Politics

If there's any doubt how strong the GOP's hold on Alabama is, consider this -- a Republican nominee beat out the Democratic incumbent for a seat on the Bibb County Commission last week despite the fact that he died a month earlier. Congratulations, Alabama, on taking partisanship to a whole new level.

An election is the ultimate celebration of democracy. However if you live in South Carolina or Kentucky, booze probably isn't going to be part of your November 6 revelry.

Given the proliferation of social media over the last four years, 2012 should be the social media election.

This week, the Republicans are holding their national political convention in Tampa, Florida. Next week it will be the Democrats doing the same in Charlotte, North Carolina.

While political extremists may froth at the mouth and march around in a huff, research suggests that they are actually happier than those who take more moderate political views.

The separation of church and state doesn’t mean religious leaders can’t express political opinions. And in the wake of President Obama’s endorsement of gay marriage there has been talk that some houses of worship may encourage their flock not to vote for the president in 2012 to protest his reversal on the issue.

Politics is definitely in the air, especially since 2012 is an election year. But a recent survey by Harris Interactive on behalf of Careerbuilder.com suggests most folks still shy away from talking about Democrats and Republicans in their workplace.

When it comes to politics, our stances may not just be a matter of opinion. They could be based in biology, too.

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history: 1859 – French acrobat Charles Blondin crosses Niagara Falls on a tightrope (More info) 1921 – U.S. President Warren G. Harding appoints former President William Howard Taft as Chief Justice of the United States; Taft is the only person to have ever held both offices (More info)