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• Who Loves You, Campaign Baby? (Rambo, Porn Stars and Writers, That's Who)

  Running for president is not a popularity contest. Oh, wait, it is! And just like high school this competition hinges on the backing of other popular kids. This year's election has been a veritable Endorsement Bonanza. Everybody is getting in on it, no matter what their relevance levels, which, in Political Nanny's estimation, peaked somewhere between 1983-1989 for most. Read More... Posted Feb 01 2008, 09:23 AM by Madeline Holler with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: Kucinich, GOP, Rudy Giuliani, Republican, endorsement, Hillary Clinton, candidates, media, Clinton, Edwards, campaign ads, Mormonism, Mitt Romney, Paul's supporters, Ron Paul, Democrats, John McCain, Barack Obama, Political Nanny, campaign, 2008 election, Huckabee, McCain, Chuck Norris, George W. Bush, military, Oprah, Maya Angelou, fundraising, Ron Paul supporters, republicans, undecided voters, obama, liberal, mike huckabee, celebrities, movies, dropping out, porndorsements, Jenne Jameson, hulk hogan, Ric Flair, Larry Flynt, Hustler, Toni Morrison, celebrity endorsements, literary endorsements, John Grisham, anne rice, Savanna Samson, Sylvester Stallone

• SPF 50 for Campaign Trail Burns

  Political Nanny strongly suspects one of her GOP darlings is going to get severely burned in Florida on Tuesday. Which is why she is insisting ...   Read More... Posted Jan 28 2008, 02:50 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: GOP, Rudy Giuliani, Hillary Clinton, Iowa, Democrats, Barack Obama, South Carolina, polls, florida

• Now Casting 'Election 2008: The Movie'

  Eventually, the 2008 Election is going to make a great epic movie. Sure, we don't yet know the ending. And yeah, so far the story centers mostly on the campaign and surprise Iowa win for a bi-racial Senator, and a pretty decent tearful plot-twist, courtesy of the ambitious, conniving, first woman to do anything important in this country ... ever! There's also the tension building over a New Hampshire comeback for the aging Republican stalwart. Comic relief/hints of horror from the fundamentalist Christian with populist appeal threatening the hopes and dreams of a Morman businessman with daddy issues. There's the 9-11 Mayor, the stinking rich son of a South Carolina mill worker and a second-rate actor on a ubiquitous television franchise to squeeze in there too.      Read More... Posted Jan 22 2008, 07:36 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Kucinich, GOP, Rudy Giuliani, conservative, women in politics, candidates, Bill Clinton, election, Giuliani, Clinton, South, New Hampshire, Edwards, Iowa, Mormonism, Mitt Romney, campaign trail, Bill Richardson, Democrats, John McCain, Fred Thompson, Barack Obama, Political Nanny, campaign, Huckabee, Mike Gravel, first-spouse, Richardson, Hunter, Dodd, Law and Order, caucus, South Carolina, Joe Biden, wga strike, obama, Slate, Nevada caucuses, Nevada, mike huckabee, celebrities, Election 2008: the movie, movies

• Primary's Baby: N.H. Girl Stalks the Candidates

  You can tell a lot about a presidential candidate by the way s/he holds a baby. OK, not really. But we're going to deeply analyze it anyway. Why? Because it's fun, because it's naughty, because Political Nanny wishes SHE would have thought of doing what this forward-thinking and shameless contributor to Slate has done.   Read More... Posted Jan 09 2008, 12:47 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: Kucinich, Rudy Giuliani, conservative, candidates, vote, media, Giuliani, Clinton, primaries, New Hampshire, Edwards, Mitt Romney, campaign trail, Ron Paul, Democrats, John McCain, Fred Thompson, Barack Obama, Halloween, campaign, Huckabee, McCain, Mike Gravel, first-spouse, Richardson, Hunter, Chuck Norris, John Edwards, republicans, undecided voters, pundits, rally, Slate, campaign trail of tears

• Election Milestone: Candidates Take First Steps In Iowa (Quick, Get the Camera!)

  Political Nanny is sitting on pins and needles, at once excited, deliriously proud of and terrified for her candidates. Today, the 15 reach such an important milestone: the Iowa caucuses. They look so grown up! It seems like just yesterday ...! It's all happening so fast (well, not really.)   Read More... Posted Jan 03 2008, 10:38 AM by Madeline Holler with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Kucinich, GOP, Rudy Giuliani, Christian conservatives, conservative, Hillary Clinton, candidates, vote, election, Giuliani, Clinton, primaries, New Hampshire, Edwards, Iowa, Mitt Romney, campaign trail, Ron Paul, Bill Richardson, Democrats, John McCain, Fred Thompson, Barack Obama, voters, Political Nanny, campaign, 2008 election, Huckabee, McCain, Hunter, immigration, caucus, healthcare, John Edwards, Americans, war, illegal immigrants, Joe Biden, fundraising, Ron Paul supporters, undecided voters, iowa caucus

• Candidates, Political Nanny Loves You. Now Change!

  Over the past three months, Political Nanny has grown to love her lot of disagreeable, argumentative, name-calling, cackling, power-praying little presidential candidates. They're approaching the first of many back-to-back primary election milestones -- only three days until Iowa! -- but have already blossomed into tough and sturdy and, how shall we put this, flexible campaigners.   But could they be better? Oh, couldn't we all. In the spirit of starting anew, Political Nanny has made some resolutions for the campaigning men and woman of 2008.    Read More... Posted Dec 31 2007, 07:00 PM by Madeline Holler with | with no comments Filed under: Kucinich, GOP, Rudy Giuliani, Republican, Pat Robertson, gay rights, pro-choice, women in politics, feminism, Hillary Clinton, ballot, candidates, Bill Clinton, election, Giuliani, Clinton, primaries, New Hampshire, Edwards, Iowa, campaign ads, Mitt Romney, Bush, campaign trail, Paul's supporters, Ron Paul, Bill Richardson, Democrats, John McCain, focus groups, Fred Thompson, Barack Obama, campaign issues, voters, Political Nanny, campaign, 2008 election, Huckabee, Tancredo, Mike Gravel, first-spouse, Hunter, Dodd, Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff, government, parents, immigration, caucus, healthcare, John Edwards, South Carolina, mortgage crisis, heating oil, hunger in America, pandering, debates, YouTube, Americans, campaign offices, Joe Biden, women candidates, Oprah, proxy, religion and politics, Alan Keyes, fundraising, Ron Paul supporters, audience plants, republicans, iowa caucus

• Political Nanny Drops Her Cynicism for One Candidate's Christmas Message

  Political Nanny has spent a bit of time watching all her candidates' Christmas ads, the craven, the wee bit cringe-y, the creepy. She's got a cynical eye, your Political Nanny, always noting signs of pandering, never allowing her heartstrings to be tugged, knowing experts have manipulated every nano-second of the campaign ad "viewing experience" to maximize her affection for each.   So imagine Political Nanny's surprise when she found herself tearing up and sinking into the an emotionally charged holiday message from one of her more low-key guys. Little Freddy -- lazy, laid-back, low-energy Fred Thompson -- brought her this little craft project, a snowflake that drips with glitter glue and glass beads and what she hopes is genuine deference to real people acting on the orders of a failed leader and his advisors.   Read More... Posted Dec 24 2007, 12:24 PM by Madeline Holler with | with no comments Filed under: Rudy Giuliani, Hillary Clinton, campaign ads, Naughty Chair, Fred Thompson, campaign, Huckabee, War in Iraq, christmas cards

• Rudolph, With Your Campaign (Not So) Bright

  Political Nanny loves all her charges unequally, she really does. But it’s not what you think. She doesn’t love her boys and girl based on family background or affluence or which color figure they choose for Candyland or which side of the gameboard they like to sit on, right or left. She loves them for who they are. Which is why she’s in a bit of a panic for one of her secret favorites:   Read More... Posted Dec 19 2007, 06:36 AM by Madeline Holler with | with no comments Filed under: Rudy Giuliani, New Hampshire, Iowa, Mitt Romney, polls, fundraising, florida

• Political Nanny Can't Help But Play Favorites

  Political Nanny truly adores most of her charges, those rascally politicians begging for everybody’s attention and keys to the White House. Like any caregiver, each has earned her affections in different ways. She is moved by the unselfconscious determination of Hillary; loves the charm and ease of Mike H., Joe, Chris and Barack; delights in the unpolished edges of Rudy and Dennis; winces at the grit and anger of John M.; and appreciates the earnestness of Mitt, Ron, Bill and Fred. Her Mike G. gets a little lost in the shuffle. Duncan and Tom get on her nerves (she quietly blames their parents). But little John E. has to be ...  ...     Read More... Posted Dec 04 2007, 09:09 AM by Madeline Holler with | with no comments Filed under: Kucinich, Rudy Giuliani, Hillary Clinton, Giuliani, Political Nanny Cam, Edwards, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Bill Richardson, John McCain, Fred Thompson, Barack Obama, 2008 election, Huckabee, Tancredo, McCain, Mike Gravel, Hunter, Dodd, healthcare, John Edwards

• It's Not a Toy: Please Take Away GOP's Cell Phones

  Political Nanny rolled her eyes during Giuliani's short-lived gimmicky phase of taking phone calls from his wife at public-speaking events. But this well-timed phone call at a 2004 GOP fundraiser to Mike Huckabee -- from God -- just makes her cringe. Would it be too draconian to insist the GOP hand over their cell phones? Because Political Nanny is dreading the moment when Fred Thompson takes a call from Sam Waterston while making the primary rounds in California.   In any case, here's Huckabee's chat with the Lord Almighty. (Thanks to ThinkProgress via Huffington Post for digging it up.)    Posted Nov 29 2007, 03:46 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: GOP, Rudy Giuliani, Republican, Huckabee, cell phones

• Debate Summary: God and Guns Good; Taxes and Immigrants Bad; Families and Kids ... Huh?

  The CNN/YouTube Republican debate last night was not a win for parents and families. But what involving Republicans ever is? (Oh, settle down, Political Nanny’s just feeling cranky.)   Only one question came close to being directly related to families and children, and it's not even one of the top concerns reported in the Parents magazine survey Political Nanny has posted about a few times. The family-ish question?   Read More... Posted Nov 29 2007, 12:04 AM by Madeline Holler with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: Rudy Giuliani, Republican, Political Nanny Cam, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, John McCain, Fred Thompson, Huckabee, Tancredo, Hunter, CNN, debates, YouTube, Americans

• Campaign Like a Pregnant Woman: Let's See Those Presidential Birth Plans!

  Political Nanny, like a good many Americans, has truly yet to make up her mind about whom she’ll vote for in February (when her state’s primary elections will be held). She’s been a solid supporter of many of the candidates in alternating five-minute intervals since, what feels like, the dawn of time. Her vote is still up for grabs. So know that she’s not secretly stumping for one certain candidate when she says this: Read More... Posted Nov 26 2007, 10:05 AM by Madeline Holler with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Rudy Giuliani, Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, Barack Obama, campaign, 2008 election, social security, John Edwards, gas prices, mortgage crisis, heating oil, hunger in America

• Out of the Mouths of Candidates

  Can you really say this with a straight face? Read More... Posted Nov 23 2007, 02:22 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: GOP, Rudy Giuliani, 2008 election, Ronald Reagan, out of the mouths of candidates

• Rudy, Fred and Johnny Happy to Kiss Your Boo-Boos

  Three of the top GOP candidates have proposed healthcare plans that wouldn’t even cover their own cancer-surviving asses. Way to tackle the problem! Read More... Posted Nov 20 2007, 04:21 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: GOP, Rudy Giuliani, Republican, John McCain, Fred Thompson, healthcare

• Giuliani Gets an Amen!

  We didn’t see this coming! Pro-gay rights, pro-choice, pro-broken marriages, pro-pre-marital everything Giuliani received a rather stunning endorsement from a rather anti-anything-fun kind of guy.     Read More... Posted Nov 09 2007, 03:56 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Rudy Giuliani, terrorism, Pat Robertson, pro-life, endorsement, gay rights, pro-choice, 9-11, Christian conservatives

• Who's Your GOP Daddy?

  A tiny focus group of Virginia GOP voters predictably named Fred Thompson as Granddaddy in an exercise asking them to assign family roles to each of the Republican candidates. Guess who they chose as father?   Read More... Posted Nov 05 2007, 05:40 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: GOP, Rudy Giuliani, Republican, John McCain, focus groups, Fred Thompson