TresSugar

Christina Wraps Her Kid in a Flag to Rock the Vote - Wrong?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:54 -0700

New mom Christina Aguilera is politically active - and getting her son involved early - by appearing with him in an ad for Rock the Vote due out this summer. The message of the ad is great - but is the image chosen to trumpet the cause reason to sound the alarm?
Aguilera's son appears in the ad, swaddled in the American flag.

Aguilera said of her decision to make the ad, "This election in particular is such an exciting and historical one, and so I was proud to have my son and I stand together for such a powerful moment and message in time." Rock the Vote, which turns 18 this year, isn't a stranger to controversial imagery. Madonna made a similar Get Out the Vote ad in 1990 showing the Material Girl wrapped in a flag of her own. Is this just what's required to get the young 'uns attention?

Though this rule from USFlag.org is quite clear, "The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything," does the fact that she possibly did it to bring attention to the cause of voting make it less outrageous? Rock the Vote has given out 850,000 voter registration cards this year. Is that a good trade off?

Thanks to kikidawn for the tip!

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What Happened After Hillary's Speech? Awesomeness Ensued

CitizenSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:30:00 -0700

I'm just going to say it: Nancy Pelosi is hipper than me. List of concerts I've been to in my lifetime? Amy Grant, MC Hammer, and Peter, Paul, and Mary. Nancy Pelosi on the other hand, hangs with Wyclef Jean.

Last night was an embarrassment of Democratic musical riches (if that's a thing.) After the business at the Pepsi Center concluded with Hillary's bang, Liberty and I saw Wyclef Jean perform (he played his guitar with his teeth or tongue, I couldn't tell but either way, uh wow) and got to meet Nancy Pelosi .

Then if that wasn't enough (and as the early bird around here I kept saying, "there's a 12 o'clock at night, too? What?!"), we played "What Would Nancy Do" and headed to the Grammys Rock the Vote after party. And they did - rock that is. To see what happened, read more.

In a church converted into a nightclub (I doubt there will be a repeat of this venue at the RNC, but stay tuned) we saw Everclear, and I discovered a passion for this Daughtry, who was awesome live - and who at one point asked the crowd if they were planning to vote in November. I think the crowd did a collective check of their "Delegate" ID-tags, and gave him the "duh." The pomp and presentation on the convention floor might still be the star of the show for my convention, but Wyclef, Everclear, and Daughtry could just be my new Peter, Paul, and Mary.

Quiz Nation! Who Actually Rocks the Vote?

LibertySugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:15:43 -0700

You can wear all the T-shirts you like and forward all the embarrassing emails of your opponent you can find, but the only thing that will help your guy get elected is good old-fashioned voting. Test your smarts about who actually came out to vote in the 2004 Presidential Election, as well as which groups are registering to vote this time around.

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Rock (Out) the Vote! Parties and Prizes Raise Voter Turnout

LibertySugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:00:18 -0700

Cast a vote! Win a prize! English voters may soon have motivation to cast a vote that goes beyond civic duty. One official wants to enter voters into a raffle when they cast a ballot in local elections. She hopes it would lead to high turnout and overall community engagement.

About 150 years ago, Americans spent election day enjoying free (alcoholic) beverages and live entertainment with friends. These parties, along with the 90 percent voter turnout, remain in the past.

But, a recent test study conducted by Yale University political scientists found that well-advertised parties at the polls substantially increased voter turnout in a local election.

Does celebratory or solemn make for a better polling mood? Would you worry that "incentives" could send the wrong message or get partisan?

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Is a Politician's Abortion Stance Crucial?

TresSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 09:00:00 -0700

President Obama may be a rock star president, but not every young person in America jumps at the chance to see him ~~in concert~~ give a speech. Seniors at the University of Notre Dame, who object to the President's pro-choice stance, will skip graduation, where Obama's set to deliver the commencement speech. Instead the group will hold a prayer service to protest Obama's visit, which they think threatens the school's Catholic identity.

This act of protest made me curious: how many people consider it a deal breaker when a politician holds a different view on abortion? It's almost impossible to agree with a national leader on every issue, but often abortion stands out as a crucial position. Thanks to opposing abortion views, these students at Notre Dame won't even listen to Obama's speech, let alone vote for him.

Staunch pro-lifers would never dream of voting for anyone who supported a woman's right to abortion, while other pro-choicers consider pro-life leaders a direct threat to their liberties.

Before you even consider voting for a politician do you make sure his or her views on abortion match your own?

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Have Voting Questions? Here Are Voting Myths Busted!

CitizenSugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:15:01 -0700

Early voting kicked off in Florida today with long lines in the sun, and with voting underway in Colorado and Nevada, even if you've got two weeks to go before you cast your ballot, questions are bound to crop up. The deadline to register to vote here in California was yesterday, and questions were being zapped to me from left and right (heh) about voting eligibility.

Here are some myths busted about what does or doesn't take away your ballot:

Campaign Tees = No Vote?
Nope, but you might have to cover up the offending slogan - and it's not a bad idea to make like your mom always says and take a jacket.
Snafu With Voter Rolls = No Vote?
Nope, but you might have to take an oath swearing you are who you say you are, and live where you say you do. You can also request a provisional ballot from poll workers and call 1-866-OUR-VOTE if problems persist.

To see more myths busted, read more.

Voting With School Address = Dropped From Parent's Insurance?
Nope. The rumors that using your school address to vote means you might lose your financial aid or parents' health insurance are just that. Rumors.
Driver's License Address ≠ Your Current Address?
No biggie. Your driver's license is only to ID the voter, not where you live.

The list of myths busted is produced by Rock the Trail, and has links to maps pinpointing your polling place, hours of voting, and what kind of ID you'll need to take with you when you go to vote as well as more myths just like these, busted.

Any crazy myths flying around a precinct near you? Got questions? Stick them in the comments and we'll see if we can help!

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Tale of Two Concerts: Taylor, Bennett, and Rock the Vote

CitizenSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:00:52 -0700

This couldn't have been a more surreal pairing last night - within the span of 20 minutes we saw James Taylor sing "You've Got a Friend," Tony Bennett sing, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," and sing a duet together, which was awesome and warranted the held-up cell phone for my mom and then! We headed over to the Rock the Vote concert featuring Fall Out Boy for a whole different scene.

From fancy appetizers and mingling at the James Taylor show (it was an event in honor of Speaker Nancy Pelosi) where Rep. Charlie Rangel was working crowd control with his pretty impressive whistle (Seriously. It stopped people's cocktail chatter dead) to the crazy DJ/laser show/MTV crowd at Rock the Vote, I bet even Buzz's musical sensibilities would have had whiplash.

At Rock the Vote they had you text in why you think it's important to vote, which I did, saying that I wanted John McCain to be my next president (and apparently I got what they thought I deserved as I'm now signed up for some sort of update/alert service. Sigh.) It was awesome and like a crazy dream, and we're still both totally sleep deprived - but hey, if Nancy Pelosi can party like a rock star, well, I'll see if I can keep up.

To see a clip of James Taylor's iconic song live and more photos, read more.

View 10 Photos ›

Voting Starts Today in OH - What's Your Registration Status?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:51:05 -0700

While election day is still 35 days out (who's counting?) today marks the day Ohio residents can start casting their ballots. The opening of the flood gates comes just a day after Ohio courts ruled that new voters can register and cast an absentee ballot on the same day. Both candidates have been in the state, raising a little Buckeye and enthusiasm for their campaigns ahead of bringing on the vote. If you're holding a ballot in your hand and you're still not sure, Google has a rad (yep, I said it. Rad.) tool to help you search quotes from the candidates by subject. Go play and learn!

Ohio isn't the only state allowing early voting. States like IA, VA, NV, NM, and NC, all allow early and absentee voting. For some, the question isn't when to vote, it's are they registered - for a bunch of reasons. In Houston, some groups are calling for an extended deadline following Hurricane Ike - lots of voters are more worried about where to sleep, than if they're registered.

Are you similarly concerned about the deadline to register, and whether you are or not? You're in luck! The deadline is quickly approaching - check out the list from Rock the Vote to see when your state falls. Saturday, October 4 has deadlines for RI, SC, and WA. Put it on your list of things to do! Think you might be registered but want to check? VotePoke will tell you.

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Half of House Democrats May Vote Hillary at the Convention

CitizenSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:00:51 -0700

1976? Do I hear a 1976? According to Rep. Loretta Sanchez, as many as half of the House Democrats may indeed vote for Hillary Clinton during the state by state roll call since allowing the vote was decided last week. I don't want to rock the boat, but come on! Let's have it out!

Hillary getting votes and making it a re-do of the 1976 contested convention between Ford and Reagan would be ridiculously exciting - and give the 1,800 delegates Hillary earned a real voice at the end of the road - a redemption of sorts from the seven-year-long campaign we've been through. A return to purity if you will. Karl Rove has laid out a whole plan on how to win a contested convention, let's do it?

As I'm sure many of you, lots of superdelegates disagree with me, and are a little squirmy about the vote. To see why, read more.

Under the convention bylaws, delegates have a mandatory duty to register their votes on a tally sheet with the convention secretary so everyone will know who Hillary'd and who didn't. According to a former delegate counter, “By putting her name in nomination, you’re putting people on the spot.” Others would prefer to cast their vote for the obvious nominee but feel beholden to reflect the vote in their districts. (Imagine that.) On staffer commented on her boss’ position: “My boss is conflicted about it – and pissed Hillary is putting us in this position.” Still, 30 to 40 percent of the New York delegation will go for Hillary.

Is this "convention about nominating Barack" as one Democratic delegate says, or is it about really making a decision? Could a contested convention be the best and fairest culmination of a race so close, or should the convention just be a formality?

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Front Page: Voters Led to Polls in Zimbabwe, N. Korea Blows, al-Qaeda Figure Dead

CitizenSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:00:10 -0700

Voters Led to Polls in Zimbabwe:
As the Zimbabwe election dawns, any voter turnout could be credited to fear. Marshals are rounding up and leading voters to polling stations, with reports that voters fear punishment or even death if they can't produce the red-tipped finger that signifies a vote. One woman says, "I've got no option but to go and vote so that I can be safe." Not just a vote, a vote for current President Robert Mugabe, as a man concurs, “I voted for Mugabe because I didn’t want to risk my life.” Voters are being told to copy down the serial number on their ballot so that it could later be confirmed that they voted for Mugabe. Opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai (who dropped out on Sunday) said, “today is not an election. Today is a shameful humiliation, another tragic day in our nation’s history.”

North Korea Blows:
A huge explosion rocks North Korea as the country demolishes its nuclear cooling tower, one day after agreeing to release the details of it's nuclear program. The tower was the largest visual symbol of the problematic program; its destruction is seen as "a significant and very important step," according to a State Department official.

al-Qaeda Figure Dead:
The US military reports that a militant killed earlier this week has been identified as the leader of al-Qaeda in Mosul. The man whose goes by the name Abu Khalaf had planned and executed many attacks before being shot and killed by US troops during a raid in Mosul. For the past month, US and Iraqi forces have been battling to drive al-Qaeda from the city, which US and Iraqi officials say is al-Qaeda's last urban stronghold in Iraq. Mosul has seen several large attacks in past days, directed toward local anti-Qaeda leaders.

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