The Academy Road

The Academy Road

The Academy Road

Recent Recent Stories Stories

Get to Know Jenn Fredrickson Hutchins

January 6, 2024

For the last 25 years, Jenn Fredrickson Hutchins has been an integral part of The Albany Academies. Her tenure started with a paper copy of her resume sent to the address...

The Road to Success of our Middle School Robotics Teams

January 5, 2024

  Both of our middle school robotics teams competed this weekend at the FLL Masterpiece Challenge at Shenendehowa High School. “The Coding Turtles” and “The...

Throwback Thursday

January 4, 2024

Adam Penrose '02, played baseball for The Albany Academies under esteemed Coach Dorwardlt. Now, he follows in his mentor's footsteps as the Varsity baseball head coach, marking...

Snack Shack is Back!

January 3, 2024

Visit the Snack Shack and support the 9th grade's fundraising. Ms. Marchetti's Room (AAG 50-06) E Block Lunch H Block 3:00-3:30

Albany Academy Cadets Suffer Narrow 2-3 Loss to Voorheesville

Albany Academy Cadets Suffer Narrow 2-3 Loss to Voorheesville

September 29, 2023

*Albany, NY* – The Albany Academy Cadets soccer team faced a tough challenge against Voorheesville, resulting in a narrow 2-3 loss. Despite the setback, the team showed...

Republican Strategy: 2016

Republican Strategy: 2016

Both parties are the same has become the mantra of many Americans. Although we are the most optimistic country in the world, cynicism will trump optimism in the upcoming Presidential Election. A potential war in Iran, a struggling Euro Zone and a stumbling recovery make it hard to believe Governor Mitt Romney or President Barrack Obama will have won back the nation’s hearts on November 6.

Ever since Congressman Paul Ryan was chosen to be Governor Willard Mitt Romney’s running mate, both parties have been excited that this election became “A clear choice.” Ryan’s sponsoring of multiple bills banning abortion in cases of rape and incest and fascination with Russian atheist philosopher Ayn Rand may be detrimental to attracting swing voters in states like Ohio and Florida, but he is without question the darling of the Republican Party.  But do conservatives really want their golden boy to be playing second fiddle for four to potentially eight years in a Romney Administration, or are they secretly crossing their fingers for a loss?

The answer to this question is not easy for Republicans, especially given all of the 2016 chatter during and after a GOP convention that saw Clint Eastwood interviewing an invisible Barrack Obama during the major network ten o’clock hour, and a Romney speech that did not include the words “war” or “Afghanistan.” Chris Christie and Marco Rubio burst onto the national stage, while the Tea Party base salivated over Ryan’s speech. The enthusiasm Republicans have for these three rising stars is evidently greater than their enthusiasm for Governor Romney, who was overshadowed in headlines by an empty chair.

The Democrats are confident that President Obama can win another term in spite of suppressive voter ID laws and an unenthusiastic electorate. Many progressive voters are also optimistic about 2016. Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and even Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have been the subject of speculation. At this point in time, Hillary might rather get off the plane than even think about running for office again, but she has vaulting ambition. A year or two with no more than three and a half hours of sleep a night could change her mind about becoming the first female president in American history.

It appears that the ideal scenario for both bases would be another Obama term. Democrats will faint at the idea of a potential sixteen-year dynasty of Obama and Clinton, and Republicans will be able to dog whistle and talk about Obama’s “Foreign beliefs” for another four years, free of blame for anything that may go wrong. Many conservatives think that Romney, even though he has veered far to the right for the primary, is just too moderate for their tastes. They would much rather have a true conservative in office, like Paul Ryan, not Romney’s self-proclaimed “severe” conservatism.

The economy will be the crux of it all, and the stumbling recovery won’t benefit whoever wins in 2012. Twenty-four months of private sector job growth are not enough for American voters. The polarization occurring in the electorate is a direct response to the fear that was born on September 11, 2001. Discussions in my AP US History and AP Government classes are frequently based on worries that this is the beginning of the end of the American experiment. These are not beliefs that my generation uniquely holds. My classmates are simply restating the dogma of the current electorate.

This nation’s ethos has been optimism, of which there is little now. When was the last time you heard someone say, “Both parties are the same!” when asked about his political beliefs? Americans see participation in politics as “selling out.” Debate over issues is “bickering,” and advocacy for specific solutions is known as “special interests.” No matter how many “stark contrasts” come out of the Beltway, Americans are more distrustful than ever of their largest institutions, and it’s a problem, maybe even the problem with our politics, more so than the influence of super PACs. This country’s electorate is so cynical that November sixth may be preseason football to 2016s super bowl.