Both Presidential Candidates Want You to Know they Love You Very, Very Much [Video]

Some sunny side up Suzies might claim that all this political negativity is getting them down, but I love this part of the election cycle, the part where both major parties pretend that if they're elected, the needs of women will be their #1 highest priority. This week, the courtship of the American lady voter kicked into high gear, a gear one gear higher than the high gear into which it seemed like it was already kicked, like, six months ago. And both Romney and Obama are claiming that voting for the other guy is sort of like voting to light your ovaries on fire. Who to trust?

In the last two weeks, we've seen a smattering (a group of ads is called a "smattering," like how a group of lions is called a "pride" or a group of crows is called a "murder") of ads from both major political parties, each claiming the other is out to get women. The Obama campaign pointed out that Romney has vowed to "get rid of" federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which means he's not really in touch with poor women who rely on the family planning organization for birth control, cancer screenings, and other sexual health needs. They even released the included video of actress/girlcrush Elizabeth Banks talking about how Romney's stance on women's health would harm people like her. Romney's ad claims Obama is bad for women because the Affordable Care Act is akin to a "War on Religion," and women should be very concerned about this because if there's anything that has really stuck up for women throughout history, it's been organized religion.

According to ABC, the day before the Romney campaign released this new ad about how the Affordable Care Act threatens religious freedom, the GOP nominee's camp criticized the President for continually bringing up women's health as a way to distract from the economy's sluggish recovery.

"Hundreds of thousands of women have lost their jobs, poverty among women is highest in nearly two decades, and half of recent graduates can't find a good job," Romney campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg said. "Middle-class families have struggled in the Obama economy, and Mitt Romney has a plan to strengthen the middle class and get our country back on the right track."

Much of the downward drag on jobs numbers can be attributed to the Republican-championed cutting of public sector jobs like teachers and social workers, jobs predominately held by women.
Barack Obama's not talking enough about the economy! Hey, let's talk about religion!

Earlier this year, The Daily Show pegged this bickering "The Battle for the War on Women," and the description is still apt. But after the politicians have gotten what they've wanted, after we've put out for either the Democrats or Republicans (hahahahahahahaha) will the relentless catering to what women want last much beyond the first Tuesday in November. Will Romney still love me tomorrow?!

[ABC]

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Teenage Girls Have an Excellent Question: Why Hasn't There Been a Female Presidential Debate Moderator in Decades? [2012 Election]

A woman hasn't moderated a general-election presidential debate since 1992, but three teenage girls from New Jersey are hoping to change that. Last Tuesday, Emma, Sammi, and Elena stormed into the Washington headquarters of the Commission on Presidential Debates with 118,000 signatures backing up their petition for a woman moderator.

"It's necessary that our country sees a woman in this prominent position, being visible on the political stage, asking the questions," 16-year-old Elena Tsemberis told The Daily Beast. "A female moderator would be able to add a new perspective to the debates and touch on topics that are salient for women in this country, like reproductive rights, inequality in the workplace, and how the economy impacts women and their families."

But that's exactly why candidates don't want to shake things up with a woman moderator: old, boring white guys are somewhat exalted in our country and therefore won't remind voters to press Obama and Romney on complicated issues. Maybe that's why the debate commission has completely ignored the girls (and all media requests for comment) thus far; on Tuesday, the teens and their petition were kicked out by building security.

However, debate expert Allan Louden points out that it would make Romney look fantastic if he changed the status quo by suggesting a woman should moderate:

Romney should call for PBS's Gwen Ifill to moderate, suggests Louden. As a black woman, Ifill would of course be "a statement," he says. But because she's a veteran of multiple vice-presidential debates, he adds, she offers much of the security of the status quo. "She's predictable. She's heavily researched. She has a track record."

Just think of what would happen if Romney came out and said, "I'm for her," posits Louden. As political moves go, he notes, it would be "marvelous."

Oh god. Please, Obama, pick a woman moderator first. Then you can sit back and watch Romney awkwardly try to explain how he feels about the Fair Pay Act.

Teenage Girls on Quest for Woman Moderator of Presidential Debates [Daily Beast]

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