Don’t know which candidate you’re leaning towards for next year’s presidential elections?

Yeah, me either.

Despite the candidates push to get the attention of our generation, I still haven’t done as much homework as I need to on the candidates and their issues.

From getting on MySpace to being interviewed by Tyra Banks, these candidates are speaking to the ladies and gents of our technology savvy generation.

They (finally!) understand that the young people in this country have a voice, and that voice is going to speak loudly in ’08.

This quiz (I know, quizzes, UGH!) is a good precursor to all that candidate homework that is right around the corner. It asks how you feel about a few of the very important issues and tells you how you align with EACH of the presidential candidates. Read More »

Congress recently voted on the endorsement of standardized electronically readable driver’s licenses but will this proposal make way for what will amount to a National Identification Card? The idea of a tracking device is terrifying. Though our civil liberties have been systemically eroding since 1913 it seems that America has reached an all new low. The vote was divided among both parties and The US House of Representatives approved a Republican-backed measure that would require all US states to design the licenses by December 2009 complying with federal regulation for antiterrorism. Don’t want a card that allows the government to track you 24/7? Best of luck getting into federal building much less on a plane or across a border.

Technology in identification cards is nothing new. Radio Frequency Identification Chips will in fact be implanted in passports within coming years. Now, your driver’s license seems like the next step in the execution of a terrible plot to monitor Americans day in and day out. The cards issued state to state will in fact be voluntary but a non card carrier will not be allowed entry into an airport or onto a train. It will be in our best and also worst interest in this case to carry a national ID. Read More »

Hillary Clinton’s new campaign ad mocking the finale of one of television’s most popular dramas has been causing a stir in the pre-election candidate market. In this clever spoof, Hillary and Bill take on the roles of Tony and Carmela by sitting at a table in mock New Jersey diner, while Chelsea is seen through the front window attempting to parallel park her car Meadow-style. Hillary’s campaign song comes on the jukebox and the screen fades to black. How clever.

While this culturally savvy spoof shows Hillary’s aptitude to interpret American culture, does it showcase any of her abilities to be the president of The United States? The references made to Smash Mouth, her horrific campaign song by Celine Dion, and the overlying theme of the Sopranos make the ad mirror some type of commercial advertisement for American media. Amy recently explored the concept of candidates creating MySpaces to reach out to the youth of America in their own territory. While I appreciate the fact that Hillary is attempting to reach out to young voters who will often ignore politics in favor of entertainment, another part of me wonders whether or not I feel disrespected by having a presidential candidate marketed to me as a celebrity-like figure. Read More »

When it comes to politics, I’m every activist’s worst nightmare, regardless of whether they sport a bleeding heart or a Brooks Brothers suit. I am the apathetic young adult. I barely managed to vote in the last election and I’m pretty sure I wrote in Jackie Kennedy.

Don’t get me wrong, I care. I am informed. But I’m easily distracted by less abstract issues, like what kind of conditioner to buy, or whether my cubicle mate meant to rub my shoulder like that. And after eight years with this current buffoon in office, it’s easy to become disillusioned and look the other way.

Sad, right? Abstract is the last thing the political system should be. But face it, American politicians act more like self – interested, fame – starved celebrities than advocates for the progression of mankind. Paris Hilton for president, anyone? With the Terminator holding down California, it’s not such a far – out prospect.

That’s why I’m grateful for Michael Moore, with his nosy, annoying, righteous knee – jerk liberal fastidiousness. I’m not one to base my vote on a film, but “Fahrenheit 911,” “Bowling for Columbine” and “Roger and Me” were jarring works of cinema. Despite how many “inaccuracies” people claimed they contained, their messages rang true and clear: America’s got problems. Read More »

I must admit, I haven’t been paying all that much attention to the upcoming presidential vote. The main reason being, I stopped watching The Daily Show in college. And yes, at 10 a.m. Monday through Friday, I was lucky enough to be home watching Jon Stewart, and not in class. Hint: become an arts major, not a physics major.

But, thanks to RadarOnline, I now have a better idea of who our potential presidential front-runners are, and where they are in the race.

The key to my understanding? The perfect combination of Myspace and Saved By The Bell.

The presidential candidates have been using Myspace as a means to put their names and messages out there to the Wired Ones of America – the ones who are up on their technology, in with the trends, the bloggers, the “cool kids,” – you know…us. And what’s better proof of just how well they and their campaigners are doing? Their number of Myspace friends.

According to the site’s very helpful Saved By the Bell chart, it seems as though Barack Obama is the Zack Morris of ’08 candidates. I wonder if Barack can pull off sporting such “natural” blonde locks and a nifty cell phone quite like the Zack Meister? Whatever he’s doing, he’s doing it right – he has over 100,000 Myspace friends. Almost as many as I have. Read More »

Your decision to support or turn away from Hillary Clinton as she places her bid for the White House may be more personal than you think. (And I don’t mean your personal predilection for weird ass faces).

According to this article on CNN.com, “women running for office face an unusual political conundrum”. Their biggest supporters—other women—may also be their biggest criticizers.

“It’s in part because some [women] expect the first female president to be a reflection of them, only better” explains Marie Wilson, president of the White House Project, an organization that encourages women to lead in both the business and political arena. “We want them to be perfect.” She goes on to say, “we hold them to a higher standard because they do represent us.” Wilson also suggests that if candidates such as John McCain or Barack Obama were women, they’d have a much harder time because of their age or experience. Read More »