across while procrastinating this morning. This AP article analyzes the ways in whih voters get their information about the campaign and discusses the extent to which people may go to blogs or websites that present arguments that challenge their point of view.

Reminder

2004-10-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

Students in my 9:30 class can plan on shoing up at 10 AM on Tuesday. I'm starting class late to give people a few extra minutes to vote. Be sure to bring two copies of your rough draft with you to class.

Oh, and if you like time travel, check out Primer. It's playing, probably for one week only, at the Midtown Art Theater on Monroe.

Advance Voting

2004-10-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

This is kind of last minute, but if you're voting in Georgia and can't vote on Tuesday, here's a way to vote in person on Friday or Monday at your county voter registration office. I'll update this entry later with more information. Off to teach!

Post/Comment About Voting

2004-10-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot this morning about the election process, as my list of assigned articles suggests, and because I know that many of you will be voting/have voted for the first time, I'd really like to know more about your experiences, and I came across a blog assignment by Alex Halavais that sounded really interesting (my assignment is pretty much an exact paraphrase of his). I know the first time that I voted, I found it to be a pretty powerful experience. I might tell you more about that later, but for now, I'd like to hear your stories. You have a couple of choices here:

1. Simply post (or comment) about your experience voting. For most, if not all, of you, this will be your first time voting. Describe the experience. What is the polling place? How did it feel when you were voting? Like Alex, I'd imagine that many first-time voters are either nervous or cautious, simply because they have no frame of reference for what it's like to vote. What were you thinking about? As always, you're welcome to tell us who you voted for, but you don't have to.

2. For those of you who didn't vote (due to age, citizenship requirements), feel free to explain why. Do you wish you had voted? Again, you can tell us who you would have voted for, but you don't have to.

3. In both cases, I'd also be interested in knowing how the media coverage or how class discussion might have informed your experiences as voters. Again, you don't have to say how this might have influenced whether or not you voted for a specific candidate, but did your participation in an election-themed class change your frame of reference on voting?

Voter Registration Articles

2004-10-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

Here are the assigned readings for Thursday:

Michael Moss, "Big G.O.P. Bid to Challenge Voters at Polls in Key State," New York Times
Katrina vanden Heuvel, "The November Surprise?" The Nation
Jim Wooten, "Voter Fraud" Atlanta Journal-Constitution

If anyone happens to find another article on this topic, please provide a URL either in the comments or by email. Also if anyone is interested, you cn create permanent, free links to New York Times artciles using the New York Times Link Generator. Just copy and paste the URL into the box and, presto! Free links!

Update: Here's anothr article from Wednesday's New York Times that focuses on voter registration issues.

Update 2: Here's a link to Election Protection, an organiation that works to protect voters' rights.

Homework Over Fall Break

2004-10-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

I forgot to remind students in my 9:30 class that you need to submit your thesis statements for the thesis exercise in class on Thursday. You will be expected to submit your thesis statement by 10 PM on the Wednesday night after fall break.

Submit thesis statements to me via email at charles[dot]tryon[at]lcc[dot]gatech[dot]edu

Group Blog Reminder

2004-10-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

Be sure to send me your group's URL as soon as possible. When you send me the URL, also remind me which section (9:30, 1:30 or 3) you attend.

You can send the URL to me at charles[dot]tryon[at]lcc[dot]gatech[dot]edu

Rogue States vs. Failed States

2004-10-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

This blog entry by Kevin Drum might shed some light on Mark's question about the Osama bin Laden discussion during the third debate. Long story very short: conservatives tend to worry more about rogue states while liberals tend to be more concerned about failed states.

Transcript Update

2004-10-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to a full transcript. The CNN transcript linked below appears to be incomplete. The Post transcript includes pop-up links that offer fact-checking on some of the candidates' claims.

Bush's Osama Comment

2004-10-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

In the 9:30 class, we discussed Kerry's comment that Bush had said that he "wasn't worried" about Osama bin Laden. Bush countered by saying that Kerry was engaging in "one of those exaggerations." Immediately after Bush's comment, a thousand Google monkeys launched into action and found the Bush quotation.

Here's teh full scoop from Joshua Marshall's Talking Points Memo.

Bush, Kerry, and Your Wallet

2004-10-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

A student in the 9:30 class emailed me a link to a CNN article about Bush and Kerry's economic policies.

Here's another somewhat dated CNN article prviewing Wednesday night's debate with some discussion of the economy.

Third Presidential Debate

2004-10-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a debate transcript available from CNN.com.

Best line of the night:

Being lectured by the president on fiscal responsibility is a little bit like Tony Soprano talking to me about law and order in this country.

Last Minute Reminder

2004-10-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

The final debate takes place at 9 PM and will be focusing exclusively on domestic issues.

"Mommy Wants a New President"

2004-10-07T09:56:00.000-07:00

I found these kids' t-shirts while blog surfing this morning. Thought you might be interested.

For Tuesday

2004-10-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

Find one article you'd like to discuss and link to it by Saturday night (feel free to write a short blurb or a full blog entry). Then by Monday night, read each of the articles that members of your group posted and write a short 25-50 word comment responding to each article.

We'll talk about the articles in class on Tuesday.

First Debate Disucssion

2004-10-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, after deleting something like 189 pieces of Spyware and five viruses this afternoon, I finally figured out why my computer has been running so slowly, so please forgive the slow responses to email (note: I think the email server ws down again, too).

I've been planning to link to George Williams' collection of artciles reviewing the first presidential debate, but with the computer troubles haven't had a real opportunity. Dr. Williams' is a professor at UMKC who is teaching a course with a theme similar to mine, so check out his class blog while you're in the neighborhood.

Note: I don't expect you to read all of these reviews, but if you want a refresher before Thursday's class discussion, some of these links might help.

Readings for Thursday: Swing Voters?

2004-10-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

Here are a few articles that might inform our discussion of the first two debates.

Mark Penn, "Myth of the Vanishing Swing Vote," Washington Post.
"Bremer Criticizes Troop Levels," Washington Post
Cynthia Tucker, "You Matter, But Your Vote Might Not," Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Don't forget that the next presidential debate will be Friday night and will be conducted in a "town hall" format, in which "undecided" voters will submit questions for the two candidates.

Edwards or Cheney

2004-10-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

Did anyone watch tonight's VP debate? If so, leave your reactions in the comments section. How did your experience of this debate compare to the first Presidential debate? How does the VP debate affect your decision, if at all? What comparisons can be drawn about the kinds of questions, the argumentative approaches, the responses to the questions, etc? As with other debates/discussions, you might want to take a look at factcheck.org to see how truthful the two candidates were during the debate (Dick Cheney tried to recommend factcheck.org during the debate, but accidentally recommended factcheck.com instead--oops!).

I'll have a short reading assignment here shortly, but as always, I'd encourage you to look for articles that you'd like to dicuss. For students who missed Vince Keenan's Wednesday night lecture, teh make-up assignment is the same as for those students who missed the first debate: watch an extra debate and write a response.

Update: Not required but here's a transcript of the VP debate with responses from Josh Marshall, Andrew Sullivan, and Fred Kaplan.

Debate Transcript, Alternate Assignments, and Documentary Films

2004-10-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are interested, here is a transcript of last night's debate between John Kerry and George W. Bush. Obviously, reading the deabet doesn't compare to watching it person (you don't get to see the candidates' body language, for example), but it's a useful reference for writing blog entries, etc.

For those of you who missed the debates, your alternate assignment will be to watch one of the other debates independently and to write a blog entry about your perceptions of the debate (which means that you won't be able to do the assignment over the weekend--I'll provide a full debate schedule later this week).

I appreciate your participation in this week's activities, including the very productive discussion after the debates--wish we'd had more time to talk about them at that point, but we'll take some more time to discuss the debates on Thursday. If you find articles about the debates you'd like to discuss, by all means link to or blog about those articles.

Finally, I just wanted to mention a couple of documentary films playing at the Midtown Art Theater (both pro-Kerry, but potentially informative for anyone). The first is Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry (IMDB), a documentary by George Butler (who also directed Pumping Iron). It's about John Kerry's Vietnam experience, both as a soldier and a protestor.

The second is Uncovered: The Whole Truth about the War in Iraq, a documentary by Robert Greenwald arguing that the Bush administration misled America into war in Iraq.

Voting Articles for Thursday

2004-09-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

For Thursday, be sure to read the following articles on voting:

Louis Menand's New Yorker article.
Analysis: Teens care about U.S. Election
Campaign Journal: College-Age Voters Feel Tug of Recruiters
Kerry's campaign focuses on college voters

Because we will be meeting in Skiles 318 on Thursday, we will not have access to computer monitors, so be sure to print up hard copies of each of these four articles and be prepared to discuss them in class.

Some (optional but interesting) debate articles:
1) Election May Hinge On Debates: Bush, Kerry Bring Different Strengths

2) Bush's Data Dump: The administration is hiding bad economic news. Here's how.

3) Kerry in a Struggle for a Democratic Base: Women

4) Cheney Crowds Would Like More on Kitchen-Table Issues

5) "Rhetoric vs. Reality"

6) "How Kerry can win the debate on terror and Iraq"

To be clear, the debate articles are not required, but they introduce some of the questions that Bush and Kerry will face during the debates. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the lecture on Wednesday night and the debates on Thursday.

--------------------------------------
My class only: If you haven't read it, you should review Jonathan Freedland's "Still no Votes in Leipzig," which argues that people outside the US should be allowed to vote in US elections. Voluntary reading, but still relevant: From The New York Times, "Abolish the Electoral College."

Vince Keenan Lecture Information

2004-09-28T19:43:00.001-07:00

Here's some more information about Vince Keenan and Wednesday night's lecture.

Vince Keenan Lecture Information

2004-09-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

Here's some information about Vince Keenan and Wednesday night's lecture. Looking forward to reading everyone's blog entries/responses to the lecture and discussion this week.

Directiuons to TSRB

2004-09-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

Here are the directions to Wednesday night's lecture, which starts at 6:30 PM.

Remember to write a blog entry with 1-2 questions for Vince after attending Wednesday night's lecture. Also be sure to track down 1-2 articles about voting issues that you'd like to discuss.

I'll have more information on Thursday's activities a little later this afternoon.

Voting Article

2004-09-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

Here's an article to get our discussion on voting started. I realize you're getting it late, but try to read it for Tuesday. We'll be spending most of class talking about the assignment for paper 2, including planning strategies you can use to improve on your first paper.

Jim Holt, "Is Voting Worth the Trouble?" New York Times.

You might also read Chris Bertram's comments on the article at Crooked Timber. I'll post some other articles later this evening that you should read for Thursday.

Framing the Debate

2004-09-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Dr. Andy Cline has an intersting post that explains how the rules for the upcoming debates might effect what the candidates are able to say and how they will be able to engage with each other. As Cline notes, the "debates" aren't really debates in the traditional sense, but instead might actually inhibit "truth and honesty in civic discourse." As you watch the debates on Thursday, perhaps keep in mind some of the questions that Dr. Cline is raising in this post.

You might also take a look at Dr. Cline's discussion of the lack of faith in contemporary media. Dr. Cline points to a Gallup study that indicates that only 44% of Americans claim to be "confident that U.S. news outlets are presenting the news accurately and completely."

Perhaps CBS Should Hire Jon Stewart

2004-09-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

Since we've been discussing media coverage of the elections, I tought you all might be interested to learn that according to this Annenberg study, viewers of the Daily Show are more informed about the upcoming election than people who do not watch late night comedy. Link via Wonkette, who also links to a Time Magazine interview with show host, Jon Stewart.

9:30 Class Discussion

2004-09-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

Daniel provided this useful MSNBC chart summarizing George Bush and John Kerry's positions on several key issues.

James provided us with a point-by-point chart of the candidates' positions on science issues (from Nature.com).

And Ajay linked to this interesting Guardian editorial, "Still No Votes in Leipzig," which argues that voters outside the US are affected by US policies and should therefore be entitled some say in US elections.

Here's another article (I've only skimmed this one) from Business Week about the Electoral College.

You're not required to read these articles, but they might make for an interesting blog entry!

Reminder

2004-09-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

It's a little late (Wed. 9:15 AM), and many of you have not yet linked to articles. Those of you who are attending my afternoon classes, be sure to track down some articles you'd be interested in discussing in class.

Lecture & Debate Information

2004-09-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

The Vince Keenan lecture will be: Wed. Sept 29th 6:30pm , TSRB Room 132-134. Note that 132-134 is one big room.

The debate will be screened on Thursday night in Instructional Center 103 for the presidential debate, Sept. 30. Instructional Center is #55 on the map, and room 103 is the Tennenbaum Auditorium. The debate starts at 9 PM, so please arive by 8:45 so that we can watch the debate without too many interruptions.

Also, don't forget that we will be meeting in Room 318 during class on Thursday, September 30.

Inside the Ivory Tower

2004-09-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

Don't be surprised if your blogs get a little more traffic than usual. The Guardian newspaper has an article on academic blogging, and my use of blogging in freshman composition classes gets a brief mention.

For visitors who found this blog via the Guardian article, I encourage you to take a look around and feel free to leave some comments here or on my students' blogs, listed in the right margin.

Kerry Speech

2004-09-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

Here's quick link to Kerry's NYU speech on Monday, which I mentioned in class. For now, I'd just encourage people to go out and find links to articles either about Kerry's speech or about Bush or Kerry's Iraq policy. You may also find articles pertaining more broadly on their positions on the war on terrorism.

I'd encourage people who are interested to track down English-language articles from foreign news sources. During class discussion, one student raised the point that people in Euorpe are critical in Bush, largely because he circumvented the UN on the Iraq war. This perspective is often missing from the mainstream media in the US, so I'd encourage you to dig around and find an article you find interesting.

Note: I'll publish the full schedule for next week as soon as my Tech email account is up and running.

Email Blues

2004-09-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

I'm currently having problems with my Georgia Tech email account. Please send any questions about the class to chutry[at]msn[dot]com.

Tuition Increase

2004-09-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

In the 9:30 class, Ajay mentioned a planned tuition increase for the state of Georgia. Here is the Technique article on the subject. Note that the increase has not yet been approved by the Board of Regents.

I'll publish the new schedule information ASAP.

Media and "Bias"

2004-09-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

Two interesting editorials/articles on the media:

Frank Rich, "This Time Bill O'Reilly Got It Right"
Jim Wooten, "Conservatives Find a Pipeline"

Read these articles, and we'll plan on discussing them, along with 1-2 other articles, on Thursday.

Reminder

2004-09-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to submit your papers to Turnitin.com by Tuesday.

Update: I will be extending the Turnitin deadline through Tuesday. Be sure to submit ASAP if you want your paper returned.

Blog Opportunities Over the Weekend

2004-09-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend, you have three oportunities to write/get credit for blog entries for English 1101. The first possibility would be to read the Andrew Cline essay listed in the entry, "Just the Facts, Ma'am." You may also find an editorial or article online and conduct a rhetorical analysis of it. Finally, I invite you to attend the September Project event here in Atlanta listed below. If you attend and write a review of this event, you will get credit fro TWO blog entries. More information about The September Project is listed below.

Paul Loeb has agreed to participate in the September Project event here in Atlanta this weekend. Loeb is the author of several books, including Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time and The Impossible Will Take a While. Loeb will be joined by Sarah Shalf, who as David Morgen explains, "is an attorney in town who has dealt with some interesting First Amendment cases involving the right to protest in support of a locally unpopular cause, and then balancing the right to protest against undeniable safety issues (e.g. at the G8 summit). She'll be focusing her remarks on the recent Supreme Court cases dealing with the prosecution of terrorism suspects: Hamdi, Padilla, and Rasul."

Our September Project event will be scheduled for Saturday, September 11, from 3-5:30 at the Peachtree Branch of the Atlanta Public Library.

Just the Facts, Ma'am

2004-09-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

Dr. Andrew Cline has a great blog essay about media objectivity. If you want to write a blog entry on it, you should. No matter what, I highly recommend reading Cline's explanation of objective reproting.

Voter Registration/Absentee Ballot Information

2004-09-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

A few students have been asking questions about voter registration and absentee ballot information. Below you can see the voter registration deadlines and contact information for the Board of Elections for several counties in the Atlanta area. If you're not a Georgia resident, the best bet would be to contact your local/county board of elections ASAP if you're planning to vote. You can probably find this information with a quick Google search, but if you continue to have problems, ask me and I'll be happy to try to help.

Hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend.

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 4TH

DEKALB COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION 4380 MEMORIAL DRIVE, SUITE 300 DECATUR, GA 30032 Telephone: (404) 298-4020 Fax: (404) 298-4038

FULTON COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION SUITE 4075 141 PRYOR STREET, S. W. ATLANTA, GA 30303-3450 Telephone: (404) 730-7020

HENRY COUNTY BOARD OF REGISTRARS 66 VETERANS DRIVE MCDONOUGH, GA 30253 Telephone: (770) 954-2021 Fax: (770) 898-7493

ROCKDALE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION SUITE J 1329 PORTMAN DRIVE CONYERS, GA 30094-6619 Telephone: (770) 785-5947

GWINNETT COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION 75 LANGLEY DRIVE LAWRENCEVILLE, GA 30245-6900 Telephone: (770) 822-8787

DOUGLAS COUNTY BOARD OF REGISTRARS 8700 HOSPITAL DRIVE ROOM A-1003 DOUGLASVILLE, GA 30134 Telephone: (770) 920-7217

Absentee Voting You may vote by absentee ballot if:

You will be absent from your precinct from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on election day. You are 75 years of age or older. You have a physical disability which prevents you from voting in person or you are a constant caregiver of a person with a disability. You are an election official. You are observing a religious holiday which prevents you from voting in person. You are required to remain on duty in your precinct for the protection of life, health, or safety of the public. An elector may cast an absentee ballot in person at the registrar's office during the period of Monday through Friday of the week immediately preceding the date of the primary, election, or run-off primary or election without having to provide a reason.

How do I apply for an absentee ballot?

You may request an absentee ballot as early as 180 days before an election. Absentee ballots must be signed and received by the county board of registrars' office on or before election day - no absentee ballots are issued on election day. You may download an absentee ballot application and mail it or fax it to your county board of registrars' office. The application must be in writing and must contain the address to which the ballot is to be mailed, the reason for voting by absentee ballot, sufficient information to identify you as a voter, and the election in which you wish to vote. If you are physically disabled or living temporarily outside your county of residence, a close relative may apply for an absentee ballot for you.

Applications for absentee ballots by uniformed or overseas voters (pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) can be accepted more than 180 days prior to a primary or election in which a federal candidate appears on the ballot as well as for any runoffs resulting there from including presidential preference primaries for two general elections.

May I receive assistance with my absentee ballot?

A physically disabled or illiterate voter may receive assistance from another voter in the same county or municipality or from the same category of relatives who can make an application for or deliver an absentee ballot. If the voter is outside of the county or municipality, then a notary public can provide such assistance. Any person who assists another person to vote absentee must complete an oath prescribed by law demonstrating the statutory disability and that the ballot was completed as the voter desired. No person may assist more than ten voters in a primary, election, or runoff. A candidate on the ballot, or a relative of a candidate on the ballot, may not offer assistance during the election to any voter who is not related to the candidate.

Counting Words

2004-09-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting New York Times chart that illustrates the different emphases placed on certain topics at each party's convention by counting the number of times specific keywords were used. You'll note that the Dems mention jobs and health care far more frequently than the GOP. Meanwhile, Republicans were almsot eight times more likely to invoke Kerry's name than Democrats were to mention Bush.

Be sure to keep working on your rough drafts, but if you find an editorial, speech, or article you'd like to write about on your blog, feel free.

Transcripts of Republican Convention Speeches

2004-09-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

Note: this is not required reading. Your main goal over the weekend is to continue working on your rough drafts. However, any students who want to do a blog entry (or a rhetorical analysis paper) on one of the campaign speeches may do so.

Just thought some readers might be interested in seeing the transcripts of the convention speeches. I'll add George W. Bush's speech over the weekend. Via Altercation:

For Thursday

2004-08-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, we will be doing a "thesis exercise" in class. In order to complete this exercise and to get full credit for your paper, you must submit a draft of your thesis statement by 10 PM on Wednesday night. When you submit your thesis, be sure to identify which class period you attend (9:30, 1:30, or 3).

In class, I will display the thesis statements in front of the class (anonymously), and we will work through everyone's thesis statements, discussing how students might improve their statements and considering the kinds of support students might use to support their arguments.

Michael Moore Open Letter

2004-08-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

We've discussed Michael Moore and his documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11, in class a few times, and because of that discussion, I thought that some of you might be interested in reading Moore's open letter to President Bush about the "Swift Boat Veterans" advertisements that have been airing in a number of swing states.

Moore's letter isn't required reading, but if you're getting behind on blog entries, you are welcome to write an analysis of it for your blog. It's also interesting to note that USA Today has given Moore press credentials to the Republican convention. He'll be writing a guest column every day next week.

Speaking of Protests...

2004-08-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to mention an article I came across in the AJC on some anti-war protests on the Square in Marrietta, an Atlanta suburb known for being very conservative. If you're interested, check it out.

Also a reminder that the director's cut of Donnie Darko is playing at the Lefont Plaza theater (at the intersection of Ponce de Leon and Highland, about 3-4 miles east of campus). Fans of the original might be interested in seeing the new version of the film on the big screen.

Blog Talk: I'm Already Running Out of Good Titles

2004-08-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let students know that I may use the main course blog to direct attention to certain blog posts that I believe raise interesting points that should be addressed in class. You may notice that I've linked to one student's post in the "Fight the Power" entry.

As the semester progresses, I will likely encourage you to link to your colleagues' posts, either within your blog or in other groups' blogs. Linking to an individual post within a blog is relatively easy:

First, click on the time-stamp at the bottom of the entry you want to link, which will create a new page.
Then highlight a short amount of text within your blog entry (one or two words) where you want to create your link.
Then click the "link" button on the top of the Blogger interface (it looks like a green ball with a white loop on top of it).
Copy and paste the address in the appropriate box, and then you're done.

Who are You?

2004-08-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

Quick note to students sending me emails: For whatever reason, new Georgia Tech email accounts show your gtg# rather than your name in the "From" line, so please adjust your settings (to display your name) or sign all emails. It's hard to give credit for assignments submitted by email when I don't know who is sending them.

Thursday Update

2004-08-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

This coming week the Republican convention will convene in New York City. In order to be prepared for class discussion you should watch several of the keynote speeches, inlcuidng President Bush's (Thursday) and Vice President Cheney's (Wednesday).

You should also continue reading the assigned material from Good Reasons (check the syllabus) and the "Rhetorical Situation and Kairos" essay by Dr. Andrew Cline, a writing professor at Southwest Missouri State University.

Finally, you should begin looking for articles that you would be interested in discussing with your classmates (and articles you'd like to write about for your paper). Be sure to take advantage of the resources in the sidebar, keeping in mind that most blogs will not have well-developed entries but may link to other articles you find interesting. When you find an article you want to discuss, create a link to that particular article or save the web address in a blog entry.

Missing

2004-08-25T18:58:00.000-07:00

I'm still missing the URLs (addresses) for two of the groups. Please check to see if your group is listed in the linkroll and if not, send me the group's address by email or leave it in the comments to this entry.

Fight the Power

2004-08-24T12:03:00.000-07:00

First, be sure to read Chapter 2 in Good Reasons. Then read the following articles about the planned protests on the Republican convention. While I did not specifically mention a required blog entry in class, many students noticed that there is a required entry for Thursday. My decision is that you may write a blog entry for Thursday (due late Wednesday), but that it's not absolutely required. If you complete the entry, it will count towards your required fifteen for the seemester.

With the Republican convention beginning in just a few days, many news articles and editorials have been preparing us for massive protests at the convention. Because these protests will be widely covered, it's important to understand how the coverage might be framed. With that in mind, I've culled a few articles and editorials from The New York Times and other newspapers that seek to understand the protestors and their effect on the convention.

As you read, see if you can identify any specific language that might frame the protests positively or negatively, any assumptions the authors might be making about the protests, or any logical fallacies (ad hominem attacks, etc). We'll be discussing these articles in class on Thursday, and while you are not required to do a blog entry on one of these articles, you should still be prepared to discuss them. Keep in mind that I'm including a mix of articles and editorials here.

"Signs? Check. Chant? Check. Ride to New York? Not Quite," Michael Brick, New York Times.
"As Convention Nears, Uncertainty Over Protest Location Creates Potential for Trouble," Jennifer Steinhauer and Diane Cardwell, The New York Times
"Bernadette Malone: NYC errs in playing nice with protesters," Bernadette Malone, The Union Leader
"Convention Headaches," Editorial, New York Times.

Note: I just came across Beau Bennett's post, "Effectiveness of Public Protests," and Beau's post raises an important question that we failed to address in the first class: what are the rhetorical effects of the protests themselves? Beau raises several good questions about whether public protests are effective in changing what they are protesting.

School Rankings

2004-08-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

The Princeton Review university rankings just came out, and while Georgia Tech did not finish in the top spot in any major category, another local university did crack the rankings.

Apparently that university down the road in Athens doesn't require students to study very much....

Daily Show Highlights

2004-08-24T02:25:00.000-07:00

Just thought some of you might be amused by this transcript from The Daily Show:

STEWART: Here's what puzzles me most, Rob. John Kerry's record in Vietnam is pretty much right there in the official records of the US military, and haven't been disputed for 35 years?

CORDDRY: That's right, Jon, and that's certainly the spin you'll be hearing coming from the Kerry campaign over the next few days.

STEWART: Th-that's not a spin thing, that's a fact. That's established.

CORDDRY: Exactly, Jon, and that established, incontravertible fact is one side of the story.

STEWART: But that should be -- isn't that the end of the story? I mean, you've seen the records, haven't you? What's your opinion?

CORDDRY: I'm sorry, my *opinion*? No, I don't have 'o-pin-i-ons'. I'm a reporter, Jon, and my job is to spend half the time repeating what one side says, and half the time repeating the other. Little thing called 'objectivity' -- might wanna look it up some day.

STEWART: Doesn't objectivity mean objectively weighing the evidence, and calling out what's credible and what isn't?

CORDDRY: Whoa-ho! Well, well, well -- sounds like someone wants the media to act as a filter! [high-pitched, effeminate] 'Ooh, this allegation is spurious! Upon investigation this claim lacks any basis in reality! Mmm, mmm, mmm.' Listen buddy: not my job to stand between the people talking to me and the people listening to me.

STEWART: So, basically, you're saying that this back-and-forth is never going to end.

CORDDRY: No, Jon -- in fact a new group has emerged, this one composed of former Bush colleages, challenging the president's activities during the Vietnam era. That group: Drunken Stateside Sons of Privilege for Plausible Deniability. They've apparently got some things to say about a certain Halloween party in '71 that involved trashcan punch and a sodomized piñata. Jon -- they just want to set the record straight. That's all they're out for.

STEWART: Well, thank you Rob, good luck out there. We'll be right back.

(taken from Atrios).

A Puff of Smoke....

2004-08-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to the class to let you know that my monitor blew out tonight, which means I may be slow to respond to email and to create links to student blogs. I have been checking on your blogs tonight (several group leaders still have not submitted URLs), and we'll have an opportunity to discuss some of the articles and editorials in class Tuesday.

Adding to the List

2004-08-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more links for readers who are interested:

FactCheck.org may be especially useful in helping readers see through some of the misleading information being presented in campaign advertisements and speeches from both major parties.

All of these links were borrowed from American Dialogues, a similar freshman composition course being taught at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, by Professor George Williams.

Readings for Tuesday: Lakoff+3 articles

2004-08-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

For Tuesday, you should also read the George Lakoff essay, "Moral Politics."

In addition to Lakoff, be sure to read the following articles:

Dahlia Lithwick, "Babies and Bath Water," from The New York Times.
Douglas J. Feith, "A Smarter Way to Use Our Troops," from the Washington Post.
Matea Gold and Edwin Chen, "Kerry Criticizes Bush's Plan to Withdraw Troops", from the Los Angeles Times

Note: You may be required to register to view articles from the Times and other newspapers we read in class. This registration will always be free, even if it can be annoying.

For your first blog entry, you should analyze one of the three bulleted articles/editorials listed above. You may choose to analyze the article according to the model offered in Good Reasons, or you may apply some of the arguments raised by Lakoff in his essay on political discourse. If you analyze the article using Good Reasons, discuss which of the appeals the author seems to be using (he or she may be using more than one), and discuss which arguments are most and least effective and explain why. Your responses should be approximately 250-300 words.

Cracker Squire

2004-08-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Added to the blogroll: Cracker Squire, a blog by Sid Cottingham, a lontime Georgia Democrat. Cottingham's humorous and irreverent take on Georgia and national politics is a fun and thought-provoking read.

Keep those links coming!

Reading Assignments for Tuesday

2004-08-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in class, you should read chapter one in Good Reasons for Thursday. In addition, you should read the following online articles and essays:

Dr. Andrew Cline's Introduction to Rhetoric: Dr. Cline is a professor of English at Southwest Missouri State University and writes extensively about rhetoric and the media. You may notice that I have linked to several of Cline's webpages in the linkroll. His collection of media sources will be particulalry helpful when you are looking to write your first paper.
Democracy Matters: This is the front page of Adonal Foyle's political awareness organization for students. Feel free to take a lok around the website, but you should focus on this New York Times article. If you're interested in Foyle's "Democracy Matters" project, you might also want to look at Eric Neel's interview with Foyle and this interview with Foyle from AlterNet.

We'll begin talking on Tuesday about how to constuct effective arguments and how to read the arguments of others more effectively.

It's a Small World

2004-08-16T22:41:00.000-07:00

In addition to looking at online news sources and television advertisements, you will be encoraged to take a look at some (English language) international newspapers to get a sense of how they might be covering the election differently, and how that coverage might be informed by different definitions of politics, argument, and the public sphere.

In the next few days, I'll add a colletion of links to international newspapers to the linkroll in the right margin. For now, Dr. Andrew Cline's News Media Sources is a good place to start for a wealth of news resources. We'll also be discussing some of Cline's materials on rhetoric and democracy in the next few days (I'll provide a specific assignment when the time comes).

You may also have noticed that I've changed the name of the blog from Democracy Matters to, temporarily at least, Rhetoric and Democracy. I decided to cahnge the name after I learned that Golden State Warriors basketball player, Adonal Foyle, already has an organization named Democracy Matters (here's a New York Times article, if you're interested). His organization promotes many of the same concerns that will be addressed in this course, including the problem of campaign finance reform.

Cruisin' In the ATL

2004-08-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

Scroll way down to the bottom of the right margin and you'll find a few links to places of interest here in Atlanta. Because many of you will be living in Atlanta (and, sometimes, Georgia) for the fisrt time, I've also listed some of Atlanta's alternative news sources, including Creative Loafing, a great resource for entrtainment news.

More Atlanta links coming soon. Suggestions from locals are welcome.

All the News That's Fit to Print

2004-08-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to mention that I will be adding to the list of links on the right margin over the next few days. If readers (including my students) happen to have any suggestions for other blogs or news sites that I should include here, feel free to suggest them. Leave a comment or send me an email at charles.tryon [at] lcc.gatech.edu.

You may notice that I've included several major newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. All three newspapers require readers to register for free subscriptions (the AJC has some premium content, but primarily in the sports section, and since we won't be talking about football in class, the premium registration is unnecessary).

Feel free to explore all of the links in the linkroll. I've decided not to put them in any particular order (whether by political ideology or anything else), simply because I'd rather allow you, the reader, to learn to make those decisions on your own.

Welcome to Democracy Matters

2004-08-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Democracy Matters is the official weblog of Dr. Chuck Tryon's freshman composition courses for Fall 2004. Students are encouraged to check this weblog daily for updates and announcements. Guests are welcome to look around and leave comments.

Because I take seriously the concept that rhetoric and democracy are intimately related, my freshman composition classes this fall will be focused on the upcoming 2004 election.

Rhetoric and Democracy

It's the End of Democracy (and Rhetoric) as We Know It

Group Projects

Turnitin.com Re-opened

Research Project

Do College Students Work Hard Enough?

Thursday Articles

Article Links

Representing Voters

Journeys with George

For Tuesday

Turn It In

Mapping Votes

What to Do on Election Day

The Year of Passion

Reminder

Advance Voting

More Links

Post/Comment About Voting

Voter Registration Articles

Homework Over Fall Break

Group Blog Reminder

Rogue States vs. Failed States

Transcript Update

Bush's Osama Comment

Bush, Kerry, and Your Wallet

Third Presidential Debate

Last Minute Reminder

"Mommy Wants a New President"

For Tuesday

First Debate Disucssion

Readings for Thursday: Swing Voters?

Edwards or Cheney

Debate Transcript, Alternate Assignments, and Documentary Films

Voting Articles for Thursday

Vince Keenan Lecture Information

Vince Keenan Lecture Information

Directiuons to TSRB

Voting Article

Framing the Debate

Perhaps CBS Should Hire Jon Stewart

9:30 Class Discussion

Reminder

Lecture & Debate Information

Inside the Ivory Tower

Kerry Speech

Email Blues

Tuition Increase

Media and "Bias"

Reminder

Blog Opportunities Over the Weekend

Just the Facts, Ma'am

Voter Registration/Absentee Ballot Information

Counting Words

Transcripts of Republican Convention Speeches

For Thursday

Michael Moore Open Letter

Speaking of Protests...

Blog Talk: I'm Already Running Out of Good Titles

Who are You?

Thursday Update

Missing

Fight the Power

School Rankings

Daily Show Highlights

A Puff of Smoke....

Adding to the List

Readings for Tuesday: Lakoff+3 articles

Cracker Squire

Reading Assignments for Tuesday

It's a Small World

Cruisin' In the ATL

All the News That's Fit to Print

Welcome to Democracy Matters