The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

So, what's the reason for the GOP likely winning control of the Senate tonight? If you ask ten conservatives, at least nine will likely tell you, "It's a referendum on President Obama and his policies." I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous. President Obama's approval numbers aren't great, but they are a heck of a lot better than that of Congress. In the the three most recent such polls, Obama's approval rating is at 42.7% and his disapproval is at 53.0% (net -10.3%). As far as Congress goes, the four most recent polls have its approval at 12.0% and their disapproval at 78.5% (net -66.5%). So, President Obama's approval is 3.56 times that of Congress and Congress' disapproval is at 1.48 times that of the president. The fact of the matter is the American people can't stand Congress and want to vote incumbents out. Due to Republican gerrymandering, however, they will continue to control the House. On the other hand, the Senate will likely ...

Every now and again, I bump into someone (usually a guy) who at least partially blames rape victims for the crime. I can just imagine the look on my face as I'm hearing the partial defense of rapists - one which religious mothers may give after they've lost their voice and caught their son masturbating - confused, silent, shocked, and disgusted. Of course, when hearing such opinions, it always starts like this: "Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that rape is right or anything, but come on... I mean..." ...and then comes the alleged rationale of the rapists and the critique of the victims. "When a woman wears something like that and shows that much skin, she's just seeking attention and what's a guy to think?" Sure, she may want to get looked at, but seeking attention as far as admiring eyes goes is far different than forced sexual intercourse. "She got wasted. She put herself in that position." I don't care how d...