Jezebel: Election

Mitt Romney's Song May Stir Our Hearts, But It Does Not Stir Our Loins

Cassie Murdoch — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST

Have you ever wondered what it looks like to lose a presidential election in two minutes or less? This video is your answer. The Romneytron-3000 gives this supposedly beautiful song his best shot, but unfortunately his programmers must have made a miscalculation that's left him unable to properly carry a tune. Now that the Mittenator's achilles heel has been discovered, he'll be complete toast when President ~~Obama~~ Al Green challenges him to a sing-off during the first debate. More »

Gingrich Wants You to Know Just How Much Romney Sucks

Erin Gloria Ryan — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:10:00 EST

Now that Mitt Romney has won the New Hampshire primary, everyone and their mother are running political attack ads against him. At the front of the mudslinging pack is Newt Gingrich, who, between pledging to defend marriage against guys exactly like Newt Gingrich and serving as his own hype man, has found time to craft some pretty devastating anti-Romney ads. More »

Lowlights From The Eight Zillionth Republican Debate

Erin Gloria Ryan — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:40:00 EST

Last night, Republican presidential hopefuls got the band back together again for another debate reunion tour, and like most bands whose best albums are behind them, the old familiar songs just didn't sound the same. Chords were off. Rick Perry forgot the words. Mitt Romney experienced a hair gel malfunction unbefitting of a lead guitarist. And Herman Cain slipped and fell on a pair of panties a fan threw onto the stage. Let's take a look at the moments that will lend themselves best to tragic voiced over segments on future episodes of Behind the Music. More »

Your Handy Guide To Rick Perry

Irin Carmon — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:00:27 EDT

This morning in Iowa, new presidential candidate Rick Perry said you should want a president "that's in love with America." He struck a similarly amorous note when asked about Romney, blowing an air kiss and saying, "Send him my love." Should you be sending love back Perry's way? In a word, no. More »

See The Original, Unused Ending To Election

Whitney Jefferson — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:30:00 EDT

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A little-known fact about Election, the 1999 film that featured Reese Witherspoon as the tightly-wound Tracy Flick and Matthew Broderick as her smarmy civics teacher: the movie's original ending was not the one you saw in theaters. (If you haven't seen the movie, obvious spoilers ahead.) More »

College Candidates Slammed For Campaign "Glamour Shots"

Anna North — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:23:00 EST

Two candidates for student body office at Concordia University stand accused of looking "like beauty pageant contestants" in their ads. But that doesn't really seem to be the problem, as far as we can tell. It looks more like these ladies have made the mistake of campaigning while female. More »

Adorable Girl Helps Dad With Concession Speech

Anna North — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EDT

Joe Sestak lost his Pennsylvania Senate race yesterday, but at least he'll get to spend more time with his adorable daughter Alex, who made several contributions to his concession speech. More »

How Facebook Status Updates Are Ruining Your Post-Election Social Life

Hortense Smith — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:20:00 EDT

The Crossing Guard

Anna Holmes — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:10:00 EDT

[Libreville, Gabon; September 14. Image via Getty]

Yes We Can...Hook Up With Strangers On Election Night

Sadie Stein — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:40:00 EST

Apparently change came fast for plenty of opportunistic patriots last week — an unprecedented moment of national and romantic triumph! Like the sailor spontaneously sweeping a nurse into his arms in a symbolic burst of triumph on V-J Day, science teacher Jared Joiner tells the Washington Post's Monica Hesse that he was compelled to victorious face-sucking with a stranger. "It's like everybody felt they were automatically connected to everyone else. It felt like you were supposed to make out with someone when Obama won." More »

How Facebook Status Updates Are Ruining Your Post-Election Social Life

Hortense Smith — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST

Ah, Facebook, that creepy computerized yearbook that allows us all to keep in touch with that kid who sat three rows behind us in second grade and scratched himself in improper places all through math class. A compilation of old friends, random family members, and strangers who claim they knew us at some point, somewhere, for some reason, an average Facebook friends list is usually a hodgepodge of people of all backgrounds, ages, and yes, even political affiliations. But never has this odd Facebook mix been as obvious as it has been over the past week, when the election brought out the excitement in some, and the all out nastiness in others. Status updates, the Facebook method of broadcasting one's thoughts or mood out to the world, became filled with hateful rhetoric, putting some Facebook users in an incredibly awkward position: "Do I de-friend this person?" "Do I engage this person?" And perhaps the most puzzling question of all, "How did I become friends with this person in the first place?" More »

Now That It's Over, Do You Feel Sorry For Sarah Palin?

Hortense Smith — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST

Tired of being smeared in the media by disgruntled McCain aides, Sarah Palin took a shot at her critics yesterday, referring to those who have been leaking stories about her spending sprees, "rogue" behavior, and confusion as to whether Africa was a country or a continent as “cruel" and "mean-spirited." The Governor of Alaska then went on to say this: "It’s immature, it’s unprofessional, and those guys are jerks.” Palin argues that her quotes were taken out of context, and that the clothing scandal is merely a creation of disgruntled McCain staffers that want to throw her under the bus. So does Palin deserve the drubbing she's been getting in the media? The answer is a bit complicated. More »

How To Talk To A McCain Voter Without Gloating

Sadie Stein — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:30:00 EST

We all know the traditional prohibitions against talking politics: avoid it when you can; don't get personal; find common ground. Thirty million etiquette books can't be wrong, and yet, today, when everyone's bursting with excitement and exaltation and triumph, the old rules don't seem to apply! How can anyone not want to talk about it, you think - how can anyone not be excited?! More »

Peanuts: Linus Runs For Office

Tracie Egan Morrissey — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST

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You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown is a Peanuts TV movie that originally aired in the early 1970s. It features a student council election that Charlie Brown intended on running in, but he was proven to be an unpopular candidate from the first day out. His campaign manager, Lucy, ditched him and instead backed her little brother Linus, who was initially doing really well in the polls leading up to the election. But when it was time for him to make his final speech, he almost blew the whole thing by trying to force his faith on his constituents: His belief in the Great Pumpkin. Clip above. More »

What Female Bloggers In Africa Think About Obama

Anna North — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:20:00 EST

Afrigator recently released a list of its top 45 female African bloggers, and to be honest it's sort of a disappointment. Afrigator says its list is "takes into consideration page views, unique visits, links from blog posts and finally links from blogs," but blogger Sokari Ekine (of Black Looks, no. 3 on the list) points out that many of the blogs are actually written by non-Africans. And although some studies in America indicate that blogging attracts a more diverse group than Internet use generally, 5 of Afrigator's top 10 bloggers appear to be white. Shortcomings aside, the bloggers on the list have some interesting things to say about today's election. More »

Like Palin, Hasselbeck Understands Minority Americans

Tracie Egan Morrissey — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST

So today is election day, but I'm sure that, if and when Barack Obama is elected, Elisabeth Hasselbeck will spend the next four years on The View (if she doesn't leave for Fox News, that is) complaining about him and his connections to Wright and Ayers. Today, she stuck up for Sarah Palin and "Troopergate", then went off about Obama's "connections" again. This time she's mad that Obama left the church where Wright preached. You can't win with this woman! Whoopi decided to educate her about the experiences of African-Americans, which Elisabeth found offensive, because, after all, she went to college. Dear Elisabeth: Whenever Sherri Shepherd sounds more with it than you do, something is wrong. Clip above. More »

Electon Day Images: Yes We Can... Happily Wait In Line To Vote

Maria — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:40:00 EST

Early rising Jezebels were poll-bound this morning, finding (mostly) long lines leading up to the voting booth, even in "solid blue" states like New York. After the jump, look at reader-submitted photos from various polling places across the country as well as some pics of early voting lines. Keep sending us pictures of your polling place at tips@jezebel.com as we will continue to post pictures throughout the day. Oh, and don't forget to vote. More »

Michelle Obama: The Best Black Female Role Model Since Claire Huxtable?

Maria — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST

Michelle Obama: What's not to love? She's smart, accomplished, funny, a great mother and a snazzy dresser. But as Newsweek's Allison Samuels points out, compared to other black women in the media, there's something different about Michelle Obama. For instance: Why don't we see Michelle snappin' her neck and waggin' her finger when she's "keepin' it real"? Why don't we see Michelle shake her booty and drop it like it's hot when she dances? Why haven't we heard any sassy one-liners or seen any displays of an easily-provoked temper? More »

Well Done, Sister Suffragettes

Hortense Smith — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST

The world as we know it will be a different place next weekend: the election will be over, and after two years of endless coverage, analysis, worry, excitement, and anticipation, we'll finally know who our next president will be. As Election Day approaches, it's important to remember how important women have been in this election: with two females on the national stage, one as a potential President and one as a potential Vice President, the focus on women voters has been more intense than ever. But beyond the PUMAs and Obama Girl and the women who strangely came to represent all women during the course of this election, there are the rest of us, women who are proud of and plan to exercise our right to vote, a right that was given to us through the hard work of other women, who refused to remain silent, and demanded that we have a say in how the government controls our daily lives, and the lives of our future daughters, nieces, and granddaughters. To celebrate Election Day and the power of women voters, I've assembled a little tribute, after the jump. More »

D'oh!

Hortense Smith — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:20:00 EDT

In what is perhaps the most unwanted endorsement of all time, Vice President Dick Cheney has announced that he is endorsing Senator John McCain for president. "In three days we'll choose a new steward for the presidency and begin a new chapter in our history," Cheney said. "It's the biggest decision that we make together as Americans. A lot turns on the outcome. I believe the right leader for this moment in history is Senator John McCain." This is great news for the 8 people in America who still believe in or care about anything Dick Cheney has to say. [HuffingtonPost] More »

Whack-Job

Maria — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:20:00 EDT

Ashley Todd, the McCain volunteer who falsely claimed that an African-American Obama supporter assaulted her, has a history of lying. Todd, a native Texan, originally worked for the Ron Paul campaign during the primaries, but was fired after she posed as a Huckabee worker and called his supporters asking for "their strategies." Todd also claimed her car had been attacked because of her Ron Paul bumper stickers and she told her hometown's GOP chairman that she was being treated for cancer and had lost all her hair. [NY Post] More »

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Free Election Day Ice Cream!

Hortense Smith — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT

As if you needed another reason to vote, Ben and Jerry's have announced that they'll be handing out free scoops to everyone who places a vote this Election Day! All you have to do is show up at your local Ben and Jerry's Scoop Shop (sadly, you can't just snag a pint from the 7-11 and run out screaming, "I'm a registered voter! I'm above the lawwww!") between 5-8 pm on Nov. 4, show them your "I Voted Today!" sticker, a picture of yourself in front of a voting booth, or do the "I Voted Dance", whatever that may be, and voila! Free ice cream is yours. Because what's sweeter than exercising your right to vote? Exercising your right to vote with chocolate sprinkles on top, of course. [Ben & Jerry's] More »

Vote, Or Else!

Hortense Smith — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:30:00 EDT

Worried that your friends won't vote? Freak them out with this nifty little creation from MoveOn.org, wherein a crowd of McCain supporters celebrate as their candidate wins by one vote- the vote your friend didn't cast. A crowd of angry citizens goes off on your friend, whose name is placed in several screenshots throughout the video, as a serious reminder that every vote counts. A clip made for me by our own Political Party Girl, after the jump. More »

The McCain/Palin Blame Game: It's On

Hortense Smith — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Uh-oh! Looks like the Blame Game is in full swing as the Hate Talk Express wobbles its way into the final 10 days of the Presidential campaign. According to a Politico report, supporters of Gov. Sarah Palin, potential 2012 presidential nominee, are claiming that "Palin blames her handlers for a botched rollout and a tarnished public image — even as others in McCain's camp blame the pick of the relatively inexperienced Alaska governor, and her public performance, for McCain's decline." In short: it's McCain's fault that Palin looks bad, and it's Palin's fault that McCain looks bad. It's a bit like those fights you used to have with your kid sister, where she'd throw mud at your face, and you'd throw mud back at hers, and then both of you would end up crying with mud in your eyes and yelling, "I wouldn't have thrown the mud if you weren't so mean to me!" while your mother just stands there rolling her eyes at the both of you and wondering when the hell you're going to grow up. More »

Chicken/Sh*t

Anna North — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:30:00 EDT

David Sedaris offers this analogy to help us understand undecided voters: "I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. 'Can I interest you in the chicken?' she asks. 'Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?' To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked." [The New Yorker] More »

Palin Dudes: "Proud To Be Voting For The Hot Chick"

Hortense Smith — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT

She's the "hottest VP from the coolest state," she's a pitbull in lipstick, and apparently, "she's even hotter in person" according to Alec Baldwin, who continued the tradition of skimming over Sarah Palin's policies and qualifications to focus on her attractiveness on Saturday Night Live last night. While Baldwin may have been poking fun at the scary Sarah Palin hotness worship that seems to overtake some people, the phenomenon is no laughing matter. In an article published today in the The New York Times, Mark Leibovich exposes the culture of "Palin Dudes," die-hard male fans of the Governor of Alaska who have thrown their support behind her candidacy. But they aren't voting based on policy, qualifications, or experience; they're voting for the hot chick. Stay classy, America! More »

Adding to the growing list of newspaper...

Hortense Smith — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:45:00 EDT

Adding to the growing list of newspaper endorsements he has already received, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times have both endorsed Illinois Senator Barack Obama for president. "On Nov. 4," the Tribune stated in an editorial published late last night, "we're going to elect a president to lead us through a perilous time and restore in us a common sense of national purpose. The strongest candidate to do that is Sen. Barack Obama." The Sun-Times agrees, claiming Obama "has the unique background, superior intellect, sound judgment and first-rate temperament to lead our nation in difficult times." This brings Obama's total endorsement tally up to 39, while John McCain boasts at total of 15. No word yet on the coveted Highlights Magazine endorsement, though we expect Goofus to vote one way and Gallant to vote another. [Chicago Tribune] [Chicago Sun-Times] More »

A new father has named his baby girl Sarah...

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:40:00 EDT

A new father has named his baby girl Sarah McCain Palin as an endorsement for Republican ticket...and without his wife's consent. Mark Ciptak of Tennessee says he picked the name to "get the word out" for McCain-Palin because he can't give a lot of money to the campaign. "I took one for the cause," he said. He wrote the name on the documents for his daughter's birth certificate, ignoring the name his wife picked, Ava Grace. “I don’t think she believes me yet,” said Ciptak. “It’s going to take some more convincing.” Yeah, it'll probably sink in when she sees the name written in the divorce documents. [The Knox News] More »

106-Year-Old Nun Will Be Voting For Obama In November

Hortense Smith — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Sister Cecilia Gaudette, a 106-year old Catholic nun who lives abroad in Rome, has informed the BBC that she has registered as a Democrat and will be voting for Barack Obama on Election Day. Though Sister Cecilia has not voted in over 50 years, with her last vote being cast for Dwight D. Eisenhower (!) in 1952, she claims that she is "encouraged" by Senator Obama, and feels that Obama "seems to be a good man with a good private life. That's the first thing," Gaudette notes, "then he must be able to govern." More »

Sarah Palin: Obama Has "Left Behind Even The Middle Ground When It Comes To The Issue Of Life"

Hortense Smith — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:30:00 EDT

Behind in the polls and perhaps looking for a way to connect with voters without resorting to Barack Obama "is palling around a terrorist" speech she gave last week, Gov. Sarah Palin has shifted her focus to abortion, referring to Senator Obama as a "radical" who has "left behind even the middle ground when it comes to the issue of life" at a rally in Jonestown, PA yesterday. "In times like these with wars and financial crisis, I know that it may be easy to forget even as deep and abiding a concern as the right to life, and it seems that our opponent kind of hopes you will forget that," Palin warned the crowd, "He hopes that you won't notice how radical, absolutely radical his idea is on this, and his record is, until it's too late." But between the two candidates, which one really takes a more "radical" stance on abortion? More »

McCain Feels The Fury Of His Own Supporters After Calling Obama A 'Decent Person'

Hortense Smith — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:45:00 EDT

At a rally in Lakeville, Minnesota last night, Senator John McCain attempted to calm his supporters' fears by assuring them that Senator Barack Obama is, indeed, a "decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States." How did the crowd respond? They booed, of course. For when you create a culture of supporters who enjoy spewing venom, you can't control when, where, and at whom they are going to spew it. More »

In 1920, the first year that all American...

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:30:00 EDT

In 1920, the first year that all American women could vote for president, Irma Schmidt walked to her hometown fire station with her grandmother, mother, and aunt to vote for Warren G. Harding. Now 110 years old, Schmidt has voted in every presidential election since, and is believed to be the oldest registered voter in Connecticut. Schmidt is an unaffiliated voter, and has cast her ballot for Truman, Kennedy, Reagan, and Kerry in the past. "Voting was always something you looked forward to," she says. Staff members at the nursing home where she lives says she reads newspapers and talks about the news every day, but she wouldn't say if she's voting this year, or which candidate she prefers. [The Hartford Courant] More »

Talking Politics Is Now Okay At Work, Except When It's Not

Anna North — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:20:00 EDT

"You’ve heard that rule about never discussing politics at work?" asks the Times' Lisa Belkin. "That’s so last election." Nowadays, one survey found that 67% of respondents thought political discussion at the office was totally okay. Publicist Rachel Kempster used to be bothered by political talk at work. Now she says, "I put an Obama poster on my office door. Co-workers are sending around anti-Palin Web sites and I’m not bothered by it. Everyone around me is wearing their politics on their sleeve." It's always nice to be able to share your beliefs with people, but is this new openness good for everyone? And why is it happening now? More »

Walt Disney Presents: The Sarah Palin Story

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EDT

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Last week, actor Matt Damon spoke out against Sarah Palin, comparing the possibility that she could become president to "a really bad Disney movie." Palin's life does seem to parallel that of the classic doe-eyed Disney beauty who ventures outside of her small village and fulfills her destiny to become queen. (Though, no matter what you think of her politics, it's not fair to reduce any woman to the fairy tale archetypes on display in Disney movies: the pure and pretty damsel in distress and the vain, cold-hearted villainess.) But with that said, just what would the Disney version of Sarah Palin's story look like? We scoured the Disney vault and created a vision of Sarah Palin's happily ever after rise to the White House. Clip above. More »

"Dying Of Too Much Choice": Sarah Palin And The Handmaid's Tale

Anna North — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT

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So, are you guys interested in Sarah Palin? We can't really tell. Seriously, among the many e-mails we've gotten from you about McCain's suspiciously Tina-Fey-looking running mate was the suggestion than her candidacy parallels the plot of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, a dystopian novel in which women have been stripped of all their rights. Accurate? We decided to find out. See the results (spoilers included) after the jump. More »

Sarah Palin's BFFs: Decidedly Pro-Choice, Undecided On President

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:30:00 EDT

If your best friend was running for vice president, would you vote for her? Sarah Palin's BFFs aren't so sure. In the clip above, Good Morning America sits down with Sarah Palin's best friends of 15 years, a group of Alaska moms who call themselves the "Elite 6." Though one of the friends was inexplicably absent, three of the four women said they are pro-choice and only one is committed to voting for the Republican ticket in November. Is it a bad sign when you're polling better among strangers than the women with whom you've shared so many skinny white chocolate mochas? More »

Todd Palin: Everything America Wants In A "First Dude"

Margaret Hartmann — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:40:00 EDT

With all the talk of moose hunting and unwed teen pregnancy in the week since McCain picked Sarah Palin as his VP, the media almost forgot to address the biggest question raised by having a woman on a major ticket — what would we call her husband if she became president?! Yesterday, before Todd Palin's first national speech at a luncheon for Cindy McCain in St. Paul, Elisabeth Hasselbeck introduced Mr. Palin as the "future first Second Man." But Sarah Palin has already dubbed her husband "First Dude," which seems fitting, especially after getting to know Todd a little better via Good Morning America. He's a man's man! He can fix a boiler or a toilet or a sink! He named his daughter after his plane! Todd may be a dude, but he still has all the qualities we look for in a first lady! More »

WTF/FTW

Dodai Stewart — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:20:00 EDT

The Weekly World News alien has accurately predicted the outcome of every presidential election since Ronald Reagan won in 1980, and he's voting for Obama. [NY Mag] More »

Calling Michelle Obama An Angry Black Woman Makes Black Women Angry

Dodai Stewart — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EDT

The historic moment we're experiencing — in which a black man could be the president of the United States of America — has lead to a colossal conundrum: What are we going to do about Michelle Obama? Over on Salon, Erin Aubry Kaplan eloquently explains why some conservatives don't "get" Ms. Obama: "She went to Princeton, excelled, retained her racial conscience but also eventually commanded a six-figure salary. All of this confuses white people mightily, far more than Barack's biracial status. In their frame of reference, Michelle has no reason to be angry and every reason to be content." Of course, she's being painted as that go-to stereotype: The Angry Black Woman. Kaplan points out: "It's interesting, by the way, how John McCain's hotheaded ways are admired as part of his so-called maverick qualities, a willingness to follow his passions and go against the grain; it's part of his essential Americanness. Michelle Obama's candor, by contrast, is seen as entirely foreign and not a little threatening." More »

I'm a writer for an advertising agency in...

RyanB — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:50:17 EDT

I'm a writer for an advertising agency in Boston, but I grew up in Philadelphia and I am still registered to vote in Montgomery County. I'm no superdelegate, but my vote come April is sure to matter in this primary season. I wrote this "formal endorsement" of the Illinois senator, highlighting his "interracialness (ha, is that a word!?) as a gateway to the American Dream. For all of us. More »