Crises Tasks

Candidate Crisis: 

On NBC’s Nightly News last night, Brian Williams reported on a story about former Mayor Alexander Rubens. In the report, it was mentioned that Rubens had been living with his current wife, Tatiana, for over three years while still being married to his ex-wife, Elizabeth. In fact, even though the couple attended Mayor Ruben’s first mayoral inauguration as husband and wife, Rubens had actually already moved in with the model and had been living with her for over six months. The timeline suggests that even though the former Mrs. Rubens campaigned for her then husband, they were not actually living together and had been planning to divorce throughout the whole campaign. The two remained married for two more years until the right time was determined by the mayor’s staff. When asked for a comment, Elizabeth Rubens (the mayor’s ex-wife) stated, “I only did what Alex asked of me. I was still in love with the man and wanted for him whatever made him happy.” The only source that William’s revealed was an anonymous colleague of the former Mrs. Rubens.

Earlier this week on Fox News, a phone call that had been secretly recorded between Gov. Anthony Di Stefano and a group of top donors was aired during the primetime news hour. In this recording, a voice, which has been identified (but not verified) as Di Stefano can be heard saying, “I don’t get these Solvo people. They talk about being religious and caring for the poor, but they would push a homeless man in front of a moving car if they thought it would save them money. Are these people mentally challenged?” The Council for Disabled Individuals has quickly pulled their support of the governor’s presidential campaign and has decried him as, “a bully who is no better than the nasty kid on the playground.”

In the Los Angeles Times, portions of an essay entitled, “The Problem with Deism,” were published on the front page. This essay was written by Cara Sneed while she was a philosophy student at Oxford University forty years ago. In this essay, Sneed states that, “The belief in God only exists because people need to have something to rely on and that the truth is too difficult for most people to grasp.” She writes that “There can be no afterlife, and that believing in such an idea only occurs because people are gullible and willing to believe in anything that will give them hope.” This essay was written in a class that focused on religion. Many of her supporters have defended Ms. Sneed saying that this was only written for a class and that she was only trying to please a professor. However, many voters within her own party wonder if Sneed is actually an atheist. Sneed has never made mention of her religious beliefs.

The Washington Post reported on an investigation that they had conducted on former Sec. Diane Ellsworth’s time at the Pentagon. While most of this investigation revealed little, there was one piece of information that the investigative reporter found interesting. In the article, the reporter detailed that while Ellsworth was Defense Secretary, she pushed Congress to pass a bill that would allow the Defense Department to purchase new weapons from Titan Defense Supplier. At the time, Congress easily passed the bill which was quickly signed by the president. Nearly $1.5 billion was spent on the new materials, pushing the government into even more debt. It has now been uncovered that one of the largest investors in Titan Defense Supplier was Dr. Richard Wells, who is the younger half-brother of Sec. Ellsworth. As an investor in the company, Dr. Wells receives a portion of the company’s profit; Dr. Wells is also financial supporter of Ellsworth’s campaign. Some are now accusing Ellsworth of nepotism and making deals for the sole purpose of helping her family. While Titan Defense Supplier is one of the leading arms suppliers in the world, the report indicated that Ellsworth did not determine if any other company could provide the same materials for less money.

On MSNBC last night, Al Sharpton reported that while Rep. Ryan Davis was in college, he attended an independent Catholic Church (a church that is not sanctioned by the international church) lead by Father Zachariah Meyers. Meyers has been in the news throughout the decades for making anti-American and racist statements. At times, his comments have been so defamatory that some have accused him of being a traitor and have caused racial tension to rise. These comments include, “America isn’t great. America has never been great. God does not bless America. Why should He? We’re ungrateful. We pray for safety. Why? We’re the terrorists in the world!” The priest has also been known for railing against Jewish people, even stating, “Perhaps Hitler was sent on a mission from God.” This comment was quickly recanted. Rep. Davis attended this church for two years while he was in college.

Tasks:

Today’s Tasks (11/12/15):

1.       Write a speech (minimum one minute) that your candidate (anyone in your group) will give tomorrow at the beginning of class. This speech should address the crisis that your candidate now has to face. Decide if the person will simply apologize, if the person will justify his/her actions, or if this person will deny it. Will your candidate “throw another candidate under the bus” to shift the attention away from him/herself? Will your person own up to it like a decent human being? Make sure that you include logos, pathos, and ethos. If you need help with details, ask Mr. Spivy. –due beginning of class tomorrow

2.       Write a memo to your campaign volunteers throughout the country. In this memo, you need to tell your staff how they should address the crises of the other candidates. Should they be supportive of the other candidates? Should they be critical of the other candidates? Should they just ignore the other candidates’ crises?

Write a paragraph for each about each of the other candidates with how your volunteers should address these crises and the reasoning behind your decision.—due tomorrow

3.       Finish the tasks from earlier this week. That would include the three posters (one generic, one slogan, one issues) and the two issues articles (on abortion, immigration, or gun control). Follow the directions from earlier this week to help you in this endeavor.—due tomorrow