| the has-been
More women vote, and women tend to like Democrats better. In practice, it takes two to tango. Democrats did well in 2006 by winning back men; Bush won in 2004 by cutting his losses among women. So far, Republican hopefuls are having a tough time with gender balance. McCain is a guy's guy, standing up for a war that most women oppose. Giuliani has women's clothes and a comb-over. Romney has a gap with both genders: Women think he's the next Thomas E. Dewey, the little man on the wedding cake; men think he's proof we were right never to trust The Dry Look. For such a confused party, Fred Thompson seems like a knight in shining loafers. Not only can he play the tough guy in Tom Clancy movies, he's the affable D.A. on "Law & Order" – the show Michael Kinsley famously called "The Secret Vice of Power Women." Conservatives pushing Thompson's candidacy routinely tout his crossover appeal.
Maternity leave for students?
Pregnant students in Denver have asked their high school for at least four weeks of maternity leave "so they can heal, bond with their newborns and not be penalized with unexcused absences," reports the Denver Post. (Here is the full story.) The paper explains that normally Colorado public schools use specialized programs or individual education plans to deal with pregnancy. "Two counselors from East High School approached the school board last month, saying the policy at their school is unfair and inconsiderate because it forces new moms to return to school the day after being discharged from the hospital or face being charged with unexcused absences," reports the Post. "East High School administrators could not be reached for comment over the winter break, but district officials say they are reviewing the policy on absences to make it 'friendlier' to new moms, said DPS spokesman Alex Sanchez," the article says.
January 2008
At the Corner, Kathryn Jean Lopez questioned McCain's leadership abilities, and Mark Steyn remarked, "Just because McCain can poke Mitt in the eye is no indication he'll be as effective with Putin." Ross Douthat adds that McCain "kept on behaving as if Romney were the front-runner, and he was the scrappy underdog who needed to bring his rival down a notch." Still, many bloggers disagree. At the CAMPAIGN STANDARD, Richard Starr says that "this line of McCain's is more than a cheap shot; it actually illuminates a deep and important difference between the two GOP contenders." Scott Johnson at Power Line expands on this line of thought, noting that in today's world of "Vladimir Putins, Osama bin Ladens and Harry Reids," an experienced politician is preferable to an experienced businessman: "This is not a game for amateurs.
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