Current Conversation

Goodbye Current Conversation

2008-03-17T05:58:00Z

KPBS has decided to end the weekly Current Conversation, and instead encourage our visitors to particpate in discussions on our blogs. Share your thoughts on the latest election news with our Citizen Voices -- a blog about election politics written by people like you.

Same-Sex Marriage: Who Should Decide?

2008-03-03T18:50:00Z

California’s highest court will hear three hours of arguments Tuesday on whether same-sex couples should be allowed to be legally married. The case stems from a combination of lawsuits from 15 same-sex couples and the City of San Francisco. The suits were filed the day after the court halted a month-long wedding spree in San Francisco in 2004. A ruling is expected within 90 days.

In this controversial and emotionally-charged issue, do you think the decision should be up to the courts, or should the voters be the ones to decide?

Ralph Nader Enters the Race for President

2008-02-25T18:00:00Z

Consumer advocate Ralph Nader has announced he’s getting back into the presidential race as a third-party candidate. He says the Democrats and Republicans are not addressing issues that a majority of Americans care about.

Do you think Ralph Nader could affect the outcome of this election?

Enormous Beef Recall

2008-02-18T17:37:00Z

The biggest beef recall in U.S. history happened this week, following animal abuse allegations at a Southern California slaughterhouse.

Federal officials suspended operations at the slaughterhouse when an undercover video by the Humane Society surfaced, showing sick and crippled cows being kicked, shocked and shoved with a forklift. USDS officials say downed cows pose a higher risk of contamination from E. coli, salmonella or mad cow disease. To date, more than 143 million pounds of beef, much of it destined for school lunches, have been recalled.

Does this latest incident raise your concerns about the United States' food supply?

Will the Stimulus Plan Spark the Slumping Economy?

2008-02-11T18:17:00Z

The checks aren’t even in the mail yet, but many people already have big plans for their tax rebates. President Bush signed the $170 billion stimulus package this week, in hopes of setting off a rush of springtime spending, and adding a spark to the slowing economy.

The plan will give rebate checks of $300 to $600 for people who have an income between $3,000 and $75,000, plus $300 per child.

Do you have plans for your rebate check? Do you think the stimulus plan is a good idea?

Super Tuesday Results: Share Your Reactions

2008-02-06T21:45:01Z

Super Tuesday has come and gone, and Hillary Clinton and John McCain have come out the winners in the big ticket state of California. Were you surprised by this or any other results from the Super Tuesday election? Share your reactions.

What Makes This Election Exciting for You?

2008-01-29T19:46:00Z

For the first time in decades, California voters are excited that they’ll be casting their ballots while the presidential race is still in play. It’s a welcome change from years past when California was the political piggy bank, and the race was all but decided by the time voters took to the polls in June.

What makes this election exciting for you? What was your voting experience like at the poll today?

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What Issue Is Most Important to You This Presidential Election?

2008-01-18T13:03:00Z

The economy's rapid decline in the last few months has caused a turnabout on the presidential campaign trail. Candidates have turned their attention away from the war in Iraq, and instead focused their efforts on telling hard-pressed Americans how they would bolster the slumping economy. Recent polls show Americans have economic anxiety over the halt in job growth, skyrocketing oil prices, teetering stock market and millions of home foreclosures.

How important is a candidate's economic platform to you as a voter? What issue is most important to you this presidential election?

Special Statewide Broadcast:
Primary Concerns: California Speaks Out
A collaboration between KPBS, KQED, KPCC, & Capital Public Radio
Thursday, January 24 from 9-11 a.m.
Listen to the archive online

Is the Department of Homeland Security Protective or Ineffective?

2008-01-14T21:25:01Z

It's been nearly five years since the creation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The move was recognized as the most significant reorganization of the federal government in more than fifty years. It brought together 200,000 federal employees and two dozen other law enforcement agencies to protect the U.S. from terror attacks following 9/11.

DHS was recently criticized in a report by the Government Accountability Office for failing to achieve even half of what it was assigned to do, and leaving our country vulnerable to another major terror attack. But the fact is, there hasn't been a terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11.

Five years later, do you think the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is protective or ineffective?

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Clinton, McCain Win New Hampshire Primary

2008-01-07T20:13:00Z

The race among Republican and Democratic presidential candidates is heating up for the rapidly approaching Tuesday primary in New Hampshire. Clinton and Romney were defeated in last week's Iowa caucuses and are struggling to avoid another major loss. McCain is gaining ground on the Republican side, and polls show Obama leading on the Democratic side.

(Updated January 8, 2008) In a night of comebacks, Sen. John McCain has won New Hampshire's Republican primary, and Sen. Hillary Clinton clung to a narrow lead over Sen. Barack Obama to win the Democratic primary.

What is your reaction?

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Looking Back at 2007

2007-12-18T01:50:49Z

What do you think was the most important news story of 2007, and why?

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Religion’s Role in the Presidential Election

2007-12-10T20:03:20Z

Last week, presidential candidate Mitt Romney delivered a speech to address perceived concerns about his faith in Mormonism. His speech was quickly compared to the one John F. Kennedy delivered when he was a presidential candidate in 1960. In Kennedy's case, the subject was his Roman Catholicism. Kennedy, of course, would soon become this country's first-ever Catholic president.

What does a candidate's religious belief say about what kind of leader he or she would be? Should religion even matter in the race for president?

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Removed: Court Rules the Seals Must Go

2007-12-03T20:20:30Z

Updated 12/19/07: We have removed "Current Conversation: Court Rules the Seals Must Go," because the conversation turned into a forum for offensive, uncivil comments and KPBS cannot condone this type of discourse on our Web site. Additionally, the discourse moved far beyond the discussion's intended purpose. We asked the simple question "What's your reaction" to the court ruling that the Children's Pool had to be returned to the children, but the discussion deteriorated into people on both sides of the debate attacking each other in a most uncivil manner. Although we generally prefer that users self-moderate their comments with corrections and civil challenges to each other's ideas, that did not happen in this discussion.

Please read our guidelines before posting a comment. Please refrain from profane, derogatory or off-topic comments (You can email us to flag inappropriate comments).

California Electoral Vote Proposal

2007-11-26T19:04:35Z

Republicans in California are proposing a ballot initiative that would split the state's electoral votes and end the winner-take-all approach -- a change that could dramatically affect the outcome of the 2008 presidential election. The measure would award a single electoral vote to the presidential winner in each of the state's 53 congressional districts and two to the statewide victor. A required 434,000 signatures are needed by Dec. 1 to get the initiative on the June ballot. (You can read some background on this in Gloria Penner's October 1st blog post.)

Republicans say the proposal is aimed at attracting presidential candidates to campaign in California --something they rarely do because the statewide vote usually leans Democratic. Opponents call the proposal an attempt to steal Democratic votes.

What do you think? Is this an attempt to steal the presidential election or a much-needed electoral reform?

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Re-evaluating Priorities and Being Thankful

2007-11-19T20:27:41Z

Half a million San Diegans fled their homes during last month's wildfires. Many more packed treasured mementos and important papers into their cars in preparation for the worst.

This was the second time in four years that San Diegans found themselves deciding what to take and what to leave behind… in hopes that they had grabbed the most important items, and wouldn't have to come back to a pile of ashes.

Did you find yourself re-evaluating what was important to you during the recent wildfires? As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, what are you thankful for?