Politics & Government - 3 May 2007

Some 45% of all Republicans report being very happy, compared with just 30% of Democrats and 29% of independents. This finding has also been around a long time; Republicans have been happier than Democrats every year since the General Social Survey began taking its measurements in 1972. Pew surveys since 1991 also show a partisan gap on happiness; the current 16 percentage point gap is among the largest in Pew surveys, rivaled only by a 17 point gap in February 2003.
Could it be that Republicans are so much happier now because their party controls all the levers of federal power? Not likely. Since 1972, the GOP happiness edge over Democrats has ebbed and flowed in a pattern that appears unrelated to which party is in political power.
For example, Republicans had up to a 10 and 11 percentage point happiness edge over Democrats in various years of both the Carter and Clinton presidencies, and as small as a three and five percentage point edge in various years of the Reagan and first Bush presidencies. Also, we should explain here a bit about how our survey questionnaire was constructed. The question about happiness was posed at the very beginning of the interview, while the question about political affiliation was posed at the back end, along with questions about demographic traits. So respondents were not cued to consider their happiness through the frame of partisan politics. This question is about happiness; it is not a question about happiness with partisan outcomes.
Of course, there's a more obvious explanation for the Republicans' happiness edge. Republicans tend to have more money than Democrats, and -- as we've already discovered -- people who have more money tend to be happier.
But even this explanation only goes so far. If one controls for household income, Republicans still hold a significant edge: that is, poor Republicans are happier than poor Democrats; middle-income Republicans are happier than middle-income Democrats, and rich Republicans are happier than rich Democrats.
Might ideology be the key? It's true that conservatives, who are more likely to be Republican, are happier than liberals, who are more likely to be Democrats. But even controlling for this ideological factor, a significant partisan gap remains. Conservative Republicans are happier than conservative Democrats, and moderate/liberal Republicans are happier than liberal Democrats. Hmmm, what other factors might be at play? Well, there's always...
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/301/are-we-happy-yet

2007-05-03 13:34:45 · 15 answers · asked by GREAT_AMERICAN 1 in Politics

2007-05-03 13:28:49 · 30 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics

Everyday that I get on here there is a question about Mexicans and/or immagrants and everyday the answers to it are so incredibly rude. I'm Mexican and I'll have you know that I am 18 and a virgin, I speak English, I have a 3.5 GPA, I take showers everyday, I work hard to get my money, and I'm NOT illegal. Don't judge everyone because of what a few do.

2007-05-03 13:20:11 · 32 answers · asked by Anonymous in Immigration

He is barely getting his answers out, and he is effectively parroting the Bush administration's foriegn policy. Who is giving this guy his advice? He should strive to be anything but another George Bush, why is he blindly supporting his policies?

Giuliani isn't doing so bad. But does he really have the national political experience needed to be a president?

2007-05-03 13:20:01 · 7 answers · asked by truthspeaker10 4 in Politics

Really why is it so messed up? We're smarter than this. It should be better.

2007-05-03 13:18:49 · 4 answers · asked by Funkyo K 2 in Politics

2007-05-03 13:17:50 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics

2007-05-03 13:17:28 · 18 answers · asked by bob g 1 in Military

Since the politicians do not want to stop the terrorists, we must start planning for the inevitable.

Will the terrorists nuke Los Angeles, Chicago or New York first, assuming only one nuke was used?

The case for New York is that it is the biggest city, has the most commercial wealth and will cause the biggest shock to the financial health of the US (and the world).

The case for Los Angles is it is sin city--the terrorists don't like our "morals" (even though they think nuking us is fine).

The case for Chicago is that if the nuclear detonation is a ground burst, there would be massive radioactivity, and with the westerly to easterly winds would cause the greatest death toll as the radioactive debris will go from Chicago to Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Washington, etc.

Bush will not stop the illegals and has open borders and the Democrats are always soft on national security. We must contemplate this scenario and hopefully wake up DC.

2007-05-03 13:16:27 · 13 answers · asked by RealTruth 3 in Military

Women like Jesus because he's a total "nice guy" (pussy) and he had good abs.

2007-05-03 13:16:24 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Law & Ethics

because they are just looking to make a better life for themselves. Then should I be able to rob a bank to make a better life for myself?

2007-05-03 13:15:18 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Immigration

i was pulling out of a parking space...STOPPED to put it in drive, i looked in my rearview mirror and i saw her backing out, i was still stopped and i tried to beep the horn but it was too late, she got out, tried to blame me then took off in her car, i got her license plate # but the police couldnt find it in the records..now i dont know what to do ( as for finding her for a hit and run, and the damage to my car ) i called my insurance, they said IF they find her, shell pay, but if they dont..we pay...im pissed

2007-05-03 13:14:56 · 6 answers · asked by beautifultragedy 3 in Law Enforcement & Police

Two years ago, my brother had an accident that has left him with brain injuries for life. I was his caretaker up until June of 2006, but I had become ill and needed to be hospitalized. At that time, my brother was court appointed a legal guardian and placed into a rehabilitation center. My brother will be coming back home next month, but his guardian claims that he will be my brother's guardian for life. My brother and I do not want it this way. I'm willing to be my brother's caretaker again. How do we go about getting rid of the guardian?

2007-05-03 13:14:31 · 4 answers · asked by Sarah 1 in Law & Ethics

2007-05-03 13:14:08 · 8 answers · asked by pekoka2000 1 in Military

Am I under the scrutiny of piracy laws?

2007-05-03 13:06:19 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Law & Ethics

I have SLE, MS, CAD, HBP, epilepsy, sjogrens and quite severe GASTROINTESTINAL ISSUES . I take medications that keep me healthy functioning. When I'm on HIGH dose Steroids for SLE/MS I must take xanax/ valium to prevent a true streroid psychosis,I take Marinol 5 mg TID to QID for the gastro issues-without it I can't eat-and I loose weight rapidly.On my pre-employment screening-the NP was told EXACTLY what meds I am prescribed,by whom and why I take them. No problem-these are all legal prescriptions and you can start next Tuesday. Tuesday came, I went-was told the job offer was withdrawn based on medical board exam of the medications I take--all legally prescribed medication-but, because of the Marinol-it is legal script for severe gastro issues but, becuz THC in Marinol shows on urine drug test false positive for majiuania.WHAT LEGAL RIGHTS &HOW CAN I "SUE" HOSPITAL FOR NOT HIRING aRN-with EXCELLENT credentials25 yr experience-sue the hospital-?what r my legal rights?helP

2007-05-03 12:57:42 · 4 answers · asked by californiagirl 1 in Law & Ethics

I want to join National Guard or Air Force but I don't know how i need you to tell me step by step.

2007-05-03 12:55:12 · 8 answers · asked by Chris P 1 in Military

Is it about time we all get hybrid cars??????????????

2007-05-03 12:50:28 · 30 answers · asked by J 2 in Politics

I think it should not matter which Religious background a future candidate comes from. For me the most important aspect will be, his/her honesty, integrity and effectiveness of knowledge. What do you think?

2007-05-03 12:50:24 · 8 answers · asked by angelikabertrand64 5 in Elections

and who the hell are all those folks?

2007-05-03 12:47:20 · 3 answers · asked by Stealth 2 in Elections

I have reason to believe the police may want to tap my land line phone. Whenever I call certain phone numbers While I am talking it sounds like someone presses a number to dial. I ask my friends if it was them and it is not. This doesnt happen every once and a while it always happens with certain phone numbers. Also ocasionally the phone will ring only once with no one on it. Is there any way to tell if my phone is taped?

2007-05-03 12:47:11 · 11 answers · asked by Dave O 1 in Law Enforcement & Police

I know I have a debt with a creditor and they have turned it over to a collection agency. The first time I talked to a collector I told them what my circumstances were: I had just lost my job, I was 7 1/2 months pregnant, I have no insurance, I have 3 toddlers I have to support, and I'm about to undergo two major surgeries. There is just no way I can pay anything right now. They keep calling me daily and I keep telling them the same thing. They told me to borrow the money from someone but there is no one. They want my credit card # so they can charge it at a later date...I don't think so. Recently they called my house when I wasn't home. My sister-in-law, who was babysitting, told them I wasn't home and they called her a liar and said that they knew it was me. Then she said they called back 10 minutes later. Everytime I talk to someone they get really snooty and impossible to be nice to.
Is there anyway to get them to stop calling me???

2007-05-03 12:44:18 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Law & Ethics

My son that was in the Marines and served in Iraq ect...was on leave.And on Feb 3rd while he was home he was killed. His death goes in deep detail so I'm not going there but why won't the Military step in and do something instead of waiting for a small town sheirff to do all the investagation while the men that hurt my son have the right to go on with their lives.
Sorry I just don't understand it. If it happened in another country our Goverment wouldn't set back right?

2007-05-03 12:42:44 · 11 answers · asked by joonam_21 3 in Military

Please give the most honest answer you can.

This is the thing in the Republican
platform I always take the most seriously.

I'm very interested how much is well earned political reputation from brilliant spin and how much is well thought through by the voters.

2007-05-03 12:35:22 · 20 answers · asked by roostershine 4 in Politics

Is there any way that an individual can have the power of attorney without filling out the proper forms when in fact one of their parent are not mentally stable??? (for example: a father is dying of cancer, and is near his death, he wants to die at home and does not want to go to a hospital. Can the daughter, 37 yrs, have the power of attorney without the proper forms???)
How does it apply to Manitoba???

2007-05-03 12:34:59 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Law & Ethics

Any websites that 'rate' lawyers? My sister-in-law needs a good lawyer for a child custody issue and I'm trying to help her out by finding a good lawyer. But I don't know how to find a good lawyer.

2007-05-03 12:33:22 · 7 answers · asked by casey_leftwich 5 in Law & Ethics

2007-05-03 12:29:53 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Law & Ethics

What drives the Democrats ?
Article Last Updated:05/02/2007 11:56:39 AM PDT
LEGISLATION passed by congressional Democrats would force United States troops to abandon Iraq beginning Oct. 1. Though a veto was foreordained, the vote was great news for the jihadis in Iraq, their second such morale boost in a week. On April 19, Senate majority leader Harry Reid had run up a white flag, declaring that "this war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything" — music to the ears of al-Qaida and its allies.

Why is the Democratic Party so wedded to defeat in Iraq? What drives its determination to see this war end in American failure?

The most generous explanation is that Democrats genuinely believe that Iraq will be better off with the Americans gone — that removing US troops will eliminate the catalyst of al-Qaida's butchery.

But as Connecticut's Joseph Lieberman pointed out that "in each of these places where US forces pulled back, al-Qaida rushed in. Rather than becoming islands of peace, they became ... islands of fear and violence."

Some Democrats are clearly motivated by ideological conviction. There may be some on the party's leftmost fringe who would welcome a US defeat on the grounds that the only good superpower is a humbled superpower. There are certainly Democrats in Congress, such as Ted Kennedy and Dennis Kucinich, who almost always oppose any use of military force on principle.

And then there are those who cannot bring themselves to acknowledge the magnitude of the stakes in Iraq or in the larger conflict against radical jihadism. The reality of this struggle — that we are in an existential war with a totalitarian enemy that celebrates death and cannot be appeased — is too bleak and hopeless. They would rather escape into an alternate reality, one in which Americans can choose to end the war by quitting the battlefield.

But in the end there is no escaping that for many Democrats, this is all about politics. Both President Bush and the war in Iraq are unpopular, and the Democratic leadership hopes to capitalize by opposing both of them.

"We are going to pick up Senate seats as a result of this war," Reid said candidly at an April 12 news conference. "Senator Schumer has shown me numbers that are compelling and astounding." To which Schumer, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, added: "The war in Iraq is a lead weight attached to their ankle. ... They are looking extinction in the eye." He spoke those words, Congressional Quarterly observed, "making no attempt to hide his glee."

That glee is very telling. It would be one thing for lawmakers to conclude regretfully that America's campaign in Iraq has failed and that bringing the troops home is the least bad option left. Were that the case, voting to pull the plug would be a sad and painful duty, one no member of Congress would carry out with "glee."

Yet when the House of Representatives voted last month to force a withdrawal from Iraq, Democrats were jubilant.

"Many House Democrats stayed on the floor, reveling in their victory," reported The Hill on March 23. "House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey and Representative John Murtha hugged each other while a smiling (majority leader Steny) Hoyer shook every hand he could find. ... (majority whip James) Clyburn joked with members as (Speaker Nancy) Pelosi kissed and hugged her colleagues."

The New York Times noted that in conversations with "dozens" of Democrats, Pelosi's argument for the bill was overtly political: "Did they want a headline saying, 'Congress is standing up to President Bush,' or 'Congress gives President Bush free rein?'

Senator John McCain, adamantly supporting the current "surge" in Iraq, says he would rather lose a presidential campaign than a war. Democrats, all smiles, prefer to lose the war and win the campaign. They're not alone. In Iraq, al-Qaida is smiling, too.

Jeff Jacoby (jacoby@globe.com) writes for the Boston Globe.

2007-05-03 12:29:05 · 20 answers · asked by GREAT_AMERICAN 1 in Politics

I think Obama might be the best of the Democrats running right now but he sure hasn't helped the state of Illinois. They just passed a bill that let Ameren raise their electric rates double and triple on some. They are working on passing a tax raise on businesses now that is going to run a lot of them out of state. He is already spending money ahead of time for the secret service to guard him. Does that mean all the others that usually wait 9 mths before the election gets to also.

2007-05-03 12:25:59 · 2 answers · asked by question212 6 in Politics

Ite seems there are alot of people running this time around. I am just wondering what it the last date they are allow to throw their name into the ring. Courious to see how many more will annouce?
You can state who you would like to see president as well if you like.

2007-05-03 12:23:36 · 1 answers · asked by Anonymous in Elections

2007-05-03 12:21:58 · 6 answers · asked by .................... 2 in Military