Tom Dec

2012 Democratic National Convention

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:07:00 -0500

Hello,

I am running to represent Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District in Charlotte, NC this September at the 2012 Democratic National Convention! Check out my candidacy announcement here: http://www.tomdec.com/dnc.

I am excited for the weeks and months ahead as we prepare for what will be an exciting and historic election year. As always, don’t hesitate to contact me with questions (tom.dec@yale.edu).

Thanks,

Tom

Interesting depiction of blue state vs. red state and how much...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:54:30 -0500

Interesting depiction of blue state vs. red state and how much they receive in federal spending plotted against how much they pay in.

The Wealth Gap Between Congress and Voters Is Growing

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:14:29 -0500

The Wealth Gap Between Congress and Voters Is Growing:

Both The New York Times and The Washington Post have separate reports today about the widening wealth gap between members of Congress and the people they represent. Almost half of all Congresspeople are millionaires and their median net worth has climbed to $913,000, compared to $100,000 for the rest of America households. According to the Post, that number drops to $725,000 when excluding home equity (and adjusting for inflation), but the same median figure for American families is just $20,500. And that gap has only grown wider in recent years. Read more.

Huntsman's last stand

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:50:00 -0500

abitnippy:

Jon Huntsman has 72 hours to prevent a devastating loss in New Hampshire. In my view, he has three main problems:

He is perceived as Romney’s stunt double. People don’t really know the difference between them.

His name recognition isn’t high enough. A significant number of people in New Hampshire (let alone the rest of the country) still don’t know who he is. I know this from firsthand experience.

His campaign doesn’t have a clearly defined message. Huntsman is the “moderate” candidate, but also the “consistent conservative.” He comes out in favor of evolution and global warming but stops short of positioning himself as the most rational contender in the field. He’s just like Romney but doesn’t flip flop. Huntsman needs something more compelling than these confusing and contradictory points if he wants to win.

With so little time (and so little money) left in the race, he only has one option: Go viral. The #jon2012girls effort was a step in the right direction, but he needs something even bigger.

Here are a few ideas:

Read More

abitnippy is right in that Huntsman is a Romney stunt double. Their places on the ideological spectrum are similar, except that people know Romney better. Romney also has more money and arguably more experience in politics. Huntsman is having trouble beating Romney as his own game. If Huntsman wants a shot he definitely needs to be more aggressive and take calculated risks, but I some of these suggestions are extreme.

Even better would be to make them snarky and appeal to younger voters: “Jon Huntsman. Because every other candidate sucks.”

This is a horrible, horrible idea. Jon Huntsman should not hope for younger voters to push him over the edge. He has a problem with older voters, and a snarky ad campaign would not help to attract them. In fact, it will only work to deter them from voting.

Based on a Public Policy Poll conducted from December 16-18th, 64% of voters age 46-65 and 75% of voters over age 65 have a positive impression of Romney, whereas for Huntsman it is 51% and 46% respectively. This is a difference of 13% and 29% - huge.

In 2008, only 14% of GOP Primary voters were under age 30, while 49% were over age 50. There’s no reason to expect that these youth numbers will top those set in 2008. Even on the Democratic side, where we experienced a high water mark for young voter engagement, voters under 30 were only 18% of the vote.

Huntsman needs to attract senior votes. I think the idea of painting the other candidates as extreme and going with something along the lines of the “call me crazy” theme is good for New Hampshire. But if he tries to be “cool” and snarky, he’ll almost definitely lose. He needs seniors and he needs to show them the downsides of a Romney candidacy.

Trump's Indy Bid?

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 15:01:00 -0500

The media is again devoting airtime to Donald Trump and the drama of his presidential conquest.

After soaking up weeks of coverage this spring with his prospective run for the GOP nomination, Trump receded from the limelight. Then, after he couldn’t get Romney to agree to join a debate he was slated to moderate, he took the opportunity to bolt. The move attracted news coverage of course, but no matter how blatant the move is as a ploy to attract attention, the media still consumes it in a frenzy.

Trump is not going to run for President. I wrote on this topic earlier this year and I think the reasons still hold. Maybe this time around, though, the coverage of the upcoming GOP caucuses and primaries will overshadow him.

You can read the article from Politico here.

The OOTBlog: 5 Ways the New YouTube Design Could Affect Your A Cappella Group

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:22:13 -0500

The OOTBlog: 5 Ways the New YouTube Design Could Affect Your A Cappella Group:

yaleootb:

It’s no exaggeration that YouTube is an important tool for a cappella groups. YouTube channels are a great way for groups to show off their talent to fans and potential clients. Recently, YouTube unveiled a new design that changes how the homepage works. What do these changes mean for your…

Yale Out of the Blue’s award-winning performance of Jar of...

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:39:37 -0500

Yale Out of the Blue’s award-winning performance of Jar of Hearts. Sana Sharma, soloist. One of my favorite songs in the rep - it’s haunting.

A Patriotic Holiday

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:05:00 -0500

As we get ready to sharpen our carving knives and cut up our Thanksgiving turkey, we should take a moment to recognize the importance of Thanksgiving. It is a holiday that is distinctly American. I would even argue that it is the most patriotic holiday that we celebrate. It is a holiday that has its roots in the partnership of the pilgrims and natives, and it is one that even survived the divide of our Civil War.

They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. - Abraham Lincoln, 1863

In the heat of the most violent conflict in our history - one that almost resulted in the destruction of the Union that we enjoy today - President Lincoln made this universal appeal to the citizenry, north and south. Regardless of your side of the war, all people can and should pause to give thanks to the fruits of America.

the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom

While we are not divided to the degree that we experienced in the Civil War, many of Lincoln’s words still ring true today. In spite of the fierce divide in Washington over the debt, our national security policy, and the fundamental role of the federal government, we should pause to reflect on the privileges of living in the United States and give thanks.

Thanksgiving is a holiday where we trade in our pomp and circumstance for humble reflection. It is a day when our red, white, and blue are not displayed on our chest, but through our families, homes, and hearts. It’s a holiday that unifies us as a country and a culture. And that’s pretty magical.

Yale was beautiful today!

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:43:20 -0500

Yale was beautiful today!

State Credit Ratings

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:18:58 -0400

State Credit Ratings:

The Federal Government may have been downgraded by S&P to AA+, but where do our states stand?

Hillary for President Op-Ed from UVa Law Prof

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 02:11:00 -0400

Professor Sprigman of the University of Virginia School of Law authored an op-ed that ran in today’s Chicago Tribune that I thought was especially timely and provoking. Sprigman is a former Obama ‘08 employee, but has since resolved that the President is “weak,” that he has “broken with the faith that has sustained Democrats since the 1930s” and that, in the end, he urges Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to run against Obama.

The professor is not alone in his sentiments, I’m sure. At this juncture, the President must demonstrate to the Democratic Party that he is willing to fight for their interests and defend the progress they have achieved over the past couple of generations. I’ll admit, I’m disappointed in the President’s performance in negotiating the debt deal. No doubt about it. The only thing I’m more disappointed in and angry at are the Tea Party representatives in the House of Representatives, but this is precisely the problem. I sincerely hope that my vote in 2012 will not be a “lesser of two evils” decision, but a vote of confidence that the President will fight for not just solutions, but Democratic and practical solutions, to our problems.

Yale OOTB's 16 Edgewood - Pre-Orders Up!

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 01:34:00 -0400

Yale OOTB's 16 Edgewood - Pre-Orders Up!:

You can check out the making of my a cappella group’s newest CD, 16 Edgewood, AND get a 20% discount if you pre-order it now! Check it out - you won’t regret it.

A Guide to the Politics of the Debt Deal

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:13:00 -0400

The U.S. is immersed in a largely unprecedented crisis. We have a highly-divided government, with a 2010 coalition of conservative (often Tea Party) Republicans controlling the House and the remnants of the 2006 and 2008 coalitions of moderate and liberal Democrats controlling the Senate and Presidency. Americans usually love divided government (we’ve voted for it time and time again), yet this time it seems that our divided government is devolving into a failed government.

I’ve put together this little guide to help clarify and summarize the political circumstances that have led to the current debt crisis.

There are three main political bodies responsible for bringing together a solution to the debt crisis: the President, the Senate, and the House. Each of these entities has their own political incentives and constituencies that they represent, and institutional limits to overcome.

The President

Background:

Elected in 2008 in an overwhelming Democratic victory that secured large majorities in Congress alongside his Presidency
Elected as a result of weakness in the economy
Elected as a result of blow-back from the Bush Era
2010 Midterms bring in divided government, in part due to unrest with the President’s first two years

Current Objectives:

Prevent a default.
Prevent a default without conceding 100% of his position to the GOP and not have another debt-limit debate in the months before the 2012 election.
Attempt to stay above the fray and look Presidential.
Appeal to independent voters while still holding onto his Democratic base.

Implications:

As you can tell from the President’s speech earlier this week, he is aligning himself with these practical (securing a deal) and political objectives. He pivots towards independents by discussing “bipartisanship” and “balance,” but he also attacks the extremities of the GOP plan:

How can we slash funding for education and clean energy before we ask people like me to give up tax breaks we don’t need and didn’t ask for? That’s not right. That’s not fair.

At the end of the day though, the President has been extraordinarily flexible in negotiating with the Republicans. As David Brooks, a right-leaning New York Times Op-Ed columnist wrote earlier in the month, the policy concessions from Obama are a “no-brainer.” As the more liberal Paul Krugman points out in today’s New York Times, the GOP’s refusal to compromise has led to them “taking America hostage.”

This is exactly what Obama wants: to appear as a centrist President looking to solve the debt crisis in a reasonable, bi-partisan fashion while making the GOP alternative look extreme. If Obama can get a debt-ceiling increase to his desk that appears to be somewhat (even 30/70) bipartisan in nature, he will likely be rewarded.

The Senate

Background:

Democratically controlled (53D - 47R)
Requires 60 votes to permit a vote on legislation and avert a filibuster
More moderate than their House counterparts and more deliberative
23/33 seats up for re-election in 2012 are Democratically-held with similar electoral objectives as the President

Current Objectives:

In a relatively large reversal from the 2009-2011 Congress and the health care and stimulus debates, the Senate is no longer the hotbed of political attention.

As demonstrated from the recent passage of the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2011 that recently passed in the House but subsequently killed in the Senate, the upper chamber wields a majority that is more liberal than the House GOP. Since the median House member is more conservative than the 41st Senator, extremely partisan legislation from the House has little chance of surviving the 60-vote supermajority required to get legislation to the floor in the Senate. The objectives of the Senate Democrats are mostly in line with the President, which makes the Senate a non-event in the debate. Any legislation that is able to pass muster in the Senate will also be legislation that the President will sign.

Implications:

The Senate is a first line of defense for the President and an important counter-balance to the GOP-controlled House. Any legislation that ultimately gets to the President’s desk will be moderated through a conference committee of the House and Senate, and thus, the result will be more palatable for the President’s signature. As demonstrated by the recent rejection of the conservative Cut, Cap, and Balance Act, the Senate shifts the focus back to the House. This contrast makes the House appear even more extreme, that the body is holding America hostage.

The House

Background:

GOP holds a 240-193 majority
84 new GOP congressmen brought in by by the 2010 Midterm Elections
Fiscally-conservative Blue Dog Democrat Coalition decimated in 2010 Elections (from 54 to 26 members)
No New Taxes Pledge signed by over 236 lawmakers in the House

Current Objectives:

Get re-elected in 2012.
Don’t anger the base by compromising, because they can and will primary sitting congressmen.
Cut spending and carry out promises from 2010.
Prevent a massive financial catastrophe.

Implications:

The House is the most fascinating piece of the political landscape behind the debt deal (or lack thereof). The power brokers in the House are the 84 freshman GOP congressmen. Since the class is large and conservative, no bill can be passed without a significant proportion of these lawmakers. And so far, they aren’t budging. House Speaker John Boehner failed yesterday to bring his bill to a vote in the House because he couldn’t secure enough votes from his caucus.

The House GOP has less of an interest in actually preventing a default in comparison to Obama and the Senate Democrats. As long as there isn’t a financial catastrophe (stock market drops 20%, etc.), they likely see a short-term political benefit by sticking to their principles. Since the Democrats (who are generally considered the “governing party” as a result of the Presidency and Senate control) want to avert a default more than the House GOP, the GOP has political leverage in the debate. This is one of the reasons why they have been able to extract so many concessions that have led to some calling Obama too conservative.

No House Democrats plan to vote for Boehner’s bill, which is a function of the fact that many of the fiscally-conservative Blue Dogs were wiped out in 2010 and the bill would be a political liability for them next year. The smaller, more liberal Democratic caucus, while mostly powerless in the House, has similar electoral objectives to the President and Senate Democrats. They want to oppose the House GOP and what people perceive to be an extreme position. This opposition also helps to fuel their base, which will help them fundraise and generate enthusiasm heading into 2012.

In the end, the House GOP appears to be judging that there is more political upside to grandstanding and delaying a decision than compromising with the Democrats, and that calculation may actually be the correct one (from a political perspective). This is one of the downsides to our system of checks and balances, and one of the reasons why Congress currently has a historically-low approval rating.

I’m still hopeful that the political pressure will build and the House GOP will pass legislation that averts a default, but this has been one tough set of politics to navigate and it is unclear at what point that may happen. We’ll all get to weigh in on their performance and re-calibrate in approximately 15 months, so don’t get too nervous.

This is probably my favorite building on campus - it’s...

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 13:26:37 -0400

This is probably my favorite building on campus - it’s like a Fortress. It’s even better on the inside.

fuckyeahivies:

Yale Law School (by Juan Paulo)

What Would Jared Do: Today, Ronald Reagan is a democrat!

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:38:09 -0400

What Would Jared Do: Today, Ronald Reagan is a democrat!:

whatwouldjareddo:

After he switched to the Republican Party in 1962, Ronald Reagan famously said: “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party. The party left me.” Well now the Republican Party is doing the same thing to him.

As President, Ronald Reagan committed to many actions that would get him branded a “socialist” or…

The Most Common Grade Given By Colleges Is An 'A'

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 22:29:25 -0400

The Most Common Grade Given By Colleges Is An 'A':

kohenari:

A comprehensive look at historical data on letter grades given by more than 200 four-year colleges and universities found that A’s have become “ordinary.”

In a study published Wednesday in Teachers College Record, Stuart Rojstaczer and Christopher Healy found that A’s represent 43 percent of all letter grades, making it the most common mark.

Well … now I have data that shows why some students think I’m very, very mean. I could go digging through my grade reports from the past seven years or so just to be sure, but I think the “most common mark” across all of my classes is probably somewhere around a B-.

HT: Laura Seay.

YALE OOTB PRESENTS: 16 Edgewood

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 20:35:00 -0400

YALE OOTB PRESENTS: 16 Edgewood:

My a cappella group is releasing an AWESOME new album next month. Check out the promo page to stay connected!

The track list:

21 Guns
Animal
Black and Gold
Chasing Pavements
Cowboy Casanova
Fireflies
Haven’t Met You Yet
Sixteen Military Wives
Smile
The Fame Monster (Lada Gaga Medley)
Use Somebody
Waking Up in Vegas
You Belong With Me

Harkness Tower as seen from Branford Courtyard just after a...

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 11:17:44 -0400

Harkness Tower as seen from Branford Courtyard just after a snowfall. Yale.

Photos of Yale University

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 10:59:17 -0400

Photos of Yale University:

Taken throughout the 2010-2011 academic year. Beautiful campus.

BOOLA BOOLA: Jonathan Edwards College

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 18:45:07 -0400

BOOLA BOOLA: Jonathan Edwards College :

ivywise:

The College: Ahhh, JE. I have so many memories within your fine, beautiful courtyard, and running around the halls of Farnam like a confused…drunk…thing. Yes. Wonderful memories, of things like C.O.M.A., which happens on the first night of finals week and involves freshmen hellbent on waking up…