8b: Checking Evaluations

Here is the link to my comment on Ryan Gaylord's evaluation:

Link

Here is the link to my comment on Tyler Jenkin's evaluation:

Link

8a: Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

Current poll numbers indicate Obama has a chance at winning the Democratic presidential nomination, and would be a serious contender in the November general election. Throughout his campaign, the senator has insisted that his race is irrelevant to his bid for the White House. Hoover senior fellow and prize-winning author Shelby Steele disagrees. Steele says that despite Obama supporters’ assertions that race does not matter, it is at the very core of his candidacy. "Obama's campaign pretends to transcend race,” Steele says, “but the paradox is that his campaign is all about race–and very little else."

-Race and Politics in America (link)

1. [...]the Senator has insisted that his race is irrelevent to his bid for the White House. Hoover senior fellow and prize-winning author Shelby Steele disagrees. Steele says that despite Obama's supporters' assertions that race does not matter it is the core of his candidacy[...]

2. The latest poll results show convincing numbers for Barack Obama winning his party's (Democratic) ticket in the November election. Barack has preached all throughout his campaign that his race has not been of importance in his quest to become the next President of The United States. With many writing accolades earned in the past writer Shelby Steele does not see eye to eye and disagrees with the assumption on the race factor. She goes on to say that Obama's campaign goes beyond race, it contradicts his campaign and in fact is all about race leaving nothing else.

3. This passage talks about how the latest poll numbers show Barack Obama having a edge in his chance on earning the Democratic ticket in the November election. The article also discusses the Senators insistence that his race has had no bearing on his road to the White House. Shelby Steele an award winning author seems to disagree with his campaign and supporters and claims that it is the core of his campaign's efforts.

7a: Conducting Internet Research

Search Engine:

Google

Keywords used:

ethnicity, race, politics, government, civil rights, equal representation, minority

Search strategy used:

I used search strings to compile my search such as

+ethnicity+politics+representation

+race+Politics+United States-world

Date of search:

March 15, 2009

Number of hits:

91

Relevance of hits scale:

3-4

Metacrawler

Poly Meta

Keywords used:

ethnicity, politics, race, government, politics

Search strategy used:

+ethnicity+politics-world+United States

-world-religion+ethnicity+politics

Date of search:

March 10, 2009

Number of hits:

125

Relevance of hits scale:

5

Directory:

Yahoo! Directory

Keywords used:

ethcnicity, political parties, racial politics

Search strategy used:

ethnicity in politics, racial politics, government and minority representation

Date of search:

March 9, 2009

Number of hits:

295

Relevance of hits:

3

Other search tool:

Technorati

Keywords used:

ethnicity in politics, Tom Tancredo

Search strategy used:

None

Number of hits:

1,587

Relevance of hits:

5

6c: Planning Field Research

For my field research I plan on interviewing a co-worker,I would say she is a very credible source as you will notice by the short bio I have included (link) of her. She has appeared in many national television shows, has written 4 books, and been profiled in USA Today and the New York Times. Here is a link for her short bio on her that I used from her website.

Asma Hasan Bio Link

Some of the question I have prepared are tied to the relation with her brother who ran for public office here in Colorado.

Being Muslim, would you say that peoples perception in the political world differ than those in our everyday world?

Who are some politicians that are of Muslim descent?

What role did you have in your brother's campaign?

What are some obstacles and stereotypes that Muslims deal with on the political forefront?

What was it like writing for Glamour Magazine during the last presidential election?

Would you say that Muslim voter turnout played a key role in the last election?

Do you see an increase or decrease in the future of not only Muslims but any ethnicity in the future of American politics?

6b: Testing Assigned Search Tool

Ethnicity in Politics
ethnicity + politics + United States
March 3, 2009
137 Hits
I would say this search was pretty relevant so I would give it a 5

Race in Politics
race + (in politics)
March 5, 2009
191 Hits
A little bit less relevant I would say maybe a 3

Racial Diversity in the United States
racial diversity + politics + United States
March 9, 2009
191 Hits
I would relavancy would be a 4

Ethnicity in Politics
+ethnicity-world+politics+United States
March 8, 2009
99 Hits
Very relevant a 5

6a: Using Internet Search Tools

I would have to say that when it comes to search engines I always use good old reliable Google. Before Google came I think I was using MSN search for the majority, I also used AOL search. Once Google came along I jumped on the bandwagon. I like using Google because it has always been reliable for me in the past. I do alot of photography and like using Google images to look for stuff which is always handy. I wouldn't necessarily say I dislike anything about Google, in fact I don't think I have used anything but Google in the last two years.

Google