Declaring with a Pen
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on October 7th, 2011 4:38 am by HL
Declaring with a Pen
A Smart Politics review of paperwork “filed with the Federal Election Commission finds that Rick Perry is the only major presidential candidate who chose to fill out his Statement of Candidacy by hand, instead of taking the time to cleanly type it.”
“Even cash-strapped candidates who are running their campaigns on shoestring budgets like Gary Johnson and Buddy Roemer (and former candidate Thaddeus McCotter) all managed to break out the typewriter or boot up the computer when filling in this short FEC form.”
Has Obama’s Election Reduced Crime?
James Verini looks at the growing number of criminologists who believe that the election of President Obama, as the country’s first black president, has led to a continued reduction in the crime rate.
“Until recently, almost all criminologists could agree on one factor: the good economy… The higher are employment and wages, the thinking goes, the less crime people commit — and vice versa. But then, unexpectedly, the crime decline of the last two decades did not end with the economic collapse of 2008… One unlikely explanation that is gaining credence among experts, including some of the biggest names in the field, is a phenomenon tentatively dubbed ‘the Obama Effect.’ Simply put, it holds that the election of the first black president has provided such collective inspiration that it has changed the thinking or behavior of would-be or one-time criminals… Generally referred to as the ‘legitimacy’ theory, it posits that the greater people’s belief in the legitimacy of social institutions and government, the greater their inclination to obey laws.”
Manchin Looks Good for Re-Election
A new Public Policy Polling survey in West Virginia finds Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) leading two possible rivals for his re-election next year.
Machin tops Rep.Shelley Moore-Capito (R), 49% to 38%, and crushes Bill Maloney (R), 60% to 29%.
One thing that may keep Capito out of the race this year: She leads Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) in a possible 2014 match up, 48% to 44%.
