Today was awesome!  We had such a diverse and intriguing panel discussion.  All of the speakers had unique characteristics and did a wonderful job of showing the good things that can come out of politics, explaining how campaigns are run, and sharing their own personal struggles in different elected positions.

I was very interested in the idea that politics favor only one type of politician, radical and extreme, rather than appealing to both extreme and moderate party members.  Many of the panelist speakers acknowledged that the party system may not seem fair or just in the legislature, but if roles were reversed it may not be very different.  It was interesting to also see that Democrats, Republicans, and Independents all experiencing similar campaigning strategies and chose “grass-roots” ways of knowing on potential voters doors.  I learned that it is very important to find a home base or target a specific group of voters who you can count on instead of trying to reach everyone.

The amount of money that was spent on some campaigns in Missouri made me cringe.  It depresses me that we waste (technically spend) so much money on campaigning.  Not to mention that Missouri has such a low voter turnout.  Many of the speakers today mentioned that it is not their responsibility to educate people on how to register to vote; their only responsibility is to educate the public on their own opinions and beliefs.

I love looking at the different ads throughout the years – educational, aggressive, passive, pleasant, creepy, funny, scary, etc.  Can’t wait to make my own ad!