About Me:
My name is Lewis Mathieson. I am originally from Scotland, in the United Kingdom, although I have lived in several countries in several continents, learning to speak a few languages in the process. I have also lived in 4 different States in the USA, so I am familiar with this country as well; my knowledge of America is not just limited to Wisconsin! Funnily enough, I also already have a blog on here, but it's about something much more boring than politics... sadly... soccer!
Here is the link:
Besides soccer, my interests include TV, the Internet, 24 (TV show) and reading.
One more thing, this is my last semester, so please, don't fail me!
About Politics:
Many people seem to have lost faith in the American Political System. As a British citizen it is amazing to see some of the aspects to American politics that take place. From the amazing feat of nominating an African American the highest office in the land, to the extravagance of "Joe The Plumber" - American Politics is one wild ride for sure! But I guess politics is different from the UK to the US for one big reason. In America, you don't have a royal family. In Britain we have a Royal Family and although they don't take a direct role in politics, however crazy our politicians act, the Royal family are even a bigger joke and it takes the heat off of some politicians in the UK.
One thing I love about American politics is the sheer length and marathon-like nature of elections. In the UK, the election is over in a matter of weeks - and there is not TV advertising allowed. So you can imagine, for a British person to watch this election, it was similar to "The Greatest Show on Earth". I've already mentioned "Joe The Plumber", but what really amazes me is the longevity of the political cycle and the ferocity of some of the debates.
Another cool thing this year, I thought, was how the networks incorporated technology into the debates and this allowed more people to get involved in the political spectrum. If you look at the success of a candidate like Ron Paul for example, his success was largely down to Internet funding. And you got to participate in the debates on Facebook and stuff, it was really neat. I suppose that's what this course is about, incorporating technology into the course and mixing it up with politics. The fact that Obama is the first President to be addicted to his Blackberry speaks volumes of how technology's role has grown in American politics...??
I'm really interested in what this course has to offer. Like I said American politics is really interesting especially if you are from another country watching it.
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