InternetGeekGirl, Stephanie Agresta, who is a pal of mine, has a new blog post up on the WeTV “1 Woman. 1Vote.” site that I think you’ll love.  It’s all about the current political season and her passion for the candidacy of Barack Obama.  The trouble is, she’s dating a great new guy who’s for John McCain.  In dealing with this conflict in points of view, she shared some inspiration she got watching the recent interviews of the Presidential candidates by Pastor Rick Warren at his Saddleback mega-church in Southern California early last week:

“Warren started the event with some good advice: We can disagree without demonizing. That resonated for me!  Wouldn’t it be great if members of Congress would abide by that credo? How much more likely would I be to find relationship success if I do the same thing? “

It’s clear from an earlier study Engage did regarding dating and politics that these sorts of discussions can be dangerous ground for folks on opposite sides of the aisle.  But with a disproportionate number of woman registered as Democrats in the U.S. and about the same disproportionate number of men registered as Republicans, such conflicting political viewpoints are bound to come up when dating.

Warren, who is famous for his “Purpose-driven Life” books, offers great advice, as Stephanie shares in her blog post.  And because she’s is so committed to increasing the number of people who vote in this November’s election, she also offers this advice of her own:

Encouraging those around you to vote is critical, but you have to be willing to accept the fact that they may not vote your way. It’s more important to respect those around you for being willing to get involved and have a point of view, (versus having the exact same point-of-view as you). Trust me, this is not always an easy task - but, then again, neither is dating!

Wisdom all of us could benefit from!

We surveyed more than 250 single adults last week to understand more about how HBO’s Sex and the City influenced dating.  Here’s what we learned: 

77 percent of singles consider themselves a fan of Sex and the City.  51percent say they are a big fan.  Women were more likely than men to say they are a fan. 

52 percent of singles say Sex and the City influenced their dating life.  12 percent said it was a negative influence (men were more likely than women to say the influence was negative) and 40 percent said it was a positive influence (women were more likely than men to say the influence was positive). 

43 percent plan to see the movie.  37 percent will wait for the DVD. 20 percent won’t see.  Women were more than twice as likely as men to say they will go see the movie. 

80 percent of singles believe Sex and the City made it more acceptable for women to have fun dating and worry less about finding a committed relationship.  Women were more likely than men to believe this. 

43 percent of singles believe Sex and the City made it more acceptable for women to be unfaithful in their romantic relationships.  Men were more likely than women to believe this. 

59 percent say that Sex and the City reminded them how much they rely on their friends for dating advice and perspective.  Women were more likely than men to say this. 

50 percent believe that women who are big Sex and the City fans are more likely to have sex on a first date.  Men were more likely than women to believe this. 

51 percent agree with this statement made by Sex and the City character, Samantha Jones:  “Who we are in bed is who we are in life.  I’ve never met a man who was bad in bed who was good at life.”  Men were more likely than women to agree with this statement. 

Biggest complaints about the Sex and the City movie (note respondents were able to select all answers that apply):

• There was too much emphasis on being beautiful on the outside and not enough on being beautiful on the inside  (25%) (This was women’s biggest complaint)
• Single women became too much like single men (24%)
• Women no longer wanted to commit to the right man when he came along (23%)
• Men suddenly expected all single women to want to have sex without any commitment (22%)
• It promoted promiscuity (21%)
• It wasn’t realistic and didn’t speak to my dating experiences (20%)
• The emotional needs of single men were trivialized (20%) (This was men’s biggest complaint)

36 percent said they borrowed ideas from Sex and the City and used them in their dating life.  Women were more likely than men to say this. 

Single women most strongly identify with Sex and the City character Carrie Bradshaw, followed by Charlotte York and then Samantha Jones. Women were the least likely to say they identify with character Miranda Hobbes. 

55 percent of single women said Sex and the City influenced them to date more like men date. 

44 percent of single women wish they could be Carrie Bradshaw for one day.  35 percent wish they could be Samantha Jones for one day.  11percent wish they could be Miranda Hobbes for one day and 11 percent wish they could be Charlotte York for one day. 

86 percent of single women said they socialize with other women friends around sex, romance and dating issues, much like the Sex and the City characters did.  51 percent say they commonly do this. 

70 percent of single women say Sex and the City did not influence their shoe purchases.  14 percent say they purchased more shoes as a result of watching the HBO series, and 16 percent say they purchased more expensive or better quality shoes as a result. 

Some might say that it’s more likely that Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda  will end up being each other’s “soulmates” in life than it is that any man will be their “soulmate.”  When women were asked about the role a “soulmate” will play in their own lives:

• 39 percent said they already had or would end up with one (or several) women friends as their “soulmate” in life instead of a man.

  When men were asked about their beliefs about Sex and the City (and allowed to select more than one answer):

• 29 percent enjoyed it
• 25 percent say they learned a thing or two about dating women by watching
• 24 percent said it didn’t reflect their lives, or the lives of women they dated
• 24 percent said it gave them an inside look at what women actually do when they get together—talk about men
• 19 percent said it made it a lot easier to get women to sleep with them
• 19 percent said it changed dating, as it gave women permission to play the field
• 17 percent said it made it a lot more challenged to find a single woman who was seeking a lasting, committed relationship

Since single women named Barack Obama as the presidential candidate they would most like to see naked , are they also more likely to find a man in an Obama t-shirt sexier than a man sporting Clinton or McCain across his chest? Probably. Check out this PopSugar photo of Ryan Phillippe stepping out for his candidate Obama yesterday in LA. PopSugar is right when they say of Ryan:

“…showing off he’s a voter is always sexy.”

The Engage “Love, Politics and Romance” survey found that 83 percent of single women and 78 percent of single men report they are more likely to fall in love with a registered voter, rather than someone who hasn’t registered.

Single men, not surprisingly, think Hillary Clinton is the sexiest of the three candidates. So when Fran Drescher, seen here at PerezHilton in her Clinton gear, steps out for her candidate, single men are likely to notice. We are attracted to people with strong opinions and the guts to be public about their political choices…even when their t-shirt choice isn’t entirely flattering.

Want to increase your romantic chances this election year? Get engaged in the political process and show off your Clinton, McCain or Obama gear.

Trish McDermott
VP of Love, Engage

Of all the current presidential candidates, single women would most like to see Barack Obama naked, followed by John Edwards as their second choice, according to a January 2008 Engage survey of more than 900 single adults.

After recently meeting the candidate at a Women for Obama event—if elbowing my way to the front of a line to shake his hand, glance into his inviting eyes and snap a photo to forever memorialize the two-second event (only later to learn I had cut off his head) actually qualifies as meeting—he has my vote too, at least in the naked department. Obama is cute, charismatic and strikes me as a candidate relatively comfortable with naked truths—even his own. Not to mention he has a confident, warm, and not at all sweaty handshake.

Barack Obama seems comfortable with naked truths.

According to the survey, single women believe John Edwards is the sexiest candidate by two percentage points above Obama, with Mitt Romney taking the bronze. Single women elected Obama as the best kisser of the candidates, in a tight race with Edwards as his runner up, and with Guiliani coming in a distant third. Among single women, no Republican candidate finished first or second when asked about their sexiness, perceived kissing prowess, or one’s desire to see them naked. How will this play out in the coming primaries and the general election later this year?

John Edwards - Candidate McDreamy?

The McDreamy Presidential Election Factor?
Forty-two percent of single women surveyed said that a candidate’s physical appearance influences their voting decision. Women were more likely to be influenced by the presidential attraction factor than were men. Melinda Henneberger, who spent eighteen months interviewing women about their voting choices:

“…began to wonder if picking a candidate wasn’t a little like dating, with chemistry and timing regularly trumping reason and common vision.”

We don’t have to agree with everything our significant other believes, in order to have a passionate, meaningful and happy relationship. Sometimes even opposites make for a great marriage. Regardless of how our beliefs align with our partners’, it certainly helps if we think they are sexy, like the way they kiss and enjoy seeing them naked. Is this true also for our president? According to Henneberger:

“Many women said they are looking for someone they can trust, even more than someone they agree with in all the particulars.”

Whether single women intend to vote for the candidate who looks best naked, or the candidate they trust will have the best plan to address issues they say are most important to them—the war in Iraq, the economy and healthcare—Engage is encouraging all single women, and their male counterparts, to vote and make themselves heard in 2008. “Every Single Vote,” a 10-month campaign to get out the single vote for this year’s presidential election, kicked off this week. The campaign will continue to survey singles on election issues, provide voter registration resources to Engage members, and encourage all singles to let their political voices be heard. Wondering if it’s OK to discuss politics on a first date? Or whether Democrats or Republicans make better lovers? Take the Engage “Every Single Vote – 2” survey this week, and let the last word be yours.

Me? I’m off to dream about sexy candidates, and ponder the war in Iraq, as I cast my absentee ballot.

Trish McDermott
VP of Love, Engage.com

Participating in life makes you a lot sexier than sitting on the sidelines. I’m attracted to people who are empowered and believe in their own ability to influence change and make things happen. Aren’t you? Did you know you’re four times more likely to attract a potential romantic partner simply by registering to vote? This is based on today’s running tally of Engage’s “Love, Romance, and Politics” survey.

We’ll keep the survey open and see what happens, so please take a few minutes to weigh in with your own thoughts. With a little over 600 responses so far, here are some early survey findings:

Sexiest Candidate: Single Democrats see Hillary Rodham Clinton as the sexiest candidate, followed by John Edwards. Single Republicans give Mitt Romney the Mr. Sexy title, followed by Clinton (more men than women have taken the survey so far, which may explain this Republican defection to Clinton…or maybe her recent tears made her more vulnerable and appealing, and Republican men just can’t help themselves). Single Independents chose Clinton as sexiest, followed by Edwards, and Single Libertarians and Greens both find Clinton the sexiest, with Obama running second.

Party Attraction Factor: Single Democrats are most attracted to a sexy and honest potential romantic partner, while Single Republicans are most attracted to a single person who is honest and smart. Will these dating selection biases influence their presidential choices? Single Libertarians like their romantic partners smart and good looking, and Single Greens prefer honest and sexy partners.

Single Republicans are more likely than single Democrats to say they would cross party lines to date. Of course, as James Carville once told me during the 2004 campaign when I announced a survey with similar results, maybe this is because single Democrats don’t like the dating prospects on the Republican side. Leaving political affiliation aside, men think Clinton will be the best kisser of the candidates, while women, ever hopeful, seem to prefer Obama for a snog.

While most of the survey is just for fun, and I’ll share more with you soon, we’re serious about getting out the single vote.

Only 43% of single men voted in 2004, while 52% of single women did so, according to Margie Omero. Both groups were out-voted by their married counterparts. Single women, who traditionally vote Democratic, have been annoyingly dubbed the “Single Anxious Woman” voting block, so pundits and pollsters can speak about the influence, apparently perceived to be significant, they may wield in the upcoming presidential election. If they vote, that is.

“Want a sure-fire way to keep women away from the polls? How about calling large groups of them ’single and anxious?’” writes Huffington Post blogger Morra Aarons-Mele.

According to the Engage survey, if the presidential election was held today:

40% of single Democrats would vote for Clinton, 25% for Obama, and 18% for John Edwards. With single Republicans, Huckabee, Guliani, and McCain are in a three-way tie for first place, each getting just over 19% of the vote.

However you plan to vote, your single voice must be heard. It’s good for your love life, and it’s good for our American way of life. Here are three ways you can easily get Engaged in the presidential election:

1. Register to vote. Check out Project Vote Smart to learn how voter registration works in your state.

2. Take Engage’s “Love, Politics, and Romance” survey:

3. Volunteer to work for the sexy, or not so sexy, candidate of your choice:

Hillary Rodham Clinton

John Edwards

Rudy Giuliani

Mike Huckabee

Dennis Kucinich

John McCain

Barack Obama

Ron Paul

Mitt Romney

Fred Thompson

Peace, love, and good politics.

Trish McDermott

VP of Love, Engage.com