TresSugar

Campaign Kids on Access Hollywood, Blogging: Right Roles?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:49:29 -0700

The Obama kids (Malia and Sascha) had a first this week: a full-family interview on Access Hollywood. Though if the girls had any plans for an encore, dad has put his foot down this morning. Obama regrets the interview, saying that he doesn't think the exposure is "healthy" and that the family got carried away because the interview was on Malia's birthday, and added that famous dad-ism, "it won't happen again."

The Obama girls aren't the only campaign kids in and out of the spotlight. Meghan McCain, though quite a bit older than her Democratic counterparts, is no stranger to the stump. She has her high-profile blog, plans to author a children's book, and isn't a stranger to red-carpet events - she's even been in GQ, where it came out that she voted for John Kerry. By contrast, her brothers (Jack and Jimmy) are military men, with Jack in the Naval Academy and pretty publicity-shy, and Jimmy who returned from Iraq in February, and whose service is famously off-the-table on the campaign trail.

What's the right role for a kid on the campaign trail? Was Obama right to let the girls do the interview? Should the candidates let their kids choose their level of involvement as it appears McCain has?

And here's this: did you know Obama is actually "pretty conservative?" Apparently it's true - when it comes to his gum. To check out the Obama kids on Access Hollywood, read more.

Want more about what kind of life awaits the next White House-bound kid? This piece has all the juicy details - including this which I love from Susan Ford (Bales): she walked into a meeting her dad was having with Henry Kissinger, then secretary of state. "I walked in and said: 'Hi, Mr. Secretary. Dad, I need my allowance and Mom doesn't have any cash.'" The leader of the free world ponied up.

When Will We Know the Winner? Key Toss-ups to Watch

LibertySugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:04:50 -0800

While Americans exercise their right to vote, you can get prepared for the results. Sadly, we won't have Tim Russert to walk us through it all this year. Barack Obama supporters can start feeling relieved if their candidate wins either Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, or Florida. Conversely, a magic combination of wins for John McCain could include Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida. Here are the states you should keep an eye on:

Indiana: The nation's first polls begin to close in typically red Indiana at 6 p.m. EST. If Obama wins the 11 electoral votes, things won't look good for McCain.
Virginia: McCain's most practical path to the White House includes Virginia and its 13 votes. Polls close at 7 p.m. EST.
Georgia: Things are close here, but we'll know who gets the 15 electoral votes sometime after polls close at 7 p.m. EST.
Florida: The notorious swing state might not be as essential as past years, but with 27 electoral votes it's a crucial prize.
Ohio: Polls close there at 7:30 p.m. EST. It should be a close battle, as usual, for the state's 20 votes!

For more states that could decide the race, read more.

North Carolina: Officials have the option to keep the polls open until 8:30 p.m EST. The state hasn't gone blue since Jimmy Carter won it. There are 15 votes up for grabs.
Pennsylvania: Obama has had a lead here for a while, but McCain has campaigned hard. If McCain wins the 21 votes, and we'll know sometime after the polls close at 8 p.m. EST, he probably still has a good shot.
Missouri: Polls close at 8 p.m. EST. With Missouri's 11 votes, so goes the winner of the election, usually.
Colorado: Polls close at 9 p.m. EST. Colorado's nine votes seem to be leaning toward Obama, who made a big play for the previously red state.
Nevada: We'll have to wait until at least 10 p.m. EST to find out where the five votes go.

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Candidates Differ on Drafting Women - Where Do You Stand?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:00:21 -0700

While neither candidate is anticipating reviving a draft any time soon, they disagree on one key component: whether to require women to register for Selective Service. Obama supports a requirement for both men and women to register for the draft while McCain doesn't. The Selective Service system was revived by Jimmy Carter in 1980 to require all men between the ages of 18 and 25 to register, just in case a massive expansion of the military is necessary.

Keeping women out of the Selective Service has long been controversial among women's rights groups as well as men who've faced penalties for not registering. While Congress and the Supreme Court have exempted women using the military's combat rules, Obama's national security spokeswoman says, "Women are already serving in combat [in Iraq and Afghanistan] and the current policy should be updated to reflect realities on the ground. Barack Obama would consult with military commanders to review the constraints that remain."

McCain is in favor of the current Department of Defense restrictions on women in combat units. A campaign spokesman says of his position on the Selective Service, "Sen. McCain strongly believes that an all-volunteer force is preferable to a conscripted force. The tools available to recruiters have historically enabled the all-volunteer force to attract sufficient numbers of qualified recruits."

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First Daughter to Be? The Meghan McCain You Don't Know

CitizenSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:00:56 -0700

Despite the embarrassingly hideous and enormous pile of magazines next to my bed, I was able to unearth one cool piece among the mountain. Glamour caught up with Meghan McCain on the campaign trail this month and found out the "12 Things" we don't know about her. Here are my favorite quotes from the flaxen first daughter to be. (Alleged. Possible. Maybe. You know what I mean.)

She's real: "Politicians often teach their kids to control what you say and not to trust. My parents just taught me: Be who you are."
Some guys are blinded by her beauty and/or don't read the paper: "[Once, a guy said,] 'Baby, I could totally give you a tour of the Capitol.' In fairness, he didn't know who my dad was. I just said, 'Really?'"
She's a smashing big sis: "I'm a role model to my little sister [Bridget, who's 17]. The last [thing] I'd ever want her to think is that it's OK to be stupid and not involved. I want her [to know] that you can do it all - you can like fashion and clothes and movies but also be highly involved."

To see the number one thing that you might not know about Meghan McCain, read more.

She has a particularly handsome brother. OK, OK, I'm sorry I made that one up. But it does relate nicely to this poignant quote:

The war is personal: "[When my brother Jimmy was deployed,] saying goodbye to him was like an out-of-body experience. It was all these kids - they looked like I could babysit them - with guns and bags...and everyone's crying. I just totally broke down, which I hadn't done up to that point. I was like, 'Just come back safe, come back, you're going to be fine.' And then at the last minute, I was like, He could die. It was this really intense experience. I don't think anyone knows the military like my dad, and that's what's made me put my heart into the campaign."

It's a nice blend of serious and fun - and really shows why she's been thriving on the trail.

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The Long and Short of It: Does Size Matter in a President?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:15:22 -0700

Do looks matter in a president? Perhaps, though, you can ask the infamous JFK/Nixon debate match up on that one - but how about sheer size? With Obama's workout regiment closely watched earlier this campaign, in the face-off between 6'1.5", 180 lbs. Obama, and 5'7", 165 lbs. McCain, will the top dog be the biggest in the pack?

The New York Times took the weights and measurements of the men running for president back to the turn of the century to see if there's any truth to the rumor that tall men rule.

The results? Not always. Perhaps presidential shorter/heavier loser Ford is a little resentful that he lost his match up on the scale with Jimmy Carter, while Nixon was similarly shorter and heavier than both McGovern and Humphrey and won both match-ups.

To see some of the other stand out numbers, read more.

Though taller doesn't always win, the taller man has won 17 times to the shorter victors' eight in the elections since 1896.
Does a battle of the bulge have anything to do with winning? Ask William Taft, I suppose. At 332 lbs. he still beat his opponent - as did 18 other "heaviers." The lighter man only won eight times.
What's the real long and short of it? The tallest president was Abraham Lincoln at 6'4"; the shortest was James Madison at 5'4".
The Times graphic is worth a look, all the heights and weights are right there. I mean, if that's what it takes to be president . . . uh, maybe I'll pass? None of your beeswax, voters!

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Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:00:07 -0700

MLK: Forgivable? McCain apologized today for voting against making MLK day a holiday and it didn't go all that well. - Talking Points Memo

Second Best: What did the office ever do to him? John Edwards throws vice presidency under the bus. - Wonkette
Olympics: Are we heading for the crappiest Olympics ever? No, not in China, but London 2012! - londonist
Ex-Pres: Can't we all get along? Jimmy Carter and BIll Clinton are not friends. - Huffington Post

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