Gender and Politics

The Women's Vote Vs. The Men's Vote - Game On pokes fun at what issues are 'supposed' to be 'men's issues' or 'women's issues.'

The most commonly claimed women’s issue – reproductive health. Fine, we are the ones to get pregnant, so that one goes in our column.

Following that logic, I declare ‘beer and guns’ a men’s issue. Now I like beer, but the numbers are what they are, beer and guns go to the men.

Consequently, the environment goes to the ladies. You ever tried to get a dude with a rifle to drive a Prius? Good luck – we’re taking the environment.

So since the guys have the guns, the military goes to the men – that’s only fair.

However, that also means foreign relations goes to the women. Don’t want the cowboy with the beer and the weaponry trying to talk to the ambassadors of Israel and Saudia Arabia about ‘Peace in the Middle East.’

The economy is more challenging. Concerns about gas prices will have to go to the men since they’re driving the hummers, and the women are driving the hybrids. Jobs are tricky, the women are at home barefoot and pregnant, so they may not need the job. However, are you going to hire the guy who pulls up to work in his Hummer with a 40 in one hand and a rocket launcher in the other? I’m thinking the women are more employable, so that means men are more concerned about the lack of jobs, and the women are more concerned about favorable economic conditions for businesses. Hence cost of gasoline and unemployment concerns go to the men. Deregulation and lower taxes go to the women.

That’s fair, right? Just following the numbers and the facts to their logical conclusion.

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NH Web Development

Democrats Discuss Taking Over People's 401K's

If you don't think an Obama, Pelosi, Reid run government would result in a dramatic swing to the left, read US News and World Reports article on congress' discussion of takng over people's 401K's. 401K's are not 'rich people' savings plans they are middle America's retirement and savings plans, and Dems are looking to make them into 'government created' accounts. Would Obama, Dems Kill 401(k) Plans?

I hate to use the "S" word, but the American government would never do something as, well, socialist as seize private pension funds, right? This is exactly what cash-strapped Argentina just did in the name of protecting workers' retirement accounts (Efharisto, Fausta's Blog). Now, even Uncle Sam isn't that stupid, but some Democrats might try something almost as loopy: kill 401(k) plans.

House Democrats recently invited Teresa Ghilarducci, a professor at the New School of Social Research, to testify before a subcommittee on her idea to eliminate the preferential tax treatment of the popular retirement plans. In place of 401(k) plans, she would have workers transfer their dough into government-created "guaranteed retirement accounts" for every worker. The government would deposit $600 (inflation indexed) every year into the GRAs. Each worker would also have to save 5 percent of pay into the accounts, to which the government would pay a measly 3 percent return. Rep. Jim McDermott, a Democrat from Washington and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee's Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, said that since "the savings rate isn't going up for the investment of $80 billion [in 401(k) tax breaks], we have to start to think about whether or not we want to continue to invest that $80 billion for a policy that's not generating what we now say it should."

Hat Tip to Smart Girl Politics original article Kiss Your 401k Goodbye!

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Democrats Discuss Taking Over People's 401K's

Biden Says Obama Will Be Tested With A ‘Major International Crisis’

Barack Obama will need help in a crisis, says Joe Biden from Times Online UK...

Joe Biden, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, has told Americans to expect a “major international crisis” that will present an early test of a Barack Obama administration.

His comments were seized upon by the Republican campaign yesterday to raise fresh doubts about the prepared-ness of Mr Obama to be commander-in-chief.

Speaking at a fundraiser in Seattle on Sunday night, Mr Biden said: “Mark my words, it will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here . . . we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

He cited Russia and the Middle East as possible places that may cause problems, as well as the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan – “crawling with al-Qaeda” – as being of particular concern.

Mr Obama would need help and support, Mr Biden suggested, “because it’s not gonna be apparent, initially, that we’re right.” He then spotted the media in the room, “I probably shouldn’t have said all this because it dawned on me that the press is here.”

Now why would anyone vote for Barack Obama when his own VP states that a vote for Obama is a vote for an international crisis? Why would anyone want to be a part of a ticket that one believes will lead the country to crisis? What an unbelievable statement. The only time a time camera falls on Senator Biden at this point is when he is trying to pull his foot out of his mouth. However, this is beyond a gaffe; this is disturbing. It appears Senator Biden sees Senator Obama as weak. It appears that Senator Biden, is not confident in Senator Obama's ability to handle a crisis, and it appears that Senator Biden would prefer a "major international crisis" that a Republican president.

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Biden Says Obama Will Be Tested With A ‘Major International Crisis’

Are You Purple?

The McCain campaign has focussed on Independents and Democrats with their Citizens for McCain group. They have even set up an online phone bank specifically for Independents and Democrats. If you are Independent or Democrat McCain supporter this is a great way to help the campaign. Phone calls are instrumental in bringing in votes and getting supporters out to polls. Just a few (or more) a day can have an impact.

Daytime Calls Phone Bank 10:00AM -6:00PM (EST):

Evening and Weekend Calls Phone Bank 6:00PM -9:00PM (EST):

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If you aren't an Independent, but still want to make phone calls from home - www.JohnMcCain.com/PhoneBank

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Are You Purple?

Obama's Ties To Acorn

Obama's Ties to ACORN

The Bracelet Debate Update

ABC News looked into the controversy about whether the family of Sergeant Ryan David Jopek approved of Senator Obama wearing a bracelet with his name on it and whether they approved of him using his name publicly in the article Bracelet Wars. It appears there was some miscommunication between Jopek's parents who are divorced, but that his mother is happy with Senator Obama mentioning her son's name during the debate even though she had previously emailed the campaign and asked them not to talk about her son publicly. Her intent in giving Senator Obama the bracelet was so that he would know her son's name, which brings us back to the original problem. Senator Obama had to read Sergeant Jopek's name off his bracelet.

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Obama Bracelet Debate

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The Bracelet Debate Update

CNN Spins Again

CNN Headline, "Rove: McCain Went To Far". Now for the reality. Rove said both campaigns were pushing their ads too far. Don't believe me, listen to the tape...

CNN apparently suffers from selective hearing as Karl Rove thought the lipstick remark was inappropriate and then he said both campaigns have taken their ads one step too far. However, CNN is only interested in the part of the statement that is critical of McCain. 'The Most Trusted Name in News?' Really?

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CNN Spins Again

Biden Brings Experience

So Senator Biden is the pick; good choice. As mentioned in previous posts during the NH primaries Senator Biden and Senator McCain were the only two candidates to talk about Iraq in detail. They both deserve credit for that. Obviously this is why Biden was picked. Senator Obama needs some help on foreign policy, which he hope he can get from Biden. An interesting wrinkle to this pick is that Senator Biden has said numerous times that Senator Obama is not prepared / not qualified. In fact at his event in New Hampshire at the end of his talk he said (paraphrased), 'If you decide not to vote for me, I hope you choose some one with experience. These are difficult times and we need someone who knows what they're doing.'

I agree. His statement was a pretty clear hat tip to Senator Clinton, who once again got snubbed by the Obama camp by not being vetted, and apparently did not even receiving a courtesy phone call. However, the statement holds just as well for Obama v. McCain. McCain doesn't need a VP who will help him when tested on foreign policy. Don't believe me just listen to Senator Biden...

Will Biden Help Obama With His Homework?

Humor as a Remedy for Hubris

Senator McCain's sense of humor has been both an asset and a liability over the years. It is certainly part of his basic appeal, and it is one of the reasons he relates so well at town hall meetings as his humor creates an immediate connection with the audience. His detractors will note that some of his jokes have been inapprporiate, and in some cases that's true, hence his humor as liability. It can also cause problems because in print, jokes often don't come across the way they do in person. For instance, during the primaries Senator McCain jokingly called a student who asked him a somewhat inappropriate question 'a little jerk' (clip below). There was quite a buzz in the papers until people actually saw the clip, and it was quite evident that he was joking.

So now comes the humorous and sarcastic McCain ad The One. In this case humor turns out to be the perfect remedy for an over-inflated ego. It's hard not see lines like, "We are the ones we've been waiting for" or "a light will shine down from somewhere" as flat out funny. To add to this Obama's reaction is priceless. His stern condemnation of the ads 'juvenile' just shows his inability to laugh at himself. You know that if you make a joke at Senator McCain's expense he'll likely be the first one to laugh (as he has done numerous times when teased about his age). On the other hand, Senator Obama blew it by taking this joke and himself so seriously.

The One


WMUR - Little Jerk


Humor as a Remedy for Hubris