Of 640,000 registered Republicans in Iowa turned out to vote yesterday, along the lines of 2008, when dueling Democrats absorbed most of the electoral energy — an ominous sign for the GOP after the Tea Party-driven enthusiasms of 2010.
The average amount higher that same-sex married couples pay in income taxes than their man-lady counterparts, even in states where same-sex marriage is legal. The problem is the federal government following the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), put in place under Pres. Bill Clinton and which defines marriage as an arrangement between one man and one woman. The Obama administration has declined to defend DOMA in court but Congress may defend do so and Speaker of the House John Boehner has announced intentions to continue to do exactly that.
Americans 65 and over who prefer the greeting, “Merry Christmas” to, “Happy holidays.” Among those 18 – 30, 50% say they prefer the former, according to a poll from Marist commissioned by the Catholic group Knights of Columbus.
The shameful unemployment figure for veterans. For the population at large, unemployment is less than 9%. Even worse, for veterans ages 20 to 24, the figure is closer to 30%.
The number of domestic drones expected to be patrolling the sky by 2018.The Department of Justice refuses to reveal the conditions under which U.S. citizens can legally be assassinated by a targeted drone attack. Apparently “the most transparent administration in history” translates to “figure it out yourself.”
Of American adults identify with some form of the Christian religion in 2011. Less than 2% are Jewish, less than 1% are Muslim, and 15% do not have a religious identity.
Of Americans, on average, said they were satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S. in 2011, second only to the record-low 15% in 2008. Americans most often cited the economy, jobs, the deficit, and the job elected officials are doing as the most important problems in 2011.
A new record-low percentage of Americans who approve of the job Congress is doing this December, the lowest single rating in Gallup’s history of asking this question since 1974. This earns Congress a 17% yearly average for 2011, the lowest annual congressional approval rating in Gallup history.
Number of references to former presidents that Newt Gingrich has woven into the debates of the 139 total candidate references to ex-presidents this cycle to date — nearly three times more than his closest name dropper, Rick Santorum, at 22, according to Smart Politics.
To hear Trump talk, he’s the only one
Who’s ever stood trial for crimes he’s done.
But instead of courtroom drama,
We get Trump in his pajamas,
That’s how he earned his new nickname: Don Snoreleone.
“Some of the 49 migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard by the state of Florida are now able to legally work in the United States and have temporary protections from deportation — because they are considered victims of a potential crime. … The migrants are eligible for these protections because they applied for a special kind of visa meant for crime victims who are helping law enforcement, after they said they were tricked into taking charter flights from San Antonio to Massachusetts with false promises of jobs and other aid.”
“We care more about the safety of our staff than a name attached to an article.”
In its panning of Taylor Swift’s new album (3.6/10 rating), Paste Magazine chose to put “Paste Staff” as the piece’s author instead of the individual who wrote it. That’s because following Paste’s negative review of Swift’s Lover album in 2019, the reviewer received threats of violence from fans who disagreed. As for its critique of The Tortured Poets Department, Paste Staff said its “mid-ness” was the result of “when the artist making it no longer feels challenged, where she strikes out looking.”
“The House is a rough and rowdy place, but Mike Johnson is gonna be just fine. I served 20 years in the military, it’s my absolute honor to be in Congress. But I serve with some real scumbags. Matt Gaetz, he paid minors to have sex with him at drug parties. Bob Good endorsed my opponent, a known neo-Nazi. These people used to walk around with white hoods at night. Now they’re walking around with white hoods in the daytime.”
“This week has been a howling vortex of suck for the MAGA movement and Donald Trump. Imagine a black hole in the profound interstellar vacuum in the cold emptiness of space, drawing all matter and energy into its brutal singularity, an ineluctable and final journey into nothingness. … That’s the GOP this week. It’s been bad and will get worse.”
A new Siena poll finds that by a 54% to 30% margin, New Yorkers say Donald Trump’s “hush money” trial is “legitimate” — the view of 77% of Democrats and 44% of independents — rather than a “witch hunt,” the view of 66% of Republicans.
A new Marist poll finds Joe Biden leading Donald Trump nationally among registered voters, 51% to 48%. In a multi-candidate field, Biden is up by five percentage points against Trump, 43% to 38% among registered voters, followed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 14%, Cornel West at 2%, and Jill Stein at 2%.Among those who definitely plan to vote, Biden leads Trump 46% to 39% in this same multi-candidate field.
NBC News poll: “‘Protecting democracy’ is a salient issue for voters. There’s a difference between what voters identify as the ‘most important issue facing the country’ (on that, “inflation and the cost of living’ registers 23%, followed by immigration/the border, at 22%) and what they identify as the issue most important in determining their own vote (on that, ‘protecting democracy or constitutional rights’ was on top with 28%, followed by immigration/the border at 20% and abortion at 19%).”
NBC poll: “RFK Jr.’s support draws more from Trump than Biden. Though the CW is that Kennedy is a bigger threat to Biden than to Trump, the numbers here tell a different story: 15% of Trump supporters and 7% of Biden supporters in the head-to-head matchup break for RFK Jr. when the field expands to include third-party candidates.”